Educational worksheet on attributive and predicative adjectives with Christmas-themed design.
A Christmas-themed educational worksheet titled "Attributive & Predicative Adjectives" with a list of sentences for students to underline adjectives and identify them as attributive or predicative, featuring festive bell illustrations.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: attributive and predicative adjectives - ESL worksheet by ...
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: attributive and predicative adjectives - ESL worksheet by ...
Let's solve this step-by-step.
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- Attributive Adjective: An adjective that comes before a noun and modifies it.
- Example: *a red car* → "red" is attributive.
- Predicative Adjective: An adjective that follows a linking verb (like *be, seem, look, feel, taste, smell, sound*, etc.) and describes the subject.
- Example: *The car looks red.* → "red" is predicative.
> ✔ Tip: If the adjective comes after a linking verb or after a noun in a complement position, it’s likely predicative.
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Now, let’s go through each sentence one by one.
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1. William was a man of extraordinary abilities.
→ extraordinary
- It modifies "abilities", which is a noun. But it's part of a noun phrase: *"man of extraordinary abilities"*
- "Extraordinary" comes before "abilities" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
2. That costume makes the children look absurd.
→ absurd
- "Look" is a linking verb here (it describes how they appear).
- "Absurd" describes the children → predicative
✔️ Predicative
3. Our new employees are still very green.
→ new, green
- "New" modifies "employees" → attributive
- "Green" comes after "are" → predicative
✔️ New – attributive; Green – predicative
4. Kate's explanation certainly sounded believable.
→ believable
- "Sounded" is a linking verb → "believable" describes the explanation → predicative
✔️ Predicative
5. What a brilliant idea!
→ brilliant
- "Brilliant" modifies "idea" directly → attributive
✔️ Attributive
6. Cycling is a cheap way to get around.
→ cheap
- "Cheap" modifies "way" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
7. The play is both comic and tragic.
→ comic, tragic
- Both follow "is" → linking verb → predicative
✔️ Predicative
8. Peter suffered cracked ribs and bruising.
→ cracked
- "Cracked" modifies "ribs" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
9. There's nothing to be afraid of now.
→ afraid
- "Afraid" is an adjective describing "nothing" → but "afraid" is not modifying a noun directly; it's part of a phrasal construction.
- Actually, "to be afraid" is a complement — "afraid" is predicative because it's used after "be" in an infinitive clause.
✔️ Predicative
10. Sarah doesn't like going out alone at night.
→ alone
- "Alone" is an adverb here, meaning "by herself". Not an adjective.
- So no adjective in this sentence? Wait — check:
- "alone" is an adverb modifying "going out".
- No true adjective present.
✘ No adjective → but if we must pick, "alone" is not an adjective.
→ No adjective underlined → but perhaps the task expects only adjectives.
✔️ No adjective → leave blank?
However, “alone” is sometimes considered an adjective, but in this context, it’s adverbial.
Let’s assume no adjective → none
11. My sister and I don't look alike.
→ alike
- "Alike" is an adverb meaning "in a similar way" → not an adjective
- No adjective here → none
12. Doctors kept the baby alive for five weeks.
→ alive
- "Alive" describes the state of the baby → after "kept" (which is not a linking verb), but "keep + object + adjective" is a common structure where the adjective is predicative
- Example: *Keep the room clean.* → "clean" is predicative
✔️ Predicative
13. Harry was so exhausted that he fell asleep at his desk.
→ exhausted
- Follows "was" → linking verb → predicative
✔️ Predicative
14. My parents looked astonished at my news.
→ astonished
- "Looked" is a linking verb → "astonished" describes their state → predicative
✔️ Predicative
15. The noise was keeping everyone awake.
→ awake
- "Awake" describes "everyone" → but "keeping" is a verb, not a linking verb
- However, "keep someone awake" is a phrasal verb → "awake" is predicative
✔️ Predicative
16. 'John Q' is one of my favourite movies.
