A verb showing existence is also called a linking verb because the verb links the subject to a noun or an adjective. Linking verbs use a form of the verb to be.
Some linking verbs link the subject to another noun. That other noun renames the subject. Look at these examples:
Aunt Clara is a nurse.
My mom is a teacher.
Uncle Bob is a truck driver.
In each of these sentences, the verb is links the subject to a noun that renames the subject.
Think of the linking verb as an equals sign.
Aunt Clara = a nurse. They are the same thing. The noun nurse is another name for Aunt Clara.
Linking verbs can also link a subject to an adjective that describes the subject.
Sarah is pretty.
Billy is athletic.
I am tired.
Once again, we can pretend that the linking verb is an equals sign.
Sarah = pretty since the adjective pretty describes her.
Billy = athletic since the adjective athletic describes him.
Verbs that show existence are called linking verbs because they link the subject of the sentence to a noun that renames the subject or to an adjective that describes the subject.
▶It’s your turn. Which of these two sentences has a linking verb in it? Janice is a teacher. Janice teaches music class. Did you choose the first one? Good for you!