Predicative Adjective: Meaning, Examples & Exercises

A predicative adjective is a special kind of adjective that describes or gives more information about the subject of a sentence. It tells us something about the subject, but it comes after a linking verb (like “is,” “was,” “seems,” or “feels”) instead of directly before the noun it describes.

Here’s an example to help you understand:

Sentence: “The cat is hungry.”

In this sentence, “is” is the linking verb, and “hungry” is the predicative adjective. It tells us something about the cat—it’s hungry.

Here’s another example:

Sentence: “The flowers smell beautiful.”

In this sentence, “smell” is the linking verb, and “beautiful” is the predicative adjective. It tells us how the flowers smell—they smell beautiful.

What is a linking verb?

A linking verb is a special kind of verb that connects the subject of a sentence with additional information or a description. It helps us understand more about the subject by linking it to a word or phrase that describes or identifies it.

Here’s an example to help illustrate the idea:

Sentence: “She is a teacher.”

In this sentence, the word “is” is the linking verb. It connects the subject “she” to the description “a teacher.” The linking verb “is” shows that the subject “she” and the description “a teacher” are referring to the same person.

Linking verbs are often forms of the verb “to be,” such as “is,” “am,” “are,” “was,” or “were.” However, there are other linking verbs too, like “seem,” “become,” “appear,” “feel,” or “sound.” These verbs help us understand more about the subject by linking it to a quality, state, or identity.

Here’s another example with a different linking verb:

Sentence: “The cake tastes delicious.”

In this sentence, the word “tastes” is the linking verb. It connects the subject “the cake” to the description “delicious.” The linking verb “tastes” tells us about the quality of the cake’s flavor.

Role of predicative adjectives in Describing Nouns

Predicative adjectives play an important role in providing more information about a noun. They describe or give characteristics to the noun, helping us understand what the noun is like or how it is perceived.

Imagine you have a noun, let’s say “dog.” Now, if you want to describe that dog and provide more details about it, you can use a predicative adjective. The predicative adjective helps paint a clearer picture of the dog by expressing qualities or states associated with it.

Here’s an example to help you understand:

Example #1

Noun: Dog

Predicative Adjective: Friendly

If we say, “The dog is friendly,” the predicative adjective “friendly” describes the dog. It tells us something about the dog’s nature or behavior—it is friendly. This adjective helps us form a better understanding of what kind of dog we are talking about.

Similarly, we can use other predicative adjectives to describe nouns. For instance:

Example #2

Noun: Sky

Predicative Adjective: Clear

“The sky is clear.” Here, the predicative adjective “clear” describes the sky, giving us information about its appearance or condition.

Example #3

Noun: Flower

Predicative Adjective: Beautiful

“The flower is beautiful.” In this case, the predicative adjective “beautiful” describes the flower, conveying its visual appeal or attractiveness.

Placement of predicative adjectives in a sentence

The linking verb connects the subject of the sentence to the description or quality expressed by the predicative adjective. This placement is what helps us understand that the adjective is describing the subject.

Here’s an example to illustrate the placement:

Sentence: “The boy is tall.”

In this sentence, “is” is the linking verb, and “tall” is the predicative adjective. Notice how the adjective comes after the linking verb. It tells us something about the subject, which is the boy. The sentence structure is: Subject + Linking Verb + Predicative Adjective.

Let’s see another example:

Sentence: “The soup smells delicious.”

In this sentence, “smells” is the linking verb, and “delicious” is the predicative adjective. Again, the adjective comes after the linking verb and describes the subject, which is the soup.

So, the general rule is that when you use a linking verb to connect the subject to a description or quality, the predicative adjective follows the linking verb in the sentence.

How to Identify Predicative Adjectives in Sentences?

To identify predicative adjectives in a sentence, you can ask yourself the following question:

“Does the adjective describe the subject of the sentence and come after a linking verb?”

If the answer is yes, then you have a predicative adjective.

Let’s break it down with an example:

Sentence: “The cat is sleepy.”

Step 1: Identify the subject of the sentence.

In this case, the subject is “the cat.”

Step 2: Look for a linking verb.

The linking verb in this sentence is “is.”

Step 3: Check if there is an adjective that describes the subject.

Yes, the word “sleepy” describes the state of the cat.

Step 4: Verify if the adjective comes after the linking verb.

Indeed, “sleepy” comes after the linking verb “is.”

Based on these steps, we can conclude that “sleepy” is a predicative adjective in this sentence.

Let’s try another example:

Sentence: “The flowers smell fragrant.”

Step 1: Identify the subject of the sentence.

The subject is “the flowers.”

Step 2: Look for a linking verb.

The linking verb in this sentence is “smell.”

Step 3: Check if there is an adjective that describes the subject.

Yes, the word “fragrant” describes the quality of the flowers’ smell.

Step 4: Verify if the adjective comes after the linking verb.

In this case, “fragrant” does come after the linking verb “smell.”

Hence, we can identify “fragrant” as a predicative adjective in this sentence.

Frequently Asked Questions on Predicative Adjectives

Also, read:

• Distributive Pronoun
• Reciprocal Pronoun
• Relative Pronoun
• Demonstrative Pronoun
• That vs Which
• Pronoun Contractions
• Order of Adjectives
• Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives

Some online resources:

• Predicate Adjectives: Meaning and Examples – YourDictionary
• Predicative adjective – Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage – OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com