Linking Verbs and Subject Complements in Technical English
5 exercises — practise adjective vs adverb choice after linking verbs like seem, become, and remain.
0 / 23 completed
1 / 23
Which sentence correctly uses an adjective, not an adverb, as a subject complement after the linking verb "seem"?
"The new caching layer seems stable under load" is correct: after linking verbs like "seem", the complement describes the subject itself and must be an adjective ("stable"), not an adverb. Option A incorrectly uses the adverb "stably", which would describe how an action is performed, but "seem" doesn't take an adverbial manner complement here — it links the subject to a description of its state. Option C wrongly substitutes the noun "stability" where an adjective is needed to directly describe "the caching layer". Option D inserts an unnecessary and ungrammatical "to" before the adjective.
2 / 23
Which sentence correctly uses "become" with a noun phrase as a subject complement?
"...has become the de facto standard for container orchestration" is correct: "become" is a linking verb that can take a noun phrase complement ("the de facto standard"), and the definite article "the" is required before this specific, unique noun phrase. Option B incorrectly omits the article "the", which is required before a singular countable noun phrase like "de facto standard". Option C wrongly adds the adverb ending "-ly" to "standard", turning a noun into an invalid adverb form. Option D inserts an ungrammatical "to" before the noun complement, which "become" does not take.
3 / 23
Which sentence correctly uses "look" as a linking verb with an adjective complement, distinct from its use as an action verb?
"The dashboard looks good after the redesign" is correct: as a linking verb describing appearance, "look" takes the adjective "good" to describe the subject's quality. Option A uses "well", which functions as an adjective only in the specific sense of health/wellness, not general quality, so it doesn't fit describing a dashboard's appearance. Option C uses the nonstandard form "goodly", which is not a standard English adverb or adjective in this context. Option D forces the health-related sense of "well" onto a dashboard by adding "health-wise", which is an awkward and unnatural workaround rather than correct usage.
4 / 23
Which sentence correctly uses "remain" as a linking verb with an adjective complement to describe an unchanged state?
"The legacy API remains stable despite the recent refactor" is correct: "remain" functions as a linking verb meaning "continue to be", and it correctly takes the adjective "stable" to describe the ongoing state of the subject. Option B incorrectly uses the adverb "stably" after the linking verb. Option C awkwardly adds the unnecessary adverb "normally" at the end, and the continuous form is unnatural for this stative meaning of "remain". Option D uses "stabilized", which is a past participle functioning more like a verb form describing a completed action, and the appended note "as a noun" is both incorrect (it isn't a noun) and does not belong in a sentence.
5 / 23
Which sentence correctly contrasts a linking-verb adjective complement with a following adverb that modifies a different, separate verb?
"The system appears stable, and it responds quickly to health checks" is correct: "appears" is a linking verb here, so it correctly takes the adjective "stable" as its complement, while "responds" is a regular action verb that correctly takes the adverb "quickly" to describe how it performs that action. Option B wrongly uses the adverb "stably" after the linking verb "appears" and the adjective "quick" instead of the adverb "quickly" after the action verb "responds" — both errors are backwards. Option C keeps the adjective error correct for "appears" but wrongly uses "quick" instead of "quickly" for "responds". Option D makes the same reversed error as B, using an adverb after the linking verb and an adjective-shaped choice is at least avoided, but "stably" is still wrong.
6 / 23
During a code review, Sarah comments on the PR: 'The authentication process appears straightforward.' Which of the following best explains why this sentence correctly uses a linking verb and subject complement?
Linking verbs connect the subject to information about that subject. In this case, 'appears' links the authentication process to the description 'straightforward'. 'Straightforward' functions as a subject complement because it describes or identifies the process – it is not an adverb modifying another verb. Using 'seems' would have created an unnecessary and grammatically incorrect construction.
7 / 23
During a standup meeting, Maria says: 'The database migration looks complex, but we're making progress.' Which of the following best describes the function of 'looks' in this sentence?
'Looks' here functions as a linking verb. It describes an *impression* or observation about the migration; it doesn't describe an action. The sentence is saying that the migration *appears* complex to Maria. The phrase 'but we're making progress' adds further context, but 'looks' remains the core linking verb and subject complement.
8 / 23
After reviewing the server logs, Alex notes: 'The application has been running smoothly since the deployment.' Which sentence correctly uses a linking verb and subject complement to describe the state of the application?
Again, 'has been running smoothly' functions as a subject complement after the linking verb 'has been'. It describes *what* the application is like – its state. The key distinction is that 'smoothly' isn't modifying another verb; it's directly describing the state of the application itself.
9 / 23
During a code review, Sarah comments on the PR: 'The authentication process appears straightforward.' Which of the following best explains why this sentence correctly uses a linking verb and subject complement?
Linking verbs connect the subject to information about that subject. In this case, 'appears' links the authentication process to the description 'straightforward'. 'Straightforward' functions as a subject complement because it describes or identifies the process – it is not an adverb modifying another verb. Using 'seems' would have created an unnecessary and grammatically incorrect construction.
10 / 23
During a standup meeting, Maria says: 'The database migration looks complex, but we're making progress.' Which of the following best describes the function of 'looks' in this sentence?
'Looks' here functions as a linking verb. It describes an *impression* or observation about the migration; it doesn't describe an action. The sentence is saying that the migration *appears* complex to Maria. The phrase 'but we're making progress' adds further context, but 'looks' remains the core linking verb and subject complement.
11 / 23
After reviewing the server logs, Alex notes: 'The application has been running smoothly since the deployment.' Which sentence correctly uses a linking verb and subject complement to describe the state of the application?
