Grammar 6.7 - Predicate Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives

The tall young man next to Sally is. He seems.

Answer: The verbs is and seems are linking verbs, and neither group of words express a complete thought.

• That noun or adjective is called a subject complement.

• A linking verb needs a noun or an adjective after it in order to express a complete thought.

a noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject.

Example: Nina's aunt is a police officer.

Officer is the predicate nominative - it renames the subject of aunt.

• A predicate adjective follows a linking verb and describes the subject

• Must be an adjective

• Examples:

  • The soup tastes spicy. (spicy = predicate adjective, PA)

  • Those flowers smell fragrant. (fragrant = predicate adjective, PA)

  • The children became tired. (tired = predicate adjective, PA)

​​Predicate Adjectives

1. PN

2. PA

3. PN

4. PA

5. PA