Linking Verb - সংযোগকারী ক্রিয়া: Definition, Examples, and Usage Tips

A Linking Verb connects the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which is usually a noun (or a noun phrase) or adjective providing more information about the subject. It doesn’t show action.

The most common linking verbs are: ‘Be – am, is, are, was, were’, ‘Become’, ‘Seem’, ‘Feel’, ‘Appear’, ‘Look’, ‘Taste’, ‘Smell’, ‘Sound’, ‘Remain’, etc.

Definition of Linking Verb - এর সংজ্ঞা

A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to additional information about the subject. This additional information can be an adjective or a noun (or a noun phrase) that describes or identifies the subject. Linking verbs do not show action but rather link the subject to its description.

Linking Verb হলো এমন একটি ক্রিয়া যা বাক্যের Subject-কে অতিরিক্ত তথ্যের সাথে link বা সংযুক্ত করে। এই অতিরিক্ত তথ্য হতে পারে একটি বিশেষণ বা নাম, যা Subject বা বিষয়ের বর্ণনা বা পরিচয় প্রদান করে। Linking Verb কোন কাজ প্রদর্শন করে না, বরং Subject-কে তার বর্ণনায় সংযুক্ত করে।

Examples of Linking Verb - এর উদাহরণ

The flowers smell sweet.
ফুলের গন্ধ মিষ্টি (লাগছে)।

He is a teacher.
- (Linking Verb: “is” shows ‘State of Being’)
তিনি একজন শিক্ষক (হয় বা আছেন)।
- (Linking Verb: ‘হয় বা আছেন‘ বোঝায়)

He seems angry.
সে রাগান্বিত (মনে হচ্ছে)।

They were at the park.
- (State of Being Verb: “were”)
তারা পার্কে ছিল।
- (State of Being Verb: “ছিল”)

Key Features of Linking Verbs (সংযোগকারী ক্রিয়ার বৈশিষ্ট্য)

Usually, Linking verbs do not express action.
Common linking verbs include forms of “to be” (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) and sensory verbs (look, sound, feel, taste, seem).
To describe the subject, a Linking Verb takes a Noun, or a Noun Phrase, or an Adjective, or an Adjective Phrase as Subject Complement.
The predicate contains information that describes the Subject.

Linking Verb takes a Noun, or a Noun Phrase, or an Adjective, or an Adjective Phrase as Subject Complement:

The capital city of Bangladesh is Dhaka.
বাংলাদেশের রাজধানী শহর (হলো) ঢাকা।
[Noun - 'Dhaka']

Dhaka is a city.
ঢাকা একটি শহর।
[Noun Phrase - 'a city']

Dhaka is a big city.
ঢাকা (হলো) একটি বড় শহর।
[Noun Phrase - 'a big city']

Dhaka is a very big city.
ঢাকা (হলো) একটি খুব বড় শহর।
[Noun Phrase - 'a very big city']

Dhaka is big.
ঢাকা (হলো) বড়।
[Adjective - 'big']

Dhaka is very big.
ঢাকা (হলো) খুব বড়।
[Adjective Phrase - 'very big']

অর্থাৎ, Subject-কে বর্ণনা করতে Linking Verb একটি Noun বা Noun Phrase বা Adjective বা Adjective Phrase নেয়।

Difference between Linking Verbs and Action Verbs

Linking Verbs describe conditions or states (e.g., is, was).
Action Verbs describe actions (e.g., run, eat), while

Linking Verbs এর সাধারণত Passive হয় না; কেবল Active ভাব প্রকাশ করে ।
Action Verbs এর সাধারণত Active-Passive হয় ।

Linking Verb: The soup tastes good. (Describes the soup)
Action Verb: She tastes the soup. (Shows an action)

Common Linking Verbs with Examples in a Sentence

Primary Linking Verbs:

These verbs directly express existence, condition, or being:

Am – আছি
I am a student.
আমি একজন ছাত্র।
Is – হয় / আছে
She is happy.
সে খুশি আছে।
Are – হয় / আছো / আছেন
They are friends.
তারা বন্ধু।
Was – ছিল
He was tired yesterday.
সে গতকাল ক্লান্ত ছিল।
Were – ছিল / ছিলাম / ছিলেন
We were at the park.
আমরা পার্কে ছিলাম।
Be – হওয়া / হও
It is important to be careful.
সাবধান হওয়া গুরুত্বপূর্ণ।
Being – হওয়া / থাকছি
She is being kind to everyone.
সে সবার প্রতি সদয় থাকছে।
Been – হয়েছে
They have been helpful throughout the process.
তারা পুরো প্রক্রিয়ায় সাহায্যকারী হয়েছে।

Secondary Linking Verbs:

These linking verbs express a condition, transition, or state of being in relation to the subject, but they often imply a change or continuation of the subject’s state.

