Linking verb?

Question

Hi.They are out of school.As far as I've learned so far, a linking verb is usually followed by a noun or adjective. But in the above sentence it is followed by an adverbial phrase.Do we still call the verb a linking verb in such cases?

GPY · Accepted Answer

I don't agree that "out of school" is adverbial in that sentence.

Persian Learner · Answer

Yes. I got it. It kind of functions as an adjective. Like "out of work".

Do these types of phrases necessarily need to be accompanied with dashes when they become before a noun?

For example:
41% of all out-of-school children of primary school age have never attended school and will probably never start if current trends continue.

Anonymous · Answer

Persian LearnerThey are out of school.

In my opinion, "out of school" functions as an adverbial here. I understand that "out of school" can be replaced by other adverbials like "away from school", "not in school" in They are out of school.
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Anyway, I've found this:

"The position of an adverbial depends partly on its structure (whether it is an adverb, a prepositional phrase, a verbless clause---etc) and partly on its meaning.

Moreover, constraints on the adverbial mobility depend on the type and form of the adverbial. That is, the adverbial in the SVA type (subject, verb, adverb) normally follows the subject and verb, e.g.:

-Your children are outside."

The author doesn't seem to treat the verb "are" as a linking one in Your children are outside, does he?

(From The Characteristics of English Linking Adverbials
by Wassan Jhalil Ibrahim - M.A. student.)

GPY · Answer

Persian LearnerDo these types of phrases necessarily need to be accompanied with dashes when they become before a noun?For example:41% of all out-of-school children of primary school age have never attended school and will probably never start if current trends continue.

These are hyphens, not dashes. Yes, they are properly required (or at least very desirable). Often you may see them omitted because people do not understand how to use hyphens.

Persian Learner · Answer

AnonymousIn my opinion, "out of school" functions as an adverbial here.

At first I thought so as well. But now, I think it functions as predicate adjective because it modifies the preceding noun.

For example:

He is out of job.
He is unemployed.

If "unemployed" in the above sentence functions as predicate adjective, "out of job" does function as such, too.

Anonymous · Answer

Persian LearnerHe is out of job.He is unemployed.If "unemployed" in the above sentence functions as predicate adjective, "out of job" does function as such, too.

"out of job" equally can be replaced by adverbials such as "without employment", "between jobs", "on the dole".

So, that's debatable.

GPY · Answer

Anonymous"out of job" equally can be replaced by adverbials such as "without employment", "between jobs", "on the dole".So, that's debatable.

Well, lots of adjectives might be replaced by a prepositional, supposedly adverbial phrase, e.g. "She was angry" -> "She was in a bad temper", so I don't think this test is very conclusive in itself.

While prepositional phrases after "be" typically do seem to answer adverbial questions such as "how" or "where", the fact that plain adverbs cannot follow "be" (e.g. you cannot say "He was quickly" or "He was sadly") always somewhat troubles me in relation to this classification. I have never seen a really satisfactory explanation.

CalifJim · Answer

Persian LearnerHi.They are out of school.As far as I've learned so far, a linking verb is usually followed by a noun or adjective. But in the above sentence it is followed by an adverbial phrase.Do we still call the verb a linking verb in such cases?

In view of the discussion that ensued, perhaps we should use the following sentence instead.

They are here.

If the term "linking verb" is to apply only when the word or phrase after is, are, etc. is a noun or an adjective, then we'll have to say that "are" is not a linking verb in the example sentence because here is a prototypical adverb (of place).

The problem is that be has several meanings (or maybe we should say 'uses').

The president of the United States is Obama. (is = is identical with)
A dog is an animal. (is = is an example of)
That dog is black. (is = has a certain property)
The postman is here. (is = is located)

It's the combination of the locational meaning with the "linking verb" idea that makes grammarians squirm.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

GPYI have never seen a really satisfactory explanation.

I agree. It seems to me that the problem is with the verb "to be" itself. I wonder whether it can be categorized as a non-linking verb when followed by adverbials.

GPY · Answer

AnonymousI agree. It seems to me that the problem is with the verb "to be" itself. I wonder whether it can be categorized as a non-linking verb when followed by adverbials.

The problem with this explanation, it seems to me, is that when an adverb(ial) is removed the result ought to still make sense (even if in some cases it might seem a bit "bald"). But when the supposed adverb(ial) is removed from "They are in the house", for example, the result, "They are", does not make sense in any relevant way. (While "They are" could of course mean "They exist", it is very unusual, and I get no sense at all that the commonplace "They are in the house" has anything much to do with it.)

Linking verb?

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