What is the Difference Between Adjective and Predicate?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

The main difference between an adjective and a predicate lies in their position within a sentence and their function. Here are the key differences:

  • Adjective: An adjective is a part of speech that describes the quality of a noun. It is usually placed just before the noun it describes. Adjectives can be used with any noun in the sentence. For example, in the sentence "She is a beautiful singer," the word "beautiful" is an adjective that describes the noun "singer."
  • Predicate: A predicate is a clause that tells us something about the subject. It usually comes after the subject, but there are exceptions when the predicate comes before the subject. In the sentence "The cat is purring," the predicate "is purring" tells us something about the subject "cat."

Predicate adjectives are a specific type of adjective that appear in the predicate of a sentence and come after a linking verb, such as "is" or "became," that describes the subject of the sentence. For example, in the sentence "She's an engineer and is happy," the predicate adjective "happy" describes the subject "She" and comes after the linking verb "is". Predicate adjectives typically complement linking verbs like "be," "become," "make," "seem," or "feel".

In summary:

  • Adjectives describe nouns and are usually placed before the noun they describe.
  • Predicates tell us something about the subject and usually come after the subject.
  • Predicate adjectives are a specific type of adjective that appear in the predicate of a sentence and come after a linking verb.

Comparative Table: Adjective vs Predicate

Here is a table comparing the differences between adjectives and predicates:

Feature Adjective Predicate
Definition A part of speech that describes the quality of a noun A clause that tells us something about the subject of a sentence
Position Usually placed just before the noun it describes Usually comes after the subject, but there are exceptions
Modification Can be used with any noun in the sentence Only tells us about the subject of the sentence
Examples - The beautiful flower (describes the quality of the flower) - Jack is great. (The linking verb is "is," and the predicate adjective, which describes "Jack," is "great.")

An adjective is a part of speech that describes the quality of a noun, while a predicate is a clause that tells us something about the subject of a sentence. Adjectives can be used with any noun in the sentence, whereas predicates only provide information about the subject. In some cases, adjectives can also function as predicates, but they have distinct roles in a sentence.