Practice Finding Predicate Nominatives and Predicate Adjectives

Let's solve this grammar exercise by identifying predicate nominatives and predicate adjectives in each sentence.

Definitions:

- Predicate Nominative: A noun or pronoun that follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject.
- Common linking verbs: *be, seem, become, appear, grow, look, feel, sound, taste, smell, remain*.
- Predicate Adjective: An adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject.
- It tells us *how* the subject is (e.g., "happy," "angry," "lovely").

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Now, let’s analyze each sentence:

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1. Maggie became secretary at the beginning of the year.

- Linking verb: *became*
- "secretary" renames Maggie → Predicate Nominative
- ✔ Predicate Nominative: *secretary*

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2. Frank sounded very angry over the lost papers.

- Linking verb: *sounded*
- "angry" describes Frank → Predicate Adjective
- ✔ Predicate Adjective: *angry*

(Note: "very" is an adverb modifying "angry", not part of the predicate adjective.)

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3. Your new boots are lovely.

- Linking verb: *are*
- "lovely" describes the boots → Predicate Adjective
- ✔ Predicate Adjective: *lovely*

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4. What is your favorite sport?

- This is a question. The structure is: *"What" = "your favorite sport"*
- "your favorite sport" is the subject, but it's not a noun renaming "what" — actually, the sentence is asking for identification.
- However, "sport" is the predicate nominative because it names what "what" is.
- But wait — in questions like this, we reverse the order. The real structure is:
- "Your favorite sport is what?" → So, "what" is the predicate nominative.
- But in the original form: *"What is your favorite sport?"*, the subject is "what", and "your favorite sport" is the predicate nominative.
- ✔ Predicate Nominative: *your favorite sport* (as a noun phrase)

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5. That book is a farmers’ almanac.

- Linking verb: *is*
- "a farmers’ almanac" renames "that book" → Predicate Nominative
- ✔ Predicate Nominative: *a farmers’ almanac*

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6. Who will be valedictorian and salutatorian?

- Linking verb: *will be*
- "valedictorian and salutatorian" are nouns naming who the subject ("who") is → Predicate Nominatives
- ✔ Predicate Nominatives: *valedictorian, salutatorian*

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7. The wound grew more painful and puffy each day.

- Linking verb: *grew*
- "more painful" and "puffy" both describe the wound → Predicate Adjectives
- ✔ Predicate Adjectives: *painful, puffy*

(Note: "more" is a comparative modifier, but "painful" and "puffy" are still adjectives describing the subject.)

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8. Wendy seems highly susceptible to colds.

- Linking verb: *seems*
- "susceptible" describes Wendy → Predicate Adjective
- ✔ Predicate Adjective: *susceptible*

(Note: "highly" is an adverb modifying "susceptible", so it doesn't change the classification.)

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9. The crowd appeared hostile and dangerous.

- Linking verb: *appeared*
- "hostile" and "dangerous" describe the crowd → Predicate Adjectives
- ✔ Predicate Adjectives: *hostile, dangerous*

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Final Answers:

| Sentence | Predicate Nominative(s) | Predicate Adjective(s) |
|--------|-------------------------|------------------------|
| 1 | secretary | — |
| 2 | — | angry |
| 3 | — | lovely |
| 4 | your favorite sport | — |
| 5 | a farmers’ almanac | — |
| 6 | valedictorian, salutatorian | — |
| 7 | — | painful, puffy |
| 8 | — | susceptible |
| 9 | — | hostile, dangerous |

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Summary:

- Predicate Nominatives rename the subject (nouns/pronouns after linking verbs).
- Predicate Adjectives describe the subject (adjectives after linking verbs).

✔ Practice helps identify these based on whether the word after the linking verb names (nominative) or describes (adjective) the subject.