The Core Being Verbs
* be (am, is, are, was, were, been, being)
Other Common Linking Verbs
* appear
* become
* feel
* grow
* look
* remain
* seem
* smell
* sound
* taste
How Linking Verbs Function
Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a word or phrase that describes or renames the subject. This word or phrase is called the subject complement.
Examples:
* She is a doctor. (Subject: She, linking verb: is, subject complement: a doctor)
* The flowers smell lovely. (Subject: flowers, linking verb: smell, subject complement: lovely)
* He became a writer. (Subject: He, linking verb: became, subject complement: a writer)
Key Points
* Linking verbs don't show action. They describe a state of being or condition.
* They are often followed by a noun, pronoun, or adjective.
* Some words can act as both linking verbs and action verbs. For example, "look" can be a linking verb ("She looks tired") or an action verb ("She looks at the picture").
Let me know if you have any other questions!