Adjective vs Predicate
An understanding of the differences between adjectives and predicates can greatly improve your grasp of English grammar. Adjectives are parts of speech that describe a noun’s qualities, while predicates are clauses that provide information about the subject. The primary distinction between the two is that adjectives can be used with any noun in a sentence, while predicates relate specifically to the subject of the sentence. This article will explore these two terms and their differences in more detail.
What is an Adjective?
An adjective can be concisely described as a part of speech that provides information on the noun it modifies. To illustrate this, consider the following sentences:
1. Francis is an angry man.
2. Lucy accepts the blue garment presented to her.
In both examples, the words ‘angry’ and ‘blue’ function as adjectives, describing the nouns ‘man’ and ‘garment,’ respectively. In the first sentence, ‘angry’ characterizes Francis’s nature, while in the second sentence, ‘blue’ denotes the color of the garment Lucy accepts. Adjectives typically appear immediately before the noun they describe.
What is a Predicate?
In contrast, a predicate is a clause that conveys information about the subject of a sentence. Consider the following examples:
1. Willey is coming today.
2. John will speak today at the function.
In these sentences, the subjects are ‘Willey’ and ‘John,’ respectively. The predicates ‘coming today’ and ‘will speak today’ provide information about the subjects. Predicates generally appear after the subject in a sentence, although there are cases where they may precede the subject, as shown in the examples below:
1. Down went the Princess Victoria.
2. Bitter are the results of treachery.
In the first sentence, ‘Princess Victoria’ is the subject, and ‘went down’ is the predicate describing the subject. In the second sentence, ‘results of treachery’ is the subject, and ‘bitter’ is the predicate. Both predicates appear before their respective subjects, a usage often found in literature.
Key Takeaways
- An adjective is a part of speech that describes the quality of a noun.
- A predicate is a clause that provides information about the subject of a sentence.
- Adjectives typically appear before the noun they describe, while predicates usually follow the subject, although there are exceptions.
