LINKING VERBS

The Linking Verb

Recognize a linking verb when you see one.

Linking verbs do not express action. Instead, they connect the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject. Look at the examples below:

Keila is a shopaholic.

Ising isn't something that Keila can do. Is connects the subject, Keila, to additional information about her, that she will soon have a huge credit card bill to pay.

During the afternoon, my cats are content to nap on the couch.

Areing isn't something that cats can do. Are is connecting the subject, cats, to something said about them, that they enjoy sleeping on the furniture.

After drinking the old milk, Bladimiro turned green.

Turned connects the subject, Bladimiro, to something said about him, that he was needing Pepto Bismol.

A ten-item quiz seems impossibly long after a night of no studying.

Seems connects the subject, a ten-item quiz, with something said about it, that its difficulty depends on preparation, not length.

Irene always feels sleepy after pigging out on pizza from Antonio's.

Feels connects the subject, Irene, to her state of being, sleepiness.
The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be [am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might have been, etc.], become, and seem. These true linking verbs are always linking verbs.
Then you have a list of verbs with multiple personalities: appear, feel, grow, look, prove, remain, smell, sound, taste, and turn. Sometimes these verbs are linking verbs; sometimes they are action verbs.
How do you tell when they are action verbs and when they are linking verbs?
If you can substitute am, is, or are and the sentence still sounds logical, you have a linking verb on your hands.
If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb instead. Here are some examples:

Sylvia tasted the spicy squid eyeball stew.

Sylvia is the stew? I don't think so! Tasted, therefore, is an action verb in this sentence, something Sylvia is doing.

The squid eyeball stew tasted good.

The stew is good? You bet. Make your own!

I smell the delicious aroma of a mushroom and papaya pizza baking in the oven.

I am the aroma? No way! Smell, in this sentence, is an action verb, something I am doing.

The mushroom and papaya pizza smells heavenly.

The pizza is heavenly? Definitely! Try a slice!

When my dog Oreo felt the wet grass beneath her paws, she bolted up the stairs and curled up on the couch.

Oreo is the wet grass? Of course not! Here, then, felt is an action verb, something Oreo is doing.

My dog Oreo feels depressed after seven straight days of rain.

Oreo is depressed? Without a doubt! Oreo hates the wet.
This substitution will not work for appear. With appear, you have to analyze the function of the verb.

Swooping out of the clear blue sky, the blue jay appeared on the branch.

Appear is something a blue jay can do—especially when food is near.

The blue jay appeared happy to see the bird feeder.

Here, appeared is connecting the subject, the blue jay, to its state of mind, happiness.

SUBORDINATORS

Subordinators

The most common subordinators are: although, even though, because, since*, so that, when, while, before*, after*, whenever, wherever, anywhere, if, unless, whether?[or not] as, as [adjective] as, whereas (to show slight contrast) (to give reasons) (to indicate time relationships) (to indicate place) (to indicate conditions) (to give comparisons) (to show major contrast) *These words can also be used as prepositions. Subordinators have an interesting effect on words in a sentence. A clause (S +V) without a subordinator can stand alone as a complete statement. I went to the store yesterday. (Complete statement) However, when a subordinator is added, the statement seems incomplete. When I went to the store yesterday, . . . (Well, what happened?) The subordinating clause becomes dependent on something else to complete its meaning: When I went to the store yesterday, I saw an old friend. (Idea is complete) Subordinating or ?dependent? clauses can occur at the beginning or end of a sentence. When used at the beginning of a sentence, a comma is necessary after the clause itself. S + V although S + V Although S + V , S + V In English, the subordinator always comes before the subject and verb in a clause. I went to the grocery store after, I stopped at the bank. After I went to the grocery store, I stopped at the bank. (Incorrect) (Correct) Subordinators and coordinators should not be used in the same sentence to introduce clauses. Choose one or the other, but do not use both together. Although Nina won the prize, but she was not happy. Although Nina won the prize, she was not happy. Nina won the prize, but she was not happy. (Wrong) (Correct) (Also correct)

PRONOUNS

Pronouns

Pronouns are used in place of nouns. They enable speakers to refer to something or someone without having to repeat its name. Example: Mr. Jones lives in Kentucky. He frequently travels to Memphis to see his wife. She is a lawyer and only sees him on weekends. The subject and object pronouns in English are as follows: Subject I You He She It We They Object Me You Him Her It Us Them Use subject pronouns when the pronoun refers to the doer of the action or the main topic (subject) of the sentence. Henry hit a baseball over the fence. He didn't know where it would land. It went right through Mrs. Crabby's window. She was furious. She called Henry's parents and told them what happened. Henry had to pay for the window with his hard-earned money. He wasn't too happy about that, but he learned a lesson. Now, he only plays baseball at the ball park. Use object pronouns when the pronoun refers to the receiver of the action or is the object of a prepositional phrase. Ms. Lindon met her husband in a gold mine. The first time she saw him, she was in love. He also liked everything about her. He asked her to marry him the next day. Many friends joined them in the wedding celebration. Reminders: Do not use subject pronouns in the object position or vice versa. WRONG: Correct: WRONG: Correct: Give the balloon to he. Give the balloon to him. Her is the one I want to see. She is the one I want to see. Remember to use he/him when referring to males and she/her when referring to females! WRONG: Correct: WRONG: Correct: Mary lived on a farm. He had a little lamb. Mary lived on a farm. She had a little lamb. Mr. Smith has gone to Washington. I'll give her the message. Mr. Smith has gone to Washington. I'll give him the message.

