Linking verbs

00:00 Hi everybody, welcome to [Link], I'm Adam.

00:03 In today's video, I have a grammar lesson for you, and specifically we're
going to look
00:08 at copula or linking verbs.
00:10 Copula - linking verbs, same thing, different names.
00:14 Most people don't really know or have never heard of this word - copula.
00:19 Sometimes it's an adjective, it's called copular verbs, but the more
common one is the linking verbs.00:25 And I'll show you in a moment what is
actually being linked.
00:27 So, the most common copula verb is the "be" verb, and in its different
forms, different
00:34tenses, I should say.
00:35Am, is, are, was, were, etc.
00:37The most common other copula verbs are seem and appear, and you can
combine them with
00:44"to be".
00:45And I'll show you examples, but appear to be, seem to be, and you can also
use this
00:50to make a passive structure, which I'll show you as well.
00:54And look, and then you have your sense verbs.
00:57Sound, taste, smell, and feel.
01:00These are also state verbs, and they can also be action verbs, but we're
going to look at
01:04them as copula verbs.
01:06And you'll notice that all of these copula verbs are not action verbs.
01:11There is no action happening.
01:13So, be careful with these four, because you can use them as action verbs
as well.
01:19Like, if you say something, I say "Yeah, that sounds right".
01:23Or, I can sound the alarm, I can "ding ding ding ding ding ding", etc.
01:27 So, action - active or not.
01:30 And then become and get.
01:32 And I split these up for a reason, and I'll show you that reason in a
moment.
01:36 So, first thing to remember - there is no action involved with copula verbs.
01:42What they are doing is they are linking, they are joining or showing some
sort of relationship
01:47between the subject of a sentence and the subject complement.
01:52So, as an example, "He is tall".
01:55So, if you think about this sentence, a lot of people will think "Subject, verb,
object".
02:02But "tall" is not an object to the verb "is".
02:08Tall is the subject complement to the subject "he".
02:12Essentially, what this means is he, tall, same person.
02:18Same thing we're focusing on.
02:21
The "be" verb acts like an equal sign, showing that these two things are the same
thing.
02:28
I'm describing or talking about the same thing.
02:31
And it doesn't have to be an adjective, it can also be a noun.
02:34
A noun can also be a subject complement, not an object.
02:39
"He is a teacher."
02:41
"He - a teacher", same person.
02:44
Same thing, if you want to think about it that way.
02:47
And that's where the link is.
02:48
So, you're linking subject complements to subject, right?
02:53
So, very important not to think of it as an object.
02:56
And the same applies to the other verbs.
02:59
"Seem" does not take an object.
03:02
"Appear to be" does not take an object.
03:06
All of these do not take an object.
03:09
Another thing that's very important to remember is that these - all of these verbs,
because
03:15
they're not in a subject, verb, object structure, will be followed by an adjective but
never
03:22
by an adverb.
03:23
Okay?
03:24
And I'll give you an example of this as well.
03:27
Let's look at "seems".
03:29
Another very important point to remember - we treat, except for "be" verb, of
course - we
03:34
treat all of these copular verbs like action verbs, meaning in a third person
singular,
03:41
we're still going to add the "s", okay?
03:44
So, it's very important to remember that it looks like an action verb, but there's no
03:50
action happening.
03:51
Now, what's the difference, the main difference, between a "be" verb and seem,
appear, and
03:58
look?
03:59
These three also act like an equal sign, except a "be" verb is stating a fact.
04:05
He is tall means that's the fact, tall.
04:09
"She seems nice" means that it's a possibility that she's nice.
04:17
She looks nice, she appears to be nice, she seems nice.
04:21
All of these mean the same thing that I think she's nice, but I might be wrong.
04:27
She is nice - it's a fact.
04:30
I'm not wrong, it's a fact.
04:31
There's not wrong or right, there's is or isn't, as it were.
04:35
So, she seems nice.
04:38
Adjective describing "she".
04:39
"She seems to be married."
04:42
So, I'm still using an adjective, but now I'm using "to be", because "She seems
married"
04:47
doesn't make much sense.
04:49
I'm describing her situation.
04:51
Here, I'm describing her.
04:53
Here, I'm describing her situation.
04:55
So, I need to put that into more of a context of existence or being something.
05:02
And again, "She seems to be an executive".
05:05
I can't say, "She seems an executive".
05:08
I'm talking about her situation again.
05:11
Here, it's her marriage situation.
05:14
Here, it's her career.
05:16
Now, again, very important.
05:18
She seems to be an executive.
05:21
Maybe she's dressed in a suit, like a business suit.
05:23
She has a bag.
05:24
She looks very professional.
05:26
Whether it's true or not, I don't know.
05:29
That's why she seems to be, she appears to be.
05:32
She looks like an executive, and you actually add "like" here as well.
05:40
She looks like something, right?
05:42
Maybe she is, maybe she's not.
05:44
Keep in mind, though.
05:45
When you say, "He looks like his father", that's a different use of "look".
05:50
This is more about the actual physical appearance.
05:52
I can - it's a fact.
05:54
It's not a possibility.
05:56
But "look like" as a copula means possibility, maybe.
06:00
Okay?
06:01
Now, sound, taste, smell, and feel.
06:04
You're going to describe how certain things affect the senses.
06:09
So, the song sounds nice.
