Question

Which of the following sentences has a helping verb, and can someone please explain the difference between a helping verb/linking verb and how to tell the difference?

1. He went home late.
2. Her brother paddled the canoe
3. She swam across the lake
4. She had rested on the dock

Answer 1

The 4th sentence has helping verb, "had".

Step-by-step explanation:

A linking verb connects the subject of the sentence to a noun/pronoun/adjective. A helping verb helps the main verb tell about an action or make a statement. You can tell the difference because linking verbs do not show actions. For example, the sentence "Johnny was a student" shows no action, so "was" is a linking verb. The sentence "Johnny is doing a test" shows that Johnny is doing an action (completing his test), making "is" a helping verb.