What can be the subject of a sentence?

A noun:

Jonathan loves chocolates.
Mrs. Smith lives next door to the barber shop.
The yellow dog makes me nervous.
Crocodiles are very dangerous.

A pronoun:

It isn't time yet.
They went to sleep at 9:00.
Are you coming to the dance?

Words like everyone, everybody, everything, something, anybody, nothing, no one

Everything is ready.
Is everyone here?
Is anybody home?

Quantifiers with nouns/pronouns

Without nouns/pronouns.

Some of the pie was gone.	Some (count) are here. Some (non-count) is not.
Some of the pies were gone.	All is well. All are watching.
Both of them are in the foyer.	Both are correct. (as a group)
Neither of them is in the foyer.	Neither is correct. (separately)
None of those people are nice.	(all of them are not nice)
None of those people is my friend.	(not any individual)

Noun clauses

Whoever left the food on the table is in trouble.
What you say is not important.
How you do it is up to you.

"Dummy" subjects

There are five people in the room.
There is some milk in the refrigerator.

Be careful

In most cases, the words before the verb are the subject of the sentence.

It is just the three of us.
The three of us are going to be there.

Prepositional phrases cannot be subjects, even if they come at the beginning of a sentence.

On the table was a red hat.
On the table were a red hat, white gloves and a blue scarf.

Some words look plural but are actually singular:

Physics is my favorite subject.
The news was good.

Scotch and soda is my favorite drink. (This is very uncommon usage.)
My faithful friend and companion is Terry.

Mass or "group" nouns may be singular or plural, depending on focus.

The family is more important than the individual.
The family are going in separate directions.

With either/neither...or/nor, the subject closest to the verb determines agreement.

Neither John nor Jane was the winner.
Either the men or the women are going to take the cake.
Neither Mr. Jones nor his sons have a car.
Neither the boys nor their father has a car.

Some can sometimes be used to indicate an unidentified person.

Some woman was here to see you.
Some guy keeps calling you.

Relative clauses do not affect the main subject-verb relationship; however, S-V
agreement within the relative clause may be different, depending on the meaning.

The people who live there are my friends.
The house that the Jacksons built needs to be remodeled.

One of the men who live there is deranged.
He is the only one who lives there.a

LIVING ENGLISH VIDEO

YES/NO QUESTIONS

Yes/No Questions

There are many types of questions in English. The easiest are questions that can be
answered "yes" or "no."

A: Are you from around here?
B: Yes, I am.

A: Do you come here often?
B: Yes, I do.

A: Can I buy you a drink?
B: No, thanks.

A: Are you married?
B: Yes, I am.

To form a question from a statement, first count the number of verbs.

John is a doctor.	One verb: is (be)
Jane drives a sports car.	One verb: drives
Joan played basketball last night.	One verb: played
Jan is eating her dinner.	Two verbs: is eating
June has rented an apartment.	Two verbs: has rented
Jen has been living there since 1969.	Three verbs: has been living

If there is one verb in the statement and the verb is a form of be, simply switch the
positions of the subject and verb.

Statement	Question
John is a doctor.	Is John a doctor?
The Jensens are here.	Are the Jensens here?

If there are two verbs, simply switch the positions of the subject and first verb.

Statement	Question
Jan is eating dinner.	Is Jan eating dinner?
June has rented an apartment.	Has June rented an apartment?
Jen has been living here since 1969.	Has Jen been living here since 1969?

If there is one verb, and the verb is not a form of be, the process is more complex.
1. Add Do to the beginning of the sentence.

The Johnsons live in that house.

Do the Johnsons live in that house?

2. If the main verb "carries" a third person singular s, move the s to Do, making it Does.

Jane drives a car.	Do Jane drives a car? (Not finished yet!)
	Does Jane drive a car? (Good question!)

3. If the main verb "carries" past tense, move the past tense to Do, making it Did.

Joan played basketball last night.	Do Joan played basketball? (Not finished yet!)
	Did Joan play basketball? (Good question!)

In conversation, most questions are asked of the second person (you) and answered in
the first (I).

A: Are you from California?
B: No, I'm from Oregon. Are you?
A: Yes, I'm from Hollywood.
B: Do you know any movie stars?
A: No, I don't go out at night.

In British English, the main verb have sometimes functions like be in questions. This is
not common in American English.

Statement	Question
You have a pet ferret.	Have you a pet ferret? (British)
	Do you have a pet ferret? (American)

BASIC MODALS

Basic Modals

Modal auxiliary verbs are used to moderate the main verb, that is to enhance or restrict the verb to a certain context.

