"The Linking Verb Patterns" lecture I delivered in my English 402--Grammar course at the State University of New York College at Cortland.

1. The Linking Verb Patterns
Ed McCorduck
English 402--Grammar
SUNY Cortland
http://mccorduck.cortland.edu

2. Pattern IV
NP V-lnk ADJ
(subj) (pred vb) (subj comp)
• “V-lnk” is linking verb
• a linking verb states a relation between the subject and the subject
complement, i.e., it “links” the subj and the subj comp
slide 2: Pattern IV
English 402:
Grammar

3. examples of linking verbs:
seem become remain
several verbs involving sensory impressions are linking verbs:
feel sound taste smell look
slide 3: examples of linking verbs
English 402:
Grammar

4. exx
That | seems | silly.
The puppy | is looking | very sick.
The protestor | sounded | beside himself.
(Note: In the second example sentence above, the main verb is the linking verb looking, not is.)
slide 4: examples of Pattern IV sentences
English 402:
Grammar

5. slide 5: Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern IV sentence
English 402:
Grammar
As with sentences of Pattern II, i.e., with be followed by an
adjectival (ADJ) functioning as subject complement,
diagrams of Pattern IV sentences with linking verbs have the
(headword of the) ADJ subj comp on the main line after a
slanted line. For example, here is the diagram of the sentence
That seems silly:

6. Pattern V
NP1 V-lnk NP1
(subj) (pred vb) (subj comp)
As with sentences of Pattern III of the be patterns, the subj comp in
Pattern V sentences is a noun phrase that refers to the same entity as
the subject noun phrase, so both NPs are written with a 1 index.
slide 6: Pattern V
English 402:
Grammar

7. Most linking verbs can appear in both Pattern IV and Pattern V
sentences. For example,
Frederick | became | riled.
Pattern IV (i.e., riled is an ADJ)
Frederick | became | a serial killer.
NP1 NP1
Pattern V (i.e., a serial killer is an NP)
The general | has remained | steadfast.
Pattern IV (i.e., steadfast is an ADJ)
The general | has remained | the commander of the army.
NP1 NP1
Pattern V (i.e., the commander of the army is an NP)
slide 7: linking verbs of both Pattern IV and Pattern V
English 402:
Grammar

8. slide 8: Reed-Kellogg diagram of a Pattern V sentence
English 402:
Grammar
As with sentences of Pattern III, i.e., with be followed by an
NP functioning as subject complement, diagrams of Pattern V
sentences with linking verbs have the (headword of the) NP
subj comp on the main line after a slanted line. As an
example, here is the diagram of the sentence Frederick
became a serial killer: