The soup smells spicy, the auditorium became quiet, and the hikers looked exhausted. In each sentence, the adjective appears after a verb but still describes the subject.
This is predicative use, and the adjective is commonly called a predicate adjective.
What Is a Predicate Adjective?
A predicate adjective is an adjective or adjective phrase that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.
For example:
The shoreline looks peaceful at sunrise.
Their proposal seems practical.
The children became restless during the long delay.
The basic pattern is:
subject + linking verb + predicate adjective
In:
The shoreline looks peaceful.
- shoreline is the subject;
- looks is the linking verb;
- peaceful is the predicate adjective.
The adjective does not describe the verb looks. It describes the subject shoreline.
Predicate adjective is a common traditional grammar term. Modern grammar often describes the same use as an adjective or adjective phrase functioning predicatively.
Predicate Adjectives as Subject Complements
A predicate adjective is one type of subject complement.
The hallway became dark.
Dark completes the description of hallway, so it functions as a predicate adjective.
Subject complements can also be noun phrases rather than adjectives. That distinction becomes important when comparing predicate adjectives with predicate nominatives later in the article.
Common Linking Verbs With Predicate Adjectives
The verb be is the most common linking verb.
The auditorium is empty.
The reports were accurate.
Predicate adjectives can also follow several other verbs when those verbs connect the subject with a description.
Seem, Appear, Become, Remain, Stay
The revised schedule seems manageable.
The surface appeared uneven under the inspection light.
Their disagreement became serious.
The building remained vacant for several months.
The equipment stayed dry despite the storm.
Look, Sound, Smell, Taste, Feel
Sense-related verbs can also function as linking verbs.
The fabric feels rough.
Her explanation sounds reasonable.
The bread smells fresh.
The sauce tastes bitter.
The sky looks unusually dark.
The Same Verb Can Be Linking or Action-Based
Several verbs that introduce predicate adjectives can also have other grammatical uses.
Compare look:
The building looks abandoned.
Here, looks links building with the adjective abandoned.
But:
The inspector looked through the records.
Here, looked describes an action. There is no predicate adjective.
Now compare smell:
The room smells musty.
Musty describes room.
The dog smelled the package.
Here, smelled is used with the object the package.
And feel:
The blanket feels soft.
Soft describes the blanket.
She felt the rough edge of the stone.
Here, felt expresses an action involving an object.
This is why memorizing a list of linking verbs is not enough. The sentence structure tells you whether the verb is linking the subject to a description.
Predicate Adjective vs Attributive Adjective
Many adjectives can work in both positions.
a nervous speaker
The speaker seemed nervous.
In the first example, nervous appears before the noun and is attributive.
In the second, it follows a linking verb and is predicative.
Some adjectives have stronger position preferences or different meanings depending on where they appear.
For that side of the contrast, see attributive adjectives.
Some Adjectives Prefer Predicative Position
Certain adjectives are much more natural after a linking verb in particular meanings.
The child is asleep.
The passengers seemed afraid.
English does not normally use these same forms directly before nouns in those meanings:
Incorrect: an asleep child
Incorrect: the afraid passengers
Instead, English usually chooses another form:
a sleeping child
frightened passengers
These restrictions are often tied to particular meanings rather than to the spelling of the adjective itself.
Predicate Adjectives Can Be Whole Adjective Phrases
A predicate adjective does not have to consist of one word.
Compare:
The instructions were confusing.
with:
The instructions were extremely difficult to follow.
In the second sentence, the head adjective is difficult, but the whole adjective phrase extremely difficult to follow functions as the subject complement.
Predicate adjective phrases can include modifiers:
The final estimate became far more expensive than expected.
They can also take complements:
The researchers were interested in the results.
He seemed worried about the deadline.
The board was pleased with the revised plan.
The neighborhood remained free from major flooding.
And more than one adjective or adjective phrase can describe the same subject:
The cabin was small but comfortable.
The audience remained quiet and attentive.
Her response sounded calm, measured, and confident.
Predicate complements can therefore be considerably more complex than a single adjective after a linking verb.
Predicate Adjective vs Predicate Nominative
Both predicate adjectives and predicate nominatives function as subject complements, but they belong to different word classes.
A predicate adjective describes the subject:
Naomi became confident.
A predicate nominative identifies or classifies the subject with a noun or noun phrase:
Naomi became the team leader.
Another comparison:
The building is historic.
Historic is an adjective describing building.
The building is a museum.
A museum is a noun phrase identifying what the building is.
The position is similar, but the grammatical function of the complement differs.
Predicate Adjective vs Adverb
A common mistake occurs with sense verbs such as feel, look, smell, sound, and taste.
When the word after the verb describes the subject, use an adjective.
Correct: The soup tastes wonderful.
Incorrect: The soup tastes wonderfully.
Wonderful describes the soup.
Compare:
The pianist performed wonderfully.
Here, wonderfully describes how the pianist performed, so an adverb is appropriate.
Another contrast:
The fabric feels smooth.
Smooth describes the fabric.
She moved her hand smoothly across the surface.
Smoothly describes the movement.
The useful question is whether the word describes the subject or modifies an action.
Predicate Adjective vs Object Complement
Not every adjective that appears after a verb is a predicate adjective.
Compare:
The room became quiet.
Quiet describes the subject room, so it is a predicate adjective.
Now:
The announcement made the room quiet.
Here, quiet describes the object room, not the subject announcement.
That makes quiet an object complement.
Another pair:
The walls are blue.
Blue is a predicate adjective describing walls.
They painted the walls blue.
Now blue describes the direct object walls after the action verb painted.
Position alone cannot identify a predicate adjective. The adjective must describe the subject through a linking verb.
Participial Adjectives Can Be Predicate Adjectives
Participial adjectives can also appear predicatively.
The passengers looked exhausted.
The audience seemed confused.
The result was surprising.
The entrance remained blocked.
These forms describe the subject adjectivally.
With be + past participle, some sentences can also represent passive verbal constructions rather than adjectival states.
How to Identify a Predicate Adjective
To identify a predicate adjective, check three things:
- Is the complement an adjective or adjective phrase?
- Does it describe the subject?
- Does a linking verb connect the subject with that description?
For example:
The corridor became narrow near the exit.
Narrow is an adjective, it describes corridor, and became links the two.
So narrow is a predicate adjective.
A predicate adjective is therefore more than “an adjective after a verb.” It is an adjective or adjective phrase that describes the subject through a linking verb.
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