Linking Verbs and Subject Complement

A point-wise summary of the chapter Linking Verbs and Subject Complement:

1. Nature of Linking Verbs

• Definition: Linking verbs, also known as copular verbs or verbs of incomplete predication, are used to link a subject to a word or phrase that describes or identifies it.
• Function: Unlike typical intransitive verbs that make complete sense on their own (e.g., "Ankita sleeps"), linking verbs require additional words to complete their predicates and make the sentence sense-worthy.
• Characteristics: Linking verbs are always intransitive and are always followed by a complement. They tell us what the subject is or what state the subject is in, rather than describing an action.

2. Types of Linking Verbs

• True Linking Verbs: These verbs always function as linking verbs and never describe an action. They include:
  • Forms of be (is, am, are, was, were, being, been).
  • Seem (seems, seemed).
  • Become (becomes, became).
• Contextual Linking Verbs: Many verbs can function as either action (doing) verbs or linking verbs depending on how they are used in a sentence. This often includes verbs related to the five senses, such as appear, feel, grow, look, smell, sound, and taste.
  • Example of Action: "Urmi looked at the painting" (an action performed by the subject).
  • Example of Linking: "Urmi looked frightened" (describes the subject's state).

3. Identifying Linking Verbs (The Substitution Test)

• To determine if a verb is a linking verb, you can try replacing it with a form of a "true" linking verb (like be).
• If the sentence still makes sense and describes the subject's state, it is likely a linking verb (e.g., "He felt nervous" becomes "He was nervous").
• If the replacement makes no sense, it is an action verb (e.g., "I grew flowers" does not make sense as "I became flowers").
• Note: In rare cases, such as the verb stayed, the substitution might make sense, but the verb is still considered an action verb if it describes an action rather than a state.

4. Subject Complements

• Definition: A subject complement is the word or group of words that follows a linking verb to rename or describe the subject.
• Roles of a Subject Complement: A subject complement can take many grammatical forms, including:
  • Noun or Pronoun: Renames the subject (e.g., "Sunanda is a dancer").
  • Predicative Adjective: Describes the subject (e.g., "The music was soothing").
  • Participle: (e.g., "Rama was exhilarated").
  • Infinitive: (e.g., "No one seemed to mind").
  • Adjective Phrase: A group of words doing the work of an adjective (e.g., "The house was in bad shape").
  • Adverb or Adverbial: (e.g., "She is outside").
  • Noun Clause: (e.g., "My fear is that we might be proved wrong").

Analogy to Solidify Understanding: Think of a linking verb as an equals sign (=) in a math equation. It doesn't perform an action; it simply states that the subject on one side is the same as, or described by, the complement on the other side (e.g., "The sky is blue" acts like "Sky = blue").