Linking Verbs in English: Complete Guide with Examples

What Are Linking Verbs?

Linking verbs (also called copular verbs) connect the subject to a subject complement — an adjective, noun, or phrase that describes or identifies the subject. Unlike action verbs, linking verbs don’t show action; they express a state or condition.

Subject + Linking Verb + Complement

"She  is  happy."        (subject + LV + adjective)
"He   became  a doctor." (subject + LV + noun)
"It   seems   strange."  (subject + LV + adjective)

Test: If you can replace the verb with “is/are/was/were” and the sentence still makes sense, it’s probably a linking verb.

"The soup tastes delicious." → "The soup is delicious." ✓ (linking)
"She tastes the soup."       → "She is the soup." ✗ (action verb)

Category 1: State Verbs (Continuous Condition)

These verbs indicate a state that continues over time:

Verb	Meaning	Example
be	to exist in a state	“She is tired.”
feel	to experience a sensation or emotion	“I feel nervous.”
seem	to appear to be	“He seems upset.”
appear	to give the impression of	“She appears confident.”
remain	to stay in the same state	“The situation remains unclear.”
stay	to continue in a state	“Stay calm.”
keep	to maintain a state	“Keep quiet.”
continue	to persist in a state	“The problem continues unresolved.”
stand	to be in a particular state	“The record stands unbroken.”
hold	to remain true	“The theory holds true.”
run	to be in a state (often negative)	“The river runs dry in summer.”
live	to exist in a way	“She lives alone.”

Examples in context:

"The door remains locked." (state continues)
"He seems distracted today." (current impression)
"The offer still stands." (remains valid)
"Keep still while I take the photo." (maintain state)

Category 2: Change-of-State Verbs

These verbs indicate a transition from one state to another:

Verb	Meaning	Example
become	to start to be	“She became a doctor.”
get	to change into	“It’s getting dark.”
grow	to become gradually	“He grew impatient.”
turn	to change into	“The leaves turn red in autumn.”
come	to reach a state	“Her dream came true.”
fall	to change (often negative)	“He fell ill.”
go	to change (often negative)	“The milk went sour.”
make	to cause to become	“The news made her happy.”
prove	to turn out to be	“The plan proved successful.”
end up	to finally become	“She ended up as CEO.”

Examples in context:

"The weather is getting worse." (gradual change)
"He turned pale when he heard the news." (sudden change)
"The situation grew more complicated." (gradual change)
"Her prediction came true." (reached a state)
"The food went bad in the heat." (negative change)

Category 3: Sensory Linking Verbs

These verbs describe how something is perceived through the senses:

Verb	Sense	Example
look	sight	“She looks tired.”
sound	hearing	“That sounds interesting.”
smell	smell	“The flowers smell wonderful.”
taste	taste	“The soup tastes salty.”
feel	touch/emotion	“The fabric feels soft.”

Important: These verbs can be either linking verbs OR action verbs depending on context:

Linking (+ adjective):  "The soup tastes delicious." (describes the soup)
Action (+ object):      "She tastes the soup." (she performs an action)

Linking:  "He looks tired." (describes his appearance)
Action:   "He looks at the painting." (he performs an action)

Linking:  "It smells strange." (describes the smell)
Action:   "She smells the flowers." (she performs an action)

Adjective vs Adverb After Linking Verbs

After a linking verb, use an adjective (not an adverb):

✓ "She looks beautiful."    (adjective — describes her)
✗ "She looks beautifully."  (adverb — would describe how she looks)

✓ "He feels bad."           (adjective — describes his state)
✗ "He feels badly."         (adverb — would mean his sense of touch is poor)

✓ "The music sounds good."  (adjective)
✗ "The music sounds well."  (adverb — "well" as adjective means healthy)

Exception: “feel well” = to be in good health (adjective “well” meaning healthy)

"I don't feel well." (I'm not healthy)
"I feel good." (I feel positive/happy)

Common Patterns

be + adjective

"She is happy/sad/tired/excited/nervous."
"The weather is cold/hot/beautiful."
"The problem is serious/complex/urgent."

become/get + adjective (change)

"She became famous." (gradual change)
"It's getting cold." (gradual change)
"He got angry." (sudden change)

seem/appear/look + adjective (impression)

"She seems confident." (impression from behavior)
"He appears nervous." (impression from appearance)
"They look exhausted." (impression from appearance)

turn/go + adjective (often negative change)

"The milk turned sour." (went bad)
"His face turned red." (blushed)
"The situation went wrong." (deteriorated)
"She went pale." (lost color)

Linking Verbs with Nouns

Linking verbs can also connect the subject to a noun (subject complement):

"She is a doctor."
"He became the president."
"They remained friends."
"The result proved a disaster."

Common Mistakes

✗ "She looks beautifully."    ✓ "She looks beautiful."
✗ "The food smells badly."    ✓ "The food smells bad."
✗ "I feel terribly."          ✓ "I feel terrible."
✗ "He became successfully."   ✓ "He became successful."
✗ "It seems strangely."       ✓ "It seems strange."

Practice Sentences

Identify whether the verb is a linking verb (LV) or action verb (AV):

1. She tasted the wine carefully.
2. The wine tasted bitter.
3. He looked at the painting.
4. He looked confused.
5. The dog smelled the food.
6. The food smelled delicious.
7. She felt the texture of the fabric.
8. She felt nervous before the exam.

Answers: 1. AV, 2. LV, 3. AV, 4. LV, 5. AV, 6. LV, 7. AV, 8. LV