linking-verbs

In “Why do you think this is?” is the verb “to be” a linking verb or a stative verb?

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In this clip, you can hear the following question: Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can’t locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is? It’s not clear to me if the clause “This is” leaves out something, e.g. “This is like that”, “This is true” and so on, … Read more

Why can’t “being” come after the verb “feel”?

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The question is completely edited. *I felt being dragged by a beast. The word being cannot be used here, and that’s for sure. It sounds wrong. What I am trying to find here is why it is wrong. Well, it seems possible to say “I felt dragged by beast”. As you all know, dragged is … Read more

linking verbal clauses with conjunctions

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Why is the case that the below sentence has three verbs that weren’t linked with any conjunction? Also, why use the comma prior to the last clause. I don’t know exactly why this sentence is structured as it is. I assume there were reduced parts or some parts of the clauses omitted. A pupil of … Read more

“To Be” conjugation with Inversions?

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Looking at the TV was/were John and Jane. Should "to be" be conjugated in the singular or plural form? My first thought was that it should agree with Looking at the TV; after all it comes first in the sentence and it makes sense to think that it should be the subject. But then what … Read more

Can we split the (will + linking verb) in a passive form and put an adverb between them?

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I was writing this on my Facebook post: … it will certainly be accepted A friend of mine corrected me it should have been written like this: … it certainly will be accepted However, I don’t see the reason why I had written that incorrectly. I would like to confirm it here. Why is it … Read more

Does including ‘to be’ after linking verbs sounds informal?

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Here I provide the excerpt I took from Advanced Grammar In Use: Before a noun we include to be when the noun tells us what the subject is, but often leave it out when we give our opinion of the person or thing in the subject. We leave out to be in formal English. Compare: … Read more

When is ‘to be’ an auxillary or linking verb?

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He was broken. He was broken by the news. In the first example, is ‘was’ a linking verb or an auxiliary verb? The second example shows that adding a prepositional phrase (‘by the news’) evidences that ‘the news’ is performing an action against the subject, which shows that it is an auxiliary, but the first … Read more

Why is “well” used with linking verbs instead of “good”?

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As any grammar handbook, English teacher, or parent correcting a child will tell you, you’re supposed to say “I don’t feel well” instead of “I don’t feel good.” Well rather than good seems to be used with other linking verbs, too (e.g., “Are you well?”). However, the rule for other words is that adjectives, not … Read more