Paint pen Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Helping verb or linking verb

The children were disappointed when the game was canceled. Is were a helping verb or a linking verb???

  

Top answer

The children were disappointed when the game was canceled. Strictly speaking it's ambiguous. It could be a complex-intransitive clause, in which case "were" is a 'linking' verb, and "disappointed" an adjective relating to "the children".

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1 Answers
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The children were disappointed when the game was canceled.

Strictly speaking it's ambiguous. It could be a complex-intransitive clause, in which case "were" is a 'linking' verb, and "disappointed" an adjective relating to "the children". This interpretation is supported by the fact that modification by "very" is possible, ("very" modifies adjectives, but not verbs):

The c