Final answer:
In the sentence 'Molly was a fast runner in college,' the linking verb is 'was,' which connects the subject 'Molly' with the noun phrase 'fast runner,' serving as the subject complement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sentence in question is, “Molly was a fast runner in college.” Here, the linking verb in the sentence is “was.” A linking verb connects the subject with a word that gives information about the subject, such as a condition or relationship. It does not show any action but instead “links” the subject with the rest of the sentence. Linking verbs can also be identified as they are often forms of the verb “to be,” like “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” etc.
In the given sentence, the subject is “Molly,” a proper noun, while “fast runner” is a noun phrase that acts as the subject complement, which is a characteristic of a sentence having a linking verb. The use of the linking verb “was” tells us about Molly's state of being during her college days rather than describing an action she took.