What is the predicate of a sentence?

In one line

The rule

The predicate is the part of a sentence that says something about the subject — it usually contains the verb and tells what the subject does, has, or is.

Let's understand it simply

Imagine you are playing cricket. If someone says, "Rahul bats," — 'Rahul' is the subject (who), and 'bats' is the predicate (what he does). The predicate is like the action or state part of the sentence. It tells us what is happening to or by the subject.

How it works

1. Find the subject (who or what the sentence is about).
2. The rest of the sentence, after the subject, is usually the predicate.
3. The predicate always has a verb (an action word or a state of being word).
4. It may also have objects (what the action is done to) or more information.

The story behind it

The word 'predicate' comes from Latin 'praedicare', meaning 'to proclaim' or 'to say about'. Grammar experts have used it for hundreds of years to help us break down sentences into two main parts: subject and predicate.

Where you see it in real life

• "The bus stopped suddenly." → 'stopped suddenly' is the predicate (what the bus did).
• "My mother cooks delicious food." → 'cooks delicious food' is the predicate (what my mother does).
• "The cycle is new." → 'is new' is the predicate (what the cycle is).
• "Children are playing in the park." → 'are playing in the park' is the predicate (what the children are doing).

Why it matters

• Helps you understand sentence structure and meaning.
• Makes it easier to write correct sentences.
• Useful for spotting errors in your writing.
• Needed for grammar questions in exams.

Common mistakes

• Thinking the predicate is only the verb. (It can be the verb plus other words.)
• Missing the verb in the predicate. (Every predicate must have a verb.)
• Confusing the subject and predicate. (Subject = who/what; Predicate = what happens to them.)

Remember it

Predicate = what the subject does or is.