Collins Cobuild English Grammar (82 page)

It’s
me
again.

Possessive pronouns
are also used after linking verbs, to indicate identity or to describe something.

This one is
yours
.
This place is
mine
.

Indefinite pronouns
are sometimes used to describe something, usually with a qualifying structure after them.

It’s
nothing serious
.
You’re
someone who does what she wants
.

When pronouns are used after linking verbs, the linking verb is usually
be
.

other structures that follow linking verbs

3.146
  The use of noun phrases containing
measurement nouns
after
be
and other verbs is explained in paragraphs
2.252
to
2.254
.

combinations of verbs and prepositions

3.147
  Some verbs function as linking verbs when they are followed by a particular preposition.

The object of the preposition describes or classifies the subject of the verb.

His fear
turned into unreasoning panic
.
Taylor’s fascination with bees
developed into an obsession
.
An autobiography really
amounts to a whole explanation of yourself
.

Here is a list of verb and preposition combinations that function as linking verbs:

amount to

change into

change to

develop into

grow into

morph into

turn into

turn to

These all have the same basic meaning as
become
, except for
amount to
, which has a similar meaning to
constitute
.

The phrasal verb
make up
also functions as a linking verb.

Wood
made up 65% of the Congo’s exports
.

Commenting

3.148
  There are several ways in which a
to
-infinitive
can be used to comment on someone or something in relation to an action.

commenting on behaviour:
You’re crazy to do that

3.149
  If you want to say that someone shows a particular quality when they do something, you can use the structure: subject + linking verb + adjective or noun phrase +
to
-infinitive.

Most people think I am
brave to do this
.
I think my father was
a brave man to do what he did
.

commenting on suitability:
She’s the right person to do the job

3.150
  You can use a similar structure to say that someone or something would do a particular task better than anyone or anything else.

He was absolutely
the right man to go to Paris and negotiate
.
She may be
an ideal person to look after the children
.
He is
just the man to calm everyone down
.

You cannot use adjectives alone in constructions of this kind. You use a noun phrase containing an adjective such as
right
,
ideal
, or
best
, or
just the
followed by the noun
person
,
man
, or
woman
. For example, you can say
He was the ideal person to lead the expedition
, but you cannot say
He was ideal to lead the expedition
.

Instead of a
to
-infinitive, you can sometimes use a phrase beginning with the preposition
for
. In this structure, an adjective can be used alone.

He’s not
the right man for it
.
They are
ideal for this job
.

commenting on an event:
That was an awful thing to happen

3.151
  If you want to express your feeling about an event, you can use a
to
-infinitive after a noun phrase that follows a linking verb.

It seemed such
a terrible thing to happen
.

The
to
-infinitive consists of
to
and an intransitive verb, usually
happen
.

You cannot use an adjective alone in constructions of this type. For example, you can say
It was a wonderful thing to happen
, but you cannot say
It was wonderful to happen
.

commenting on willingness:
Chris is anxious to meet you

3.152
  If you want to say that someone is willing or unwilling to do something, you can use a
to
-infinitive after an adjective that follows a linking verb.

They were
willing to risk losing their jobs
.
I am
anxious to meet Mrs Burton-Cox
.
She is
eager to succeed
.
He is
unwilling to answer questions
.
I was
reluctant to involve myself in this private fight
.

You cannot use nouns in constructions of this type. For example, you can say
He was willing to come
, but you cannot say
He was a willing person to come
.

commenting on something:
This case is easy to carry

3.153
  If you want to show your opinion of something by describing what the experience of doing something to it is like, you can use a
to
-infinitive after an adjective or noun phrase that follows a linking verb.

Silk is
comfortable to wear
.
It’s
a nice thing to have
.
Telling someone they smell is
a hard thing to do
.
She was
easy to talk to
.

Note that the
to
-infinitive must be the
to
-infinitive of a transitive verb or of an intransitive verb followed by a preposition.

commenting on an action:
That was a silly thing to do

3.154
  If you want to show your opinion of an action, you can use a
to
-infinitive that has an object.

They thought this was
a sensible thing to do
.
This is
a very foolish attitude to take
.

The
to
-infinitive is usually
to do
,
to make
, or
to take
.

You cannot use an adjective alone in constructions of this kind. For example, you can say
It was a silly thing to do
, but you cannot say
It was silly to do
.

Other verbs with following adjectives:
He stood still

3.155
  Some intransitive verbs can be followed by adjectives in the same way as linking verbs.

George
stood motionless
for at least a minute.
Pugin
died insane
at the early age of forty.

However, it is clear that these verbs are not just linking verbs.
George stood motionless
does not mean the same as
George was motionless
. In the sentence
George stood motionless
, the verb
stand
is performing two functions: it is telling us that George was standing, and it is also acting as a linking verb between
George
and the adjective
motionless
.

Here is a list of verbs that can be used in this way:

hang

lie

sit

stand

~

gaze

stare

~

emerge

escape

go

pass

survive

~

blush

flame

gleam

glow

run

~

be born

die

return

Ways in which these verbs can be used with following adjectives are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Adjectives are sometimes used in combination with other verbs, but are separated from the main clause by a comma. This use is dealt with in paragraph
8.147
.

USAGE NOTE

3.156
  You can use adjectives describing states after
hang
,
lie
,
sit
, and
stand
.

I used to
lie awake
watching the rain seep through the roof.
A sparrow
lies dead
in the snow.
Francis Marroux
sat ashen-faced
behind the wheel.
She
stood quite still
, facing him.

Gaze
and
stare
can be used in a similar way with a limited set of adjectives.

She
stared
at him
wide-eyed
.

3.157
  You can use some combinations of verbs and adjectives to say that something does not happen to someone or something, or that someone does not have something.

Go
,
pass
,
emerge
,
escape
, and
survive
are often used in combinations like these. The adjectives they combine with are often formed by adding
un-
to
-ed
participles.