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About Linking Verbs
Many important verbs do not express action. They help make a
statement and they link a noun or adjective to the
subject.
1. I am calm. The be verb am
links I and calm.
2. George Washington became the first president.
Became links George
Washington and president.
Check by saying, George = president, or President George Washington , or
substitute the linking verb with a form of "to be" (the be
verbs) as in: G. Washington is president.
Linking verbs can be action verbs too. The following sentences
contain verbs that are either linking or action and how to check it.
~~Linking or Action~~
3. The monkey looked hungry.
(Hungry monkey or monkey is hungry)
In this sentence looked is a linking verb.
4. The monkey looked for food. "For
food" is a prepositional phrase and It must be omitted before
checking. The sentence remaining after omitting the prepositional phrase
is The monkey looked. There is no noun or adjective to link monkey to. Looked
is an action verb
in this sentence.
5. Linking: The soup tasted
good. Check: soup is good, good soup, soup
= good
6. Action: I tasted the soup. Check:
I am the soup (no), soup am I (no) I = soup (no)
7. Linking: He grew tired of
walking. Of walking is a prepositional
phrase and not included in the check. You should omit the prepositional
phrase to check: He grew tired. Check: He is tired, tired is he, he =
tired.
8. Action: He grew into a tall man. Omit
the prepositional phrase into a tall man before checking. That
leaves the sentence, "he grew." There's no noun or adjective
left to link to, so grew is an action word in this sentence.
9. Linking: Mother appeared
quite happy at her party. Omit the
prepositional phrase, "at her party". Now the sentence reads,
"Mother appeared quite happy." Check: mother is happy, happy
mother, mother = happy.
10. Action: Mother appeared
quietly in the room. Omit the prepositional
phrase, "in the room". The sentence now reads: Mother appeared
quietly. Quietly is an adverb, omit the adverb. Mother appeared. There is
no noun or adjective to link mother to, so appeared is an action verb.
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