Predicative Adjectives

Understanding Predicative Adjectives

Predicative adjectives, also known as predicate adjectives, are adjectives that follow a linking verb and modify the subject of the sentence. They complete the meaning of the subject by describing its state or quality.

Key Concepts

• Linking Verbs: These verbs (e.g., ‘be’, ‘seem’, ‘become’, ‘feel’) connect the subject to a word or phrase that describes it.
• Subject Complement: The predicative adjective functions as a subject complement, providing information about the subject.
• Placement: They appear after the linking verb, not directly before the noun they modify (which would be an attributive adjective).

Deep Dive

Unlike attributive adjectives that precede a noun (e.g., ‘the happy dog’), predicative adjectives follow the verb. For instance, in ‘The dog is happy,’ ‘happy’ is a predicative adjective describing ‘dog.’ The verb ‘is’ acts as the linking verb.

Applications

Predicative adjectives enrich sentences by adding descriptive detail. They are crucial for conveying states of being, changes, or perceptions. Examples include: ‘She seems tired,’ ‘The soup tasted delicious,’ and ‘He became a doctor‘ (here, ‘a doctor’ is a predicative noun, a similar concept).

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common confusion is with adverbs. Remember, predicative adjectives modify nouns (the subject), while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. For example, ‘She sings beautifully‘ (adverb) vs. ‘She is beautiful‘ (predicative adjective).

FAQs

What is the difference between predicative and attributive adjectives?
Predicative adjectives follow a linking verb; attributive adjectives precede the noun.

Can any adjective be predicative?
Most adjectives can function predicatively, especially those describing qualities, states, or conditions.