This is a list ofcopulae in the English language, i.e. words used to link the subject of a sentence with a predicate (asubject complement).
Other features of words termed copulae include their use in "existential there" clauses, but only some of these can be used in this way. In some cases "there" retains its locative sense or seemsliterary in register.
Because many of these copulativeverbs may be used non-copulatively, examples are provided.
- act "Tomacted suspicious."
- appear "Tomappears satisfied, but really is not." "Thereappears to be a problem."
- be "Tomis a coward." "Thereis a problem."
- become (inchoative) "Tombecame wealthy."
- bleed "Tombleeds blue."
- burn "Tomburned bright." "Thereburns a candle."
- come "The predictioncame true;" "the beltcame loose;" "the characters in the storycome alive" "Therecame a time."
- come out "Itcame out burnt."
- end up "Iended up broke;" "the roomended up a mess."
- fall "Tomfell ill with the flu."
- feel "Tomfelt nauseated."
- get (inchoative) "Tomgot angry."
- glow "The ingotglowed orange." "Thereglowed a lamp in the window."
- go "The manwent crazy;" "Tomwent bald;" "the foodwent bad;" "the mistakewent unnoticed." "Therewent a maid a dancing."
- grow (inchoative) "Tomgrew insistent." "Theregrew a vine upon the wall."
- keep "Tomkept quiet."
- lean "Tomleans reactionary when he's had a few."
- leave "Theyleft happy."
- lie "The paperlies crumpled up on the floor."
- look "Tomlooks upset."
- play "The opossumplayed dead."
- plead "Tompleaded innocent."
- prove "Tom's behaviorproves difficult to understand." "Thereproved to be a problem."
- remain "Tomremained unsatisfied." "Thereremained a problem."
- rest "Rest assured."
- run "The dogruns wild;" "the animalsrun free."
- sink "Itsank deep."
- seem "Tomseems happy." "Thereseemed a problem."
- shine "Tom's smileshines bright."
- sit "The carsat idle all winter."
- smell "Tomsmelled sweet."
- sound "Tomsounded obnoxious."
- start,start out "The companystarted small and itstayed small"; "The founderstarted out broke andended up comfortable."
- stay "Tomstayed happy."
- stand "Tomstands tall;" "Stand strong."
- taste "The foodtastes fresh."
- test "Tomtested positive."
- turn (inchoative) "Tomturned angry."
- turn out "The cookiesturned out great."
- turn up "The prime ministerturned up naked."
- wax (inchoative) "Tomwaxed poetic."
