Linking Verbs

Linking Verbs Explanation

Verbs that are immediately followed by an adjective are usually called "linking verbs". The adjective following a linking verb describes the subject of a sentence. Let's see the following examples :

1. She looks beautiful.
2. The soup tastes good.

The underlined words are linking verbs.

The Linking Verb List

The following verbs are the linking verbs.

• appear
• be (is, am are, was, were, been)
• become
• feel
• get
• grow (meaning "become")
• look
• seem
• sound
• taste
• turn ( meaning "become")

The Linking Verbs in Sentences

Let's see some more examples of linking verbs in sentences.

1. My mother is in the kitchen.
2. She looks very busy.
3. Sue has been very sad. Her father just passed away.
4. This cake tastes delicious.
5. A lot of people feel unhappy with the government.
6. My girlfriend grows more and more beautiful each day.

The underlined words are linking verbs.

Please download the linking verb exercise here.

Linking Verb Exercises

Exercise I

Complete the sentences with the correct linking verbs provided.

taste  looks  feel  turn  smells

1. The cake does not ... sweet.

2. The princess ... so beautiful.

3. The children ... happy.

4. The leaves ... brown.

5. The perfume ... jasmine.

Exercise II

Underline the correct word in parentheses.

1. The sofa looks (comfortable, comfortably).

2. My father always looks at any problems (careful, carefully).

3. My wife smiled (happy, happily). She seemed (happy, happily).

4. She looked (sad, sadly) when she read the message.

5. This exercise looks (easy, easily). I think everyone can do it (easy, easily).

6. The sky often grows (dark, darkly) in January and February.

7. I tasted the cake (careful, carefully) and it tasted too (sweet, sweetly).

8. The town got (quiet, quietly) as the virus spread. A lot of people stay at home (quiet, quietly).

9. Many elderly people get (sick, sickly) because of these viruses.

10. My mother always appear (beautiful, beautifully) when she goes out.

Answer

Exercise I

1. taste

2. looks

3. feel

4. turn

5. smells

Exercise II

1. The sofa looks (comfortable, comfortably).

2. My father always looks at any problems (careful, carefully).

3. My wife smiled (happy, happily). She seemed (happy, happily).

4. She looked (sad, sadly) when she read the message.

5. This exercise looks (easy, easily). I think everyone can do it (easy, easily).

6. The sky often grows (dark, darkly) in January and February.

7. I tasted the cake (careful, carefully) and it tasted too (sweet, sweetly).

8. The town got (quiet, quietly) as the virus spread. A lot of people stay at home (quiet, quietly).

9. Many elderly people get (sick, sickly) because of these viruses.

10. My mother always appears (beautiful, beautifully) when she goes out.

Other Exercises

To Be Present Negative Questions

To Be Present Tense

Verbs Object Bare Infinitive

Present Perfect Continuous

Present Simple

Prepositions

Linking Verbs

Going To vs Future Simple

Present Perfect vs Past Simple

Some and Any

Question Tags

Question Tags Explanation

We use questions tags ( a mini question ) on the end of our sentences to request for confirmation or to really ask questions. To see the difference, see the following explanations.

The definition of Question Tags

Question tag is a mini question we put on the end of a sentence. Let's see the following example. The underlined words are the question tag.

1. You haven't got a car, have you?
2. It was a nightmare, wasn't it?
3. She came home by taxi, didn't she?

Question Tags On Positive Sentences

When the main sentence is positive, we have to use negative question tag. Let's see the following example.

1. Your boyfriend will be here soon, won't he?
2. She goes to work by car, doesn't she?
3. They were very sad, weren't they?
4. You came home last night, didn't you?

Question Tags On Negative Sentences

When the main sentence is negative, we have to use positive question tag. Let's see the following example.

1. Your girlfriend won't be here soon, will she?
2. She doesn't like party, does she?
3. They weren't very happy, were they?
4. You didn't come home last night, did you?

The Meaning of Question Tags

The meaning of question tag depends on how we say it. If the voice goes down, we aren't really asking a question. We are only asking for confirmation or agreement.  If the voice goes up, it is a real question. We really want to know if the answer yes or no.

The Answer To Question Tags And Its Meaning

The answer to a question tag can have two possibilities, "yes" or "no". Let's see the following example.

