Adverb/ adverbial phrase after linking verb

Question

Hi teachers,Can we use an adverb or an adverbial phrase after linking verb?1. She is here.(adverb)2. She is in the room.(adverbial phrase)I remember reading somewhere that after linking verb adverb cannot be used.Could you please clarify?Thanks,Vijay.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

"To be" is not always copulative, for example, when it means "to exist".

CalifJim · Answer

anonymousI remember reading somewhere that after a linking verb an adverb cannot be used.

I remember that, too, but I think it's a lot of nonsense. Ignore it.

But keep reading.

anonymous
Can we use an adverb or an adverbial phrase after linking verb?
1. She is here.(adverb)
2. She is in the room.(adverbial phrase)

Those are fine.

It's just that 'is' is locative here (means "is located" or "can be found"), unlike its meaning when an adjective or noun follows. (She is beautiful. She is a doctor.) That's probably what gives the grammarians the jitters.

Note, however, that only be allows this combination. Other linking verbs can't take these adverbials:

~~She feels here.~~ / ~~She seems in the room~~.

anonymousCan we use an adverb or an adverbial phrase after a linking verb?

So for linking verbs in general, the answer is no, but be is an exception.

To get around this you can say that beis no longer a linking verb when words like 'here' or 'in the room' follow. That interpretation allows you to state the rule without any exceptions. And it lets the grammarians relax.

CJ

Adverb/ adverbial phrase after linking verb

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