Copular Verbs

search our site by Craig Shrives

What Are Copular Verbs?

A copular verb links the subject to an identity or a description. For example (copular verbs highlighted):

• John is a pirate.
(Here, "a pirate" is an identity of the subject "John.")
• John looks dangerous.
(Here, "dangerous" is a description of the subject "John.")

More specifically, a copular verb (commonly called a linking verb) links the subject to a subject complement. In the examples above, the subject complements are "a pirate" and "dangerous." A copular verb links the subject to an identity (a noun) or a description (an adjective). That noun or adjective is called the subject complement.

Copula or Copular?

The noun "copula" means "link" or "connector." "Copular" (with "r" on the end) is the adjective of "copula." When discussing grammar, the terms "copula" and "copular verb" are used interchangeably. For example:

• In the sentence "John seems happy," the copula is "seems."
• In the sentence "John seems happy," the copular verb is "seems."

Easy Examples of Copular Verbs

In each example, the copular verb is highlighted and the subject is bold.

• Alfred was a wizard.
(Here, the subject is identified as a wizard.)
• Alfred was impatient.
(Here, the subject is described as impatient.)

A Copular Verb Links the Subject to a Subject Complement

The word, phrase, or clause that follows a copular verb to identify or describe the subject is called the subject complement. Remember that a subject complement is a word or group of words that functions as either a noun (when identifies) or an adjective (when it describes).

• Her solution is madness!
(Here, the subject complement identifies. It is a noun.)
• Molly is a future star.
(Here, the subject complement identifies. It is a noun phrase.)
• She seems happy.
(Here, the subject complement describes. It is an adjective.)
• The sauce tastes too spicy for me.
(Here, the subject complement describes. It is an adjective phrase.)

Real-Life Examples of Copular Verbs

The most common copular verb is the verb "to be" (in all of its forms, e.g., "am," "is," "are," "was," "were," "will be," "was being," "has been").

• My mother is a strong woman.
• Lawyers were children once. (Poet Charles Lamb)

Other common copular verbs relate to the senses ("to look," "to feel," "to smell," "to sound," and "to taste").

• Farming looks easy when you're a thousand miles from the corn field. (US President Dwight Eisenhower)
• It sounds really corny but inner beautiful shows on the outside, for sure. (Model Kate Moss)

"To appear," "to become," and "to seem" are also common copular verbs.

• Once made equal to man, woman becomes his superior. (Greek philosopher Socrates)
• It always seems impossible until it's done. (President of South Africa Nelson Mandela)

Copular Verbs Are Not Action Verbs

Copular verbs do not express actions. Of note, some verbs can be copular verbs or action verbs depending on the context.

• Mark smells like the soup.
(Here, "smells" is a copular verb. It describes "Mark," the subject.)
• Mark smells the soup.
(Here, "smells" is not a copular verb. It is an action verb.)
• Anna felt nervous when she felt the cold.
(Here, the first "felt" is a copular verb, but the second "felt" isn't.)

Remember that a copular verb tells us what the subject is, not what the subject is doing.

Video Lesson

Remember that copular verbs are more commonly called "linking verbs." Here is a short video on linking verbs.

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos.

Why Copular Verbs Are Important

Here is the most common issue related to copular verbs:

Don't use an adverb for your subject complement.

Remember that a subject complement is always a noun or adjective. It is never an adverb.

• The soup smells amazingly.
(People make this mistake because they know that adverbs ("like amazingly") modify verbs. However, this is not how copular verbs work.)
• The soup smells amazing.
(This is correct. "Amazing" is an adjective.)

Read more about subject complements.

Key Points

Printable Test