Basic Details
Word: Indicative
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Showing or suggesting that something is true or likely; in grammar, the verb form used for ordinary statements.
Synonyms: suggestive, symptomatic, revealing
How to Spell Indicative
Syllables: in - dic - a - tive
Tricky part: The a of indicate stays: the ending is ative, not itive. The e of indicate drops before ive.
Watch out for: indicitive, indicateive, indicetive
Memory tip: Take indicate, rub out the final e and add ive: indicat + ive. Whatever happens, keep the a from indicate.
Usage Examples
Example 1: A wagging tail is usually indicative of a happy dog.
Example 2: The empty shelves were indicative of how popular the new biscuits were.
Example 3: Her quick reply was indicative of careful preparation.
Fun Fact
In grammar, the indicative is the verb form used for ordinary statements and questions, such as She sings or Is it raining?, as opposed to commands.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
indic_t_ve
a) e, i
b) a, e
c) a, i
d) i, i
Show answer
c) a, i. Indicate keeps its a, and the ending is ive.
Word Connection
Choose the word closest in meaning to indicative as used in the sentence:
Dark clouds over the hills are often indicative of heavy rain by evening.
a) decorative
b) unrelated
c) imaginative
d) suggestive
Show answer
d) suggestive. Clouds that are indicative of rain are a sign of it, and suggestive of rain says the same.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Long queues at the ration shop were tdavecinii of a shortage of sugar in the town.
a) vindictive
b) indecisive
c) inductive
d) indicative
Show answer
d) indicative. There are three i's and one a in the jumble; vindictive has no a, indecisive has an s and inductive has a u.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A pale face can be indicative of illness. Here indicative of means ____.
a) a cure for
b) a sign of
c) the opposite of
d) a cause of
Show answer
b) a sign of
2. His silence was indicative of guilt. What does this sentence suggest?
a) that he might be guilty
b) that he was very tired
c) that he was proved innocent
d) that he had lost his voice
Show answer
a) that he might be guilty
