A predicate in a sentence is more than a verb—it's the action plus all the details that follow.

What does a predicate do in a sentence? A friendly guide for anyone exploring the English side of the Accuplacer

Let me explain it in plain terms. A predicate is the part of a sentence that tells you what the subject is doing, or what’s being said about the subject. It’s not just the verb by itself; it’s the whole action or state that completes the thought. If you’re looking at the English section of the Accuplacer, understanding predicates helps you see how sentences are built—without getting tangled in grammar jargon.

What exactly is a predicate?

Here’s the thing: every sentence has at least a subject and a predicate. The subject is who or what the sentence is about. The predicate contains the verb and everything that goes with it—everything that paints the full picture of what’s happening to the subject or how the subject is.

• The basic idea: a predicate includes the verb plus all the details that complete the idea.

• It can include objects: words that receive the action (like “the ball” in “kicked the ball”).

• It can include modifiers: words that describe the action or provide timing, place, manner, etc. (like “quickly,” “on the hill,” or “with a smile”).

• It can include extra information about the subject in that moment, such as state or condition (like “is tired” in “The dog is tired after the hike”).

• It can even include a predicate adjective or a predicate noun when the verb is a linking verb (more on that in a moment).

Compare these quick examples to see the pattern:

• The cat sits on the mat. Here, “sits on the mat” is the predicate. It tells what the cat is doing and where.

• The tea tastes bitter. The predicate is “tastes bitter.” The verb “tastes” plus the adjective “bitter” tells how the thing is experienced.

• The winner is John. “Is John” is the predicate, with “John” acting as a predicate noun after the linking verb.

The big distinction to remember

Some people mix up the subject with the predicate. The subject is part of the sentence, yes, but it’s not the whole story. The predicate is what expands on the verb to show action or state. A tempting but incomplete thought would be to say a predicate is simply “the verb and anything extra about the subject”—and that’s close, but the precise idea is: the predicate is the verb plus all the information that completes the thought about the subject.

A note on adjectives and the subject

Adjectives that describe the subject live in the subject’s territory. They’re part of the subject phrase, not the predicate. For example, in “The big dog barks loudly,” the word “big” describes the dog (the subject). The predicate is “barks loudly.” Adjectives in front of the subject don’t become part of the action or state described by the predicate.

On the flip side, you’ll sometimes see predicate adjectives or predicate nouns after a linking verb. That’s a special case—but it still lives inside the predicate. For example:

• The sun became bright. Here, “bright” is a predicate adjective describing the subject via the linking verb “became.”

• The committee remains adamant. “Adamant” is a predicate adjective describing the subject through the verb “remains.”

A few practical indicators you can rely on

If you want to sniff out the predicate in a sentence, here are some quick cues:

• Find the main verb or verbs. The predicate is built around that core verb.

• Look for what comes after the verb: objects (something that’s acted upon), prepositional phrases (on the table, under the chair), and adverbials (quickly, yesterday, with care).

• Watch for auxiliary verbs. In “has been writing,” the predicate includes all of that, not just “writing.”

• Notice any phrase that answers “What is happening to the subject?” or “What state is the subject in?”

• Don’t mistake the words describing the subject for part of the predicate unless they’re connected by a linking verb.

A handful of sentences to illustrate

• The dog chased the ball across the yard.

• Subject: The dog

• Predicate: chased the ball across the yard

• Sarah felt tired after the long hike.

• Subject: Sarah

• Predicate: felt tired

• The report was completed yesterday, and the team celebrated.

• Subject: The report (and the team [joined later])

• Predicate (first clause): was completed yesterday

• Predicate (second clause): and the team celebrated

• The shelves look sturdy, but they aren’t level.

• Subject: The shelves

• Predicates: look sturdy, and aren’t level

• The audience seemed intrigued by the speaker’s story.

• Subject: The audience

• Predicate: seemed intrigued by the speaker’s story

Tiny practice you can try in your own writing

• Take a simple sentence and identify the subject. Then ask: what is the subject doing, or what state is it in?

• Add a few words after the verb to expand the predicate: who/what receives the action, where, when, how.

• Swap a regular verb for a linking verb and add a predicate adjective or predicate noun. Notice how the meaning shifts or deepens.

Why this matters beyond a single sentence

Understanding predicates isn’t just a neat grammar trick for the English section of the Accuplacer. It helps you write clearer sentences, edit more efficiently, and read with better comprehension. When you know where the action lives in a sentence, you can spot ambiguity, tighten your prose, and decide what to emphasize. It’s a small tool, but it can make a noticeable difference in everyday writing—like emails, notes, and essays.

A quick, friendly comparison to keep in mind

• Subject + verb only is rare and often feels bare. The predicate adds life: it tells what happens, where, and how.

• A noun or a string of adjectives describing the subject sits in the subject field; it doesn’t carry the action unless it’s part of a bigger predicate with a linking verb.

• The predicate can stand on its own in short, punchy sentences, or stretch with objects and modifiers that paint the full picture.

Bringing it back to the bigger picture

So, what’s the bottom line? A predicate is the verb in motion plus everything that completes that motion or state. It’s the part of the sentence that answers: what’s happening to the subject, or how the subject is right now. When you’re parsing sentences for the Accuplacer English section, this distinction helps you parse faster, read more accurately, and choose the right answer when options look tempting but only one truly completes the thought.

If you’re curious to dig deeper, you can explore how different kinds of predicates behave in compound sentences, conditional clauses, and sentences with multiple verbs. It’s a practical way to strengthen your grammar intuition without turning it into a chore. And yes, it’s nicely relevant for real-world writing, whether you’re drafting a quick note to a professor, a student blog, or a club newsletter.

A small note on tone and clarity

If you enjoy a sentence that moves well and feels natural, you’re likely appreciating a strong predicate at work. The best writing often hides the hard parts in plain sight: the action, the state, the clarity. That’s what makes sentences sing—when the predicate coordinates with the subject to reveal meaning in a smooth, economical way.

A closing thought

Next time you read or write, try this quick check: can you identify the subject and the predicate separately? Can you spot a predicate adjective after a linking verb? Do you see how the predicate carries the weight of the sentence—telling what happens, where it happens, and how it feels? If you can answer yes to these, you’re already sharpening your grasp of English grammar in a practical, useful way.

If you have a sentence you’d like to break down, drop it in a comment. I’ll walk through the subject and predicate with you, point out where the action lives, and show how a small change can sharpen the whole idea. After all, clear language is a kind of reliability you can carry into any class, any discussion, or any conversation—whether you’re studying for an assessment or just writing for fun.