Lungu Oana Lorelei, EF

Linking verbs
A linking verb connects the subject with a word that gives information about
the subject, such as a condition or relationship. They do not show any action; but,
they link the subject with the rest of the sentence. For exemples:

Maria might have been more forthcoming with the news.

Tom acted nervous when the teacher found the note.
The audience fell silent when the conductor walked on stage.

Since linking verbs, also referred to as copulas or copular verbs, don't function
in the same way as typical verbs in showing action, it can sometimes be tricky to
recognize them. These types of verbs:

Show a relationship between the subject and the sentence complement,

the part of the sentence following the verb
Connect or link the subject with more information words that further
identify or describe the subject
Identify a relationship or existing condition

These types of verbs are sometimes described as performing the function of

an equal sign because they provide the connection between a subject and a certain
state.
The most common true linking verbs are forms of "to be," "to become" and "to
seem."
Also, the other linking verb are:
Act; Acted; Am; Appear; Appeared to be; Has appeared; Have appeared; Should
have appeared; Are; Are being; Be; Become; Became; Has become; Have become;
Had become; Will become; Will have become; Can be; Come; Could have come;
Could be; Do; Does; Did; Fall; Feel; Fell; Felt; Get; Go; GotIs; getting; Grew; Grow;
Had; Had been; Has; Has been; Have; Have been; Indicate; Is; Is being; Keep;
Look; Looked; May be; Might be; Might have; been; Must; Prove; Remain;
Remained; Seem; Seemed; Seeming; Seems; Has seemed; Have seemed; Had
seemed; Will seem; Shall be; Shall have been; Should be; Should have bee; Smell;
Sound; Stay; Stayed; Taste; Tasted; Turn; Was; Was being; Wax; Waxed; Went;
Were; Will be; Will have been; Would be.
Any time you see these words in a sentence, you know they are performing a
linking or connective function in showing a relationship or describing a state.
For example:

"I am glad it is Friday." Here the linking verb "am" connects the subject (I) to
the state of being glad.
Common verbs that can exist as either action verbs or linking verbs include:

Grow; Look; Prove; Remain; Smell; Sound; Taste; Turn; Stay; Get; Appear; Feel.
In order to make the distinction between the verbs that can function as either
action verbs or copular verbs, it can be used a common test is to replace the verb
you suspect in the sentence with an appropriate form of a true linking verb If it makes sense, it is linking; If it isn't logical with the substitution, it's an action verb.

"The flowers looked wilted."

"She looked for wildflowers"

Substitute the copular verb "are" for the word "looked" in both sentences. In
the first sentence, it makes sense: "The flowers are wilted." In the second sentence,
however, it doesn't make sense: "She are for wildflowers."

More exemples:
Michael is a football fan.
Is isnt something that Michael can actually do. Instead, it connects the
subject, Michael to more information about him, that he really enjoys playing or
watching the ball. So in this sentence is is a linking verb.
The dogs are barking angrily at the cat.
Are isnt something dogs can do. Are connects the subject, dogs, to
information about them, that they are mad at the cat.
Tomas always feels tired when he stays up playing video games all night.
Feels connects the subject, Thomas, to his state of being, tired.
Learning to speak a new language seems impossibly hard at first.
Seems connects the subject, a new language, with something said about it,
that its difficulty can be deceiving at first.
Stella tasted anchovy pizza for the first time.
Stella is anchovy pizza? Of course not! So in this case, tasted is an action
verb and expresses something Stella is doing.
The anchovy pizza tasted delicious.
The anchovy pizza is delicious? Some people think so! Sense tasted can be
replaced with is, the verb tastedis a linking verb in this sentence.

I smelled the cookies baking as soon as I walked in the door.

I am the cookies? Not me. Smell, in this case is acting as an action verb.
The cookies smell divine.
The cookies are divine? Absolutely! Have one! Smell is a linking verb in the
above sentence.