Final answer:
Linking verbs can take noun phrase (NP) or prepositional phrase (PP) complements to describe or identify the subject. Examples include 'seemed like a nice man' where 'like a nice man' is a NP, and 'sounds like a good idea' where 'like a good idea' is a PP functioning as a subject complement.
Step-by-step explanation:
Linking verbs can indeed take noun phrase (NP) or prepositional phrase (PP) complements. The purpose of these complements is to describe or identify the subject of the sentence. Typically, a subject complement follows a linking verb and provides more information about the subject. Common linking verbs like seem, look, smell, sound, and become are often completed by a subject complement that can be either an adjective or a noun phrase.
For example:
- In the sentence, "The taxi driver seemed like a nice man," 'seemed' is the linking verb, and 'like a nice man' is the NP acting as a subject complement.
- In "The inside of the bakery smells delicious," 'smells' is the linking verb, and 'delicious' is an adjective serving as the subject complement.
- Additionally, "It sounds like a good idea!" uses 'sounds' as the linking verb and 'like a good idea' as a PP functioning as a subject complement.
Prepositional phrases, when used as idiomatic expressions, can also act as subject complements, providing additional information about the subject that is linked by the verb.