By understanding predicate adjectives, you can make your writing more descriptive and clear. How? Let us find out.
Have you ever wondered how we describe people, places, or things in sentences? Words like “happy,” “tall,” or “delicious” are called adjectives, but when they appear after a linking verb (like “is,” “are,” or “seem”), they take on a special role. These are called predicate adjectives, and they help us give more information about the subject of a sentence.
How to Find a Predicate Adjective?
- Look for a linking verb (like is, are, was, were, seems, feels, looks, becomes).
- Find the word after the linking verb that describes the subject.
Example of a Predicate Adjective
- The cake is delicious.
- “Is” is the linking verb.
- “Delicious” describes “cake”.
- So, delicious is a predicate adjective!
Essentially, the basic structure for a predicate adjective is:
Subject + Linking Verb + Adjective
This pattern is usually followed, but sometimes there can be extra words in between. Let’s break it down further with examples.
Basic Examples (Following the Rule)for Predicate Adjective
- The sky is blue.
- Subject: The sky
- Linking Verb: is
- Predicate Adjective: blue (describes “sky”)
- The baby looks sleepy.
- Subject: The baby
- Linking Verb: looks
- Predicate Adjective: sleepy
- My friends were excited.
- Subject: My friends
- Linking Verb: were
- Predicate Adjective: excited
When Extra Words Appear
Sometimes, there may be adverbs or phrases between the linking verb and the predicate adjective, but the rule still applies.
- The soup smells really delicious.
- soup is the subject.
- Smells is the linking verb.
- Really is an adverb (it just emphasizes the adjective).
- Delicious is the predicate adjective.
Can Predicate Adjectives be used with any Verb?
No, predicate adjectives only work with linking verbs. They do NOT work with action verbs.
- Correct: The cake tastes sweet. (Tastes is a linking verb, so sweet is a predicate adjective.)
- Incorrect: She eats sweet. (Eats is an action verb, so sweet does not work as a predicate adjective here.)
- Correct: She sings beautifully. (Here, beautifully is an adverb describing how she sings.)
- Incorrect: She sings beautiful. (This is wrong because beautiful is an adjective, but it’s describing the verb sings.)
Key Takeaway:
The rule subject + linking verb + adjective works most of the time, but sentences can have extra details or variations. The important thing is that the adjective describes the subject and comes after a linking verb.
Curious to know When are Nouns Used as Adjectives?. Click here