Essential Sentence Terms: Predicate and Predicative | Traditional Summary
Contextualization
To construct a complete and coherent sentence, it's essential to understand the elements that compose it. Two of these fundamental elements are the predicate and the predicative. The predicate is what is declared about the subject, while the predicative is a characteristic attributed to the subject or object. Understanding these functions is crucial for syntactic analysis and for constructing clear and well-structured sentences, skills essential not only for school exams but also for effective communication in daily life.
In grammar study, correctly identifying and classifying predicates and predicatives in a sentence allows for a better understanding of sentence structure and meaning. This is particularly relevant in academic contexts, where clarity and precision in writing are valued. Moreover, these skills are transferable to various everyday situations, such as writing emails, reports, and other written documents, where it is important that the message is conveyed clearly and accurately.
Predicate
The predicate is the part of the sentence that contains information about the subject. It can be classified into three types: verbal predicate, nominal predicate, and verbo-nominal predicate. Each of these types of predicates offers a different way to describe the action, state, or characteristic of the subject in the sentence.
The verbal predicate is one that contains an action verb, indicating something the subject does. Examples of verbal predicates include sentences like 'John ran' or 'Maria studied'. This type of predicate focuses on the action performed by the subject.
The nominal predicate, on the other hand, is composed of a linking verb and a nominal complement that attributes a quality or state to the subject. Examples include 'John is intelligent' or 'Maria is happy'. The focus here is on the characteristic or state of the subject, not the action.
Finally, the verbo-nominal predicate combines elements from both previous types, including an action verb and a complement that attributes a characteristic to the subject. For example, in 'John arrived tired', 'arrived' is the action verb and 'tired' is the characteristic attributed to the subject.
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Verbal predicate: Indicates an action performed by the subject.
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Nominal predicate: Indicates a state or quality of the subject.
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Verbo-nominal predicate: Combines an action and a characteristic of the subject.
Predicative
The predicative is a characteristic attributed to the subject or the object within the sentence. It can be classified as subject predicative or object predicative, depending on which element of the sentence it refers to.
The subject predicative is a characteristic attributed to the subject of the sentence. For example, in the phrase 'The teacher is tired', 'tired' is the subject predicative, as it describes a characteristic of the subject 'The teacher'. This type of predicative is often found in sentences with linking verbs, which connect the subject to the predicative.
The object predicative, in turn, is a characteristic attributed to the object of the sentence. An example of this is 'I consider Maria intelligent', where 'intelligent' is the object predicative of 'Maria'. This type of predicative adds an extra layer of information about the object, in addition to the action described by the verb.
Understanding the function of the predicative is essential for syntactic analysis, as it often provides important information about the subject or the object that can change the complete meaning of the sentence.
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Subject predicative: Attributes a characteristic to the subject.
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Object predicative: Attributes a characteristic to the object.
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Essential for syntactic analysis.
Identifying the Predicate
Identifying the predicate in a sentence involves several clear steps. First, it is necessary to identify the subject of the sentence. The subject is who performs or suffers the action, or about whom something is declared. After identifying the subject, the next step is to find the main verb of the sentence, which usually indicates the action, state, or characteristic of the subject.
After identifying the main verb, the next step is to determine the type of predicate. If the main verb indicates an action, we have a verbal predicate. If the main verb is a linking verb and the sentence contains a complement that describes the subject, we have a nominal predicate. If the sentence contains both an action verb and a complement that describes the subject, we have a verbo-nominal predicate.
It is important to remember that, in some cases, the predicate can be composed of more than one verb, forming verbal locutions, such as in 'John is running'. In this case, the locution 'is running' forms the verbal predicate of the sentence.
Correctly identifying the predicate is fundamental for understanding the structure and meaning of the sentence, allowing for precise and effective syntactic analysis.
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Identifying the subject is the first step.
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Find the main verb of the sentence.
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Determine the type of predicate: verbal, nominal, or verbo-nominal.
Classifying the Predicative
Classifying the predicative involves determining whether it refers to the subject or the object of the sentence. To do this, it is necessary to analyze the structure of the sentence and identify the relationship between the terms.
A subject predicative is identified when the described characteristic refers directly to the subject of the sentence. For example, in 'The student seems tired', 'tired' is the subject predicative of 'The student'. The presence of linking verbs, such as 'to be', 'to be', 'to seem', among others, is a common indicator of subject predicatives.
An object predicative, on the other hand, is identified when the described characteristic refers directly to the object of the sentence. For example, in 'He considered the movie interesting', 'interesting' is the object predicative of 'the movie'. This type of predicative is often found in sentences with direct or indirect transitive verbs.
Correctly classifying the predicative is crucial for syntactic analysis, as it influences the understanding of the structure and meaning of the sentence, allowing for a more precise interpretation of the text.
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Subject predicative: Refers to the subject of the sentence.
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Object predicative: Refers to the object of the sentence.
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Linking verbs are common indicators of subject predicatives.
To Remember
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Predicate: Part of the sentence that contains information about the subject.
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Verbal Predicate: Indicates an action performed by the subject.
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Nominal Predicate: Indicates a state or quality of the subject.
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Verbo-nominal Predicate: Combines an action and a characteristic of the subject.
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Predicative: Characteristic attributed to the subject or the object.
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Subject Predicative: Attributes a characteristic to the subject.
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Object Predicative: Attributes a characteristic to the object.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we explored the concepts of predicate and predicative, essential elements for constructing complete and coherent sentences. The predicate, the part of the sentence that contains information about the subject, can be classified into three types: verbal, nominal, and verbo-nominal. These types of predicate offer different ways to describe the action, state, or characteristic of the subject, being fundamental for syntactic analysis.
Moreover, we discussed the predicative, which is a characteristic attributed to the subject or the object. The correct classification of the predicative, whether of the subject or the object, is crucial for understanding the structure and meaning of the sentence. Identifying and classifying these elements allows for precise syntactic analysis, essential for constructing clear and well-structured sentences.
Understanding predicates and predicatives not only enhances the ability for syntactic analysis but also contributes to constructing more cohesive and articulated discourses. These skills are valuable both in academic and professional environments, where clarity and precision in writing are highly valued. We encourage everyone to continue exploring these concepts to further improve their communication skills.
Study Tips
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Revisit the examples discussed in class and try to create new sentences to identify and classify predicates and predicatives.
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Practice syntactic analysis of various texts, highlighting predicates and predicatives in each sentence.
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Use online grammar exercises and textbooks to reinforce concepts and test your knowledge of predicates and predicatives.
