Blog about English
Using linking verbs such as be, become, seem, appear and remain.
Linking verbs connect the subject to a subject complement rather than expressing an action.
The complement identifies, describes or renames the subject.
She looks tired.
Она выглядит уставшей.
"looks" is a linking verb connecting the subject "She" with the adjective complement "tired".
The soup smells delicious.
Суп вкусно пахнет.
"smells" links the subject "The soup" with the adjective complement "delicious".
He became a doctor.
Он стал врачом.
"became" links the subject "He" with the noun phrase "a doctor".
Be is the most common linking verb in English.
It links the subject to a noun phrase, adjective, pronoun or other complement.
She is happy.
Она счастлива.
"is" links the subject "She" with the adjective "happy".
John is a teacher.
Джон — учитель.
"is" links the subject "John" with the noun phrase "a teacher".
That is me.
Это я.
"is" links the subject "That" with the pronoun "me".
Common linking verbs include become, seem, appear, remain, feel, look, sound, smell, taste and stay.
These verbs describe a state, condition or perceived quality rather than an action.
The situation seems difficult.
Ситуация кажется сложной.
"seems" links the subject "The situation" with the adjective "difficult".
The weather became colder.
Погода стала холоднее.
"became" describes a change of state and links the subject with the adjective "colder".
The room remained quiet.
Комната оставалась тихой.
"remained" links the subject "The room" with the adjective "quiet".
Linking verbs are followed by subject complements rather than direct objects.
Subject complements may be adjectives, noun phrases, pronouns or certain other complements.
My sister is a doctor.
Моя сестра — врач.
"a doctor" is a noun phrase functioning as a subject complement.
The children seem happy.
Дети кажутся счастливыми.
"happy" is an adjective functioning as a subject complement.
The winner was him.
Победителем был он.
"him" functions as a subject complement after the linking verb "was".
Use adjectives, not adverbs, after linking verbs when describing the subject.
Compare She looks happy with She sings happily.
She looks beautiful.
Она выглядит красиво.
"beautiful" is an adjective describing the subject "She".
The food tastes good.
Еда вкусная.
"good" is an adjective used after the linking verb "tastes".
He feels terrible today.
Сегодня он ужасно себя чувствует.
"terrible" is an adjective describing the subject "He"; "feels" is a linking verb here.
Some verbs function as either linking verbs or action verbs depending on the context.
Examples include look, feel, smell, taste, grow, turn and remain.
She looked angry.
Она выглядела сердитой.
"looked" is a linking verb because "angry" describes the subject.
She looked at me.
Она посмотрела на меня.
"looked" is an action verb because it describes the action of directing her eyes at someone.
He smelled the flowers.
Он понюхал цветы.
"smelled" is an action verb because it describes an action performed by the subject.
The grammatical function of a verb affects its meaning.
Compare She looked tired with She looked at me.
She felt nervous before the interview.
Она нервничала перед собеседованием.
"felt" is a linking verb because "nervous" describes the subject.
She felt the fabric.
Она потрогала ткань.
"felt" is an action verb because it describes the action of touching something.
The leaves turned yellow.
Листья пожелтели.
"turned" is a linking verb expressing a change of state.
Different linking verbs allow different kinds of subject complements.
Understanding these patterns improves both grammatical accuracy and natural expression.
The plan seems reasonable.
План кажется разумным.
"seems" is followed by the adjective complement "reasonable".
She became the leader of the team.
Она стала руководителем команды.
"became" is followed by the noun phrase "the leader of the team".
The problem remains unclear.
Проблема остаётся неясной.
"remains" is followed by the adjective complement "unclear".
Some linking verbs are more common in formal writing, while others are frequent in everyday conversation.
Choice of verb contributes to style and precision.
The results appear satisfactory.
Результаты кажутся удовлетворительными.
"appear" is relatively common in formal and academic writing.
He seems really happy.
Он кажется очень счастливым.
"seems" is common in everyday conversation and is less formal than some alternatives.
The situation remains unchanged.
Ситуация остаётся без изменений.
"remains" is particularly useful in formal descriptions of continuing states.
Linking verbs express identity, change, appearance, perception or continuation.
Recognizing these semantic groups helps learners understand their usage.
She is a lawyer.
Она юрист.
"is" expresses identity.
The sky turned dark.
Небо потемнело.
"turned" expresses a change of state.
The idea sounds interesting.
Идея звучит интересно.
"sounds" expresses perception and links the subject with "interesting".
Use subject complements correctly after linking verbs.
Common mistakes include using adverbs instead of adjectives, confusing linking and action verbs, and treating subject complements as direct objects.
She looks happy.
Она выглядит счастливой.
Use the adjective "happy", not the adverb "happily", after the linking verb "looks".
The soup smells wonderful.
Суп замечательно пахнет.
Use the adjective "wonderful" because it describes the subject "The soup".
He looked at me carefully.
Он внимательно посмотрел на меня.
"looked" is an action verb here, so "carefully" correctly describes how he performed the action.
The flowers smell nice.
Цветы приятно пахнут.
Use the adjective "nice" after the linking verb "smell" when describing the flowers.