Step 1: General introduction
The grammar in this unit focuses on linking verbs. You’ll review what a linking verb’s function is in a sentence and what verbs can be used as linking verbs. You are expected to apply the rules you have learnt to complete some written tasks.
Step 2: Exercises:
Fill in the blanks with proper linking verbs:
1. Wood ___ hard.
2. The exercise ___ easy, but in fact it’s very hard.
3. Don’t you think the music of the song ___ beautiful?
4. The old man ___ poor in the old days, but now he’s ___ rich on hare.
5. Most leaves begin to ___yellow in autumn.
6. The fish ___good; the children like it very much.
7. The girl’s face ___red when she heard his words.
8. It’s true ___ that parents ___ old when children grow up.
Keys:
1. looks 2. seems 3. sounds 4. looked; been
5. turn/get 6. tastes 7. turned 8. to find; become
Step 3: Explanation and practice:
A linking verb is a word used to connect the subject of a sentence to further information about the state which the subject is in. The most common linking verb is “to be (be/am/is/are/was/were/been)”
1. Let’s look at Part A on page 41. Please read the passage and underline all the linking verbs at the same time.
Answers
A feel; is; seems; are; is;
was; seemed; is; felt; be;
were; stayed; become; am; am; proved
2. Now, please turn to Part B on page 41. Please replace the underlined words with the words given in the box.
Answers
B 1 proved/seemed/appeared 2 appeared/seemed 3 feel
4 stayed/remained 5 remained/stayed 6 seemed
For reference
More explanation of linking verbs:
连系动词看似简单，实则是中学英语中的重要语法项目，同时，也是历届高考考查的重点和热点。
一、用法
连系动词本身有一定的词义，但不能独立作谓语，必须与表语一起构成谓语。表语通常由名词、形容词，或相当于名词或形容词的词或短语等充当，说明主语是什么或怎么样。
二、分类
1. “存在”类：表示存在或具有某种特征或状态。这类连系动词强调“存在”。常见的有：be(是)，look(看起来)，feel(摸上去)，seem(似乎是)，appear(似乎、显得)，prove(证明是)，smell(闻起来)，taste(尝起来)，sound(听起来)等。例如：
The story sounds true.
Those oranges taste good.
2. “持续”类：表示某种情况或状态的持续。这类连系动词强调“持续”。常见的有：remain(依然)，keep(保持)，stay(保持)，continue(继续、仍旧)，stand(处于某状况或情形)等。例如：
-Why don't you put the meat in the fridge?
-It will stay fresh for several days.
It's already ten in the morning. The store remains closed. What's the matter?
3. “变化”类：表示由一种情况或状态变化成另一种情况或状态。这类连系动词强调“变化”后的情况或状态。常见的有：become(变成)， turn(变成)， grow(变得)， go(变得)等。例如：
Put the fish in the fridge, or it will go bad in hot weather.
三、注意事项
1. 有些连系动词通常不用于被动语态和进行时态中。如：feel，taste等词。例如：
-Do you like the material?
-Yes, it feels very soft.
2. 一般情况下，连系动词主要跟形容词或分词作表语。例如：
Be careful when you cross this very busy street. If not, you may get run over by a car.
3. 能跟名词作表语的连系动词常见的有：be, become, appear, seem, prove, remain和turn等。注意：turn后跟(表示主语身份的)名词作表语时，不加冠词。例如：
Twenty years later, he turned teacher.
The population growth in China remains a problem.
4. 连系动词也可跟不定式(to do / to be)，常见的有： appear, seem, remain, prove, look等。例如：
Having a trip abroad is certainly good for the old couple, but it remains to be seen whether they will enjoy it.
On the long journey, Peter proved to be a most interesting guide. We all had a wonderful time.
For reference
常用连系动词
1. be
1) She is a nurse. 她是一名护士。
2) I am an engineer. 我是一名工程师。
3) Ben and Paul are farmers. 本和保罗是农民。
2. become
1) He became a member of the football club a year ago. 他一年前成为这个足球俱乐部成员。
2) It's becoming much more expensive to travel abroad. 现在出国旅行的费用贵得多了。
3) Gordan has become a famous man. 乔丹已成为名人。
3. look
1) You’re not looking quite yourself; You’re looking ill. 你看上去不对劲，像是生病了。
2) You look as if you slept badly. 你看来像是睡眠不足。
3) It looks like rain. 天像是要下雨的样子。
4. get
1) She will soon get better. 她不久就会康复的。
2) On the way back to hotel, he got lost. 在回旅馆的路上，他迷路了。
3) It's getting warmer and warmer. 天越来越暖和了。
5. grow
1) It grew cold. 天气变冷了。
2) It began to grow dark. 天渐渐暗了。
3) My mother grows older. 我母亲越来越老了。
6. feel
1) This material feels soft. 这种料子摸起来很柔软。
2) You will feel better after a night's sleep. 经过一夜的睡眠你会觉得好些。
3) He feels confident of success. 他对成功感到有信心。
7. turn
1) His hair has turned grey. 他的头发花白了。
2) Leaves turn brown in autumn. 秋天树叶变黄了。
3) The test paper turned blue. 试纸变成蓝色。
8. remain
1) The problem remained unsolved until last year. 问题到去年才解决。
2) He remained silent. 他仍然沉默。
3) The temperature remains constant while the ice melts. 当冰融化时，温度保持不变。
9. seem
1) Things far off seem (to be) small. 远处之物看上去小些。
2) What seems easy to some people seems difficult to others. 某些人觉得容易的事，别的人可能觉得困难。
3) The child seems to be asleep. 这孩子好像睡着了。
10. appear
1) This recorder appears (to be) simple in structure. 这台录音机看来似乎结构简单。
2) Why does she appear so sad? 她为何显得如此悲伤？
3) He appears to have many friends. 他似乎有许多朋友。
11. keep
1) Keep quiet, please! 请保持安静！
2) Keep cool! 保持冷静！
3) I hope you are keeping well. 我希望你保持健康。
12. come
1) The little girl’s dream has come true. 小女孩的梦想实现了。
2) It comes easily with practice. 一经练习就很容易。
3) Everything will come all right in the end. 一切问题终会解决。
13. go
1) Something has gone wrong with the car. 车出毛病了。
2) Fish soon goes bad in hot weather. 鱼在热天不久就变坏了。
3) The children went wild with excitement. 孩子们兴奋得发狂。
14. seem, appear后面常跟to be。
高考链接
1. The traffic lights __________ green and I pulled away. (2006广东)
A. came B. grew C. got D. went
2. One of the best ways for people to keep fit is to______ healthy eating habits. (2006湖北)
A. grow B develop C. increase D. raise
3. -- I was wondering if we could go skiing on the weekend.
