Today we’ll be covering predicate adjectives, We first have to understand a few basic things about the formation of a sentence before getting to the definition.Ī sentence containing a predicate adjective always has a subject and a linking verb. The major difference is that attributive adjectives tend to come right before the noun they describe, whereas predicate adjectives appear after a linking verb. In previous studies, you may have come across, and used, attributive adjectives, since they sound more direct in writing. Adjectives, though seemingly straightforward, are no different.Īdjectives have many uses in English. In addition to the basic parts themselves, they divide into smaller categories that describe their uses in English in more detail. Predicate Adjective Predicate Adjectives and Attributive Adjectives Predicate Adjectives and Attributive Adjectives.SOURCES: American Heritage Dictionary 4th ed. *A verb, such as a form of be or seem, that identifies the predicate of a sentence with the the subject. So, your predicative adjective can be found in the second sentence with the word 'ill' which is an adjective preceded by a subject and a verb. This sentence doesn't have a predicative adjective either because there is the subject, verb, disdainfully (adverb), and then an adverbial prepositional phrase. Jerry looked disdainfully at the pile of laundry. This sentence doesn't have a predicative adjective because there is only the subject, the verb, and a prepositional phrase which in this case is an adverbial modifier because it further explains the verb.

Therefore, ill is the predicate adjective.

Today only tells us when the action in the sentence is occuring, ill, however, tells us how Jerry looks. Now we need to decide which of these words describes Jerry, the subject. In this sentence looks is the verb, so we want to look at the words after looks for the predicate adjective. Now that we know this, let's take a look at the sentences. HiCustomer Here is your answer: A predicative adjective comes after a linking verb or copula* and predicates an attribute of the subject.

What is a predicate adjective