The Predicate

    Every complete sentence has a predicate.  So, if you want your sentences to be strong and complete, then it’s time for you to meet a very important member of The Completion Team, The Predicate.

      The Predicate is the part of the sentence that does all the talking.  As a member of the Completion Team (A.K.A. parts of a sentence), The Predicate does everything in her power to verbalize (express in words) a statement about The Subject.  In fact, without this master of the verbal arts, your sentences would be speechless. 

SUPER POWERS: 

The Predicate has the power to verbalize a statement about the subject of a sentence.

FINDING THE PREDICATE: 

To find the predicate, ask yourself: what is the sentence verbalizing (expressing in words) about the subject?

 

SUPER EXAMPLES:

#1)     The evil scientist invented a new weapon.

          What is this sentence verbalizing about the subject?
           The predicate: invented a deadly weapon

 

#2)    The cat burglar is stealing cats
 

          What is this sentence verbalizing about the subject?

          The predicate: is stealing cats

 

#3)    The Mermaid swam to their rescue.

          What is this sentence verbalizing about the subject?
          The predicate: swam to their rescue.

 

#4)    The robbers took everything.

          What is this sentence verbalizing about the subject?
          The predicate: took everything

 

 WEAKNESS:

The Predicate gets all her strength and power from working together with her partner, The Subject.  If The Predicate is ever separated from The Subject, she becomes incomplete, and that makes her weak.  If this happens, watch out for an attack from that crumbly villain, The Fragment.

SUPER TEAMWORK:

1)  The Completion Team:  There are two members that belong to The Complete Sentence Super-Team (A.K.A. parts of a sentence), and they are The Subject and The Predicate. These two sentence superheroes always work together because they get their strengths and powers from working with each other.

2)  The Predicate and The Verb:  It’s important to know that The Predicate of a sentence always includes a verb.  Verbs are always a part of the predicate because it’s the verb that empowers a predicate to express action or state-of-being.  Luckily, nobody can wrangle a verb better than The Predicate! 

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