The word ‘will’ is classified as a helping verb, also known as an auxiliary verb. Helping verbs are used together with a main verb to form a verb phrase that conveys nuanced meanings such as ability, possibility, or time.
For instance, in the sentence ‘I will go to the store,’ the word ‘will’ helps express the future action of going to the store. It modifies the main verb ‘go’ and indicates when the action will take place.
In contrast, linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a subject complement that describes or identifies it. Common linking verbs include ‘is,’ ‘am,’ ‘are,’ ‘was,’ and ‘were.’ Since ‘will’ does not function in this way, it is not a linking verb. Therefore, ‘will’ is indeed a helping verb.