Grammar Smart 3rd Edition - Princeton Review 2014

B. The Predicate
Part 2. The Sentence

The predicate is the part of the sentence that isn’t the subject. The verb is part of the predicate, as well as everything else in the sentence—phrases, direct and indirect objects —that is not part of the subject. Explained another way, the predicate says something about the subject.

Subject      Predicate

Wanda      was greedy.

She      loved money more than anything else.

Possible Confusion: The subject more often comes first in a sentence, and putting the subject first is probably the more straightforward way to organize a sentence. But for variety, and even for suspense, writers can choose to reverse the order, putting the predicate first and the subject last, or putting parts of the predicate on either side of the subject. The foolproof way to find the subject is to first locate the verb, and then to ask yourself who or what is doing this action?

Through the imposing gateway came Wanda, determined to impress everyone and everything in her path.

The verb is came. Who came? Wanda came. Wanda is the subject; everything else is the predicate. See how the predicate is saying something about Wanda?

There were thousands of candy wrappers on the floor.

The verb is were. What were on the floor? Thousands of candy wrappers. Thousands of candy wrappers is the subject; everything else is the predicate. There is never the subject of a sentence; if a sentence begins with there, look for the subject to come after the verb.

Why is this important? A sentence must have a subject and a predicate. If you’re missing either part, you don’t have a sentence. Obviously, as any playwright or screenwriter knows, we don’t speak in complete sentences. And many advertisements are nothing more than strings of sentence fragments, even single words followed by a period. Fine. But when you’re writing formally, you must write in complete sentences. And even if you’re writing informally, it helps to know what rules you’re breaking.

Quick Quiz #17

Identifying the Predicate

Note the subject and draw a line under all parts of the predicate in the following sentences. Notice how the predicate describes the subject by telling how and where and what the subject is doing.

1. Bob has six toes on his left foot.

2. Embarrassed, and tired of being the butt of jokes, he resolved never to take off his shoes.

3. After pleading with Bob for years, his parents finally persuaded him to see a plastic surgeon.

4. Not everybody is so lucky” said the surgeon when he saw Bob’s toes.

Click here to download a PDF of Quick Quiz 17.