predicate
predicate — noun
1. in grammar, the verb-centered part that tells us what the subject does, is, or b
in grammar, the verb-centered part that tells us what the subject does, is, or becomes.
In 'Lena laughed loudly', 'laughed loudly' is the predicate.
basic subject + predicate split
Mr Wu asked the class to circle each predicate in blue.
classroom instruction with countable noun
In Tuesday's worksheet, 'fell last night' works as the predicate.
While editing Maya's essay, Mr Wu underlined the long predicate in green.
- verb phrase
often similar in simple sentence analysis, but not always identical in every grammar system
- predication
more abstract term for the relationship or structure, not the classroom label
- subject
the person or thing the sentence is about
用法筆記
Often paired with 'subject' in grammar teaching. A predicate may be only a verb, or it may also include objects, complements, and adverbials after the verb.
常見錯誤
2. in logic, the word or term that says what quality, kind, or relation a subject h
in logic, the word or term that says what quality, kind, or relation a subject has.
In 'All roses are flowers', 'flowers' is the predicate.
predicate in a simple proposition
During logic class, Professor Lin drew circles for the subject and predicate.
subject and predicate as paired logic terms
At the zoo, Eva used 'is striped' as the predicate.
On page ten, the logic book shows how each predicate marks a property.
- subject
the thing the predicate is said about
用法筆記
Common in logic and philosophy, not ordinary school grammar. Distinguish from noun sense 1, where the term means the verb-centered part of a sentence.
常見錯誤
predicate — verb
1. to state formally that a fact, quality, or judgment is true of someone or someth
to state formally that a fact, quality, or judgment is true of someone or something.
The legal brief predicates negligence of the driver after listing the facts.
predicate + noun + of
In the essay, the philosopher predicates moral worth of every child.
The report predicates blame of the manager, not the kitchen staff.
After the vote, the review predicates selfish motives of the mayor.
- deny
states that something is not true
文法句型
predicate sth of sb/sth
predicate that-clause
用法筆記
Usually formal and often found in philosophy, law, and close analysis of texts. Common patterns are 'predicate X of Y' and, less often, 'predicate that ...'.
常見錯誤
2. when a plan, claim, or system is predicated on a fact or idea, that fact or idea
when a plan, claim, or system is predicated on a fact or idea, that fact or idea is the support it relies on.
The town budget is predicated on stable rice prices this summer.
passive: be predicated on
Her whole plan was predicated on Daniel arriving before noon.
At Lakeside School, the rule is predicated upon trust between teachers and students.
The radio argument is predicated on one false idea about vaccines.
文法句型
be predicated on sth
be predicated upon sth
用法筆記
Almost always passive, followed by 'on' or 'upon'. The subject is usually an idea, plan, rule, argument, or system rather than a person.
3. to use a word or term to state a quality, class, or relation of a subject.
to use a word or term to state a quality, class, or relation of a subject.
In the diagram, Ms Chen predicates 'doctor' of 'Amy'.
predicate + term + of + subject
The workbook asks students to predicate 'red' of each apple.
In chapter one, the logicians predicate 'mortal' of 'Socrates' first.
The teacher predicated 'late' of Ben after reading the sentence.
文法句型
predicate sth of sb/sth
用法筆記
Restricted to grammar and logic discussion. The object is usually a quoted word or term, followed by 'of' plus the subject term.
predicate — adjective
1. used for a word or phrase that comes after a linking verb and completes its mean
used for a word or phrase that comes after a linking verb and completes its meaning.
In 'The soup smells good', 'good' is a predicate adjective.
predicate adjective after linking verb
In 'The bags were ready', Ms Rao marked 'ready' as a predicate adjective.
In 'The kids are at school', the chart calls 'at school' a predicate phrase.
On the board, Ms Rao labeled 'quiet' a predicate adjective.
- predicative
the more common linguistics adjective for this idea
- complement
broader grammatical term; not every complement is specifically predicate
- attributive
describes words placed directly before a noun
用法筆記
Usually appears before another noun in grammar labels such as 'predicate adjective' or 'predicate complement'. Distinguish from noun sense 1, which names the whole sentence part rather than a single completing word or phrase.