Sentence Correction

duplicate post

mundasingh123 wrote:"resemble " is a linking verb,how do linking verbs differ from state verbs.I read abt state verbs in the mgmat sc strategy guide in the tense,mood voice strategy chapter.
An example of a state verb is "signify"?
As state verbs also tell us about the condition of the subject,how does it differ from a linking verb

There is often a lot of confusion between stative verbs and linking verbs; in fact, it is common for many to confuse these terms. The problem is the use of the term "action" verb so let me try to clear this up a bit.

There are 2 classifications of English verbs that people are confusing:

(1) Stative (State) vs Dynamic verbs
(2) Linking vs Non-Linking verb

The issue begins when people use the term Action verb for both Dynamic verbs and non-linking verbs. It also doesn't help when Linking verbs are called "State of Being" verbs. The concepts definitely have some overlap, but the distinction is very different, so let's approach each individually.

(1) Stative vs Dynamic:
- this ENTIRE distinction is made based on the ability to use a specific verb tense - the Progressive forms. These State verbs describe an ongoing or continuous action or state of being so are not used in a continuous tense (progressive form). That is it - if the meaning makes sense when put in a progressive tense then the verb is Dynamic, if not, then the verb is stative. Some verbs are traditionally stative (i.e. prefer or enjoy), some are traditionally dynamic (i.e. play or read) while some can be both (i.e. look, feel or smell).

a) this sauce tastes great (if the meaning is that the sauce has a good flavor - the state of being good, then using the progressive form would be wrong, "this sauce is tasting great" would be incorrect).
b) the chef is tasting the sauce (the chef is performing the action of tasting so we can use the progressive form)

(2) Linking vs Non-Linking
- this ENTIRE distinction has to do with something called complementation - Linking verbs allow subject complements (a word or phrase that further defines the subject) while Non-Linking verbs allow object complements (the thing that receives the action).

a) this sauce tastes great (here taste is a linking verb because it links the subject "sauce" to its adjective complement "great").
b) the chef is tasting the sauce (sauce is not providing more information about the chef, it is the object of the non-linking verb)

These examples might lead us to think that Stative=Linking and Dynamic=Non-linking but this is not the case. These categories overlap all the time, but we cannot define one in terms of the other. (A verb can be stative and non-linking, linking and dynamic, stative and linking, or non-linking and dynamic.)

i. It gets easier ---> It is getting easier (linking + dynamic)
ii. It works ---> It is working (non-linking + dynamic)
iii. it seems warm ---> *incorrect = it is seeming warm* (linking + stative)
iv. You have a house ---> *incorrect = You are having a house* (non-linking + stative)

Notice that (i) and (iii) are linking verbs (they allow subject complements), but (i) is dynamic while (iii) is stative. Similarly (ii) and (iv) are non-linking verbs (they allow objects), but (ii) is dynamic and (iv) stative.

Thankfully knowing this much detail is WELL beyond what is expected on the GMAT! Hope this cleared things up a bit!

Whit