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is, will be, or was. Here’s where math intersects with English. Linking verbs are like giant equal signs plopped into the middle of your sentence. For example, you can think of the sentence

      Ralph’s uncle is a cannibal with a taste for finger food.

      as

      Ralph's uncle = a cannibal with a taste for finger food.

      Or, in shortened form,

      Ralph’s uncle = a cannibal

      Just as in an algebra equation, the word is links two ideas and says that they are the same. Thus, is is a linking verb. Read on to find out about all sorts of linking verbs.

Forms of “to be”

      Most linking verbs are forms of the verb to be, an essential but annoying verb that changes form frequently, depending on the subject of the sentence. Have a look at these example sentences:

      Lulu will be angry when she hears about the missing sculpture.

      Lulu = angry (will be is a linking verb)

      I am unhappy about the theft also!

      I = unhappy (am is the linking verb)

      Stan was the last surfer to leave the water when the tidal wave approached.

      Stan = last surfer (was is a linking verb)

      Edgar has been depressed ever since the fall of the House of Usher.

      Edgar = depressed (has been is a linking verb)

      

Unlike Hamlet, the Shakespearean character who worries whether “to be or not to be,” you have no choice. You need a form of “to be” almost every time you speak or write. Try writing a paragraph or so without this verb. Tough, right? The most common forms of to be are the following: am, are, is, was, were, will be, shall be, has been, have been, had been, could be, should be, would be, might have been, could have been, should have been, shall have been, will have been, must have been, must be. (In Chapter 6, you can find all the forms of this irregular but essential verb.)

Synonyms of “to be”

      “To be” is not the only linking verb – just the most popular. In fact, some people call linking verbs “being verbs.” I prefer the term linking because some equal-sign verbs are not forms of the verb to be. Check out these examples:

      With his sharp toenails and sneaky smile, Big Foot seemed threatening.

      Big Foot = threatening (seemed is a linking verb)

      A jail sentence for a misplaced comma appears harsh.

      jail sentence = harsh (appears is a linking verb in this sentence)

      The penalty for making a grammar error remains severe.

      penalty = severe (remains is a linking verb in this sentence)

      Loch Ness stays silent whenever monsters are mentioned.

      Loch Ness = silent (stays is a linking verb in this sentence)

      Seemed, appears, remains, and stays are similar to forms of the verb to be in that they express states of being. They also add shades of meaning to the basic concept. You may, for example, say that

      With his sharp toenails and sneaky smile, Big Foot was threatening.

      but now the statement is more definite. Seemed leaves room for doubt. Similarly, remains (in the third example sentence) adds a time dimension to the basic expression of being. The sentence implies that the penalty was and still is severe.

      

The most common words that express shades of meaning in reference to a state of being are appear, seem, grow, remain, and stay.

Savoring sensory verbs

      Sensory verbs – verbs that express information you receive through the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and so forth – may also be linking verbs:

      Two minutes after shaving, Ralph's chin feels scratchy.

      Ralph's chin = scratchy (feels is a linking verb)

      The ten-year-old lasagna in your refrigerator smells disgusting.

      lasagna = disgusting (smells is a linking verb)

      The ten-year-old lasagna in your refrigerator also looks disgusting.

      lasagna = disgusting (looks is a linking verb)

      Needless to say, the ten-year-old lasagna in your refrigerator tastes great!

      lasagna = great (tastes is a linking verb)

      

Verbs that refer to the five senses are linking verbs only if they act as an equal sign in the sentence. If they aren’t equating two ideas, they aren’t linking verbs. In the preceding example sentence about Ralph’s chin, feels is a linking verb. Here’s a different sentence with the same verb:

      With their delicate fingers, Lulu and Stan feel Ralph’s chin.

      In this sentence, feel is not a linking verb because you’re not saying that

      Lulu and Stan = chin.

      Instead, you’re saying that Lulu and Stan don’t believe that Ralph shaved, so they checked by placing their fingers on his chin.

      

Some sensory verbs that function as linking verbs are look, sound, taste, smell, and feel.

      

Which sentence has a linking verb?

      A. That annoying new clock sounds the hour with a loud heavy metal song.

      B. That annoying new clock sounds extremely loud at four o’clock in the morning.

      Answer: Sentence B has the linking verb. In sentence B, clock = extremely loud. In sentence A, the clock is doing something – sounding the hour – not being. (It’s also waking up the whole neighborhood, but that idea isn’t in the sentence.)

      Try another. In which sentence is “stay” a linking verb?

      A. Larry stays single only for very short periods of time.

      B. Stay in the yard, Rover, or I cut your dog-biscuit ration in half!

      Answer: Sentence A has the linking verb. In sentence A, Larry = single (at least for the moment). In sentence B, Rover is being told to do something – to stay in the backyard – clearly an action.

      If you're dying to learn more grammar terminology, read on. Linking verbs connect the subject and the subject complement, also known as the predicate nominative and predicate adjective. For more on complements, read Chapter 5.

Completing linking-verb sentences correctly

      A linking verb begins a thought, but it needs another word to complete the thought. Unless your listener is a mind reader, you can’t walk around saying things like “the president is” or “the best day for the party will be” and expect people to know what you mean.

      You have three possible completions for a linking verb: a descriptive word, a noun, or a pronoun (a word that substitutes for a noun). Take a look at some descriptions that complete the linking-verb equation:

      After running 15 miles in high heels, Renee’s thigh muscles are tired.

      thigh muscles = tired (tired is a description, an adjective in grammatical terms)

      Renee’s

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