Every sentence has a verb (The Eight Parts of Speech). Most verbs show an action: run, paint, think. Some verbs show no action at all. A linking verb joins the subject to a word that renames it or describes it.
- Forms of be: am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being.
- Verbs like be: seem, become, appear, remain.
- Sense verbs: look, feel, smell, taste, sound; also grow and turn (“grew dark,” “turned orange”).
Key idea
The test: swap in is or was. If the sentence still makes sense with the same meaning, the verb is linking. If it turns into nonsense, the verb shows action.
Why it works
The difference changes what follows the verb. After an action verb, a noun can receive the action (a direct object). After a linking verb, the word that follows tells about the subject. Diagrams, pronoun choices and adjective-or-adverb questions all depend on it.
Worked example: Same verb, two jobs
Is felt action or linking in “Ana felt the fabric” and in “The fabric felt soft”?
- Swap in was: “Ana was the fabric.” Nonsense, so in the first sentence felt is an action: Ana touched it.
- Swap in was: “The fabric was soft.” That works, so in the second sentence felt is linking.
Answer: action, then linking
Common mistake
Thinking every verb is an action and missing is and seems; or the opposite, calling look and feel linking even when they show action (“She looked at the stars”). Don’t judge by the word. Use the swap test on the sentence.