Understanding predicate adjectives is crucial for mastering English grammar. Here's a clear explanation:
What are Predicate Adjectives?
A predicate adjective is an adjective that modifies the subject of a sentence.
It follows a linking verb, rather than coming before the noun it modifies.
It's part of the sentence's predicate, hence the name.
Key Points:
Linking Verbs:
Predicate adjectives are always connected to the subject by a linking verb. Common linking verbs include:
Forms of "to be" (is, are, was, were, am, been)
Sense verbs (look, feel, smell, taste, sound)
Other verbs (become, seem, appear, grow, remain)
Subject Complement:
A predicate adjective acts as a subject complement, providing more information about the subject.
Difference from Attributive Adjectives:
Attributive adjectives precede the noun they modify (e.g., "the red car").
Predicate adjectives follow a linking verb and describe the subject (e.g., "the car is red").
Examples:
"The flowers are beautiful." ("beautiful" describes "flowers" and follows the linking verb "are")
"The soup tastes salty." ("salty" describes "soup" and follows the linking verb "tastes")
"He seems tired." ("tired" describes "He" and follows the linking verb "seems")
"The music was loud." ("loud" describes "music" and follows the linking verb "was")
In essence:
Predicate adjectives give us more information about the state or condition of the subject, and they do this by being placed after a linking verb.
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