Linking verbs: be, appear, seem; become, get, etc.

Linking verbs: be, appear, seem; become, get, etc.

1. 1. An adjective or noun phrase is a compliment when is after a verb that describes the subject and the verbs is a linking verb.

   • E.g. He is a doctor.
     • E.g. She seemed tired.
   • Most common linking verb: 'be.'
     • Other verbs are to do with: 'being': keep, prove, remain, stay.
       • 'becoming': become, come, end up, grow, turn out.
         • and 'seeming': seem, appear (=seems true), look (=seem), sound.
           • However, when they are used as linking verbs, come and grow (e.g. come to know, grow thoughtful) can't be followed by a noun phrase.
             • and keep is only followed by a noun if an adjective follows it.
               • e.g. It kept him warm

2. 2. After 'appear' verbs we can include 'to be' or omit them.

   • E.g. The coat seemed (to be) colorful than in the photo.
     • E.g. It proved (to be) quite productive.
   • However, we actually use 'to be' with these verbs when before them we have adjectives as alive, asleep, alone, and awake and before -ing forms.
     • E.g. The party seems to be getting boring.
     • We include 'to be' when the noun tells us what the subject is. We can leave it out if we are giving our opinion about the subject.
       • E.g. She founded what seemed to be a clock.
         • E.g. She seems (to be) a very charming person.

3. 3. We use the linking ver 'become' to describe the process of change. we can replace it with: come, get, go, grow, turn (into)

   • We use get rather than become: in informal speech and writing before difficult, ill, interested, pregnant, suspicious, unhappy, and worried; in imperatives; and in phrases such as get changed (clothes), get dressed, get married/divorced:
     • E.g. I got suspicious before looking into the empty room. (...more formally... became suspicious...)
     • We prefer become to talk about the technical or abstract process we use: adapted, apparent, aware, convinced, infected, irrelevant, obvious, and recognised:
       • E.g. He became recognised as an expert in this topic.
       • We use become, not get, if there is a noun phrase after the linking verb:
         • E.g She became a good tennis player.

4. 4. We use go or turn, not get or become, to talk about color changing.

   • E.g. The mix went/turned green.
   • We often use go to talk about changes, unwanted situations. We use go, not turn or get, with deaf, blind, bald, or to say that someone behaves in a mad or excited way; and also with go bad/off/mouldy/rotten (about old food), go bust (= a company closes because it has run out of money), go dead (= when a telephone stops working), go missing, and go wrong:
     • E.g. She went crazy at yesterday's party.
   • After the verbs come, get, and grow (but not after become) we can use a to-infinitive. Come and grow are often used to talk about gradual change:
     • E.g. I soon got to know their names.