How do you tell when they are non-action verbs and when they are linking verbs?

Status
Not open for further replies.

learning54

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
Hi teachers,
How do you tell when they are non-action verbs and when they are linking verbs? Because 'be' for example can be both.

Thanks in advance.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
How do you tell when they are non-action verbs and when they are linking verbs? Because 'be' for example can be both.
I am not sure what you mean by 'non-action' verbs - state/stative perhaps? If you do, then your question makes little sense, because BE as a link verb functions statively:

Luke is happy/a teacher.

When BE has a meaning similar to BEHAVE, then it functions dynamically:

Emma is being rather difficult at the moment.
 
Last edited:

learning54

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
I am not sure what you mean by 'non-action' verbs - state/stative perhaps? If you do, then your question makes little sense, because BE as a link verb functions statively:

Luke is happy/a teacher.

When BE has a meaning similar to BEHAVE, then it funcions dynamically:

Emma is being rather diffiult at the moment.

Hi,
Thank you for your reply. By non-action verbs I mean verbs that are not used in the continuous tenses. These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody doing. Yes, 'stative verbs' in fact. 'Linking' is not the same as 'non-action', is it?

I think the understanding is that when you have a linking verb, what comes after that is an adjective and not an adverb.

He feels bad. -- Not, he feels badly.

Can you tell me if linking verbs and stative verbs are the same? Maybe one includes the other?

 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Hi,
Thank you for your reply. By non-action verbs I mean verbs that are not used in the continuous tenses. These verbs are usually things you cannot see somebody doing. Yes, 'stative verbs' in fact. 'Linking' is not the same as 'non-action', is it?

Link/linking/copular verbs join a subject to a noun complement or adjective:

He is/looks/seems intelligent.
She is a doctor
.

Generally, they function statively, and are not used in progressive forms. With some however, the progressive form can be used, with little practical difference in meaning:

You look/are looking smart.

Other verbs also function statively, including verbs that denote mental states and process, emotional states and posssession.
 

learning54

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
Hi 5jj,
Thank you for your reply.
Do you agree with this explanation?
There's a small test to make sure if a verb is a linking verbor a stative verb, that is if the verb can only be followed by one of these:a noun phrase, an adjective, or a prepositional phrase, and not the others, then it's a linking verb.
 
Last edited:

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I have a few points here;

1. I see little point in labelling for the sake of labelling. If calling a verb a 'linking verb' helps us to understand how it is used, then fine. However, if we have to spend time deciding whether a particular verb is a linking verb or not, then we are getting away from the important thing - using the language effectively.

2. I am not happy with the term 'stative verb'. I prefer to speak of verbs generally used statively.

3. It's not a question of linking or stative verbs. linking verbs denote a state.
 

learning54

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Spain
Current Location
Spain
I have a few points here;

1. I see little point in labelling for the sake of labelling. If calling a verb a 'linking verb' helps us to understand how it is used, then fine. However, if we have to spend time deciding whether a particular verb is a linking verb or not, then we are getting away from the important thing - using the language effectively. Today's question is just for my personal knowledge. As John Cotton said "Who dares to teach must never cease to learn".

2. I am not happy with the term 'stative verb'. I prefer to speak of verbs generally used statively. OK.

3. It's not a question of linking or stative verbs. linking verbs denote a state. It's very clear now.

Thank you for your reply. See mine in blue.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top