In English grammar, a predicate is one of the two main parts of a sentence. It is generally defined as a word group that comes after the subject to complete the meaning of the ​sentence. The predicate is the part of the sentence that contains the verb. The predicate tells what happened to the subject or its state. In the case of verbs that aren’t actions, those that describe states of being are called stative verbs.

Examples of a Predicate

Easy Examples of Predicates

In each instance below, the predicate is shaded.

• Elvis lives.
• Adam lives in Bangor.
• The telegram contained exciting news.
• The girls in our office are experienced teachers.

More Examples of Predicates

In the center of every predicate is a verb. In each instance, the verb and predicate are in bolded letters.

• True friends appearless moved than counterfeit. (Greek philosopher Homer)
• Words empty as the wind arebest left unsaid. (Homer)
• People can come up withstatistics to prove anything. Forty percent of all people know that. (Homer Simpson)
• With $10,000, we would bemillionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like … love. (Homer)