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The following verbs are true linking verbs: any form of the verb be [am, is, are, was, were, has been, are being, might have been, etc.], become, and seem. These true linking verbs are always linking verbs. If, after the substitution, the sentence makes no sense, you are dealing with an action verb instead.
Similarly, you may ask, what are the 20 linking verbs?
Common linking verbs include: be, am, are, is, was, were, seem, look, feel, sound, and taste.
Keeping this in consideration, is want a linking verb?
The verb 'want' is not a linking verb. It is an action verb. For example, in this sentence, 'I want chocolate ice-cream,' there isn't a subject complement. ' Instead, they tell what you want, so 'ice-cream' is a direct object and not a subject complement.
One way to determine if the verb is functioning as an action verb or a linking verb is to substitute the word “is” for the verb in question. If the sentence still makes sense, then it is probably a linking verb. If the sentence would not make sense with the word “is,” then it is probably an action verb in the sentence.