What Is a Predicate Adjective? | Examples & Definition
Complete sentences usually have a subject and a predicate. The predicate contains the verb and tells us what the subject is doing or what it is.
A predicate adjective describes the subject within the predicate and is used with linking verbs. Linking verbs, such as “be,” indicate conditions or states of being rather than actions.
Lucia seems very efficient and reliable.
Spicy food is delicious.
What is a predicate adjective?
A predicate adjective is an adjective that describes the subject of the sentence within the predicate.
The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about. It is often being described, performing an action, or receiving an action (in sentences using the passive voice).
The predicate is the part of the sentence containing the verb and any objects or subject complements, and it tells us what the subject does or is.
That house looks very expensive.
Creatures that live in the depths of the ocean are difficult to study.
Predicate adjectives can be a single word, a string of adjectives, or an adjectival phrase.
The bridge looked old, rickety, and unsafe.
Spot was more intelligent than most dogs.
- You look tired.
- How tired you look.
Subject complements and linking verbs
A predicate adjective is a type of subject complement. To complement something means to improve it or make it complete, and linking verbs (e.g., “be,” “become,” “seem”) require subject complements to be complete.
In other words, linking verbs are always accompanied by subject complements.
Linking verbs and subject complements describe or redefine the subject, while an action verb describes something the subject does or has done to it.
- Mariya looked beautiful. → Mariya was beautiful.
- Mariya looked up. → Mariya was up.
Predicate nominatives are another type of subject complement. Prepositional phrases and adverbs of place or time can also function as subject complements, usually only following “be.”
The keys are in the door.
My anniversary was yesterday.
- Tara felt badly about what she’d said.
- Tara felt bad about what she’d said.
Only use adverbs of manner following action verbs and some stative verbs to describe the action or state rather than the subject.
- Tara played badly because she had hurt her ankle.
The QuillBot Grammar checker can help ensure you use adjectives and adverbs correctly.
Predicate nominatives vs predicate adjectives
Predicate nominatives (aka predicate nouns) are another type of subject complement; they are nouns or pronouns that follow linking verbs and identify or redefine the subject.
Predicate adjectives, however, are adjectives or adjective phrases that follow linking verbs and describe the subject.
The salad was healthy and filling.
The journey will be a long one.
The journey will be long.
Predicate adjective quiz
Test your understanding of predicate adjectives by answering these practice quiz questions.
Frequently asked questions about predicate adjectives
- What’s the difference between a predicate noun and a predicate adjective?
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Predicate nouns are also known as predicate nominatives. They are a type of subject complement—they follow linking verbs to identify or redefine the subject. They are always nouns or pronouns (e.g., “Winston is a plumber”).
Predicate adjectives are also subject complements, but they are adjectives or adjective phrases that describe the subject (e.g., “Winston is funny”).
- What’s the difference between a predicate adjective and an attributive adjective?
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An attributive adjective is an adjective that comes directly before or after the noun it modifies (e.g., “a tall person could reach that for you,” “someone tall could reach that for you”).
Predicate adjectives are adjectives or adjective phrases that follow linking verbs and describe the subject within the predicate. They are almost always separated from the noun they modify by a linking verb (e.g., “that person is tall”).
