This post helps us understand what a predicate in English is, what it does in a sentence, how to identify it, and how many types of predicates we have.
What is a predicate in English?
A predicate in English is a word or a group of words (phrase) that gives information about the subject of the sentence. It either tells us what the subject does or what or how it is.
- Jon cried
Subject = Jon
Predicate = cried
Here, the predicate is just a word (verb). It tells us what the subject did.
- She has slept.
Subject = She
Predicate = has slept
The predicate in the example is a verb phrase that has two words: auxiliary verb (has) and main verb (slept). Here too, it tells us what the subject has done.
- Mangesh is a blogger.
Subject = Mangesh
Predicate = is a blogger
The predicate, in this example, gives information about the subject Mangesh, and tells us who he is: gives him a name. Here, the predicate has a verb and a complement.
- The class monitor Mandy has been very supportive lately.
Subject = The class monitor Mandy
Predicate = has been very supportive lately
The predicate, here, tells us how the subject is. It has a verb phrase (has been), complement (very supportive), and adverb (lately).
What we have learned so far about the predicate is that it gives information about the subject, it can be a word or words, and it always has a verb in it. Now, let’s learn the different types of predicates we have in English.
Types of predicates in English
We have three types of predicates in English:
- Simple predicate
- Compound predicate
- Complete predicate
Simple predicate
A simple predicate is the main verb of the sentence. It is a word (main verb) or a verb phrase (auxiliary verb + main verb). A simple predicate is the shortest and simplest type of predicate in English.
- I cried.
Cried is the simple predicate here. It tells us what the subject did.
- She left yesterday.
Left is the simple predicate in the sentence. It tells us what the subject did. The sentence also has an adverb in it: yesterday. Adding the remaining part of the sentence to the simple predicate makes it the complete predicate (left yesterday), which we will study in the lesson ahead.
- Some of my friends are partying.
Here, the simple predicate (are partying) includes the auxiliary verb and the main verb (verb phrase).
- Max has been working on this for years.
In this sentence, the simple predicate is a verb phrase (has been working) including two auxiliary verbs (has, been) and a main verb (working). Adding the remaining part to it will make it the complete predicate (has been working on this for years).
- Everyone makes mistakes.
Here, makes is the simple predicate.
- Your job is really fascinating.
Here, the simple predicate is the main verb is.
- This could change your life.
In this example, could change is the simple predicate. It has a modal verb (could) and a main verb (change).
Complete predicate
A complete predicate is a combination of the simple predicate and all the other words that are there to give information about the subject in the sentence. In other words, it is all words in a sentence, leaving the subject.
- You are amazing.
In this example, the complete predicate is ‘are amazing‘. It has the simple predicate (are) in it.
- Some of us never learn from our mistakes.
The simple predicate here is ‘learn‘, and ‘learn from our mistakes’ is the complete predicate.
More examples:
- We need money.
- The match was very exciting.
- We don’t believe what you are saying.
- I saw you at the station yesterday.
- I have never seen a guy with such skills.
- Moxey has been on the case for some time.
Compound predicate
A compound predicate is a combination of two or more (generally two) predicates. It gives two or more pieces of information about the subject. The predicates in it are joined using a coordinating conjunction.
- I went there and checked on him.
The compound predicate gives two pieces of information about the subject in terms of what he did: went and checked are two actions (simple predicates) in the compound predicate (went there and checked on him).
- John comes every day on time and takes his job very seriously.
The compound predicate (italicized) gives two details about the subject: what he does. Comes and takes are the simple predicate in it.
- The movie was very long but exciting.
The compound predicate (was very long but exciting), here, gives two details about the subject. The conjunction ‘but‘ indicates opposing ideas in the compound predicate.
How to identify a predicate in a sentence?
The predicate of a sentence includes all the words leaving the subject. The best way to identify the predicate of a sentence is to identify its subject (if it has only one clause). Once the subject is identified, the left part is your predicate.
- The problem with most of us studying here in this college is our attitude.
‘Is our attitude‘ is the complete predicate of the sentence, and ‘is’ is the simple predicate. The subject of the sentence is here lengthier than the predicate, which is generally not the case in a sentence.
NOTE: if a sentence has multiple clauses, or one or more parts of the sentence are clauses themselves, they will have their predicates too in the sentence, apart from the sentence having its main predicate.
- What he said to me at the meeting changed my perception of Rahul.
The complete predicate of the sentence is ‘changed my perception of Rahul‘. But if you noticed, the subject (what he said to me at the meeting) itself has a subject (he) and a predicate (said) as it is a clause (dependent).
- Jasmine said that she would not leave the gym for anyone.
In this example, the simple predicate of the sentence is ‘said’ and the complete is ‘said that she would not leave the gym for anyone‘. Notice that the object of the verb is a dependent clause. It has the subject ‘she’ and the predicate ‘would not leave the gym for anyone‘ (complete).
Multiple parts of a sentence can be clauses. In that case, the sentence will have its predicate, and so will those clauses that are working as a part of the sentence.
- What happened to me after the rejection was that I started working on myself a lot.
Let’s identify the parts of the sentence.
Here are three predicates in this sentence:
- The predicate of the main clause (was that I started working on myself a lot)
- The predicate of the dependent clause working as the subject (happened to me after the rejection)
- The predicate of the dependent clause working as the subject complement (started working on myself a lot)
Simple predicate of the sentence: was
Simple predicate of the first dependent clause: happened
Simple predicate of the second dependent clause: started
Types of sentences and predicates
The number of predicates a sentence has is also dependent on the type of sentence it is. Let’s study different types of sentences and the predicates they have in them.
