I feel stupid for not knowing these but I can't figure it out! So in the sentence we have "underline the verb be (and its various forms) and decide how it's used. Circle the verb its helping or linking to and Write linking verb or helping verb on the line" so here is an example...
In ancient times, no one was using money
So I would circle 'using', underline 'was' and its a helping verb
bur these are the sentences i can't figure out.
"These objects were anything from anything from animal skins to shells" I understand that 'were' is the helping/linking verb but what is it helping/ linking to? That's my problem with all these other problems too
"These objects were valuable to everyone"
"Some of the objects were metal"
"One of the first coin-makers was an ancient Roman"
"The first paper money was Chinese"
"The paper is worthless by itself"
And "Many of the coins in the colonies were Spanish"
These objects were anything >> "were" is a linking verb, connecting the subject "objects" with the predicate nominative, "anything."
The rest of the verbs are also linking. Can you figure out the subject and the predicate adjectives or nominatives they are connecting?
No need to feel silly! Identifying the verb and its function can sometimes be tricky. Let's break down each sentence to find the answer:
1. "These objects were anything from animal skins to shells."
- The verb in this sentence is "were." It is functioning as a linking verb in this sentence, connecting the subject "objects" with the subject complement "anything from animal skins to shells." The subject complement renames or describes the subject.
2. "These objects were valuable to everyone."
- Once again, the verb is "were," and it functions as a linking verb. It links the subject "objects" with the subject complement "valuable to everyone," explaining the quality or state of the objects.
3. "Some of the objects were metal."
- The verb "were" is a helping verb in this sentence. It assists the main verb "metal" in forming the past tense. In this case, the main verb "metal" functions as a noun, describing the material the objects were made of.
4. "One of the first coin-makers was an ancient Roman."
- In this sentence, the helping verb is "was." It assists the main verb "coin-maker" in forming the past tense. The main verb "coin-maker" functions as a noun phrase, identifying the role or occupation.
5. "The first paper money was Chinese."
- Here, the verb "was" is the main verb, indicating the past tense. It describes the nature or origin of the first paper money.
6. "The paper is worthless by itself."
- The verb, "is," is a linking verb. It connects the subject "paper" with the subject complement "worthless," describing the quality or state of the paper.
7. "Many of the coins in the colonies were Spanish."
- In this sentence, the verb "were" is a helping verb. It assists the main verb "Spanish" in forming the past tense. The main verb "Spanish" functions as an adjective, describing the nationality of the coins.
Remember that helping verbs assist the main verb, while linking verbs connect the subject with a subject complement.