Copulative Verbs Example

Copulative verbs are verbs serve to connect the subject with an attribute. The attribute is a way of being or characteristic of the subject.

The attribute works as a qualifying adjective, since it describes the subject; especially it connects a state or way of being (cold, tired, lazy, animated) or speaks of a characteristic (blue, bright, pleasant).

In Spanish the copulative verbs are to be,be and seem. In the copulative function, they do not have a meaning or express a complete action in the sentence, but are only a connection between the subject and its attribute:

• Heaven this Sure.
• My father it is mechanical.

The main difference between the verbs ser and estar as copulative verbs, is that the verb ser is used to speak of a proper attribute of a person or object, which exists, existed or will exist, but without expressing the idea of ​​a change or modification of the attribute at the time it is speaks:

• My home it is red.
• My motorcycle it was fast.
• The store will be big.

Being is used to speak an attribute that can change, that has changed or that will change. In other words, it talks about attributes that can be modified or have been modified over time:

• The street was desolate.
• The stadium will be full.
• My aunt this annoyed.

The verb to appear works as a copulative verb in the sense of being similar to someone to something, so when the attribute is missing, the sentence does not make complete sense:

• Your sister It seems sad.
• Your computer looked like decomposed.
• Already repaired it will seem new.

There are other active verbs, which can be used as copulative verbs in some sentences. These verbs are called pseudocopulatives. They are verbs that also serve to circumstantially connect the subject with an attribute. Sometimes they are accompanied by the auxiliary form of the verb to be I know:

• The clothes it feels loose.
• Juan go sleepy.
• Today I I feel sick.

With pseudocopulative verbs, there is sometimes doubt as to whether the connecting word is an attribute or an adverb. To distinguish in these cases, we must observe whether the connected word describes a state or characteristic of the subject (copulative verb and attribute) or describes the action of the verb (adverb):

• Car go slow (in this case, slow describes how the car is driving, that is, it describes the verb, so it is an adverb)
• Car go dirty (in this case, dirty describes the car, and the verb anda connects this attribute with the subject. Here is connective verb with attribute)

30 examples of sentences with copulative verbs:

1. When we finish the job, will be Excellent.
2. The beach it is warm.
3. My clothes was wet.
4. Open soon, the car comes fuming.
5. That horse this old.
6. I also I was soldier.
7. Stephanie it seems to his cousin.
8. My cousin will come tired.
9. My armchair It seems bed.
10. Road this slippery.
11. The car this decomposed.
12. Next to you I was salaried worker.
13. Computer this damaged.
14. Your hearing aid it is for deafness.
15. Your scale this calibrated.
16. My brother is unemployed.
17. His mom this sick
18. My girlfriend will come annoyed.
19. The workers of this establishment They arevery young.
20. Maricela It was very pretty as a girl.
21. Emilio and Fernando They are good friends.
22. My Granny this very old.
23. Antonia was angry with Manuel.
24. The parody he was very funny.
25. rose It seems model.
26. The lights they look like a rainbow.
27. English work seems easy.
28. Your bread looked like tastier.
29. The Ville this flooded.
30. The job it is easy

Click for more examples of sentences with copulative verbs.

It may interest you:

• Predicative verbs.