What is "linking verb"

n. copula.

n. an equating verb (such as `be' or `become') that links the subject with the complement of a sentence [syn: copula, copulative]

In traditional grammars and guide books, the term linking verb is used to refer to verbs that describe the subject by connecting it to a predicate adjective or predicate noun (collective known as subject complements). Unlike the majority of verbs, they do not describe any direct action taken or controlled by the subject.

Linking verbs includes copulas such as the English verb be and its various forms, as well as verbs of perception such as look, sound, or taste and some other verbs that describe the subject, such as seem, become, or remain. In addition to predicate adjectives and predicate nouns, English allows for predicate prepositional phrases as well: John is behind the cocktail cabinet.

The following sentences include linking verbs.

• Roses are red.
• The detective felt sick.
• The soup tasted weird.
• Frankenstein's monster resembles a zombie.
• He quickly grew tired.
• You are becoming a nuisance.