Predicate Adjectives in English with definition and Examples

When we describe someone or something in a sentence, we often use adjectives. One special type of adjective is called a predicate adjective. These adjectives come after a linking verb, such as is, are, was, were, or seem, and they tell us more about the subject of the sentence. Predicate adjectives make our sentences clear, simple, and meaningful by showing a quality, condition, or state of the subject. Understanding predicate adjectives is very helpful for students and English learners because they are used in daily conversations, stories, and descriptions.

Definition of Predicate adjectives

What are Predicate Adjectives?

A predicate adjective is an adjective that comes after a linking verb and describes the subject of the sentence. It tells us more about the subject’s quality, state, or condition.

For example:

• The sky is blue.
• She looks happy.

Here, blue and happy are predicate adjectives because they describe the subjects sky and she after the linking verbs is and looks.

How Predicate Adjectives Work in a Sentence

Predicate adjectives always follow linking verbs (not action verbs). The most common linking verbs are:

• be (am, is, are, was, were)
• seem
• look
• feel
• become
• appear
• sound
• grow
• remain

Example sentences:

• The food smells delicious.
• He became angry.
• They are tired.

What are Predicate Adjectives? with Examples

Difference Between Predicate Adjectives and Attributive Adjectives

To avoid confusion, let’s compare predicate adjectives with attributive adjectives.

Common Examples of Predicate Adjectives

Here are some frequently used predicate adjectives in English:

• happy, sad, tired, angry, hungry, smart, tall, short, clean, dirty, old, young, strong, weak, noisy, quiet, open, closed, friendly, unfriendly

Example sentences:

• The children are happy.
• This room looks clean.
• He feels tired after work.
• The shop is closed now.

Rules for Using Predicate Adjectives

When learning predicate adjectives, keep these rules in mind:

1. They always follow linking verbs

❌ Wrong: She happy is.
✅ Correct: She is happy.

2. They describe the subject, not the object

• The book is interesting. (Subject = book, predicate adjective = interesting)

• I found the book interesting. (Here, interesting is an object complement, not a predicate adjective.)

3. More than one adjective can be used

• The weather is cold and windy.

• She feels happy and excited.

Predicate Adjectives in Different Tenses

Predicate adjectives can be used in any tense with the correct form of the linking verb.

Advanced Usage of Predicate Adjectives

Predicate adjectives are also used in more advanced structures:

With degree words (comparatives and superlatives)

• She is happier today.
• This test is easier than the last one.
• That mountain is the tallest.

With intensifiers

• The soup is very hot.
• He seems extremely tired.

With negative forms

• The answer is not correct.
• This option is not suitable.

Predicate Adjectives in Exams

For ESL students, predicate adjectives are tested in:

• Sentence correction questions
• Fill in the blanks
• Error spotting
• Writing tasks

Example (Exam-style question):
Fill in the blank with the correct predicate adjective:

• The road looks ______. (smooth / smoothly)
  ✅ Correct Answer: smooth (because it describes the subject, not the verb).

Example Sentences of Predicate Adjectives in English

Predicate Adjective	Example Sentence
Happy	She is happy today.
Sad	The boy looks sad.
Tired	They are tired after school.
Angry	He became angry quickly.
Hungry	I feel hungry now.
Thirsty	The child is thirsty.
Busy	My father is busy at work.
Quiet	The library is quiet.
Noisy	The street is noisy at night.
Hot	The soup is hot.
Cold	The water feels cold.
Clean	The kitchen looks clean.
Dirty	His shoes are dirty.
Strong	She is strong and healthy.
Weak	He became weak after the illness.
Open	The shop is open now.
Closed	The bank is closed today.
Friendly	The teacher seems friendly.
Unfriendly	The man was unfriendly to us.
Excited	The children are excited for the trip.

Example Sentences of Predicate Adjectives

List of Predicate Adjectives in English

• Happy
• Sad
• Tired
• Angry
• Hungry
• Thirsty
• Busy
• Quiet
• Noisy
• Hot
• Cold
• Clean
• Dirty
• Strong
• Weak
• Open
• Closed
• Friendly
• Unfriendly
• Excited
• Afraid
• Calm
• Nervous
• Bored
• Confident
• Careful
• Lazy
• Polite
• Rude
• Proud

List of Predicate Adjectives in English

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