-- _______good. (2006湖北)
A. Sound B. Sounded C. Sounding D. Sounds
4. Someone who lacks staying power and perseverance is unlikely to ___ a good researcher. (2006山东)
A. make B. turn C. get D. grow
5. In the dark forests ________, some large enough to hold several English towns. (2005辽宁)
A. stand many lakes B. lie many lakes
C. many lakes lie D. many lakes stand
6. Having a trip abroad is certainly good for the old couple, but it remains ____whether they will enjoy it. (2002全国)
A. to see B. to be seen C. seeing D. seen
7. The water _____ cool when I jumped into the pool for morning exercise. (2006全国)
A. was felt B. is felt C. felt D. feels
8. Why don’t you put the meat in the fridge? It will _____ fresh for several days. (2003全国)
A. be stayed B. stay C. be staying D. have stayed
9. The pilot asked all the passengers on board to remain _____ as the plane was making a landing. (2004上海春)
A. seat B. seating C. seated D. to be seating
10. Be careful when you cross this very busy street. If not, you may _____ run over by a car. (2002北京)
A. have B. get C. become D. passed
11. Happy birthday, Alice. So you have _____ twenty-one already. (2004天津)
A. become B. turned C. grown D. passed
12. Sarah, hurry up. I’m afraid you can’t have time to _____ before the party. (2004全国Ⅱ)
A. get changed B. get change
C. get changing D. get to change
13. On hearing the news of the accident in the coal mine, she _____ pale. (2004湖北)
A. got B. changed C. went D. appeared
14. The flowers _____ sweet in the botanic garden attract the visitors to the beauty of nature. (2004上海)
A. to smell B. smelling C. smelt D. to be smelt
15.-Owe! I’ve burned myself!
-How did you do that?
-I _____ a hot pot. (2005浙江)
A. touched B. kept C. felt D. held
答案：1-5 DBDAB 6-10 BCBCB 11-15 BACBA
Step 4: Consolidation:
I. Multiple choice:
1. What he said sounds_______. (1993上海)
A. nicely B. pleasantly C. friendly D. wonderfully
2. We don’t care if a hunting dog smells _____, but we really don’t want him to smell_____. (1995上海)
A. well, well B. bad, bad C. well, badly D. badly, bad
3. He turned ____ ten years ago but later he became _____.
A. a teacher; a doctor B. teacher; doctor
C. teacher; a doctor D. a teacher; doctor
4. The dog _____lost yesterday.
A. got B. became C. turned D. fall
5. The old man must have ____ mad.
A. gone B. turned C. fallen D. driven
6. I felt ____ that I should leave.
A. strong B. strongly C. to be strong D. very strong
7. -Do you like the material?
-Yes, it _____ very soft. (1994全国)
A. is feeling B. felt C. feels D. is felt
8. I am afraid the weather will _____ hot for a few days.
A. last B. be lasted C. stay D. be stayed
9. Although he has taken a lot of medicine, his health _____ poor. (2002春上海)
A. proves B. remains C. maintains D. continues
10. I love to go to the seaside in summer. It _____ good to lie in the sun or swim in the cool sea.
A. does B. feels C. gets D. makes
II. Translation (using link-verbs):
1. 她闻了闻肉，看看是否还新鲜。
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. 当学生整理东西时，老师让他们保持安静。
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. 我们的国家正变得越来越强大了。
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. 当夏天到来时，天气变得越来越热。
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. 我上次过生日已满五十岁。
_______________________________________________________________________________
Keys:
I. 1-5 CDCAA 6-10 BCCBB
II.
1. She smelled the meat to make sure it still smelled good.
2. The teacher asked the students to keep quite hen they were keeping everything in order.
3. Our country is becoming stronger and stronger.
4. When summer comes, it is getting hotter and hotter.
5. I turned fifty on my last birthday.