- What is the predicate?
- Predicate types
- Core of the predicate
- Structure of the predicate
- Sentences with subject and predicate
We explain what the predicate of a sentence is, its nucleus, structure and types that exist. Also examples of sentences with subject and predicate.
What is the predicate?
From a point of view syntactic, the bimembres sentences are divided into a subject and a predicate. The subject is the person or object to which we refer. Instead, the predicate of a prayer It is everything that is not part of the subject (that is, of the subject's noun phrase).
Seen in another way, it is everything in a proposition that is affirmed of the subject: the actions carried out, the conditions in which it is, the actions it received from others, etc. The predicate is essential in a sentence for it to make sense.
There are different forms and types of predicate, but it is almost always made up of a verb phrase, larger or smaller and with more or fewer elements. Its axis is the verb main sentence.
This main verb is recognizable because it is conjugated in such a way that it responds to the subject (person).In addition, in the predicate there is the contextual or complementary information (in the form of direct, indirect or circumstantial complements) of the verb.
Predicate types
In simple sentences, predicates can be basically of two types:
- Verbal predicate. It is about the predicate that details actions or events that concern the subject, and is characterized by verbs accompanied by verbal complements (direct, indirect or circumstantial complement), attributes or adverbial elements. For example: "My cat meows"(Verb only)," My cat eat sardines"(Verb with direct object)," My cat meows at the neighbor"(Verb with indirect object)," My cat meows strangely”(Verb with complement of regime).
- Nominal predicate. In this case, the predicate consists of an attribute that is expressed by the subject, which requires a copulative or semicopulative verb, and a noun phrase. For example: "My cat it's gray", "My cat was the winner of the contest", "My cat i was angry this morning”.
Core of the predicate
The phrases of the predicate and the subject always have a nucleus, which is the word on which the greatest syntactic importance falls within their respective segments of the sentence. In the case of the verb phrase, the nucleus is the main verb of the sentence, that is, the verb conjugated with the subject, whatever the type.
For example: in "My cat eats the best food available", we can identify a subject ("My cat") and a verbal predicate: "eat the best food available". From said predicate, the nucleus is the verb eat (to eat). But at the same time, in "My cat is a little fat", the subject will be the same, but it will have a nominal predicate: "he is a little fat", whose core will be the verb this (be).
Structure of the predicate
Generally, the predicate is made up of a verb phrase. This phrase can be, as we saw in the previous case, of a verbal or copulative type, depending on whether it is a verbal or nominal predicate. But broadly speaking, every predicate is structured by:
A nucleus, which corresponds to the main verb of the sentence.
Verb complements, which accompany the verb and allow it to fully express its content, that is, they complement it, as its name says. These might be:
- Direct complements (or direct objects). Abbreviated as CD (or OD), they are the typical complements of a transitive verb, which refer to the object on which the action indicated by the verb and performed by the subject falls. It is easily identified because it answers the question "what?" or to the change for the pronoun "that." For example: in "My cat Mouse hunter"The CD will be mice ("What does my cat hunt?"), And in "My cat has fleas and ticks”, The CD will be fleas and ticks ("My cat has that”).
- Indirect complements (or indirect objects). Abbreviated as CI (or OI), they are generally non-obligatory complements, which refer to the recipient, benefactor or injured party by the action referred to by the verb. It usually answers the question "to whom?" or to the change for the pronoun “le / les”. For example: in "My cat scratches To the neighbour”, The CI will be To the neighbour ("Who is my cat scratching?").
- Situational complements. It consists of a nominal, adverbial or prepositional phrase that accompanies the verb and indicates some temporal, spatial or mode circumstance regarding the referred action. The most common circumstantial complements are: time (CCT, answer the question “when?”), Place (CCL, answer the question “where?”), So (CCM, answer the question “¿¿ how? ”), of cause (CCC, answers the question“ why? ”), of purpose (CCF, answers the question“ for what? ”), among others. For example: "My cat eats very quickly”(CCM: very quickly), “My cat eats in the kitchen”(CCL: in the kitchen), “My cat ate Yesterday”(CCT: Yesterday).
- Agent plugin. This complement appears only in sentences in their passive form, and consists of a prepositional phrase that, if the sentence is in its active form, would correspond to the subject. For example: in "My cat was stroked by the neighbor", The agent complement will be by the neighbor, since if the sentence were in an active voice it would be "The neighbor stroked my cat."
- Verbal regime complement. In this case we refer to a propositional phrase that does not fulfill the functions of CO, CI or CC, neither agent nor attribute, but is a necessary part of the syntactic way of expressing the verb. They are merely syntactic complements, whose prepositions are invariable, such as daring to, remember from, make fun from, etc. For example: "My cat dares to meow at dawn”(CRV).
Attributes The attributes are complementary to the copulative verbs generally, since it is about adjectives or noun phrases that express qualities, capacities or traits of the subject. For example: in "My cat is persian with angora", The copulative verb" to be "asks for an attribute that is persian with angora.
Sentences with subject and predicate
Sentences endowed with discernible subject and predicate are known as two-member (that is, two-member) sentences. These include those that have an unspoken subject or an elided predicate, because in both cases the absent content can be inferred from the context. Some examples of double-member sentences are:
- My father cleans the yard with the rake
Subject: My father
Subject core: parent
Predicate: clean the yard with the rake
Core predicate: clean
Direct complement: the patio
Circumstantial complement: with the rake
- The artists were applauded by the public
Subject: The artists
Core of the subject: artists
Preached: they were applauded by the public
Core of the predicate: were
Attribute: cheered
Agent complement: by the public
- A Persian cat wanders through the dining room
Subject: A Persian cat
Subject core: cat
Predicate: strolls through the dining room
Core of the predicate: stroll (stroll)
Circumstantial complement: by the dining room