Can "want" be a linking verb?
Printable View
Can "want" be a linking verb?
Why don't you give us an example sentence and we will see what we think of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Lucky_One
example - "want smth/smb back"
That is not a sentence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Lucky_One
I want it back.
I guess it is a sentence right now
Yes, that is a sentence.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Lucky_One
"I want it back" is a perfectly grammatical sentence. Of course, only full context would tell us whether it is the correct sentence for the situation, but as a standalone sentence, it's grammatical.
WANT is not a linking verb.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Lucky_One
Then I've got 2 more questions for you.
1. What part of speech is "back" in this sentence?
2. Is it possible to say "I want it to be back" instead of "I want it back"?
***** NOT A TEACHER *****
You can easily check whether or not a verb is linking verb. Linking verbs are like equal signs:
Gregory is a doctor. (Gregory = doctor)
Gregory seems to be a competent doctor. (Gregory = competent doctor)
Gary proved a talented chess player. (Gary = talented chess player)
I want it back. (I = ???)
Apologies - by then, I had completely forgotten the original question!Quote:
Originally Posted by 5jj
Mr.Lucky_One - no, you cannot say "I want it to be back" without changing the meaning.
I want it back = I want it to be returned to me/I want it to come back to me.
If you lend a book to a friend, and your friend still has it after six months, you might start to be a little irritated. You have decided that you want to read the book again but your friend still has it. You might say to your friend "Do you remember that book about butterflies that I lent you six months ago? Well, I want it back."
Imagine that you own a dog. One day, your dog runs away while you are taking it for a walk in the park. You are very sad. You say to your friends "I miss Barky, my dog. I really want him back". Some people might not bother with the gender of the dog and would say "I want it back".
As the others have said, it's not a linking verb.