Predicates

The **predicate ** is the part of the sentence that tells something about the subject .

 The **verb (or verb phrase) ** is the most important word in the predicate. Once you have learned to find the subject of a sentence, finding the predicate is easy. It's everything else! Can you find the predicates in the following sentences?
 * The Atlanta Falcons have had an outstanding season this year.
 * Rehna brought me a beautiful, carved elephant from India.
 * Usually the members of the Student Council meet during lunch.
 * For her birthday, Carley's friends gave her a cuddly stuffed animal.
 * Into the lake leaped the springer spaniel.
 * Did the icy weather cause hazardous driving conditions?

**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 180%;">Position of the Predicate ** **<span style="color: #af0808; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Why do we sometimes put sentences in inverted word order? ** **<span style="color: #1d441d; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">Because <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">v <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">a <span style="color: #f35216; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">r <span style="color: #ffdc00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">i <span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">e <span style="color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">t <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170%;">y is the spice of life! **
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The predicate usually follows the subject and comes at the end of the sentence.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Sometimes the predicate can come at the beginning of the sentence. This is called **<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">inverted word order **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">If some of the predicate comes before the subject and some of it comes after the subject, the sentence is partially inverted.

**<span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 200%;">Compound Predicates ** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">A <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">compound predicate <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">is two or more verbs that <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">**share the same subject**. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">They are joined by coordinating conjunctions: **//and, but,//** or **//or//****//.//** <span style="display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%; text-align: left;">**//Examples://** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">The band <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">gathered <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> on the stage //**and**// <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">rehearsed <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> for the concert. <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">Have <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">you ever <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">seen <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> a bald eagle //**or**// <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">watched <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> one dive for food?

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">I <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">wanted <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> a new watch **//but//** <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">could <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">n't <span style="color: #800000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;">afford <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 160%;"> one.