INTRANSITIVE VERBS
Subject + Verb (NP + VP)

An intransitive verb (Vi) requires only the subject and the verb itself. Remember that intransitive verbs do not take an object. The simplest sentences have only a subject and an intransitive verb (S + Vi).

Examples: Birds migrate.
College students drink.
College students drink frequently.

These intransitive verbs show existence rather than action and rename or describe the subject with a noun, pronoun, noun equivalent, or adjective. Such description words, or subject complements (SC), are “linked” to subjects via one of the three types of “linking verbs” (Vl).

to be, to seem, to remain, to appear, etc.
The most common linking verb is any of the different forms of to be (is/am/are/was/were). A linking verb simply states what the subject is at a particular time: it is an implied equal sign.

Examples: The Sailor is a volunteer. (Volunteer is a noun subject complement.)
The runner seemed exhausted. (Exhausted is an adjectival subject complement.)
In spite of all the hard work, grammar remains enjoyable.
Fred’s chances of graduating sometimes appeared unlikely.

to become, to turn into, to grow, to get, etc.
You may think of these verbs as being like is except that the subject didn’t start that way, it became that way.

Examples: The airman became a student leader.
The student leader turned into a toady.
His former friends grew resentful.
Eventually they got tired of him.

to look, to feel, to sound, to smell, and to taste
These linking verbs relate to the senses and can only be used with subject complements that are adjectives; they will not work with noun subject complements.

Examples: Your uniform looks sharp.
Bob feels sick today.
This tuba sounds loud.
The chow hall smells awful.
The chow hall food tastes even worse than it smells.