1. Parts of the Sentence Unit 4: Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective

2. Subject Complements Linking verbs can also have complements which complete the subject in the sentence. Two types of complements for linking verbs are predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives.

3. Predicate Nominative The predicate nominative is a noun or pronoun which comes after a linking verb and renames the subject. To find the predicate nominative, say the simple subject, substitute the word equal(s) for the simple predicate (linking verb), and ask who or what. Predicate nominatives are said to be in the nominative case.

4. Examples Alice is the head cheerleader. Marsha should be the one (on the left).

5. Practice Finding Predicate Nominatives 1.In his senior year of high school, Sam became captain of the football team. 2.Spring is my favorite season of the year. 3.Graduation will be a very special time. 4.The person in charge will be the assistant principal. 5.Who is she?

6. Predicate Adjectives Like the predicate nominative, a predicate adjective follows a linking verb and relates to the subject. However, unlike the predicate nominative, it describes the subject rather than renaming it. To find the predicate adjective, say the simple subject, substitute the word equal(s) for the linking verb, and ask the adjective questions: which one, what kind, how many, or whose. To further test whether your answer is an adjective, see if you could put the word(s) before the subject to describe it.

7. Examples Rachel appears quite sad today. She has remained amazingly calm (in the midst) (of this crisis).

8. Practice Finding Predicate Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives 1.Maggie became secretary at the beginning of the year. 2.Frank sounded very angry over the lost papers. 3.Your new boots are lovely. 4.What is your favorite sport? 5.That book is a farmers’ almanac. 6.Who will be valedictorian and salutatorian? 7.The wound grew more painful and puffy each day. 8.Wendy seems highly susceptible to colds. 9.The crowd appeared hostile and dangerous.