Copula verbs connect a noun or subject directly to another word without prepositions. Examples include “be” and “look,” and they often connect to adjectives or senses. Some copula verbs also function as auxiliary verbs, and subject-verb agreement can be a challenge for non-native speakers. They may also attach to adverbs, such as “awfully” or “terribly.”
The copula verb is a verb that connects a noun or subject directly to another word without the use of prepositions. In some books and other sources, this type of verb has also been called the “copulare” verb, because it connects. Some linguists and others find the phrase “verb copula” a little more innocuous.
Examples of copula verbs include the verbs “be” and “look.” Other examples of copula verbs include verbs that correspond to the five senses, such as taste, smell, or sound. Some other copula verbs have become relatively obsolete in use. An example is the word “demonstrate”. While English speakers in the past may have used phrases like “these endeavors prove difficult,” modern English speakers are likely to use other alternatives to describe something that is difficult to do.
Copula verbs often connect the subject of a sentence to an adjective. For example, English might say “this smells good” or, alternatively, “this is good”. Both are simple uses of the verb copula that include the general positive adjective “good.”
It is important to note that some copula verbs also function as what is called an auxiliary verb. The verb “to be” is an example of this. The auxiliary verb, also called an auxiliary verb, is a verb that completes another verb. For example, if an English speaker says “I’m flying,” the first person singular of the verb “to be” aids the primary verb “to fly,” which describes the actual activity. As a copula verb, the word “to be” could be used in a sentence such as “this fruit is rotten.”
One challenge English language beginners might have with copula verbs is the issue of subject-verb agreement. Speakers and writers need to be sure that the subject and verb both use the correct singular or plural forms. Non-native English speakers may feel the need to consult the references to apply the correct forms of copula verbs and their subjects.
While the copula verb often attaches to an adjective, some may attach to adverbs. An example is the sentence “This smells awful.” This sentence may be grammatically incorrect, but sentences like these are in common use in some English-speaking communities. Another good example is the use of “awfully” as an interjection in a copula verb phrase: if an English speaker says “This steak is awfully rare”, the linking of the adjective rare to the subject has been somewhat supplanted by the word “terribly”, which acts as an adverb, modifying the adjective.
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