What Is The Simple Predicate
So, picture this: I’m at my cousin’s birthday party, and her seven-year-old, Leo, hands me a crayon drawing. He says, “This is our dog, Sparky. He peed on the rug.” I laugh, b...
So, picture this: I’m at my cousin’s birthday party, and her seven-year-old, Leo, hands me a crayon drawing. He says, “This is our dog, Sparky. He peed on the rug.” I laugh, but then I think: that tiny word—peed—is the whole engine of his sentence. It’s the simple predicate, and Leo nailed it without even trying.
You probably know the predicate from school as “the part of the sentence that says something about the subject.” But the simple part is where it gets sneaky—and useful. The simple predicate is just the verb (or verb phrase) that tells you what the subject does or is.
Think of it like the star of a movie. The subject is the actor’s name on the poster, but the simple predicate is the action that makes you want to watch. In “Leo peed on the rug,” the simple predicate is peed. Short. Sweet. Gross, but effective.
Now, what if I said, “My cousin’s dog has been barking all night”? The simple predicate isn’t just “barking”—it’s the whole verb phrase: has been barking. Yes, all those words count as one unit because they work together to show the action or state. Annoying? Maybe. But grammatically tidy.
Here’s where it gets ironic: teachers love to test you on this by throwing in modifiers that aren’t part of the predicate. Like, “The angry dog loudly chewed my shoe.” The simple predicate is only chewed, not “loudly chewed.” “Loudly” is a sneaky adverb that describes how he chewed, but it’s not part of the verb itself. So your job is to ignore the fluff and grab the core action word.
I used to screw this up all the time. I’d see a sentence like “My boss will be giving a very boring presentation tomorrow,” and I’d want to underline “will be giving a presentation.” Nope. The simple predicate is just will be giving—the verb phrase that shows the action. “A presentation” and “tomorrow” are just poor souls tagging along for the ride.
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Why should you care? Because when you can spot the simple predicate, you’re basically the grammar police of your own writing. You can trim the fat from sentences and make them punchier. Ever read a sentence that felt like it was stalling? Chances are, the writer buried the real action in a prepositional phrase or a “there is” construction.
Take this clunker: “There are three cats who are sleeping on my couch.” The simple predicate of the main clause is actually are (from “There are”), but that’s weak. You can rewrite it as “Three cats are sleeping on my couch.” Now “are sleeping” is the simple predicate—and your sentence went from boring to bearable.
Let’s test your detective skills. Ready? Here’s a sentence: “The pizza with extra cheese in the fridge smells weird.” What’s the simple predicate? Don’t peek—okay, it’s smells. “With extra cheese” and “in the fridge” are just details about the pizza. The verb is doing all the heavy lifting.
What Is A Simple Predicate
Now, a trickier one: “She has been feeling sick since Tuesday.” The simple predicate is has been feeling. It’s a three-word verb phrase that shows a continuous state. “Since Tuesday” is a time marker—it’s not part of the verb. You see? You are getting good at this.
But here’s the catch—and I’m looking directly at you—sometimes people confuse the simple predicate with the complete predicate. The complete predicate includes everything the subject does or is, like “has been feeling sick since Tuesday.” That’s the whole enchilada. The simple predicate is just the main verb or verb phrase: “has been feeling.” Got it? Good.
I remember a writing workshop where a guy argued that “is” was too simple to be a predicate. He said, “Is doesn’t do anything.” But is is a powerhouse—it’s a linking verb that connects the subject to a description. In “My cat is spoiled,” the simple predicate is is. It’s not sexy, but it’s honest.
What Is A Simple Predicate Examples - Design Talk
What about commands? Like “Stop!” The simple predicate is stop. There’s no subject written, but the subject is implied (you). So the predicate stands alone—like a superhero without a sidekick.
One last thing: don’t let participles fool you. In “The girl, running fast, won the race,” the simple predicate is won. “Running” looks like a verb, but it’s actually acting as an adjective describing “girl.” Trickier than a cat playing dead, right?
So next time you write a sentence, ask yourself: What’s the one action or state that holds it together? That’s your simple predicate. It’s the little verb that could. And if a seven-year-old can use it to tattle on a dog, you can use it to write cleaner, sharper sentences.
Now go forth and predicate like a boss. Just don’t pee on any rugs while doing it.
