Long ago,farmers milked cows by hand.
Is milked the action verb and by the linking verb also is use a linking verb
Yes, "milked" is the action verb.
This sentence does not have a linking verb.
"milked" is the action verb, yes -- and it's the only verb in that sentence.
"use" is an action verb, too
"by" is a preposition
Go here to learn about parts of speech:
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms.htm
http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/eduweb/grammar/index.htm
http://members.cox.net/lenco1/grammarpractice/
In the sentence "Farmers milked cows by hand," "milked" is indeed the action verb, as it describes the action of farmers performing the task of milking.
However, the word "by" in this sentence is not a linking verb; it is a preposition. Prepositions typically show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence. In this case, "by" indicates the means or method by which the cows were milked.
A linking verb, on the other hand, connects the subject of a sentence with a word that describes or identifies it. For example, in the sentence "He is a doctor," the linking verb "is" connects the subject "He" to the noun "doctor." It is important to note that a linking verb does not show action; rather, it links the subject with the subject complement.