What Is 'Is Has Been a Linking Verb' – A 2024 Guide

A verb expresses action, occurrence, or a state of being, and within that category, certain verbs function differently. The phrase “is has been a linking verb” refers to forms of the verb be—such as is, has been, and was—that do not show action but instead connect the subject to a subject complement, like a noun or adjective. These are called linking verbs. Unlike action verbs such as run or write, linking verbs do not depict physical or mental activity. They describe or rename the subject, forming a bridge between the subject and additional information about it. Understanding how is, has been, and similar forms work as linking verbs is essential for clear, grammatically correct writing.

What Are Linking Verbs?

Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a word that identifies or describes it—this is known as the subject complement. The most common linking verb is be in its various forms: am, is, are, was, were, has been, have been, had been, being, and been. These forms indicate a state of being rather than an action. For example, in “She is a doctor,” is links she to doctor, which renames her.

Other verbs can also act as linking verbs when they describe a state, including seem, become, appear, feel, look, sound, taste, and remain. The role depends on context. In “He feels tired,” feels is a linking verb because tired describes he. But in “He feels the fabric,” feels is an action verb with the fabric as the object. The difference lies in whether the verb leads to a description of the subject or involves an action done to something else.

Linking verbs are necessary for expressing identities, qualities, and states. Without them, we could not say things like “The sky is blue” or “They became teachers.” For more on sentence structure, the Purdue OWL provides clear explanations of verb functions.

How “Is” and “Has Been” Function as Linking Verbs

Is and has been are present-tense forms of be and serve as linking verbs when they connect the subject to a complement. Is is used with third-person singular subjects: “The cake is delicious.” Has been appears in the present perfect tense and often describes a state that started in the past and continues: “He has been ill for days.”

In both cases, the verb links the subject to an adjective or noun that describes or renames it. Consider:

• “The soup is hot.” (is connects soup to the adjective hot)
• “She has been a teacher for ten years.” (has been connects she to the noun teacher)

No action occurs in these sentences. The verbs establish a condition or identity. This contrasts with action verbs, which show something the subject does. Even though be can appear in action contexts—like passive voice or continuous tenses—when it links to a complement without action, it functions as a linking verb.

Identifying Linking Verbs in Sentences

To test whether is or has been is a linking verb, try replacing it with seems or appears. If the sentence still makes sense, it is likely a linking verb. For example:

• Original: “The movie is boring.”
• Test: “The movie seems boring.” (makes sense → linking verb)

But in passive constructions like “The letter was written by Maria,” was is not a linking verb. It helps form a passive verb phrase, where written describes an action performed on the letter. Here, was is an auxiliary verb, not a linker.

Another clue: linking verbs are followed by subject complements (adjectives or nouns that describe the subject), not direct objects. In “They are students,” students renames they. In “They read books,” books receives the action of read and is a direct object.

Common Confusions with Linking Verbs

One common confusion is mixing up linking verbs with auxiliary (helping) verbs. Forms of be can serve both roles. When is or has been is followed by a present participle, it forms a continuous tense and acts as an auxiliary: “She is running late.” Here, running is the main verb showing action. But in “She is late,” is links she to the adjective late—a linking use.

Sensory verbs like feel, look, and taste can also be confusing because they shift roles:

• Linking: “The blanket feels soft.” (soft describes the blanket)
• Action: “She feels the blanket.” (the blanket is the object of touch)

Another frequent error is using adverbs instead of adjectives after linking verbs. Since linking verbs connect to descriptions of the subject, they require adjectives. “He looks happy” is correct. “He looks happily” suggests he is performing the act of looking in a happy way, which changes the meaning. Precision matters, especially in formal writing.

Key Takeaways

• The phrase “is has been a linking verb” refers to forms of the verb be that connect a subject to a subject complement, not to action.
• Linking verbs like is and has been do not show action; they link the subject to a noun or adjective that describes or renames it.
• To identify a linking verb, check if it connects the subject to a complement and can be replaced with seem or appear without changing the sentence’s basic meaning.
• Avoid confusing linking verbs with auxiliary verbs—forms of be are auxiliary when followed by a present participle in continuous tenses.
• Use adjectives, not adverbs, after linking verbs, since they describe the subject’s state or identity.