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The basic building blocks of an English sentence are the subject and the predicate. Together, the subject and the predicate form a clause.
A Quick Review
The complete subject is the main part of the sentence that contains at least one noun (or noun equivalent) and all of its modifiers.
The complete predicate contains at least one verb and its auxiliaries, modifiers, and completing words if they are present. It explains all that is being said about the subject.
If you remove the subject and its modifiers from a sentence, everything that remains is the predicate.
Examples
Josefina (complete subject) reads (complete predicate).
"Reliable" Ricky (complete subject) scored the winning basket (complete predicate).
Everyone at the concert (complete subject) will love the show even if it rains (complete predicate).
The Simple Predicate
Our quick review of the complete subject and predicate helps us understand the role of the simple predicate.
The simple predicate is the verb or verb phrase that identifies solely the action in a sentence. It does not include modifiers and completing words, but it does include auxiliaries.
Examples
Josefina reads. (The simple predicate is reads.)
"Reliable" Ricky scored the winning basket. (The simple predicate is scored.)
Everyone at the concert will love the show even if it rains. (The simple predicate is the auxiliary will and the main verb, love.)
Let's look at a few more examples of simple predicates including compound verbs as well as different tenses:
Alyssa worked a full day and then met her friends for dinner. (Worked and met are both simple predicates.)
Helmut has been a student at the university for three years. (Has been is the simple predicate in the present perfect tense.)
They will have been in line for three hours by the time they can ride the rollercoaster. (Will have been is the simple predicate in the future perfect tense.)
Note also that the simple predicate can be separated by modifiers that are not a part of the predicate.
Beth Ann will always be my sweetheart.
Nathan has often said he wants to run for county treasurer.
That information had not previously been known.
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Pop Quiz
Using what you've learned in this article, identify the simple predicates in the following sentences.
1. I want to be an astronaut someday.
2. Helen often tends to her garden and, because of her care, attracts many people to it.
3. Will you have at least read through the manual by the time the project begins?
4. They are debating whether to install the new fountain in the town square.
5. If you want to get the best price at the flash sale, leave now.
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Wordplay
A fine find for a simple predicate
Pop Quiz Answers
1. I want to be an astronaut someday.
2. Helen often tends to her garden and, because of her care, attracts many people to it.
3. Will you have at least read through the manual by the time the project begins?
4. They are debating whether to install the new fountain in the town square.
5. If you want to get the best price at the flash sale, leave now.
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