What does predicate mean?
Word: Predicate
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Predicate means in grammar, the part of a sentence that tells us what the subject is or does, such as runs fast in The dog runs fast.
Word origin: From Latin praedicare, to declare or proclaim.
How do you spell predicate?
Syllables: pred - i - cate
Tricky part: The vowel after the d is i, not e: students often write predecate.
Watch out for: predecate, predikate, predicait
Memory tip: The middle is dic, as in dictionary and dictate, words linked to saying; the predicate says something about the subject.
Predicate in a sentence
Example 1: In the sentence Meena sings beautifully, sings beautifully is the predicate.
Example 2: The predicate of a sentence always contains a verb.
Example 3: Every complete sentence needs a subject and a predicate.
Fun Fact
In a command such as Sit down, the predicate is all you see, because the subject you is understood rather than written.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Read the four words. Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word:
1. advirb 2. artical 3. conjuntion 4. predicate
a) a word that joins words or parts of a sentence
b) one of the words a, an or the
c) the part of a sentence that tells what the subject is or does
d) a word that tells more about a verb
Show answer
c) the part of a sentence that tells what the subject is or does. Conjunction has a c before the t, article ends in cle, and adverb has an e after the v.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
pr_dicat_
a) e, a
b) a, e
c) i, e
d) e, e
Show answer
d) e, e. It opens with pre, and a silent e follows cat at the end.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Our grammar worksheet asked us to circle the subject and box the cetiprade.
a) practice
b) predicament
c) predicate
d) dedicate
Show answer
c) predicate. Practice has no d and dedicate has two, while predicament adds m and n; predicate matches the jumble.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
During the grammar quiz, Farhan found the predicate in every sentence, and our teacher praised him for his excellant work.
a) excellant
b) sentence
c) predicate
d) grammar
Show answer
a) excellant. Excellent ends in ent; excellant has an a where the e should be.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In the sentence The baby laughed loudly, what is the predicate?
a) The baby
b) laughed loudly
c) baby laughed
d) loudly
Show answer
b) laughed loudly
2. In 'The old banyan tree gives shade', which part is the subject?
a) gives
b) gives shade
c) The old banyan tree
d) shade
Show answer
c) The old banyan tree
