Predicate Adjectives

A beginner-friendly guide for everyone

A predicate adjective is a word that tells us more about the subject and comes after a linking verb. It describes how someone or something is, feels, looks, or seems.

Breaking It Down

  • Subject = the person or thing the sentence is about
  • Linking verb = a verb that connects the subject to more information
  • Predicate adjective = the describing word that follows the linking verb
Easy Examples:
  • She is happy. → “happy” describes “she”
  • The cat looks tired. → “tired” describes “cat”
  • My friends are kind. → “kind” describes “friends”

Common Linking Verbs

These are the verbs you will often see before predicate adjectives:

  • Be: is, am, are, was, were
  • Sense verbs: look, sound, feel, smell, taste
  • Other state verbs: seem, become, appear, remain, grow
Examples with Different Linking Verbs:
  • The milk smells bad.
  • He became famous.
  • The movie was exciting.

Predicate vs. Regular Adjective

Adjective Type Position Example
Predicate Adjective After linking verb The baby is sleepy.
Regular (Attributive) Adjective Before noun A sleepy baby is crying.

Real-Life Examples

1. People

  • She feels nervous before tests.
  • My dad is strong.

2. Animals

  • The dog looks hungry.
  • Cats are quiet.

3. Objects

  • The soup smells good.
  • The road is bumpy.

4. Feelings and Ideas

  • That idea sounds smart.
  • His answer was honest.

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

Adjective vs. Adverb Confusion:
  • ✖ She feels sadly. (Wrong – “sadly” is an adverb)
  • ✔ She feels sad. (Correct – “sad” is an adjective)
  • ✖ The food tastes wonderfully.
  • ✔ The food tastes wonderful.

Why Learn Predicate Adjectives?

  • Helps describe clearly: You can talk about how people or things are
  • Improves writing: Makes your writing more descriptive and correct
  • Useful in real life: Everyday sentences use predicate adjectives!

Fun Activities

1. Picture & Describe

Look at a photo. Write 5 sentences with predicate adjectives. Example: "The sky is blue."

2. Sentence Builder

Use this format to make sentences:

  • Subject + linking verb + predicate adjective
  • Example: “The music sounds loud.”

3. Predicate or Not?

Underline the adjectives in a text. Then decide: Is it before the noun (not predicate) or after a linking verb (predicate)?

Quick Quiz

Find the predicate adjectives:

  1. The children are noisy today.
  2. That soup smells delicious.
  3. My friend is funny and kind.
  4. The dog barked loudly. (Trick question!)

Answers: Noisy, delicious, funny, kind. (Note: “loudly” is an adverb, not an adjective!)