→ favourite
- Modifies "movies" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
17. We had some sad news yesterday.
→ sad
- Modifies "news" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
18. A strange thing happened this morning.
→ strange
- Modifies "thing" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
19. Beatrice felt really nervous before the interview.
→ nervous
- "Felt" is a linking verb → "nervous" describes Beatrice → predicative
✔️ Predicative
20. This coffee has a nasty taste.
→ nasty
- Modifies "taste" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
21. Breakfast smells delicious.
→ delicious
- "Smells" is a linking verb → "delicious" describes breakfast → predicative
✔️ Predicative
22. The Guardian is a daily newspaper.
→ daily
- Modifies "newspaper" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
23. This drink tastes sweet.
→ sweet
- "Tastes" is a linking verb → "sweet" describes the drink → predicative
✔️ Predicative
24. Elderly people become socially isolated.
→ isolated
- "Become" is a linking verb → "isolated" describes the people → predicative
✔️ Predicative
25. These documents are not accessible to the public.
→ accessible
- After "are" → linking verb → "accessible" describes the documents → predicative
✔️ Predicative
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| Sentence | Underlined Adjective(s) | Type |
|--------|-------------------------|------|
| 1 | extraordinary | attributive |
| 2 | absurd | predicative |
| 3 | new, green | new – attributive; green – predicative |
| 4 | believable | predicative |
| 5 | brilliant | attributive |
| 6 | cheap | attributive |
| 7 | comic, tragic | predicative |
| 8 | cracked | attributive |
| 9 | afraid | predicative |
| 10 | none | none |
| 11 | none | none |
| 12 | alive | predicative |
| 13 | exhausted | predicative |
| 14 | astonished | predicative |
| 15 | awake | predicative |
| 16 | favourite | attributive |
| 17 | sad | attributive |
| 18 | strange | attributive |
| 19 | nervous | predicative |
| 20 | nasty | attributive |
| 21 | delicious | predicative |
| 22 | daily | attributive |
| 23 | sweet | predicative |
| 24 | isolated | predicative |
| 25 | accessible | predicative |
---
- Some sentences have multiple adjectives.
- In sentence 3, both types are present.
- Sentences 10 and 11 contain no adjectives (only adverbs).
- Words like alike, alone, awake, alive, exhausted, etc., are adjectives when used as complements after linking verbs or in passive constructions.
---
✔ Final Answer Summary (for filling in blanks):
1. extraordinary – attributive
2. absurd – predicative
3. new – attributive, green – predicative
4. believable – predicative
5. brilliant – attributive
6. cheap – attributive
7. comic, tragic – predicative
8. cracked – attributive
9. afraid – predicative
10. none
11. none
12. alive – predicative
13. exhausted – predicative
14. astonished – predicative
15. awake – predicative
16. favourite – attributive
17. sad – attributive
18. strange – attributive
19. nervous – predicative
20. nasty – attributive
21. delicious – predicative
22. daily – attributive
23. sweet – predicative
24. isolated – predicative
25. accessible – predicative
---
Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!
---
🔹 Understanding the Concepts
- Attributive Adjective: An adjective that comes before a noun and modifies it.
- Example: *a red car* → "red" is attributive.
- Predicative Adjective: An adjective that follows a linking verb (like *be, seem, look, feel, taste, smell, sound*, etc.) and describes the subject.
- Example: *The car looks red.* → "red" is predicative.
> ✔ Tip: If the adjective comes after a linking verb or after a noun in a complement position, it’s likely predicative.
---
Now, let’s go through each sentence one by one.
---
✔ Solutions with Explanations
1. William was a man of extraordinary abilities.
→ extraordinary
- It modifies "abilities", which is a noun. But it's part of a noun phrase: *"man of extraordinary abilities"*
- "Extraordinary" comes before "abilities" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
2. That costume makes the children look absurd.
→ absurd
- "Look" is a linking verb here (it describes how they appear).
- "Absurd" describes the children → predicative
✔️ Predicative
3. Our new employees are still very green.
→ new, green
- "New" modifies "employees" → attributive
- "Green" comes after "are" → predicative
✔️ New – attributive; Green – predicative
4. Kate's explanation certainly sounded believable.
→ believable
- "Sounded" is a linking verb → "believable" describes the explanation → predicative
✔️ Predicative
5. What a brilliant idea!
→ brilliant
- "Brilliant" modifies "idea" directly → attributive
✔️ Attributive
6. Cycling is a cheap way to get around.
→ cheap
- "Cheap" modifies "way" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
7. The play is both comic and tragic.
→ comic, tragic
- Both follow "is" → linking verb → predicative
✔️ Predicative
8. Peter suffered cracked ribs and bruising.
→ cracked
- "Cracked" modifies "ribs" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
9. There's nothing to be afraid of now.
→ afraid
- "Afraid" is an adjective describing "nothing" → but "afraid" is not modifying a noun directly; it's part of a phrasal construction.
- Actually, "to be afraid" is a complement — "afraid" is predicative because it's used after "be" in an infinitive clause.
✔️ Predicative
10. Sarah doesn't like going out alone at night.
→ alone
- "Alone" is an adverb here, meaning "by herself". Not an adjective.
