Definitions
Action Verb
A word that expresses a physical or mental activity
Identify the action verb in the following sentence: Sally walked to the mall.
Walked.
Identify the linking verb in the following sentence: Dad sounds cheerful.
Sounds
Identify the helping verb(s) in the following sentence: Arthur is walking to the mall at five o'clock.
Is.
Identify the verb(s) in the following sentence AND state which type they are: Sondra sprinted during the race.
Sprinted (AV).
Linking Verb
A word that connects the subject to something about the subject
Identify the action verb in the following sentence: Sheila drove her car into the bridge.
Drove.
Identify the linking verb in the following sentence: The teacher became frustrated with her students' grades on the test.
Became.
Identify the helping verb(s) in the following sentence: Luke was watching the football game on TV.
Was.
Identify the verb(s) in the following sentence AND state which type they are: Harry tasted the spicy salsa.
Tasted (AV).
Helping Verb
A verb that helps the main verb in a verb phrase
Identify the action verb in the following sentence: Alex and Marsha questioned Mr. Schlote about his fabulously decorated star shirt.
Questioned.
Identify the linking verb in the following sentence: After the basketball game, we were sweaty.
Were.
Identify the helping verb(s) in the following sentence: The dancers should have practiced their routine before the performance.
Should and have.
Identify the verb(s) in the following sentence AND state which type they are: Betty seemed sick all morning.
Seemed (LV).
Subject
What the entire sentence is about.
Identify the action verb in the following sentence: Luke and Samantha were dancing the night away at the prom.
Dancing.
Identify the linking verb in the following sentence and ALSO state what is being "linked": The fruit smelled delicious.
Linking verb: smelled, and fruit is being linked to delicious.
Identify the helping verb(s) in the following sentence: In the morning, Gabby could have been looking over her notes for the test.
Could, have and been.
Identify the verb(s) in the following sentence AND state which type they are: Samantha is planning on wearing a new shirt for the dance tonight.
Is (HV), planning (AV), wearing (AV)
What are three words you can use to "test" whether a verb is a linking verb?
am, is, were, was, are
Identify the action verb AND the subject in the following sentence: Mrs. Munday should have listened to the instructions from the policeman.
Action = listened and subject = Mrs. Munday.
Identify the linking verb(s) in the following sentence and ALSO state what is being "linked": Yesterday, the cookies tasted delicious, but now they are moldy.
Tasted and are. Cookies is being linked to delicious AND they is being linked to moldy.
Identify the helping verb(s) in the following sentence: Will you be attending the church service on Sunday?
Will and be.
Identify the verb(s) in the following sentence AND state which type they are: Lucas would have been sleeping if he was tired.
Would (HV), have (HV), been (HV), sleeping (AV) and was (LV).