Act – আচরণ করা
He acts strange when nervous.
সে নার্ভাস হলে অদ্ভুত আচরণ করে।
Appear – উপস্থিত হওয়া / মনে হওয়া
She appears tired.
সে ক্লান্ত মনে হচ্ছে।
Become – হওয়া / পরিণত হওয়া
He became a doctor.
সে একজন ডাক্তার হয়েছিল।
Feel – অনুভব করা
I feel happy today.
আজ আমি খুশি অনুভব করছি।
Get – হওয়া / পাওয়া
She got angry.
সে রাগান্বিত হলো।
Grow – বৃদ্ধি পাওয়া
The plant grows quickly.
গাছটি দ্রুত বৃদ্ধি পায়।
Look – দেখানো
She looks exhausted after the trip.
ট্রিপের পর সে ক্লান্ত দেখাচ্ছে।
Prove – প্রমাণ করা
He proved helpful in the project.
সে প্রকল্পে সহায়ক প্রমাণিত হলো।
Remain – থাকা
They remain friends after school.
স্কুলের পরে তারা বন্ধু থাকে।
Seem – মনে হওয়া
The cake seems delicious.
কেকটি সুস্বাদু মনে হচ্ছে।
Smell – গন্ধ দেওয়া
The flowers smell wonderful.
ফুলগুলি চমৎকার গন্ধ দিচ্ছে।
Sound – শোনায়
The music sounds amazing.
সঙ্গীতটি অসাধারণ শোনাচ্ছে।
Stay – থাকা
She stayed calm during the exam.
পরীক্ষার সময় সে শান্ত ছিল।
Taste – স্বাদ দেওয়া
The soup tastes bland.
স্যুপটি নিরস লাগছে।
Turn – পরিণত হওয়া
The sky turned dark.
আকাশ অন্ধকার হয়ে গেল।

Important Notes on Linking Verbs:

Not Action-Oriented: Linking Verbs express states or conditions, not actions. They do not show physical or mental actions.
- For example, in the sentence “She is a teacher,” the verb “is” doesn’t describe any action but shows her state of being.

Link the Subject to Its Condition: Linking Verbs form the predicate of a sentence without expressing action. They connect the subject to its state or identity, making them essential in many sentence constructions.
- For instance, “He became tired” uses the verb “became” to link “He” to his condition of being tired.

Function as the Main Verb in a Sentence: When Be Verbs (such as am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been) are used as Linking Verbs, they do not function as Auxiliary Verbs. Instead, they serve as the Main Verbs in the sentence, indicating the subject’s state, condition, or identity.

- Linking Verb as Main Verb:
- She is a doctor
- Here, “is” acts as the main verb and shows the subject’s state of being (that she is a doctor). The verb “is” does not help any other verb but stands alone to express the main idea of the sentence.

- Auxiliary Verb with a Main Verb:
- She is running.
- In this sentence, “is” is an auxiliary verb, which supports the main verb “running” to form the present continuous tense. “Is” in this case doesn’t describe a state or condition but helps express the ongoing action of running. So, here, “is” does not function as a State of Being Verb.

Primary vs. Secondary:
- Primary Linking Verbs: These are basic verbs like “am, is, are, was, were,” which express simple existence or identity.
- Secondary Linking Verbs: These verbs, such as “appear, become, remain, grow,” often describe changes or conditions, implying a transition or state.

No Direct Object:
- Linking verbs generally do not require a direct object to complete their meaning. Instead, they connect the subject to a complement or description. Example: “She is happy.” Here, “happy” is a complement, not a direct object.
- In a given sentence or context, if any verb takes a direct object, that verb won’t act as a linking verb in that given sentence or context. For example,
  - The soup smells good.
    - [Here, “smells” is a linking verb because it connects the subject “The soup” to the complement “good,” which describes the soup. It does not take a direct object.]
  - Meena smells the flowers.
    - [In this case, “smells” is an action verb because it describes what Meena is actively doing. The verb takes “the flowers” as its direct object.]

Help Define Relationships and States:
- These verbs help define relationships, identity, or conditions. For example, “They remain friends” explains the ongoing relationship between two people.