What Is a Linking Verb Example A Clear and Simple Guide

When students first tackle English grammar, some verbs do all the work—they show action, like run, jump, or think. But another group of verbs has a quieter, more fundamental job. These are linking verbs, and they act like a grammatical equals sign, connecting the subject of a sentence to a word that describes or renames it.

In the sentence, "The apple is red," the verb is doesn't show any action. It simply links the subject, "the apple," to its description, "red." This simple connection is the key to understanding what linking verbs are all about.

The Secret Role of Sentence Connectors

Think of a sentence as having two main parts: the subject (who or what it's about) and the predicate (what the subject is or does). While action verbs are the stars of the show, linking verbs are the essential connectors working behind the scenes. They build a bridge from the subject to more information about that same subject.

This "equals sign" idea is the best way to get a feel for how they work. Take another example: "She is a writer." If you swap "is" for an equals sign (=), the core meaning stays intact: She = a writer. The verb isn't showing her doing anything; it's simply stating a fact about her identity.

Why Linking Verbs Are So Common

This connecting function is how we describe the world around us, and it's absolutely fundamental to everyday English. In fact, a 2022 analysis showed that linking verbs appear in a massive 65% of simple descriptive sentences in beginner-level English materials. This shows just how vital they are for building even the most basic statements.

Understanding this concept is a huge step toward mastering English sentence structure. These verbs form the backbone of descriptions, classifications, and statements about how things are.

To really see their power, let's look at how they pull sentence fragments together into a complete thought. The table below shows the "before and after" effect of adding a linking verb.

The Linking Verb Effect

In each case, you can see how the linking verb transforms two separate ideas into a single, complete sentence. Grasping this simple but powerful role will make it much easier to spot and use them correctly, a core skill we explore further in our guide to basic grammar rules.

Your Essential List of Common Linking Verbs

If you want to move beyond basic sentences, you need a solid grasp of the most common linking verbs. Think of these as the glue that connects the subject of your sentence to a description of it. While a lot of verbs can act as linking verbs sometimes, a small group does most of the real work.

We've broken this list into a few key categories to make the verbs easier to recognize and, more importantly, easier to remember. Bookmark this page, and you’ll always have a quick reference for when you're writing and need to be sure.

The Forms of 'To Be'

The verb 'to be' is, without a doubt, the king of all linking verbs. It’s the one you’ll see and use more than any other. All of its different forms do the exact same job: they connect a subject to a word that describes or re-names it.

• am (I am a teacher.)
• is (The sky is blue.)
• are (You are my friend.)
• was (He was tired yesterday.)
• were (They were students.)
• be (She wants to be a doctor.)
• being (He is being quiet.)
• been (She has been helpful.)

Just how dominant is 'to be'? A 2024 British Council report analyzing 50 million sentences from ESL learners found that its various forms account for a massive 52% of all linking verb use. For a deeper dive into how these verbs function, Gallaudet University's guide to action and linking verbs is an excellent resource.

Verbs of Being or State

The next group of verbs is all about describing a state of being or a process of change. These words show how a subject exists, seems, or transforms over time.

These verbs are where your English really starts to sound more sophisticated. Instead of just stating a fact like "He is sad," you can express a perception: "He seems sad." That small change adds a whole new layer of meaning.

Here are the most useful verbs in this category:

• appear: The task appeared simple at first.
• seem: Your plan seems excellent.
• become: The weather became stormy.
• grow: He grew tired of waiting.
• remain: The stores remain open until 9 p.m.
• stay: She decided to stay calm.

Verbs of the Senses

Finally, we have the verbs connected to our five senses. These can be tricky because they often work as action verbs, too. The key is to check what the verb is doing. If it's describing the subject's quality, it's a linking verb.

• look: You look happy today. (describes you)
• sound: That music sounds beautiful. (describes the music)
• smell: The bread smells delicious. (describes the bread)
• taste: This soup tastes salty. (describes the soup)
• feel: The fabric feels soft. (describes the fabric)

To help you get these verbs locked in your memory, we’ve put them all together in one simple table.

Common Linking Verbs Cheat Sheet

This table organizes the most important linking verbs into their functional categories. Use it as a quick reference when you're writing or practicing.

Getting comfortable with these three groups gives you a powerful foundation. Once you can spot these verbs easily, you’ll start to see how much of descriptive English relies on them.

How to Tell Linking Verbs From Action Verbs

Telling the difference between a linking verb and an action verb can feel like a guessing game, even for native speakers. Some verbs just love to play both roles, and it's easy to get tripped up.

Luckily, there’s a simple trick you can use that works like a charm every single time. It's called the Substitution Test, and it's your new best friend for this grammar point.

Here’s how it works: just swap out the verb in your sentence with a form of the verb 'to be'—think am, is, or are. If the sentence still makes sense, you're looking at a linking verb. If it turns into complete nonsense, it’s an action verb.

