The snake's skin feels rather smooth.

Is feels a linking verb?

The goats in the children's zoo are hoping for treats.

Is are hoping a linking verb?

"feels" in the first sentence is a linking verb, yes, but "are hoping" is not.

helping verb

No, "feels" is not a linking verb in the sentence "The snake's skin feels rather smooth." It is functioning as an action verb, describing the snake's action of indicating the texture of its skin.

Yes, "are hoping" is a linking verb in the sentence "The goats in the children's zoo are hoping for treats." The phrase "are hoping" links the subject "goats" to the predicative noun phrase "for treats" and describes the goats' state or condition.

To determine whether "feels" and "are hoping" are linking verbs, we need to understand what a linking verb is.

A linking verb is a verb that connects the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which can be a noun, pronoun, or adjective. It does not show action but rather expresses a state of being or condition. Linking verbs often express qualities, emotions, or states of being.

To find out whether "feels" is a linking verb, you can ask yourself if it connects the subject "the snake's skin" to a subject complement. In this case, "smooth" is describing the state or condition of the snake's skin. So, "feels" is indeed a linking verb because it connects the subject "snake's skin" to the subject complement "smooth."

Similarly, to determine whether "are hoping" is a linking verb, we need to ask if it connects the subject "the goats in the children's zoo" to a subject complement. In this case, "hoping" is describing the state or condition of the goats. "Hoping for treats" indicates the goats' desire or expectation. Therefore, "are hoping" is also a linking verb as it connects the subject "goats" to the subject complement "hoping for treats."