predicative adjective

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "predicative adjective" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used in grammatical contexts to describe an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the subject of the sentence. Example: "The sky is blue, where 'blue' is a predicative adjective describing 'the sky.'"

✓ Grammatically correct

Grammar

Linguistics

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

An attributive adjective comes, usually, before the noun and modifies it without an intervening verb ("a delicious stew"); a predicative adjective forms the predicate of the sentence, after a verb ("This stew is delicious").

Independent

mansorbed predicative adjective \man-ˈsȯrb, -ˈzȯrb\ The act of being intensely and disproportionately engaged or interested in other men and/or manly things.

The New Yorker

"Good", Geach insists, is an attributive, not a predicative adjective (Geach 1956).

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Nominalized verb formations such as verbal nouns, participles, and predicative adjectives probably harken back to the protolanguage and can be reconstructed for predicates expressing state rather than action.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The distinction here is between the attributive and predicative function of adjectives.

Independent

However, only the use of kuai as an adjective is predicative.

Lingua Sinica

More usually, speakers of English break up the sequence by placing some of the adjectives in predicative position — after the noun.

The Washington Post

As a result, to determine that kuai in 11 is predicative, we need to determine that it is an adjective.

Lingua Sinica

When the non-entity part of the constituent after -de is semantically about the eventuality expressed by the verb or adjective before -de, we have an "eventuality-predicative V-DE construction".

Lingua Sinica

In fact, the adjective "constructive" has also been used to denote impredicative theories, and "intuitionistic" to refer to predicative foundational theories such as Martin-Löf type theory (Martin-Löf 1975 19844).

SEP

Statives are a class of predicative words expressing a quality or state, whose syntactic properties fall in between those of verbs and adjectives in Indo-European languages.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using a "predicative adjective", ensure it follows a linking verb (such as 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', 'seems', 'becomes') to connect the subject to its description.

Common error

Avoid placing a "predicative adjective" directly before the noun it modifies. Predicative adjectives function as subject complements and should follow a linking verb, unlike attributive adjectives that precede the noun.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of the phrase "predicative adjective" is to identify a type of adjective that functions as a subject complement. As Ludwig AI points out, this adjective follows a linking verb and describes the subject of the sentence.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "predicative adjective" refers to an adjective that follows a linking verb and modifies the subject of the sentence. According to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically correct and serves to describe a specific function within sentence structure. While its usage is relatively rare, it appears primarily in academic and linguistic contexts. Remember to differentiate it from attributive adjectives, which precede the noun they modify. The related phrases offer alternative ways to describe the same concept, or different types of adjectives by function and structure.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

subject complement adjective

Focuses on the adjective's role as completing the subject, similar to a predicative adjective.

linking adjective

Highlights the connection made by the adjective between the subject and its attribute.

predicate adjective

A shortened form that retains the core meaning.

adjective in predicate position

Specifies the position of the adjective within the sentence.

adjective following a linking verb

Describes the structure where a predicative adjective is found.

attributive adjective

Represents the opposite function, providing a contrastive term in adjective usage.

postpositive adjective

An adjective that appears after the noun it modifies, presenting a different placement scenario.

modifier in the predicate

Highlights the broader role of modification within the predicate.

subject-related adjective

Emphasizes the adjective's connection to the subject of the sentence.

complementary adjective

Indicates that the adjective completes the meaning of the subject.

FAQs

How does a "predicative adjective" differ from an attributive adjective?

A "predicative adjective" follows a linking verb and describes the subject (e.g., 'The sky is blue'). An attributive adjective precedes the noun it modifies (e.g., 'the blue sky').

What are some examples of linking verbs that commonly precede a "predicative adjective"?

Common linking verbs include 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', 'seems', 'becomes', 'feels', and 'appears'. For instance, in the sentence 'She seems happy', 'happy' is the predicative adjective.

What part of speech is interchangeable with predicative adjective?

The role of a "predicative adjective" can sometimes be filled by a predicate nominative (a noun that renames the subject). For example, instead of 'He is happy' (predicative adjective), you could say 'He is a teacher' (predicate nominative).

Is it grammatically incorrect to use an adjective before the noun instead of using a "predicative adjective"?

No, it is not grammatically incorrect, but it changes the structure and emphasis of the sentence. Using an attributive adjective (before the noun) is perfectly valid but serves a different purpose than a "predicative adjective". It just depends on the sentence construction you are going for.