Linking verbs: look, feel, seem and get
It looks nice, I feel bad, she seems tired, it's getting dark: verbs followed by an adjective, not an adverb.
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A linking verb joins the subject to a word that describes it, like be does: She is tired. She looks tired. After a linking verb, use an adjective, not an adverb, because the word describes the subject and not the action. You met look, feel, sound, taste and smell at A2. This page adds seem, become, get, go and stay, and the mistakes that go with them.
The linking verbs
Meaning | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
the senses | look, feel, sound, smell, taste | This soup tastes wonderful. |
an impression | seem, appear | Your neighbour seems nice. |
a change | become, get, go, turn | It's getting cold. |
no change | stay, remain, keep | Please stay calm. |
- You look great in that jacket.
- That sounds interesting.
- Incorrect: It looks nicely.
- Correct: It looks nice.Nice describes it, so use the adjective.
- Incorrect: This cake tastes wonderfully.
- Correct: This cake tastes wonderful.
Feel: no myself
In English, feel + adjective needs no reflexive pronoun. Feel alone already means how you are.
- I feel tired today.
- Do you feel better now?
- Incorrect: I feel myself bad today. I think I've got a cold.
- Correct: I feel bad today. I think I've got a cold. / I don't feel well today.Feel takes an adjective directly, with no myself.
Well here is an adjective that means "healthy": I don't feel well. Bad can mean ill, but it often means "guilty" or "sorry": I feel bad about missing your party.
Seem and appear
Seem gives an impression: what you think from what you see or hear. It takes an adjective, or to be + adjective.
- Your new colleague seems very friendly.
- The children seem to be happy at their new school.
- He seemed surprised by the question.
Appear means the same, but it is more formal: The situation appears serious.
A change: get, become, go
Get + adjective is the most common way to say that something changes, especially in speech. Become means the same, and it is more formal. Go is used with a few adjectives, often for a change for the worse or a change of colour.
- It's getting dark. Let's go home.
- I got very angry when he said that.
- The situation became more difficult.
- She went red when he smiled at her.
- The milk has gone bad.
Look like, sound like + a noun
Before an adjective, use the verb alone. Before a noun, use the verb + like.
- You look tired. / You look like your mother.
- That sounds great. / That sounds like a great idea.
- Incorrect: You look like tired. Did you sleep well?
- Correct: You look tired. Did you sleep well?Before an adjective, look has no like.
When it is an action: an adverb
Some of these verbs can also be ordinary actions. Then they take an adverb, which describes the action.
Linking verb + adjective | Action + adverb |
|---|---|
She looked angry. | She looked at me angrily. |
The soup tastes good. | He tasted the soup carefully. |
The fabric feels soft. | The doctor felt my arm gently. |
Ask yourself: does the word describe the subject (adjective) or the way someone does something (adverb)?