How English auxiliary verbs differ from linking verbs

Most learners of English get to know soon enough that a verb is a word that describes an action, condition or experience, but not many are able to confidently distinguish main verbs from auxiliary verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs and modal auxiliaries. Let’s take the opportunity to revisit the five types of English verbs to increase our level of comfort and confidence in using them.

A main or stand-alone verb denotes the action of the subject of a sentence, like the verb “reconciled” in “The squabbling newlyweds reconciled last night” and “flub” in “The stage actress flubbed her lines badly last night.”