Grammar can be scary; especially for our younger students who are just getting the hang of reading and writing. But, if we teach this content in an engaging way, we can lessen the intimidation factor. If you’ve already taught action verbs, it’s now time for linking verbs. These verbs describe a subject rather than an action. The most common example is “to be”. Here are 20 linking verbs grammar activities that can help make the topic less scary for your students!
1. Error Correction Relay Race
You can create a worksheet of 10-15 sentences; each with one error. These errors can include incorrect linking verb forms. In teams, your students can correct an error. Whichever group finishes first wins!
Learn More: ESL Activity
2. Is That Sentence Correct?
First, your students can create simple sentences using a list of vocabulary and linking verbs. Then, for class practice, they can examine some of the sample sentences that you’ve created and detect whether you’ve used the linking verbs correctly.
Learn More: ESL Activity
3. Vocabulary Auction
You can print out individual words to form a vocabulary bank which includes common linking verbs. Your students can form groups that will each receive a lump sum of “money”. Then, groups can bid on words to try to form complete sentences with linking verbs.
Learn More: Jackie Bolen
4. Stand Up/Sit Down Verb Activity
This stand-up/sit-down activity can be played with many variations. In this verb-focused version, your students can listen to you read a sentence. If the sentence contains a linking verb, they stand up. If it contains an action verb, they sit down.
Learn More: Star Teacher Training
5. Linking And Helping Verbs: Is/Are & Was/Were
If you haven’t already taught helping verbs, you can exclude this part of the activity. Your students can determine the correct verb forms of sentences to practice subject-verb agreement. For linking verbs, they can sort the sentences between an “is” or “are” popcorn bag.
Learn More: Michelle’s Communication Corner
6. Whodunit?
This has got to be one of the more creative options for practicing linking verbs. In this criminal investigation, there are 10 questions to be answered that provide clues. If your students answer correctly, they can determine who committed the crime!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
7. Action & Linking Verbs Grammar Coloring Sheets
This is one of the more creative options for linking verbs practice. In this criminal investigation, there are 10 questions to be answered that provide clues. If your students answer correctly, they can determine who committed the crime!
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
8. Roll & Solve
This is an awesome, no-prep grammar game. Each game sheet focuses on a different grammatical component. There is one sheet that is exclusively about linking verbs. Your students can roll a pair of die and line up the coordinates to find their question.
Learn More: Ciera Harris Teaching
9. Airplane Game
In this online game, your students can read a sentence and determine whether the verb is an action or a linking verb. Then, they can fly the plane into the correctly labeled cloud using the arrow keys.
Learn More: Wordwall
10. Whack-A-Mole
I love a good game of whack-a-mole! In this online version, your students can hit the moles representing linking verbs. These pre-made digital activities are great for after-school practice.
Learn More: Wordwall
11. Shoot The Correct Linking Verb
Have you ever shot a bow & arrow? Don’t worry, the online version is much easier! Your students can try to aim and shoot for the correct linking verb to complete a sentence in this fun grammar activity.
Learn More: Turtle Diary
12. Catch The Correct Linking Verb
This one is sort of like Pacman, except you’re playing a fierce scorpion hunting down cockroaches. A sentence will be presented at the top of the screen. Your students can use their keyboard to move to the cockroach representing the verb type used in the sentence.
Learn More: Turtle Diary
13. Types of Verbs Jeopardy
Here’s a fun game to add some competitive spirit to your classroom. Your students can collaborate in teams to answer questions and win points. The more difficult the question, the more points they can earn. This pre-made version includes questions about verb phrases and action, helping, and linking verbs.
Learn More: Jeopardy Labs
14. Video Linking Verb Game
This challenging game presents sentences with the same verb presented in different forms e.g. “Ana smells the fruit” vs “The fruit smells spoiled”. Both use the verb “to smell”, but one is the active form and the other is the linking form. Your students can guess the linking verb option.
Learn More: Jenebel Villanueva
15. Connect To Books
Why not incorporate some story time into teaching verbs? You can choose your students’ favorite children’s books to read. While reading, you can ask them to call out and identify when they hear linking verbs.
Learn More: Language Arts Classroom
16. Rock Star Anchor Chart
Analogies can be great for learning. Here’s a rock star analogy for the different types of verbs. Action verbs are musicians because they perform in a sentence. Linking verbs are speakers because they link the subject (music) to a noun or adjective (listeners).
Learn More: Crafting Connections
17. Task Cards
Task cards can be an English teacher’s best friend as they’re such versatile tools. You can create cards with complete sentences containing linking verbs. The task: identify the linking verb. If you don’t want to create them yourself, you can find pre-made sets online.
Learn More: Teach and Run
18. Verb Sorting Worksheet
This practice activity is great for differentiating between action verbs and linking verbs. From the word bank, your students can sort the verbs into their respective columns. Hopefully, they’ll notice that some verbs can be both action and linking (e.g., look).
Learn More: Miss Pierce’s Posse
19. Verb Worksheet
Here’s another worksheet for differentiating between action and linking verbs. For each question, your students can circle the verb and note its type (action or linking).
Learn More: K5 Learning
20. Video Lesson
Videos can be a great resource for your students to watch at home because they can pause and play them as many times as they need to understand a concept. This video provides a clear overview of the 3 types of verbs: action, linking, and helping.
Learn More: GRASPhopper
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