GrammarBook.com

Your #1 Source for Grammar and Punctuation

Predicating Our Knowledge of Predicates

A thorough review of English structure includes understanding subjects and predicates in broader terms. While the concepts of subjects and predicates in their totality may not be as commonly taught as they once were, a brief study will both reinforce our facility as writers and grammarians and further acquaint us with grammatical terminology.

Today, we’ll focus on the predicate, the engine of the action we communicate.

The predicate includes at least one verb and joins with the subject to form a clause. It also is further categorized as a simple predicate or a complete predicate.

The simple predicate is the main verb and any of its auxiliaries.
Examples:
Rain falls.
The girl jumped and ran.
Students should study.

The complete predicate consists of the main verb or verbs, any auxiliaries, and any complements and modifiers.
Examples:
Thomas hit the baseball.
The giraffes ate leaves from the tall trees.
Charmaine will return to the office and give her presentation after she has finished her scheduled appointments.

Predicates also can be broken down into smaller parts of speech when they contain a linking verb such as be (in all its forms), seem, appear, become, remain, taste, look, smell, sound, or feel. These smaller parts are subject complements, which either rename or modify the subject of the clause.

Subject complements can be:

nominatives (nouns, pronouns, or possessive nouns or pronouns)
adjectives, or
adverbs of time or place (simple adverb or prepositional phrase).

Examples:
When I listen to Bernadette speak, I often think she sounds like a lawyer (noun: predicate nominative).
A mighty fine dancer is he (pronoun: predicate nominative).
In two months the deed will be yours possessive pronoun: predicate nominative).
The bouquet of flowers smells sweet (adjective: predicate adjective).
The volleyball game is tomorrow night (simple adverb: predicate adverb).
Your gardening tools remain in our yard (prepositional phrase: predicate adverb).

We hope today’s article helps demystify the terminology surrounding predicates. Now that we have discussed them, we’ll soon focus on the subject half of English sentences. Stay tuned!

View and comment on this
article on our website.

Pop Quiz

Using what you’ve learned in this article, identify the predicate or predicate part in each sentence.

1. The coyotes usually won’t come out before nightfall.
a. Simple predicate
b. Complete predicate

2. I’m sure Margaret will infuse the team with extra energy.
a. Simple predicate
b. Complete predicate

3. Her Uncle Raul is a well-known lumberjack.
a. Predicate nominative
b. Predicate adjective

4. This pickle tastes funny.
a. Predicate nominative
b. Predicate adjective

5. The time for action is now.
a. Predicate adjective
b. Predicate adverb

Free BONUS Quiz for You!

[[firstname]], because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscribers-Only Quizzes. Click here to take a Prepositions Quiz and get your scores and explanations instantly!

We will be adding many more quizzes this year to our already substantial list of quizzes. If you have suggestions for topics we have not yet covered, please send us a message at help@grammarbook.com.

Hundreds of Additional Quizzes
at Your Fingertips

Subscribe now to receive hundreds of additional English usage quizzes not found anywhere else!


Teachers and Employers

Save hours of valuable time! You may assign quizzes to your students and employees and have their scores tallied, organized, and reported to you! Let GrammarBook.com take the hassle out of teaching English!

"Fun to test my skills."

"The explanations really help ... thanks!"

"I can select the quizzes to assign to my students, and then the results are reported to me automatically!"

Find out more about our
subscription packages

Don't need all the quizzes?

You can now purchase the same quizzes individually for ONLY 99¢ each.

Purchase yours here.

If you think you have found an error in a quiz, please email us at help@grammarbook.com

The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation


by Jane Straus, Lester Kaufman, and Tom Stern

The Authority on English Grammar! Eleventh Edition Now Available

An indispensable tool for busy professionals, teachers, students, homeschool families, editors, writers, and proofreaders.

Available in print AND as an e-Book! Over 2,000 copies are purchased every month!

The publisher of The Blue Book, Jossey-Bass, A Wiley brand, is offering a 35 percent discount for those of you who order the book through Wiley.com. Shipping and tax are not included. Simply go to bit.ly/1996hkA and use discount code E9X4A.

Offer expires December 31, 2020.

Order Your Copy Today!
 

Wordplay




Pop Quiz Answers

1. The coyotes usually won’t come out before nightfall.
b. Complete predicate

2. I’m sure Margaret will infuse the team with extra energy.
a. Simple predicate

3. Her Uncle Paul is a well-known lumberjack.
a. Predicate nominative

4. This pickle tastes funny.
b. Predicate adjective

5. The time for action is now.
b. Predicate adverb

English In A Snap:
68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE

Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. Tell your colleagues (and boss), children, teachers, and friends. Click here to watch.

Forward this e-newsletter to your friends and colleagues.

If you received this FREE weekly e-newsletter from a friend, click here to have it sent to you each week.

Look for more Hot Tips from GrammarBook.com next week.

Miss a recent newsletter? Click here to view past editions.