Locating Linking Verbs Worksheet

A linking verb does not show action. Instead, it joins the subject of a sentence to a word that describes it or renames it. Small words like is, am, are, was and were do this job, and so do sense verbs such as felt, looked, smelled, tasted and sounded, plus verbs like became and seemed. That double life is exactly what makes the skill tricky, and it is why this Locating Linking Verbs Worksheet keeps every sentence short and clear. Third graders learn to ask one simple question about the verb: does somebody do something, or does the verb link the subject to a word that tells what it is like?

The worksheet moves through three steps. In Part A students read six sentences and write the linking verb from each one on the line beside it. In Part B they meet five sentences with one verb underlined and decide whether that verb is linking or action, writing L or A. Two matched pairs sit side by side on purpose, so children see the same verb working both ways. Part C asks for a sentence of their own plus a short explanation. This 3rd grade linking verbs practice works well as morning work, as a grammar warm-up, in a literacy center, or as homework, and the included answer key makes checking fast.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 6 write-the-linking-verb sentences
• 5 linking-verb or action-verb decisions
• 1 write-and-explain response

There are three reasons this resource helps children learn the skill. First, it separates the two jobs a verb can do instead of asking students to memorize a list, so the thinking transfers to sentences they have never seen. Second, every item is a complete, natural sentence, which means students practice reading for meaning while they hunt for the verb. Third, the written explanation in Part C turns recognition into reasoning, and a child who can say why a verb is a linking verb is ready for predicate adjectives and predicate nouns later on. Working through this Locating Linking Verbs Worksheet also builds the habit of rereading a sentence before answering.

Teachers and parents can stretch the skill in playful ways. Try a sorting game with verb cards, where children drop each card into a linking pile or an action pile and then use it in a sentence. Play a describing round at dinner or during morning meeting, with everyone finishing the sentence “The soup tastes ___” or “The playground looks ___” and naming the linking verb they used. Have students hunt for linking verbs in a favorite picture book and copy three onto sticky notes. Finish by singing along with the Verb Rap Song, which gives the whole class a rhythm to remember the difference.

Related Resources

• Finding Linking Verbs Worksheet
• Linking Verbs Search Worksheet
• Action Verbs Worksheet
• Verb Rap Song (Have Fun Teaching)