The most common modal auxiliaries in English are:

can could

may should

might will

must would

Notice the usage of modals in the following sentences:

I pay my taxes.	General declaration of fact. Paying taxes is something I normally do.
I can pay my taxes.	Expresses ability. I have the means (funds) to pay.
I might pay my taxes.	Expresses possibility, but not certainty. Maybe I will pay; maybe I won't.
I will pay my taxes.	Expresses future intent. I resolve to do it at some later time.
I should pay my taxes.	Expresses mild obligation. It is required, and I expect to comply.
I could pay my taxes.	Expresses possibility. If I have nothing else to do with the money, I might pay taxes.
I would pay my taxes.	(In this case), expresses reservation. If I had the money (but I don't). . .
I must pay my taxes.	Expresses strong obligation. I am required and have to comply.

Modals are followed by only the base form of the verb and are not used alone unless there is a clear connection to a main verb.

He must to finish his homework. He must finish his homework. Jack could heard the bell. Jack could hear the bell. Penny will going to the movie. Penny will go to the movie.

WRONG RIGHT WRONG RIGHT WRONG RIGHT

There are many ways to make requests in English. The most common involves using the imperative and modals. See the examples below:

Using the Imperative

The imperative is the simple form of the verb. The
subject of an imperative sentence is understood as "you" although it is usually not spoken.

Open the door. Will you help me? Pick up your toys. Please help me.

(You) open the door. Yes, I will (help you). (You) pick up your toys. (You) please help me.

The imperative is often used by persons of authority when speaking to subordinates, e.g. parent to child.

Using Modals

To show respect and politeness, most people use modal
expressions when making requests. For example:

Will you...? Would you...? Would you please...? Could you (please)...? Could you possibly...? Would you kindly...? Would you mind (Ving )...? Would you be so kind as to...?

Will you open the door for me? Would you open the door for me? Would you please open the door (for me)? Could you (please)...? Could you (please) open the door? Could you possibly open the door? Would you kindly open the door? Would you mind opening the door? Would you be so kind as to open the door?

Common Problems with Modals

1. Using "to" unnecessarily:

Incorrect They going to meet us at the theater. He should to eat his dinner. I had better to go now. You must not to use that pencil.

Correct They are going to meet us at the theater. He should eat his dinner. I had better go now. You must not use that pencil.

2. Using anything but the base form after a modal:

John could heard the bell. Penny will going to the movie.

John could hear the bell. Penny will go to the movie.

3. Using double modals:

You should ought to speak English. She might can help me.

You ought to speak English. /should speak She might be able to help me.

4. Omitting "be" in certain modal expressions:

They going to meet us at the theater. Jack supposed to take his medicine.

They are going to meet us at the theater. Jack is supposed to take his medicine.

5. Using wrong word order in questions:

How I can help you? Where I should go for the meeting?	How can I help you? Where should I go for the meeting?

TABLE OF TENSES

Table of English Tenses

tense	Affirmative/Negative/Question	Use	Signal Words
Simple Present	A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak?	action in the present taking place once, never or several times facts actions taking place one after another action set by a timetable or schedule	always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
Present Progressive	A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking?	action taking place in the moment of speaking action taking place only for a limited period of time action arranged for the future	at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
Simple Past	A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak?	action in the past taking place once, never or several times actions taking place one after another action taking place in the middle of another action	yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
Past Progressive	A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking?	action going on at a certain time in the past actions taking place at the same time action in the past that is interrupted by another action	when, while, as long as
Present Perfect Simple	A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken?	putting emphasis on the result action that is still going on action that stopped recently finished action that has an influence on the present action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking	already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
Present Perfect Progressive	A: He has been speaking. N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking?	putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result) action that recently stopped or is still going on finished action that influenced the present	all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
Past Perfect Simple	A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken?	action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)	already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)
Past Perfect Progressive	A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking?	action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action	for, since, the whole day, all day
Future I Simple	A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak?	action in the future that cannot be influenced spontaneous decision assumption with regard to the future	in a year, next …, tomorrow If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will help you.) assumption: I think, probably, perhaps
Future I Simple (going to)	A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak?	decision made for the future conclusion with regard to the future	in one year, next week, tomorrow
Future I Progressive	A: He will be speaking. N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking?	action that is going on at a certain time in the future action that is sure to happen in the near future	in one year, next week, tomorrow
Future II Simple	A: He will have spoken. N: He will not have spoken. Q: Will he have spoken?	action that will be finished at a certain time in the future	by Monday, in a week
Future II Progressive	A: He will have been speaking. N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking?	action taking place before a certain time in the future putting emphasis on the course of an action	for …, the last couple of hours, all day long
Conditional I Simple	A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak?	action that might take place	if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.)
Conditional I Progressive	A: He would be speaking. N: He would not be speaking. Q: Would he be speaking?	action that might take place putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action
Conditional II Simple	A: He would have spoken. N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken?	action that might have taken place in the past	if sentences type III (If I had seen that, I would have helped.)
Conditional II Progressive	A: He would have been speaking. N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking?	action that might have taken place in the past puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action