- So no adjective in this sentence? Wait — check:
- "alone" is an adverb modifying "going out".
- No true adjective present.
✘ No adjective → but if we must pick, "alone" is not an adjective.
→ No adjective underlined → but perhaps the task expects only adjectives.
✔️ No adjective → leave blank?
However, “alone” is sometimes considered an adjective, but in this context, it’s adverbial.
Let’s assume no adjective → none
11. My sister and I don't look alike.
→ alike
- "Alike" is an adverb meaning "in a similar way" → not an adjective
- No adjective here → none
12. Doctors kept the baby alive for five weeks.
→ alive
- "Alive" describes the state of the baby → after "kept" (which is not a linking verb), but "keep + object + adjective" is a common structure where the adjective is predicative
- Example: *Keep the room clean.* → "clean" is predicative
✔️ Predicative
13. Harry was so exhausted that he fell asleep at his desk.
→ exhausted
- Follows "was" → linking verb → predicative
✔️ Predicative
14. My parents looked astonished at my news.
→ astonished
- "Looked" is a linking verb → "astonished" describes their state → predicative
✔️ Predicative
15. The noise was keeping everyone awake.
→ awake
- "Awake" describes "everyone" → but "keeping" is a verb, not a linking verb
- However, "keep someone awake" is a phrasal verb → "awake" is predicative
✔️ Predicative
16. 'John Q' is one of my favourite movies.
→ favourite
- Modifies "movies" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
17. We had some sad news yesterday.
→ sad
- Modifies "news" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
18. A strange thing happened this morning.
→ strange
- Modifies "thing" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
19. Beatrice felt really nervous before the interview.
→ nervous
- "Felt" is a linking verb → "nervous" describes Beatrice → predicative
✔️ Predicative
20. This coffee has a nasty taste.
→ nasty
- Modifies "taste" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
21. Breakfast smells delicious.
→ delicious
- "Smells" is a linking verb → "delicious" describes breakfast → predicative
✔️ Predicative
22. The Guardian is a daily newspaper.
→ daily
- Modifies "newspaper" → attributive
✔️ Attributive
23. This drink tastes sweet.
→ sweet
- "Tastes" is a linking verb → "sweet" describes the drink → predicative
✔️ Predicative
24. Elderly people become socially isolated.
→ isolated
- "Become" is a linking verb → "isolated" describes the people → predicative
✔️ Predicative
25. These documents are not accessible to the public.
→ accessible
- After "are" → linking verb → "accessible" describes the documents → predicative
✔️ Predicative
---
✔ Final Answer Key:
| Sentence | Underlined Adjective(s) | Type |
|--------|-------------------------|------|
| 1 | extraordinary | attributive |
| 2 | absurd | predicative |
| 3 | new, green | new – attributive; green – predicative |
| 4 | believable | predicative |
| 5 | brilliant | attributive |
| 6 | cheap | attributive |
| 7 | comic, tragic | predicative |
| 8 | cracked | attributive |
| 9 | afraid | predicative |
| 10 | none | none |
| 11 | none | none |
| 12 | alive | predicative |
| 13 | exhausted | predicative |
| 14 | astonished | predicative |
| 15 | awake | predicative |
| 16 | favourite | attributive |
| 17 | sad | attributive |
| 18 | strange | attributive |
| 19 | nervous | predicative |
| 20 | nasty | attributive |
| 21 | delicious | predicative |
| 22 | daily | attributive |
| 23 | sweet | predicative |
| 24 | isolated | predicative |
| 25 | accessible | predicative |
---
📝 Notes:
- Some sentences have multiple adjectives.
- In sentence 3, both types are present.
- Sentences 10 and 11 contain no adjectives (only adverbs).
- Words like alike, alone, awake, alive, exhausted, etc., are adjectives when used as complements after linking verbs or in passive constructions.
---
✔ Final Answer Summary (for filling in blanks):
1. extraordinary – attributive
2. absurd – predicative
3. new – attributive, green – predicative
4. believable – predicative
5. brilliant – attributive
6. cheap – attributive
7. comic, tragic – predicative
8. cracked – attributive
9. afraid – predicative
10. none
11. none
12. alive – predicative
13. exhausted – predicative
14. astonished – predicative
15. awake – predicative
16. favourite – attributive
17. sad – attributive
18. strange – attributive
19. nervous – predicative
20. nasty – attributive
21. delicious – predicative
22. daily – attributive
23. sweet – predicative
24. isolated – predicative
25. accessible – predicative
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Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives worksheet.
