Predicate Adjectives

Predicate adjectives describe the subjects of a sentence and are placed after a linking verb.

“Predicate” refers to the second half of a sentence, starting with the verb.  A predicate adjective comes after a linking verb and describes the subject.

The adjective “athletic” after the linking verb is a “predicate adjective” and also belongs to the group of descriptive adjectives.

The verb forms “am,” “is,” and “are” belong to the linking verb “to be” and are state of being verbs

Here are two examples of predicate adjectives:

Question: What kind? Answer: large

The examples above show the same meaning of the word “large” in two different ways:  as in “the large bus” (descriptive  adjective) and “the bus is large.”  (predicate adjective).

A Short Review from Chapter 1: Nouns

Comparing Predicate Adjectives and Predicate Nouns

Linking verbs can be used to connect adjectives or nouns. In both cases they describe the subject. When they link to adjectives, they are called “predicate adjectives.” 

The noun “athlete” following the linking verb is called a “predicate noun.” It is also a subject complement since it completes the meaning of the linking verb.

Consider the following examples contrasting a predicate noun with a predicate adjective: