Third Grade English: Grammar: Parts of Speech - Action Verbs and Linking Verbs
Verbs are the energetic engines that power sentences, bringing stillness to life through dynamic action or connecting subjects to descriptive traits through states of being. While action verbs describe physical movements and mental activities that subjects perform, linking verbs act like mathematical equal signs, connecting the subject to words that identify or describe who or what they are. In this chapter, you will explore the full spectrum of visible and invisible action verbs, master the primary linking verbs of being, and discover the "Equal Sign Substitution Test" to distinguish linking verbs from action verbs with confidence.
What Is a Verb?
No complete sentence in the English language can exist without at least one verb. Along with the subject noun, the verb forms the core predicate that tells what is happening.
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| THE VERB SPECTRUM |
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| ACTION VERBS LINKING VERBS |
| What the subject DOES What the subject IS |
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| - Physical: run, jump, gallop - State of Being: is, am |
| - Mental: think, ponder, dream - Sensory: looks, smells |
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Action Verbs: Physical and Mental Energy
An action verb tells what the subject of our sentence is performing.
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| TWO TYPES OF ACTION VERBS |
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| PHYSICAL ACTIONS (Visible to the human eye) |
| The cheetah sprints across the savanna. |
| The carpenter hammered the iron nail into the beam. |
| Cold rain splashed against the windowpane. |
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| MENTAL ACTIONS (Invisible actions in the mind) |
| Elena remembered her grandmother's recipe. |
| We wondered what lived inside the deep cavern. |
| Marcus believed in his team's ability to win. |
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Don't Overlook Mental Action Verbs!
Many third graders forget that thinking is an action! You do not need to move your arms or legs to perform a verb. Verbs like remember, imagine, consider, worry, decide, and forget are all legitimate action verbs because your brain is actively doing work.
Linking Verbs: The Connectors of Being
A linking verb does not express any physical or mental action. Instead, a linking verb connects (links) the subject of the sentence to an adjective or noun in the predicate that describes or renames that subject.
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| THE LINKING VERB AS AN EQUAL SIGN |
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| Subject + Linking Verb + Subject Complement |
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| "The soup IS delicious." |
| [ Soup ] [ = ] [ Delicious ] |
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| "Maya BECAME a champion." |
| [ Maya ] [ = ] [ Champion ] |
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The Primary "To Be" Linking Verbs
The most common linking verbs are the various forms of the verb "to be":
- am
- is
- are
- was
- were
- be
- being
- been
Sensory Linking Verbs
In addition to the "to be" verbs, verbs that relate to our five senses can also function as linking verbs:
- seem
- appear
- look
- smell
- taste
- sound
- feel
The Equal Sign Substitution Test
Some verbs—especially sensory verbs like smell, taste, look, and feel—can be action verbs in one sentence and linking verbs in another! How can you tell the difference? Use the Equal Sign Substitution Test.
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| THE EQUAL SIGN SUBSTITUTION TEST |
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| Rule: Replace the verb with "is" or "are" (or an = sign). |
| - If the sentence STILL makes sense -> LINKING VERB! |
| - If the sentence becomes NONSENSICAL -> ACTION VERB!|
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Case Study 1: "The Apple Smelled Sweet"
- Substitute "is": "The apple IS sweet."
- Does it make sense? Yes! The apple is being described as sweet.
- Conclusion: In this sentence, "smelled" is a LINKING VERB.
Case Study 2: "The Dog Smelled the Old Boot"
- Substitute "is": "The dog IS the old boot."
- Does it make sense? No! The dog is not an old boot; the dog is actively sniffing with its nose!
- Conclusion: In this sentence, "smelled" is an ACTION VERB.
Case Study 3: "The Musician Looked Tired"
- Substitute "is": "The musician IS tired."
- Makes sense? Yes! -> LINKING VERB.
Case Study 4: "The Musician Looked Through the Telescope"
- Substitute "is": "The musician IS through the telescope."
- Makes sense? No! -> ACTION VERB.
Why Linking Verbs Matter for Writing
Linking verbs allow you to introduce predicate adjectives and predicate nouns that define your characters:
- Predicate Adjective: "The knight was fearless." (Adjective describing knight).
- Predicate Noun: "The knight was a protector." (Noun renaming knight).
Practice Exercises and Review
Test your ability to distinguish action verbs from linking verbs.
Exercise 1: Identify Verb Type
Label the underlined verb in each sentence as an "Action Verb" or a "Linking Verb."
1. The chocolate chip cookies taste delicious.
2. The chef tasted the simmering tomato soup with a wooden spoon.
3. Isabella imagined a distant galaxy filled with purple stars.
4. The old oak tree was tall and majestic.
5. The frightened rabbit darted under the briar bush.
Exercise 2: Apply the Substitution Test
Explain why "grew" is a linking verb in Sentence A, but an action verb in Sentence B:
- Sentence A: The sky grew dark before the thunderstorm.
- Sentence B: The farmer grew organic pumpkins in his field.
Answer Key and Explanations
- Exercise 1:
- Linking Verb (Cookies = delicious; "cookies are delicious" makes sense).
- Action Verb (The chef is physically performing the act of tasting with a spoon).
- Action Verb (Mental action of imagining).
- Linking Verb (Form of "to be" connecting tree to tall and majestic).
- Action Verb (Physical action of darting).
- Exercise 2: In Sentence A, you can substitute "was" ("The sky was dark"), proving that "grew" links the sky to the adjective dark. In Sentence B, replacing "grew" with "was" yields "The farmer was pumpkins", which is absurd; the farmer is physically cultivating pumpkins.