Again, 'has been running smoothly' functions as a subject complement after the linking verb 'has been'. It describes *what* the application is like – its state. The key distinction is that 'smoothly' isn't modifying another verb; it's directly describing the state of the application itself.
12 / 23
During a code review, Sarah comments on the PR: 'The authentication process appears straightforward.' Which of the following best explains why this sentence correctly uses a linking verb and subject complement?
Linking verbs connect the subject to information about that subject. In this case, 'appears' links the authentication process to the description 'straightforward'. 'Straightforward' functions as a subject complement because it describes or identifies the process – it is not an adverb modifying another verb. Using 'seems' would have created an unnecessary and grammatically incorrect construction.
13 / 23
During a standup meeting, Maria says: 'The database migration looks complex, but we're making progress.' Which of the following best describes the function of 'looks' in this sentence?
'Looks' here functions as a linking verb. It describes an *impression* or observation about the migration; it doesn't describe an action. The sentence is saying that the migration *appears* complex to Maria. The phrase 'but we're making progress' adds further context, but 'looks' remains the core linking verb and subject complement.
14 / 23
After reviewing the server logs, Alex notes: 'The application has been running smoothly since the deployment.' Which sentence correctly uses a linking verb and subject complement to describe the state of the application?
Again, 'has been running smoothly' functions as a subject complement after the linking verb 'has been'. It describes *what* the application is like – its state. The key distinction is that 'smoothly' isn't modifying another verb; it's directly describing the state of the application itself.
15 / 23
David sent the following Slack message: 'The new API endpoint is behaving unexpectedly. It's returning a 500 error.' Which of the following best describes how 'behaving' functions in this context?
'Behaving' here is functioning as a linking verb. Linking verbs connect the subject (the API endpoint) to a description of its state – in this case, that it's producing an error. The incorrect options misinterpret 'behaving' as an action verb when it describes a condition. Subject complements describe or rename the subject.
16 / 23
During a code review, Ben says: 'The user interface has become significantly more intuitive after redesign.' Which of the following best explains why this sentence correctly uses 'become' with a noun phrase as a subject complement?
'Become' is used here as a linking verb connecting the subject (the user interface) to its new state – more intuitive. The noun phrase 'significantly more intuitive' acts as the subject complement, providing further detail about this state. Options 1 and 3 are incorrect because they misinterpret the role of 'become' in this sentence.
17 / 23
After receiving a response from the external service, Emily writes: 'The data appears to be consistent with our expectations.' Which of the following best describes the function of 'appears' in this sentence?
'Appears' is acting as a linking verb here, connecting the subject (the data) to its perceived state of consistency. The phrase 'with our expectations' provides additional information about this state and serves as the subject complement. Option 1 misrepresents the purpose of the sentence, while options 2 and 4 are incorrect interpretations of 'appears' usage.
18 / 23
In a standup meeting, Frank says: 'The server logs remain largely unchanged since the last update.' Which of the following best describes how 'remain' functions in this sentence?
'Remain' is used as a linking verb connecting the subject (the server logs) to its unchanged state. 'unchanged since the last update' functions as the subject complement, providing further detail about this state. This demonstrates that 'remain' describes an existing condition, not an action.
19 / 23
John sent a Slack message: 'The feature flag is currently set to false.' Which of the following best describes how 'is' functions in this sentence? Consider whether it's acting as a linking verb connecting 'set' with its complement.
'Is' here functions as a linking verb. It connects the main verb 'set' with its subject complement – 'false'. The subject complement describes or identifies the state of the feature flag. A key misconception is treating 'is' purely as an auxiliary verb; it's integral to creating this linked phrase.
20 / 23
During a Slack discussion about debugging a new microservice, Liam typed: 'The service's performance is significantly lower than expected.' Which of the following best explains why 'is' functions as a linking verb in this sentence?
This sentence uses 'is' to link 'the service' (subject) with 'significantly lower than expected' (adjective complement). The key here is recognizing that linking verbs connect subjects to descriptive phrases rather than indicating an action. Option A incorrectly suggests a direct object; option C implies a completed action, and option D offers irrelevant information about functionality.
21 / 23
Reviewing a PR for a new authentication module, Chloe wrote: 'The module's security features have been thoroughly tested.' Which of the following best describes the role of 'have been' in this sentence?
Here, 'have been' functions as a perfect tense linking verb connecting 'the module' (subject) with 'thoroughly tested' (a participial phrase acting as an adjective complement). It signifies that the testing is complete and describes its nature – it wasn't just any testing, but thorough. Options A, B, and C misinterpret the function of this perfect tense linking verb.
22 / 23
During a standup meeting, David reported: 'The new feature's integration with the legacy system appears problematic.' What is the primary function of 'appears' in this sentence?
In this case, 'appears' is used as a linking verb to connect 'the new feature's integration' (subject) with 'problematic' (an adjective complement). It represents David's *impression* or assessment of the situation – it's describing how something seems, not stating an objective fact. Note that while there might be a problem, 'appears' doesn't definitively confirm this.
23 / 23
After receiving an API response containing error codes, Jessica wrote: 'The request's status is currently offline.' Which of the following best explains how 'is' functions in this sentence?
Here, 'is' functions as a linking verb connecting 'the request' (subject) with 'offline' (an adjective complement). It describes the *state* of the request – that it's not currently active or responding. The key is recognizing that 'is' here isn't indicating an action but describing a condition.
What will I practise in "Linking Verbs and Subject Complements — IT Grammar Exercise"?
Practise using linking verbs (be, become, seem, remain, appear, look) with adjective and noun subject complements, avoiding the common error of adding an
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 23 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
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