34 English Grammar Demystifi ed
Jethro seemed tired after all that yard work.Betsy seemed to have less back pain.Their cat seemed unable to sleep alone.Who seemed the smartest in the group?Marcel and I seemed rested after our vacation.You and David seemed exhausted from your schedule.Aidan and Elias seemed able to go without sleep.BE: A LIFE OF ITS OWN
You saw a list of common linking verbs earlier. Indeed, one of them is the verb be.
Be is more complicated than other verbs for two reasons: First, it has many different
forms, depending upon tense and number (am, is, are, was, were). Second, it com-
bines with the helping words to, will, can, could, would, or should in the following
ways:
Iwould be grateful to you if you would vote for my candidate.Yo u should be more careful when you walk on the ice-covered streets.Ican be ready at 1 P.M.Bess could be your greatest ally.My children wanted to be helpful.Yo u will be expected to win.Written Practice 2-6
Use a form of the linking verb be to fi ll each space in the following sentences.
Your choice may be one word or two, depending upon the meaning of the
sentence.
- Her dog a Pomeranian.
- Her choice a different one as well.
- Yesterday, the gray clouds thickening just as we left.