Linking Verbs (also called state of being verbs)
Show something exists, indicate state of being, do not show action
Called linking verbs since they link the subject to information concerning its state of being (referred to as a subject complement).
Helping Verbs (also called auxiliary verbs)
Helping verbs accompany the main verb to form verb phrases.
These verbs support the main verb in a verb phrase in different ways. They can show tense (which indicates when an action happened), ability, intention, or possibility.
Participle verb forms rely on helping verbs:
continuous tense = helping verb + present participle: [we] are coming | [he] had been running | [she] will be singing
Passive Mood: [it] was said, [it] is said, [he] will be acknowledged
Forms of BE
am, are, is, was, were, being, been
is = linking verb (when used alone), helping verb
am = linking verb (when used alone), helping verb
are = linking verb (when used alone), helping verb
was = linking verb (when used alone), helping verb
were = linking verb (when used alone), helping verb
be = linking verb (when used alone), action verb (when used alone), helping verb
being = linking verb (when used alone), action verb (when used alone), helping verb
been = linking verb (when used alone), action verb (when used alone), helping verb
Forms of DO
Forms of HAVE
Forms of CAN
Forms of MAY
Forms of WILL
Modals
may, might, must
ought to, shall, should, will, would