1. You're not going to school today, are you?  Yes. ( = I am going ) or No ( = I'm not going. )
2. You're going to school today, aren't you? Yes. (=I am going ) or No (=I'm not going. )

How To Determine The Right Auxiliary For Question Tags

To determine the right auxiliary for question tags, we can see the following tables.

Main Sentence	The Auxiliary For Question Tag
Present Simple Tense  Example : She goes to work by car.	do    (  I, you, we, they )  does (  he, she, it )
Past Simple Tense  Example : My father came home late last night.	did  (  all subject )
Present Perfect Tense  Example : You have stopped smoking. She has gone home.	have (  I, you, we, they )  has   ( he, she, it )
Present Continuous Tense  Example : She is sleeping right now.	are ( you )  is   ( he, she, it )  am ( I )
Past Perfect Tense  Example : She had got a luxurious house before she became an artist.	had ( all subject )
Sentences with modals  Example :  She will get cold.  You can fly a helicopter.	Depends on the modal in the main sentence. can can't will won't shall shan't should shouldn't would wouldn't

Question Tags On The Imperative ( Do/ Don't )

After the imperative "do" or "don't do", we use the tag "will you" or "won't you". Let's see the following example.

1. Open the window, will you?
2. Don't be noisy, will you?
3. Get the phone for me, won't you?

Special Question Tags

Notice these special question tags.

1. Let's dance, shall we?
2. I'm late, aren't I?

The Words Making Positive Question Tags

If a sentence contains the following words, we have to use positive question tags. The words have negative sense. 

1. never
2. seldom
3. hardly ever

Let's see the following example :

1. She never comes late, does she?
2. We seldom see our parents, do we?

Special Subject In Question Tags

If the subject of the main sentence is everybody, everyone, somebody, someone, nobody or no-one, we use subject they on the question tag.

Let's see the following example :

1. Everybody loves her, don't they?
2. Somebody entered our house last night, didn't they?

Question Tags Exercise

Exercise I

Put a correct question tag on the end of each sentence. 

1. Your father's at home, ... ?

2. Susan doesn't like chicken, ... ?

3. I am funny, .......?

4. You've got a camera, ... ?

5. Your mother won't mind if I go early, ... ?

6. There are a lot of people here, ... ?

7. This is very boring, ... ?

8. You wouldn't tell anyone, …?

9. Listen, ... ?

10. I shouldn't have got angry, ... ?

11. She had gone home before we came here, ....?

12. They had to go home, ... ?

13. Everybody's happy, ...?

14. She seldom sees her parents in the village, ...?

15. Let's go,....?

Exercise II

Make a sentence with a correct question tag based on the situation given.

Example: Ask if John is going out.

Answer: John, you're going out, aren't you?

1. Confirm if Andy knows where Tia is. ………………………………….

2. Ask if Kaz has got a pen. ……………………………………..

3. Confirm if Sally is still loving you. …………………………………….

4. Confirm if your best friend has had lunch. ……………………………….

5. Ask your brother, Jim, to close the door. ………………………………..

6. Ask your boyfriend/girlfriend to eat out. ………………………………...

7. Tell your sister not to be noisy. ……………………………………...

8. Ask your Mom if there is some sugar in the fridge. ……………….

9. Ask your friend to call you when he's reached his home. ….………

10. Ask Emir to sing a song with you. ……………………………………..

Answer

Exercise I

1. isn't he

2. does she

3. aren't I

4. haven't you

5. will he

6. aren't there

7. isn't it

8. would you

9. will/won't you

10. should I

11. hadn't she

12. didn't they

13. aren't they

14. does she

15. shall we

Exercise II

1. Andy, you know where Tia is, don't you?

2. Kaz, you've got a pen, haven't you?

3. Sally, you're still loving me, aren't you?

4. Hi, you've had your lunch, haven't you?

5. Jim, close the door, will/won't you?

6. Baby, let's eat out, shall we?

7. Don't be noisy, will/won't you?

8. Mom, there's some sugar in the fridge, isn't there?

9. When you've reached home, call me, will/won't you

10. Emir, Let's sing a song, shall we?

Download the exercises in Google Drive here.

Other Exercises

1. To Be Present Negative Questions

2. To Be Present Tense

3. Verbs Object Bare Infinitive

4. Present Perfect Continuous

5. Present Simple

6. Prepositions

7. Linking Verbs

8. Going To vs Future Simple

9. Present Perfect vs Past Simple

10. Some and Any