Today we're going to talk about predicates,
simple predicates and complete predicates.
What is a predicate?
A predicate is what the subject does.
It tells the action of the sentence.
Let's look at some example sentences
and then we'll identify the predicate in each one.
Birds fly, Maria helps, Children read.
Let's look at that first sentence: Birds fly.
First, let's identify the subject.
Who or what is this sentence about?
Birds, birds is the subject.
So the predicate tells us what the subject does.
What do the birds do, what's the action?
Fly, so fly is the predicate of this sentence.
Next, Maria helps.
First let's identify the subject.
Who or what is this sentence about
or who or what is doing the action?
Maria is the subject and what is she doing?
What is the action that Maria does?
Helps, helps is the predicate of this sentence.
Finally: Children read.
Who or what is the sentence about?
Children, so children is the subject
and what action do the children do?
They read, so read is the predicate.
Now let's talk about simple predicates.
A simple predicate is the verb in a predicate.
A simple predicate is one word.
Let's look at some example sentences
and then we'll identify the simple predicate in each one.
One large truck passed our car.
The small turtles were by the lake.
A scary spider crawled down the wall.
To identify the simple predicate in each sentence
it's easiest to begin with the simple subject.
The simple subject is who or what the sentence is about.
So let's look at the first sentence.
One large truck passed our car.
First, let's identify the simple subject.
Who or what is this sentence about?
Just one word, the truck.
To identify the simple predicate
we are looking for the one word that is the verb
and tells what the subject did
or the action the subject did.
So, what action did the truck do?
It passed our car.
The simple predicate or verb of this sentence is passed.
Next, the small turtles were by the lake.
Again, let's start by identifying the simple subject
or the one word
that tells us who or what the sentence is about.
Turtles, turtles is the simple subject.
Now to find the simple predicate or verb
we ask the question what action did the turtles do?
What were the turtles doing?
They were by the lake.
The action word or verb in this sentence is were.
It is also the simple predicate.
And finally, a scary spider crawled down the wall.
Who or what is the sentence about?
Just one word, spider.
Spider is the simple subject.
So let's find the simple predicate or verb
by asking what did the spider do?
The spider crawled down the wall.
The simple predicate is crawled.
Let's practice some more examples.
Simple predicate practice.
Instructions: Find the simple predicates.
In the following sentences
you'll find the simple predicates.
First, try to find the subject of the sentence,
that will help you identify the simple predicate or verb.
Number one, We went to school at 7:30 am.
Number two, Every student finished the exam.
Number three, The cute dog ran inside quickly.
Number four, The zoo near their house has polar bears.
Number five, That flower in our garden is beautiful.
Pause the video while you work.
Ready to check?
Let's check our answers.
Number one, We went to school at 7:30 am.
Before we identify the simple predicate
let's find the subject, that'll help us.
Who or what is the sentence about?
The answer is we, so we is the subject.
Now to find the simple predicate or verb,
we have to ask the question what did the subject we do
or what is the action that we did in this sentence?
The answer is went, so went is the simple predicate
and the verb of the sentence.
Remember that the simple predicate is only one word.
Number two, every student finished the exam.
Again, before we identify the simple predicate or verb
let's find the subject.
What one word tells us who or what the sentence is about?
The answer is student, so student is the simple subject.
Now to find the simple predicate let's ask
what did every student do or what was the action
that every student did in this sentence?
Finished, so finished is the simple predicate
or verb of the sentence.
Number three, The cute dog ran inside quickly.
Again, what one word tells us who or what
the sentence is about?
The answer is dog, so dog is the subject.
Now, to find the simple predicate or verb we ask
what action did the dog do?
Ran, the simple predicate and verb is ran.
Number four, The zoo near their house has polar bears.
First, let's find the one word
that tells us who or what the sentence is about.
That word is zoo, so the subject of the sentence is zoo.
And what action word tells us what the zoo did
in this sentence?
Has, so has is the simple predicate
or verb in this sentence.
Number five, That flower in our garden is beautiful.
The subject of the sentence is flower.
What is the action that the flower does in the sentence?
The one word that tells us this action is, is.
Is, is the simple predicate in this sentence.
Now let's talk about complete predicates.
A complete predicate is all the words in the predicate.
This includes the verb and words that modify
or describe the verb.
Let's read the following sentences
and this time instead of identifying the simple predicate
we will identify the complete predicate.
One large truck passed our car.
First, let's identify the subject.
What one word tells us who or what the sentence is about?
That word is truck.
So truck is the simple subject.
Now, to find the complete predicate let's ask
what action did the truck do?
It passed our car, passed our car is the complete predicate.
If you remember the simple predicate is just the verb passed
but the complete predicate includes our car
because these words give us more details
about the verb passed.
Next, The small turtles were by the lake.
Again, let's first identify the simple subject.
Who or what is the sentences about?
Turtles, now let's ask to find the complete predicate.
What action did the turtles do in this sentence?
Were by the lake.
Were by the lake is the complete predicate
and if you remember
the simple predicate is just the verb were.
So the complete predicate contains the simple predicate
plus by the lake which describes were by telling where.
And finally, A scary spider crawled down the wall.
Let's identify the simple subject, spider,
and then let's find the complete predicate by asking
what action did the spider do in this sentence?
It crawled down the wall.
The complete predicate is crawled down the wall
and if you recall
the simple predicate was just the verb crawled.
Now let's practice some more examples.
Complete predicate practice.
Instructions, find the complete predicates.
Now, you'll practice finding the complete predicates
in these sentences.
These are the same sentences that we used before
to find the simple predicates.
Number one, We went to school at 7:30 am.
Number two, Every student finished the exam.
Number three, The cute dog ran inside quickly.
Number four, The zoo near their house has polar bears.
And number five, That flower in our garden is beautiful.
Find the complete predicate in each sentence.
My recommendation is to first find the simple subject
and then find the complete predicate
by asking what the subject did or is doing in the sentence.
Pause the video while you work.
Are you ready to check your answers?
Let's check.
Number one, We went to school at 7:30 am.
Before we identify the complete predicate
let's find the subject.
The subject of this sentence is we,
so to find the complete predicate we need to ask
what action did the subject we do in this sentence?
The answer is went to school at 7:30 am.
That is the complete predicate.
If you remember, the simple predicate is just one word
from the predicate, which is the verb went.
Number two, Every student finished the exam.
Again, before we identify the complete predicate
let's find the subject.
The simple subject is student.
To find the complete predicate we need to ask
what action did every student do in this sentence?
The answer is finished the exam.
That is the complete predicate in this sentence
and the simple predicate
is one word from the complete sentence
from the complete predicate,
which is the word and verb finished.
Number three, The cute dog ran inside quickly.
Before we identify the complete predicate
let's find the simple subject.
The simple subject of this sentence is dog
so we need to ask what did the dog do
or what action did the dog do in this sentence?
It ran inside quickly.
Ran inside quickly is the complete predicate
and the simple predicate is just the verb ran.
Number four, The zoo near their house has polar bears.
The subject of this sentence or the simple subject is zoo.
So, the predicate will tell us what action the zoo does
or did in the sentence.
Has polar bears, that's the complete predicate
and if you remember the simple predicate
was just the verb has.
Finally number five, That flower in our garden is beautiful.
The simple subject of the sentence is flower
and what's the action that the flower does in this sentence?
The complete predicate is, is beautiful
and remember the simple predicate was just the word is.
The end.
Our predicate practice for today is complete.
I hope this video helped you understand what a predicate is
and how to identify it.
Thank you for watching.