What Follows A Linking Verb Or Action Verb

What Follows a Linking Verb or Action Verb: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the relationship between verbs and the words that follow them is crucial for writing clear, grammatically correct sentences. This guide delves deep into the nuances of linking verbs and action verbs, explaining what grammatical structures typically follow each and providing examples to solidify your understanding. Mastering this will significantly improve your writing clarity and precision.

Understanding Linking Verbs

Linking verbs, unlike action verbs, don't describe an action. Instead, they connect the subject of the sentence to a subject complement, which provides more information about the subject. The most common linking verb is "to be" in its various forms (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been). However, other verbs can function as linking verbs depending on the context. These include verbs expressing senses (appear, seem, feel, look, smell, sound, taste) and verbs indicating becoming (become, grow, remain, turn).

Identifying Linking Verbs

The key to identifying a linking verb is to check if it connects the subject to a description or state of being rather than an action. Ask yourself: Does the verb describe what the subject is doing? Or does it describe what the subject is?

• Action verb: The dog chased the ball. (The verb describes an action the dog performs.)
• Linking verb: The dog is happy. (The verb connects the subject "dog" to the description "happy".)

What Follows a Linking Verb: Subject Complements

The word or phrase that follows a linking verb is called a subject complement. Subject complements can take several forms:

• Predicate Nominative (Noun or Pronoun): This renames or identifies the subject.

  • Example: My favorite author is Stephen King. ("Stephen King" renames the subject "author".)
  • Example: The winner was she. ("She" identifies the subject "winner".)

• Predicate Adjective: This describes the subject.

  • Example: The movie was boring. ("Boring" describes the subject "movie".)
  • Example: The roses smell sweet. ("Sweet" describes the subject "roses".)

• Prepositional Phrase: A prepositional phrase can act as a subject complement, providing further information about the subject's state or location.

  • Example: The book is on the table. ("On the table" describes the location of the subject "book".)
  • Example: He seems in a hurry. ("In a hurry" describes the subject's state.)

• Infinitive Phrase: Less common, but an infinitive phrase can function as a subject complement, especially with verbs like to be and to seem.

  • Example: My goal is to finish the marathon. ("To finish the marathon" explains what the goal is.)

Important Note: The subject complement will never be the object of a preposition. It directly describes or identifies the subject.

Understanding Action Verbs

Action verbs, as the name suggests, describe actions. They express what the subject of a sentence does. Action verbs can be transitive or intransitive.

Transitive Verbs

Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning. The direct object receives the action of the verb. You can ask "What?" or "Whom?" after a transitive verb to identify the direct object.

• Example: She read the book. (What did she read? The book. "Book" is the direct object.)
• Example: The cat caught a mouse. (What did the cat catch? A mouse. "Mouse" is the direct object.)

Intransitive Verbs

Intransitive verbs do not take a direct object. They express an action or state of being that does not directly affect anything else.

• Example: The bird sang. (The verb "sang" doesn't have a direct object; it describes the bird's action.)
• Example: He slept. (The verb "slept" doesn't have a direct object.)

What Follows an Action Verb: Objects and Other Complements

What follows an action verb depends on whether it's transitive or intransitive.

• Transitive Verbs: These are always followed by a direct object. This direct object receives the action of the verb.

• Intransitive Verbs: Intransitive verbs can be followed by various elements, including:

  • Adverbials: These modify the verb, providing information about time, place, manner, or reason.

    • Example: He walks quickly. ("Quickly" modifies the verb "walks.")
    • Example: She sings beautifully in the shower. ("Beautifully" and "in the shower" modify "sings.")

  • Prepositional Phrases: Similar to their use with linking verbs, prepositional phrases can provide additional information about the action.

    • Example: They traveled to Paris. ("To Paris" indicates the location of the travel.)

  • Indirect Objects: Some transitive verbs can also have an indirect object, which receives the benefit or result of the action. Indirect objects usually answer "to whom?" or "for whom?"

    • Example: He gave her a flower. (He gave the flower to her. "Her" is the indirect object.)

Distinguishing Between Linking and Action Verbs: Tricky Cases

Sometimes, the distinction between linking and action verbs isn't always straightforward. The context is crucial.

Consider the verb "feel":

• Action Verb: I felt the rough texture of the wood. (Describing an action of touching; you can ask "What did you feel?")
• Linking Verb: I feel happy today. (Describing a state of being; "happy" describes the subject "I".)

Similarly, "look":

• Action Verb: He looked at the painting. (Describing an action of seeing; you can ask "What did he look at?")
• Linking Verb: He looks tired. (Describing an appearance; "tired" describes the subject "he".)

The best way to determine the function of a verb is to consider the word or phrase that follows it. If it describes or identifies the subject, the verb is likely a linking verb. If it receives the action of the verb, it's a direct object, and the verb is transitive.

Advanced Considerations: Multiple Complements and Complex Sentences

Sentences can become more complex with multiple complements or clauses. However, the fundamental principles discussed above still apply.

• Multiple Complements: A sentence can have both a direct object and an indirect object, or a subject complement along with other modifiers.

  • Example: She baked him a delicious cake. (Direct object: cake, Indirect object: him)
  • Example: The cat, tired and hungry, sat by the door. (Subject complement implied: The cat is tired and hungry)

• Complex Sentences: When linking and action verbs are used within complex sentences with multiple clauses, analyze each clause separately to identify the verb's function and the elements that follow it.

  • Example: Because the weather was bad, we stayed inside and watched a movie. (Main clause verb "stayed" is intransitive. Subordinate clause verb "was" is linking.)

Conclusion: Mastering Verb Usage for Clearer Writing

Understanding the distinction between linking and action verbs, and what typically follows each, is fundamental to writing clear and grammatically sound sentences. By carefully analyzing the context and identifying the relationship between the verb and its complements, you can significantly improve the precision and effectiveness of your writing. Remember to focus on the meaning of the sentence; this will help you determine whether a verb is acting as a linking verb or an action verb, and how the rest of the sentence structures itself accordingly. Through consistent practice and attention to detail, you can master this important grammatical skill. The ability to confidently identify and utilize these different verb types will elevate your writing to a new level of clarity and sophistication.