Verbs: Linking and Helping
A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. Therefore, verbs that express actions are called “action verbs.” These types of verbs are the most common and the easiest to identify.
Example: Bella jumped for joy when Dash called her.
Jumped and called are the “action verbs” since they show action.
There is also a sub group of verbs called linking and helping verbs. These types of verbs are words that express a state of being.
Linking verbs do not show action. They connect the subject of the verb to more information about the subject. Linkng verbs tell what someone or something is, was, or will be. The linking verb most often used is a form of the word be, such as am, is, are, was, were, and will be.
Am, is, and was are used when the subject of the sentence is singular.
Ex:
Eliana is coming home on Friday.
"Is" is the linking verb that connects the singular noun (Eliana) to more information in the sentence.
Are and were are used when the subject is plural. Are and were are also used with you.
Ex:
The dogs are running around outside.
"Are" is the linking verb that connects the plural noun (dogs) to the rest of the sentence.
Ex:
You were supposed to visit your grandmother on Saturday.
Helping verbs (also known as auxiliary verbs) come before the main verb in a sentence.
Examples of these words are:
Linking Verbs | Helping Verbs |
| Is, am, are, was, were, seems, becomes, feels, appears, be, been, being | Is, are, am, was, were, has, have, had, does, do, did, can, will, shall, could, would, should, must, may, might, be, been, being |