Let's put this to the test. Take a look at the verb "tastes" in these two sentences:

• Sentence 1: The soup tastes salty.
• Sentence 2: The chef tastes the soup.

Now, let's substitute "is" for "tastes." In the first sentence, "The soup is salty" makes perfect sense. This confirms that tastes is acting as a linking verb, connecting the subject (the soup) to a description of it (salty).

But what about the second sentence? "The chef is the soup" is totally bizarre. That tells you instantly that tastes is an action verb here—it's something the chef is physically doing.

This little decision-making process is the fastest way to get it right. This chart boils it down to the one question you need to ask yourself.

The flowchart shows you the core idea: if the verb isn't showing a physical or mental action, its job is to connect. It's a linking verb.

Applying the Substitution Test to Tricky Verbs

Verbs that have to do with the five senses—like smell, feel, and look—are notorious for causing confusion. The Substitution Test is the only tool you need to sort them out.

Let's take a closer look at the verb feel, a particularly difficult one for learners. In Europe, where 38% of school curricula require English, mistaking the linking 'feel' for the action 'feel' trips up an estimated 55% of B1-level students. You can learn more about how to distinguish action verbs from linking verbs on Gallaudet.edu.

The Substitution Test in Action with 'Feel'

1. Linking Verb Example: I feel sick today.
   • Test: I am sick today. (This works. 'Feel' is a linking verb.)
2. Action Verb Example: I feel the soft fabric.
   • Test: I am the soft fabric. (Nonsense. 'Feel' is an action verb.)

This clear difference shows how 'feel' can either describe a state of being (linking) or a physical touch (action). Let’s try one more common culprit, the verb 'look'.

• Linking: You look tired. -> You are tired. (Makes perfect sense!)
• Action: She looked for her keys. -> She was for her keys. (Doesn't make sense at all.)

Once you get into the habit of applying this test, you'll build the confidence to identify any linking verb you come across. It takes a confusing grammar rule and turns it into a simple, two-step process you can rely on. Mastering this is a huge step toward real fluency.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Linking Verbs

Even after students get the basic idea of a linking verb, a few common tripwires always seem to pop up. Anyone who has taught English for a while knows the pattern. You see students making the same couple of errors over and over again until the rule finally clicks.

Let's get ahead of the curve and look at these mistakes directly. By understanding why they happen, you can learn to spot them in your own writing and fix them with confidence.

Mistake 1: Confusing Linking Verbs with Helping Verbs

This is, without a doubt, the biggest source of confusion. The trouble almost always comes down to the verb 'to be' and its various forms (am, is, are, was, were). This verb can wear two completely different hats in a sentence, and knowing which one it has on is key.

The secret is to look at what the verb is doing.

A linking verb is the star of the show—it's the main verb connecting the subject to a description. A helping verb, on the other hand, is just a sidekick, assisting another main verb to show when the action is happening.

Let's put them side-by-side. Notice how the same word, 'is', does two totally different jobs.

• As a Linking Verb: He is tired.

  • Here, 'is' works like an equals sign. It connects the subject (He) to his state (tired). He = tired.

• As a Helping Verb: He is sleeping.

  • In this sentence, the main action is sleeping. The word 'is' just helps out, telling us the action is happening right now.

Mastering this is a fundamental step. US Common Core standards expect students to have this down by grade 4, yet national tests reveal nearly 29% still get tripped up. They'll see 'am' in "I am hungry" (linking) and confuse its role with 'am' in "I am eating" (helping). For a deeper dive into this data, you can discover more insights about linking verb usage on Trinka.ai.

Mistake 2: Using Adverbs Instead of Adjectives

The second major fumble is using an adverb where an adjective should be. This happens because we're taught that adverbs describe verbs, and we see a verb, so the logic seems to make sense. But it's a trap.

Remember, a linking verb isn't about action. It's about connection. It links the subject to a word that describes the subject, and the only kind of word that can describe a noun (the subject) is an adjective. This is a core part of building solid sentences, which also depends on strong subject-verb agreement principles.

Here’s the classic example that trips up even native speakers:

• Wrong: I feel badly.

  • Using the adverb 'badly' technically means your sense of touch isn't working correctly. You are describing the action of feeling.

• Right: I feel bad.

  • Using the adjective 'bad' describes you (the subject). It describes your emotional or physical state.

Once you train yourself to remember that linking verbs are just giant equals signs, you'll naturally reach for an adjective to complete the equation. It's a small shift in thinking that makes a huge difference in your accuracy.

Practice Your Skills with These Exercises

Reading about grammar rules is the first step. The next, and most important, is actually using them. This is where the knowledge moves from your head to your habits, making it stick.

These exercises are designed to give you that focused repetition. Whether you're working through this on your own or a teacher looking for a quick classroom activity, they’ll help you build the muscle memory to spot and use linking verbs correctly.

Let's jump in.

Exercise 1: Find the Linking Verb

Your first challenge is simple: find the linking verb in each sentence. Look for the word that’s working like an equals sign, connecting the subject to more information about it.