Here are the three major types of sentences in English:
- Simple sentence
- Compound sentence
- Complex sentence
Simple sentence
A simple sentence has one subject and one predicate in it. It is just a clause, and it can have only one predicate in it.
Examples:
- Ashish is a passionate man. (subject = Ashish, predicate = is a passionate man)
- You are amazing. (subject = you, predicate = are amazing)
- I love you. (subject = I, predicate = love you)
Compound sentence
A compound sentence is a combination of two or more independent clauses. It is joined by a coordinating conjunction. All the clauses in a compound sentence have their subjects and predicates.
- I love you, and I can take a bullet for you.
Clauses:
- I love you. (subject = I, predicate = love you)
- I can take a bullet for you. (subject = I, predicate = can take a bullet for you)
- I was in need, but nobody helped me.
Clauses:
- I love you. (subject = I, predicate = was in need)
- Nobody helped me. (subject = nobody, predicate = helped him
Complex sentence
A complex sentence is a combination of at least one dependent clause and one independent clause. All clauses, dependent and independent, have their subjects and predicates. Let’s look at some examples.
- We want to help you because you have always been there for us.
Clauses:
- We want to help you. (subject = we, predicate = want to help you)
- You have always been there for us. (subject = you, predicate = have always been there for us)
- You would never get this job unless you stop wasting time and start working hard.
Clauses:
- You would never get this job. (subject = you, predicate = would never get this job)
- You stop wasting time and start working hard. (subject = you, stop wasting time and start working hard)
- If we get him a bike on his birthday, he would be very happy.
Clauses:
- We get him a bike on his birthday. (subject = we, predicate = get him a bike on his birthday)
- He would be very happy. (subject = he, predicate = would be very happy)
Predicate adjective vs Predicate
A predicate adjective is a part of a predicate. It is an adjective or adjective equivalent that comes after a linking verb and modifies the subject. A predicate, as we have understood so far, is a bigger term. It is everything that is not the subject.
It is important to note that not all predicates would have a predicate adjective. A predicate would have a predicate adjective when it has a linking verb and an adjective (predicate adjective).
Let’s look at some to understand the difference.
1. You are great at making people laugh.
Subject = you
Predicate = are great at making people laugh
Predicate adjective = great
Notice that the predicate has a linking verb and a predicate adjective in it.
2. The match was awesome.
Subject = the match
Predicate = was awesome
Predicate adjective = awesome
3. They played very well.
Subject = the match
Predicate = was awesome
There is no predicate adjective here as the sentence does not have a linking verb in it.
4. Everyone loves me.
Subject = everyone
Predicate = loves me
The predicate does not have a predicate adjective here either.
Studying these examples tells us that a predicate is different from a predicate adjective. It may or may not have a predicate adjective in it, depending upon the structure it has.
Where does a predicate come in a sentence?
A predicate comes right after the subject. A sentence usually starts with the subject, but it can start with a part of the predicate (modifier). So, it is quintessential to know the subject is not always the first word or phrase of the sentence, it can be a part of the predicate (a modifier).
- We went to his house.
Subject = we
Predicate = went to his house
We can add a modifier before the subject in the same sentence.
- Last night, we went to his house.
Subject = we
Predicate = went to his house last night
The adverb phrase ‘last night’ is coming at the beginning of the sentence, but note that it is part of the predicate.
- To help him get ready for the match, we went to his house.
Subject = we
Predicate = went to his house to help him get ready for the match
Can a sentence start with a predicate?
Yes, a sentence can start with a predicate. This happens when the sentence is imperative or is a question.
Examples:
- Get out of here.
In this sentence, the subject is implied (you). It is starting with the predicate: get out of here. This happens with all imperative sentences.
More examples:
- Come here.
- Leave me alone.
- bring him to me.
- Are you doing something?
The sentence starts with a part of the predicate: helping verb (are).
Hope you enjoyed the lesson. Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.
For one-on-one classes, contact me at[emailprotected].
NOTE: the FAQs are taken from the internet. They might have grammatical mistakes in them. Please ignore the mistakes you come across in the questions.
FAQs
How do you find the predicate in a sentence?
Identify the subject of the sentence, everything apart from the subject is the complete predicate of the sentence. The main verb or the verb phrase is the simple predicate.
What is predicate in sentence pattern?
A predicate is the part of the sentence that gives information about the subject; it tells us what the subject does or what it is or how it is. It usually comes right after the subject. A part of the sentence can come before the subject as an introductory adverbial or modifier.
What is a predicate and simple predicate?
A predicate is the part of the sentence that gives information about the subject; it tells us what the subject does or what it is or how it is. A simple predicate is the main verb or the verb phrase of the sentence/clause.
What are the three types of predicates?
There are three types of predicates in English:
1. Simple predicate (Ex – Jon teaches English.)
2. Compound predicate (Ex – Jon teaches English and writes books.)
3. Complete predicate (Ex – Jon teaches English.)
How do you identify a predicate?
The best way to identify a predicate is to identify the subject of the sentence. The remaining part is the predicate of the sentence.
How do you write a predicate?
A simple predicate has the main verb or the combination of an auxiliary verb and the main verb, and the complete predicate has everything that gives information about the verb: object, complement, adverbial, adjunct, and modifier.
Now, we know what a predicate is, its different types, and how to use them in a sentence. Feel free to share your question, doubt, or feedback in the comment section, and also, share the post with the people that need it.
For one-on-one classes, contact me at[emailprotected].
