Search common linking verbs — verbs that connect the subject to a description, not an action
| Verb | Type | Example |
|---|
No verbs match your search.
Several verbs — mostly the sense verbs — can be linking or action verbs depending on the sentence. The test: swap in a form of "be". If the sentence still makes sense, it's linking.
Linking: You look tired. ("You are tired" works)
Action: She looked at the map.
Linking: This soup tastes salty.
Action: The chef tasted the soup.
Linking: I feel great today.
Action: He felt the fabric with his hand.
Linking: It grew dark outside.
Action: She grows tomatoes in the garden.
Linking: The leaves turned brown.
Action: He turned the key in the lock.
Linking: He appeared nervous.
Action: A ship appeared on the horizon.
Linking verbs don't show an action — they connect the subject to a word or phrase that describes or renames it (the "subject complement"). The most common one is be, but a group of verbs of becoming and the five senses regularly do the same job: "She seems happy," "The milk smells off," "He became a doctor." Because there's no action, linking verbs are followed by adjectives, not adverbs — "You look great", not "You look greatly."
How to use it: type a verb or a type (like "sense" or "always") into the search box — the table filters instantly as you type.