06:12
The food tastes delicious.
06:15
Notice the "s".
06:16
The flower smells lovely.
06:20
The cat's tongue feels rough, when it licks me, etc.
06:25
So, I'm describing sense.
06:27
Now, keep in mind that these are also stative verbs, and if you're not sure what a
stative
06:32
verb is, Rebecca, who is another teacher here at [Link] , has made a
lesson about that.
06:38
You can look for the link somewhere here to learn more about stative verbs.
06:41
These are a part of the stative verbs.
06:44
Now, become and get, they're a little bit trickier.
06:46
So, I'm going to look at them individually and I'll give you some more examples.
06:50
Okay, so now we're going to look at a few more examples and notice a few more
specific
06:56
grammatical points.
06:57
"The house appears to have been damaged in the storm."
07:01
So, right away, you notice that I have the option of using copula verbs in passive
situations
07:08
as well.
07:09
You just have to adjust according to the time, according to the situation.
07:14
Here, I just want to point out a couple of other things.
07:16
"She seems intelligent", and "The food tastes delicious".
07:21
Notice it's not "intelligently" and not "deliciously".
07:24
So, it's very, very important to remember, just because you have a verb that's not
a
07:30
"be" verb, it doesn't mean that you must have an adverb.
07:34
Copula verbs are not followed by adverbs, only adjectives or noun complements.
07:42
That's very important to remember.
07:45
Another thing to remember is that all of the verbs so far, the "be" verb, the
"appear,
07:51
seem" and all the sense ones, they don't take an "-ing" form.
07:57
Right?
07:58
Because they're a bit of a state verb.
07:59
There's no action happening.
08:01
On the other hand, "get" and "become" can take all the different forms.
08:07
And while all of these basically - they're like an equal sign, so the food tastes
delicious,
08:14
and the food is delicious mean the same thing.
08:18
This is just a more specific verb.
08:20
And it basically means equal.
08:22
Food = delicious.
08:23
Same thing.
08:25
Become and get are verbs that are copular.
08:29
They're still linking verbs, but they suggest a change.
08:33
And this is very important, and this is where a lot of people get confused with
these two verbs.
08:40
Become and get, when they're used in this context, like copular verbs, always
suggest change.
08:48
And it's very important to remember that.
08:50
"She got married", okay.
08:53
That doesn't mean - there's no action here.
08:55
"Married" here is being used - it's a participle - it's being used as an adjective.
08:59
"She got married" or "She was married", both okay.
09:03
"She is getting married."
09:06
Now here, I can use this as an "-ing", but I'm still explaining the situation.
09:11
This is actually referring to the future.
09:14
So, now she is single.
09:16
She is getting married.
09:17
She will become a married woman.
09:19
There's no action involved.
09:21
She's not getting anything.
09:23
It's not a receiving verb, it just - the changing situation verb.
09:28
If I wanted to use the action verb, I would just simply say "married".
09:32
"She married Bob."
09:34
It means she had a wedding and put on a ring, signed some papers, got married.
09:40
Same thing with "become".
09:42
You can use it in all the different forms, and always notice there's a change.
09:46
"She has become too powerful."
09:49
There should be a period here, actually.
09:51
She has become - it's not a sudden action.
09:55
She has become too powerful over time, which is why I'm using the present
perfect tense.
10:01
And I'm suggesting a change.
10:03
I could say, "She is too powerful".
10:06
It means it's a fact now.
10:08
She was, or she will be too powerful, all talking about specific situation - has
become
10:15
over the time she has been in this position.
10:18
"He is becoming rich."
10:21
He's getting more and more money.
10:23
It doesn't mean he's rich yet, but he's certainly on his way.
10:28
His situation is changing, changing.
10:30
"He will become mean."
10:34
When he has more money, the more money he has, the more he will become
mean.
10:38
Like a mean person, because some people become mean when they have
money.
10:42
Why?
10:43
Because "The more money he has, the more arrogant he becomes."
10:48
And again, I'm using it as a single with the "s" for the single third person.
10:55
But again, change, change.
10:57
As money changes, as the money amount changes, his personality changes,
right?
11:02
So, it's all about change.
11:04
And this is more like an actual fact, when I use a present simple, I'm stating it
more
11:10
like a fact.
11:11
The other ones are more a possibility.
11:14
Okay?
11:15
So, these are the main copula verbs.
11:18
There are some others, but these are the ones you need to understand to be
able to read
11:22
and to write especially.
11:24
Because these are the ones that give people the most trouble, I believe, when it
comes
11:28
to understanding how to use them.
11:31
Now, of course, it's a little bit tricky.
11:33
"Become", a lot of people confuse the verb "become" with the verb "be".
11:39
These are two different verbs.
11:41
Make sure you remember that, because how you're going to use them will affect
the meaning
11:47
of the sentence, right?
11:48
Depending on which one you use.
11:51
But there, that's a very basic understanding of copula verbs.
11:55
If you're not sure and you want a little bit more practice, go to [Link]
and take
11:59
the quiz.
12:00
And of course, ask me questions in the comment section.
12:03
I'll be very happy to help you out if you need a little bit more explanation about
this.
12:08
And that's it.
12:09
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12:11
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12:12
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12:15
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12:19
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12:21
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12:27
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12:28
Until next time, bye bye.