English Predicate: Meaning, Types, Examples, Preparation Tips and Practice Questions with Answers

A sentence in English is made up of a subject and predicate. While subject is the noun or the doer in the sentence, predicate is the verb or action words that tell what the subject is doing, being, or having. It includes the verb and any words that modify the verb or complete its meaning. For example, in the sentence "The dog sleeps," the predicate is "sleeps," as it tells what the subject, "The dog," is doing.

Here are some more examples, that explain Predicate further:

• "The dog barked loudly." - "barked loudly" is the predicate.
• "She is a doctor." - "is a doctor" is the predicate.
• "We saw the movie." - "saw the movie" is the predicate.
• "The children slept in the room." - "slept in the room" is the predicate.

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Nouns in English

English Uncountable Nouns

English Abstract Nouns

In the Oxford Learner's Dictionary, a predicate is defined as the part of a sentence that contains a verb and makes a statement about the subject of the verb. For example, "went home" in "John went home" is the predicate.

The word "predicate" comes from the Latin word "praedicatum" which means "something declared".

The Oxford Learner's Dictionaries define the pronunciation of "predicate" as ** /ˈpredɪkət/ **.

The Collins Dictionary defines a predicate as "the part of a sentence or clause that expresses what is said of the subject". It can also be defined as "the part of a clause that is not the subject".

It is pronounced as /ˈprɛdɪˌkeɪt/ (American and British English).

Also Read: 

English Adjectives: Meaning and Definition 

English Pronouns: Meaning and Definition

In English grammar, predicates are categorized as simple, compound, or complete. Let’s take a look at them in detail, with examples:

Types of Predicate in English

Rules of Predicate 

From verbs to subjects, students should follow the following rules while using Predicate in English language:

• The predicate always contains a verb that expresses the action or state of being
• A predicate can include direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, predicate adjectives, and various types of phrases or clauses
• A simple predicate is just the verb itself, while a complete predicate includes the verb and all its related words.
• The verb in the predicate must agree in number (singular or plural) with the subject.
• The predicate's verb should be in the appropriate tense  to match the context of the sentence.

Structure of Predicate 

A predicate in a sentence comprises of a verb, objects (direct or indirect), and modifiers like adverbs or prepositional phrases. Following are few examples to explain it further:

• Simple Predicate: The dog barked. (barked is the verb)
• Complete Predicate: The dog barked loudly (barked loudly is verb+modifier)

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English Direct and Indirect Speech

While in most cases, the predicate in English grammar follows the subject in a sentence, there are exceptions too. In some cases, subject comes after the predicate particularly in questions or sentences with inverted word order. Let’s have a look at some such exceptions with examples:

Inverted Word Order 

Inversion occurs when the usual subject-verb-object order is altered. This mostly happens in questions, but can also be used for emphasis or stylistic effect. For example:

• Instead of "The dog is sleeping," you might say "Is the dog sleeping?" (question)
• “Never have I seen eaten such a dish”. The subject "I" follows the verb "have.

Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences that give commands or make requests mostly has the subject "you" implied but not explicitly stated. For example:

• "Close the door." The subject "you" is understood to be the person being addressed.
• “Please pass the water bottle.” The subject "you" is understood to be the person being addressed

Existential Sentences

Sentences which use "there is" or "there are" (existential there) place the subject after the verb. For example:

• "There is a glass on the table." Here, the subject is "a glass," but it follows the verb phrase "is."
• "There are many stars in the sky.": This sentence asserts the existence of numerous stars in a particular place.

Also Read: 

• English Composition
• English Reading Comprehension

To correctly use the subject and predicate, students should be clear about its concept. While the subject tells you, who or what the sentence is about, the predicate describes what the subject does or is. Below are few tips that students should follow to master the topic of subject and predicate in English.

• Practicing and solving various questions on subjects and predicates is the most effective way to clear the concept. Students should practice questions related to the topic for better clarity. Keep reading and writing the sentences and books and keep looking for subject and predicate in them.
• Students need to understand the definitions of both subject and predicate so that they can make out the difference between the two and can use them in the sentence correctly and accordingly.
• There are many platforms on internet including google and YouTube that have content related to subject and predicate. Some portals and videos explain the concepts in a very easy and understandable way. Put this to good use.

Also Read:  Preposition in English Language 

To identify the predicate in a sentence, find the verb (the action word) and all words that describe the subject's action. The predicate also includes the words that modify verb or describe the action. This may include objects, adverbs, prepositional phrases, etc., that explain what the subject is doing or being.

For example:

• The students are studying for the exam.
• The children played games and ate snacks.
• The cat is sleeping in the sun.

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English Prepositions

English Synonyms

English Etymology and Roots