Unit 17: Linking Verbs

Exercise 1: Identification. Circle the linking verb in each sentence.

1. Abel was sick on Friday.
2. He became queasy after lunch.
3. Ms. Grey said, “Abel, you seem feverish.”
4. “I feel awful,” he whispered.
5. “I am sorry!” responded Ms. Grey.
6. She added, “You’ll be more comfortable in the nurse’s office.”
7. She and Abel’s classmates were helpful.
8. The nurse told Abel, “Your mother is concerned.”
9. “You are kind,” said Abel.
10. “You’ll feel well by Monday,” said the nurse.

Exercise 2: Action or Linking? Read the sentences below. Decide if the underlined verb is an Action Verb (AV) or a Linking Verb (LV).

1. The flowers smell sweet in the spring garden. ______
2. I smell the aroma of fresh bread baking. ______
3. The crowd looked at the giant screen. ______
4. The tired runners looked exhausted after the race. ______
5. The music sounded loud and energetic. ______
6. The captain sounded the alarm bell. ______
7. The caterpillar turned into a butterfly. ______
8. The car turned the corner sharply. ______

Exercise 3: Complete the Sentence. Fill in the blank withthe correct form of the linking verb ‘be’ (am, is, are, was, were).

1. I ______ the teacher’s helper this month.
2. The exhibit cards ______ most informative.
3. The apatosaurus skeleton ______ gigantic.
4. These saber-tooth tigers ______ very impressive.
5. The tiny dinosaur ______ really cute.
6. Brad and Chad ______ cousins.
7. Mr. Smith ______ not my teacher last year.
8. The girls ______ cold out in the snow yesterday.

Exercise 4: True or False. Read the statement about the sentence provided. Write T for True or F for False.

1. “The sky looks beautiful.” The word looks is a linking verb. ______
2. “We look for shells on the beach.” The word look is a linking verb. ______
3. “I am a student.” The verb am links I to student. ______
4. “She grew tall.” The word grew is an action verb here. ______
5. “The pizza tastes spicy.” The word spicy describes the pizza. ______
6. “He became a doctor.” The verb became shows an action. ______
7. “They seem happy.” The word happy is the subject. ______
8. “The water feels cold.” The word feels connects the subject to an adjective. ______

Exercise 5: Choose the Description. Underline the word inthe predicate that describes or renames the subject.

1. The trip has been long and tiring.
2. You are late again.
3. I am tired of your excuses.
4. My Aunt Mabel was sick last week.
5. Ramon is the fastest runner in the school.
6. That snake is Larry’s newest pet.
7. The desert is a dry, hot landscape.
8. Her grandmother is wise.

Exercise 6: Sentence Writing. Write a sentence using the given verb as a linking verb.

1. (taste) _______________________________________________________
2. (seem) _______________________________________________________
3. (become) _____________________________________________________
4. (feel) _________________________________________________________
5. (appear) ______________________________________________________
6. (sound) _______________________________________________________
7. (grow) ________________________________________________________
8. (remain) ______________________________________________________