Passive or Active; Action and Linking Verbs

Question

Is "A smithy is a blacksmith's workshop." active or passive?
Is "Most organized religions have monasteries where monks devote their lives to their region." active or passive?
So if there is only a linking verb, is the sentence active or passive?

In the sentence "It is a soft-feathered brown bird that reaches a height of up to 6 feet 6 inches.", I know the "is" is a linking verb but is "reaches" an action verb? In the sentence "Although the birds cannot fly, they can travel great distances at speeds over 30 miles per hour.", are fly and travel action verbs, and are cannot and can included even though they are only helping verbs?

Thanks.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Only transitive verbs (those that take objects) can be transformed into passive constructions.

Is "A smithy is a blacksmith's workshop." active or passive?-- Active

Is "Most organized religions have monasteries where monks devote their lives to their region." active or passive?-- Active

So if there is only a linking verb, is the sentence active or passive?-- Active

In the sentence "It is a soft-feathered brown bird that reaches a height of up to 6 feet 6 inches.", I know the "is" is a linking verb but is "reaches" an action verb?-- Yes

In the sentence "Although the birds cannot fly, they can travel great distances at speeds over 30 miles per hour.", are fly and travel action verbs-- Yes

and are cannot and can included even though they are only helping verbs?-- No

Anonymous · Answer

thank you so much. In this workbook that I'm solving, the answers were that "Most organized religions have monasteries where monks devote their lives to their region." is passive and that reaches and fly were not marked as action verbs but the can in "can travel" was a linking verb and that "travel" was not an action verb.

It was very confusing.

So, thanks for clearing everything up.

Passive or Active; Action and Linking Verbs

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