• The night sky appears dark and full of stars.
• After the long hike, my legs felt sore.
• Those flowers smell absolutely wonderful.
• With the new evidence, the case remains a mystery.
• My brother is a talented artist.

The trick is spotting the verb that isn't showing an action, but is describing a condition or state of being.

Pro-Tip: If you get stuck, try swapping the verb with a form of "to be" (like is, am, or are). If the sentence still makes basic sense ("The night sky is dark"), you’ve probably found your linking verb.

Exercise 2: Action or Linking

Alright, this is where it gets interesting. You have to decide if the bolded verb in each sentence is a linking verb or an action verb. This is the perfect time to use that substitution test.

1. She grew tired of all the noise.
2. The farmer grows corn in that field.
3. I looked at the beautiful painting.
4. You look very thoughtful today.
5. The chef tasted the sauce one last time.
6. This milk tastes sour.

Answers: 1. Linking, 2. Action, 3. Action, 4. Linking, 5. Action, 6. Linking.

See the difference? In sentences 2, 3, and 5, the subject is doing something. In sentences 1, 4, and 6, the verb simply describes the subject.

If you want to keep sharpening this skill, these supplemental English grammar exercises offer even more practice.

Exercise 3: Fill in the Blank

Now it’s your turn to build some sentences. Use the list of verbs below to complete each sentence, using each verb only once.

Verb List: became, seems, are, feels, smells

1. The silk scarf ______ incredibly soft against the skin.
2. After years of hard work, she finally ______ a successful lawyer.
3. The air in the bakery always ______ like fresh bread and cinnamon.
4. You ______ my best friends.
5. It ______ like it might rain later this afternoon.

Answers: 1. feels, 2. became, 3. smells, 4. are, 5. seems.

Working through these drills helps solidify every what is a linking verb example we've looked at, turning abstract rules into something you can actually use without having to think about it.

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It’s Time to Put Linking Verbs to Work

So, what’s the big takeaway here? We’ve seen that a linking verb is really just the "equals sign" in a sentence, connecting a subject to whatever is describing it. You’ve got the most common ones down, and you have the simple 'Substitution Test' in your back pocket to tell them apart from action verbs.

But mastering these connectors is about more than just checking off a grammar rule. It’s about unlocking a more precise and descriptive way of seeing the world in English. This isn't just a feeling; the impact is huge. A 2023 study from Oxford University Press found a direct link between using linking verbs correctly and a 45% jump in reading comprehension scores for ESL learners. You can explore more on this at Trinka.ai.

Think about the difference. Saying "The weather is rainy" is fine, but "The weather seems rainy" adds a layer of observation and nuance. That small shift is what makes your English sound less like a textbook and more like a real person talking. It’s a huge boost to your fluency.

This is a critical step forward in your journey. The next one is to keep building on this foundation. On The Kingdom of English, you can turn this knowledge into a real skill through fun, gamified lessons that make practice feel more like play.

It’s time to start speaking and writing a more confident, natural-sounding English.

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Common Questions About Linking Verbs

Once you start getting the hang of linking verbs, a few tricky questions almost always pop up. Let's walk through the most common ones that can trip students up and make sure your understanding is solid.

Are There Only a Few Linking Verbs?

It’s true that a small handful of verbs, especially the forms of ‘to be’, do most of the work. But the full list is longer than most people realize. Verbs like prove, remain, stay, and turn can absolutely function as linking verbs when the context is right.

For example, in the sentence, "The theory proved true," the verb isn't showing an action—it’s connecting the subject (the theory) to its state (being true). The real key isn't to memorize a massive list. It’s to understand the job the verb is doing. Your best friend here is the substitution test: if you can swap the verb out for 'is' or 'are' and the sentence still makes sense, you're looking at a linking verb.

Can a Verb Be Linking and Action at the Same Time?

No, never in the same instance. A verb has one job at a time in a sentence—it’s either showing action or it’s creating a link. The role it plays is decided entirely by how you're using it in that specific sentence.

Think about the verb 'smell'. If I say, "I smelled the coffee," that’s an action. I’m actively doing something. But if I say, "The coffee smelled amazing," the verb is linking the coffee to a quality. Context is everything.

Why Is It Wrong to Use an Adverb After a Linking Verb?

This is one of the most classic grammar traps in English. Remember, linking verbs connect a subject to a word that describes the subject. Since subjects are nouns or pronouns, they need an adjective to describe them. An adverb’s job is to describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

Here’s an easy way to think about it. In "She feels bad," the adjective 'bad' is describing her emotional state. But if you were to say, "She feels badly," the adverb 'badly' would change the meaning entirely. It would imply her sense of touch is poor, turning 'feels' into an action verb. The rule is simple: if you're describing the subject after a linking verb, always reach for an adjective.

Ready to turn this knowledge into real fluency? With The Kingdom of English, you can practice these concepts and many more with fun, gamified exercises designed by real teachers. Start your free trial and see how effective and engaging English practice can be.