Subject-Verb-Complement

We can distinguish the following patterns:
A. The complement is a noun phrase or noun clause:
· This is a really nice outfit.
· The answer is that we don't want to go to the party.
· He became a beggar.
B. To be can occur between the linking verb and the complement. Although this "to be" is not necessary, both American English and British English prefer an infinitive construction with to be rather than simply a noun phrase.
· She seems (to be) all right.
· He proved (to be) a good husband.
· She appears (to be) exhausted.
NOTE:
a) There is also a tendency, especially in AME, to prefer a construction in which the verb is followed by like: It seems like she does not want to go to school.
C. The complement is an adjective.
· He became very restless (when his son did not come home on time).
· Your house looks very clean.
· She stayed calm.
Subject-Verb-Adverbial
The main linking verb that allows an adverbial as complementation is to be. The most common adverbials are place and time adverbials.
· Tom is in the bathroom.
· The party will be at three o'clock.
· I am at the office between 9 and 5.
· This is a really good class.
· Those books were very expensive.
· The students have been exhausted since the midterm.
· Their wedding will be in early May.



Current Linking Verbs

appear John appeared happy when the company promoted him.
be The graduate students are in Classroom South, Room 106.
feel She felt really happy with the new baby.
lie The pieces lay scattered over the floor.
look This person looks really tired.
remain Everybody remained silent for a few minutes.
seem This secretary seems (to be) very efficient.
smell That perfume smelled so fresh.
sound She sounded very surprised when she heard the news.
stay Everybody stayed calm when the fire alarm went off.
taste This grapefruit tastes very bitter.
Resulting Linking Verbs

become He became a successful business man.
get She got upset with her students.
grow The professor grew unhappy because the students were not listening well.
fall My brother fell in love at the party.
prove The new secretary proved (to be) very friendly.
run The children ran wild.
turn The milk turned sour.

A linking verb connects a subject to a subject complement which identifies or describes the subject, as in the following sentences:
The play is waiting for Godot.
In this sentence, the linking verb "is" links the noun phrase "the play" to the identifying phrase "Waiting for Godot," which is called a subject complement.
Some of us thought that the play was very good.
In this sentence, the verb "was" links the subject complement "very good" to subject "the play".
Others thought it became tedious after the first fifteen minutes.
In this sentence, the linking verb "became" links the subject "it" to the subject complement "tedious." The phrase "after the first fifteen minutes" functions as a adverb modifying the clause "it became tedious".
The cast appears disorganized and confused; perhaps Beckett intended this.
Here "appears" is functioning as a linking verb that connects the subject "the cats" to its subject complement "disorganized and confused".
The play seems absurd to me.
The subject "the play" is joined to its subject complement "absurd" by the linking verb "seems".
Linking verbs are either verbs of sensation ("feel," "look," "smell," "sound," "taste") or verbs of existence ("act," "appear," "be," "become," "continue," "grow," "prove," "remain," "seem," "sit," "stand," "turn").
Many linking verbs (with the significant exception of "be") can also be used as transitive or intransitive verbs. In the following pairs of sentences, the first sentence uses the highlighted verb as a linking verb and the second uses the same verb as either a transitive or an intransitive verb:
Linking
Griffin insists that the water in Winnipeg tastes terrible
In this sentence, the adjective "terrible" is a subject complement that describes a quality of the water.
Transitive
I tasted the soup before adding more salt.
Here the noun phrase "the soup" identifies what "I tasted." "The soup" is the direct object of the verb "tasted."
Linking
My neighbor’s singing voice sounds very squeaky despite several hours of daily practice.
In this example, the phrase "very squeaky" is a subject complement that describes or identities the nature of the "singing voice."
Transitive
Upon the approach of the enemy troops, the gate-keeper sounded his horn.
Here the verb "sounded" takes a direct object, the noun phrase "his horn."
Linking
Cynthia feels queasy whenever she listens to banjo music.
In this sentence, the adjective "queasy" is a subject complement that describes Cynthia.
Transitive
The customer carefully feels the fabric of the coat.
Here the noun phrase "the fabric of the coat" is the direct object of the verb "feels" and identifies what the customer feels.
appear become seem feel grow act look
taste smell sound get be (in all its forms)