When you hear “predicate nominative” for the first time, you’d assume that it’s challenging to master. But it’s not as terrifying as you may think. In this article, we will explore its use and how it functions.
What Is a Predicate Nominative?
In simplest terms, a predicate nominative renames the subject of a sentence. It features a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase that appears after a linking verb (for example, “become,” “is,” “be,” “was,” “were,” etc.). As a general rule of thumb, they do not follow an action verb.
Fun Fact: Predicate noun is another term for predicate nominative and falls under subject complements.
One perfect example of a predicate nominative is when we refer to dogs as “man’s best friend.”
Examples of predicate nominatives:
- “Peter was a doctor.”
Here “Peter” is the sentence’s subject, and “doctor” renames him.
- “Katy will be a teacher.”
In this example, “Katy” is the sentence’s subject, and “a teacher” renames her.
- “I could have been a swimmer.”
In this instance, “I” is the sentence’s subject, and “a swimmer” renames it. “I” and “swimmer” refer to the same person.
- “The winner of the competition was Sarah.”
Here “Sarah” can also be referred to as “the winner.”
- “Tommy will be the sheriff.”
In this example, “Tommy” is the sentence’s subject, and “sheriff” renames him.
- “Porter is a policeman.”
“Policeman” renames “Porter”
What Are the Types of Predicate Nominatives?
Predicate nominatives have two types – simple and compound. Here is a closer look at each one.
Simple Predicate Nominative
Here the noun or pronoun that acts as the subject of a phrase or clause is the simple predicate noun in grammar. You can quickly identify it by asking yourself if it could stand alone as a subject.
Examples of a simple predicate nominative:
- “My favorite color is blue.” In this sentence, “blue” renames “color.”
- “Terry is the new president.” In this sentence, “president” renames “Terry.”
- “Eddy was a salesman.” In this sentence, “salesman” renames “Eddy.”
- “I am a boxer.” In this sentence, “boxer” renames “I.”
- “You could have been queen.” In this sentence, “queen” renames “you.”
- “She is a fairy.” In this sentence, “fairy” renames “she.”
- “Mark is the new student.” “New student” renames “Mark.”
Compound Predicate Nominative
A compound predicate noun has two or more nouns or pronouns that share the same verb in the sentence. A coordinating conjunction like “for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so” (aka F.A.N.B.O.Y.S) usually joins them.
Examples of a compound predicate nominative:
- “Frank is a firefighter and a paramedic.” The words “firefighter” and “paramedic” rename the main subject “Frank.”
- “Maggy is a baker and a designer.” The words “baker” and “designer” rename the main subject “Maggy.”
- “The team captain and coach are leaders.” Here, both “team captain” and “coach” are identified as “leaders.”
- “My sister and I are artists.” In this sentence, “sister” and “I” both rename the subject “we” and share the verb “are.”
- “She is both a singer and a dancer.” Here, both “singer” and “dancer” are identified as “She.”
Predicate Nominatives vs. Predicate Adjectives
Now, let’s dig deep and understand the difference between predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives. It can be easy for you to confuse these two types of complements since they both appear after linking verbs and give more detail about the subjects. However, they are not the same.
As its name implies, predicate adjectives use adjectives to paint a clearer picture of the subject’s condition. For example, “I am happy” or “The lasagna pasta was juicy.” “Juicy” and “happy” gives more context about the subject.
Like a predicate nominative, a predicate adjective is also a predicate complement.
Predicate nominatives, as mentioned earlier, use nouns or pronouns after the linking verb. So instead of “happy,” you’ll need words like “nurse,” “student,” and other common English nouns.
Here are more examples of predicate adjectives in a sentence:
- “The apple was sweet and sour.” The words “sweet” and “sour” give us a description of how the “apple” tasted.
- “The flowers smell sweet.” “Sweet” is not renaming or identifying anything; it describes how the flowers smell.
- “The cat was hungry.” “Hungry” in this sentence is the predicate adjective that explains the condition of the “cat.”
- “The cake is a chocolate cake,” “Chocolate” is a predicate adjective because it describes or modifies the subject “cake.”
- “The apple pie smells delicious.” “Delicious” is the predicate adjective that describes what the “pie” smelled like.
- “The pasta dough is paper-thin.” “Paper-thin” describes the thinness of the “pasta dough.”
Tip: Remember, you should use “adjectives,” not an adverb that modifies an action verb. For instance, if you wrote, “The mouse ran fast.” “Fast” doesn’t describe the subject “mouse.” Instead, it modifies “fast.”
Final Thoughts
Predicate nominatives are easy to master! Just remember that they rename a subject. If your sentence describes the subject’s quality or condition, you use predicate adjectives.
