Linking-is smell a linking verb:
it can be, depending on the sentence. same for be; look; feel; taste; smell; sound; seem; appear; get; become, etc. ....
the test: can you say, the awful shoes.....
you indeed can
however, if you said. she dances beautifully....
you cannot say ...the beautifully woman dances.... if you cannot take the word (potential adjective)after the verb and flip it around to modify the subject of the sentence (either she or a substitute for she, such as girl or woman, then you are dealing with a linking verb.
the little girl looked beautiful... therefore it is linking, since you can flip the word around and say.. the beautiful little girl....
she looked beautiful. definitely linking. take the word beautiful, put it in the front of the sentence, substitute woman, girl or some female noun for she .,,,, the beautiful woman.. therefor the verb is linking.
not so for the man plays the violin beautifully - the verb is transitive since the violin is the recipient of the action, and you could never use beautifully to modify the word man.
the beautifully man..... not really
she looks beautiful - linking
she plays beautifully - intransitive
she plays the violin beautifully