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Helping vs Linking Verbs
Most people think of verbs as action words, and they are! Some common action verbs are: Run, talk, walk,
say, look, and sing.
There are other, less known verbs that don’t show action. They help the other words in the sentence fit
together. They are called helping verbs and linking verbs.
Helping verbs: Helping verbs work with action verbs to add meaning to them. They tell expectation,
obligation, probability, potential or necessity (is, has, does, can, could, must, be, are, have, do, will, would, may,
been, am, had, did, shall, should, might, being, was, and were).
Example: I should eat my broccoli.
Linking verbs: A non-action verb (sometimes called a state-of-being verb) that connects the subject of a
sentence to the predicate (seems, becomes, feels, appears, be, been, being, is, am, are, was, and were).
Example: I am late.
In each sentence below, tell whether the verb is action or linking.
1. I will finish my homework. ____________________
2. I was tired. ___________________
3. I might be late to the party. ___________________
4. I am so hot! ________________
5. It is an oven in here. ______________
6. I should do my chores. ____________________
Now, write three sentences of your own that include helping verbs + action verbs.
1. ______________________________________________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________________________________________
Last, write three sentences of your own that have linking verbs.
4. ______________________________________________________________________________________
5. ______________________________________________________________________________________
6. ______________________________________________________________________________________
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