Predicative Adjectives
Subject and Object Predicative Adjectives
Unlike attributive adjectives, predicative adjectives do NOT precede the nouns they modify. There are two roles for predicative adjectives: subject predicatives and object predicatives.
Subject Predicatives
Subject predicatives complement a copular verbA verb which links a subject to a complement. and give information about the subject.
- Sneezessubject noun are powerfulpredicative adjective for a reason! (Sorg 2021)
The noun "sneezes" is the subject, "are" is a copular verb, and "powerful" is a predicative adjective. The adjective is complemented with a prepositional phrase, "for a reason". - Some languagessubject noun seem harderpredicative adjective (comparative) than others. (Sorace 2023)
The noun "Some languages" is the subject, "seem" is a copular verb, and "harder" is a predicative adjective . The adjective is complemented with a comparative phrase, "than others". - After age 30,
peoplesubject noun start to become a little bit shorterpredicative adjective. (Bogin 2020)
The noun "people" is the subject, "become" is a copular verb, and "shorter" is a predicative adjective . The adjective is modified by the adverb phrase, "a little bit".
Object Predicatives
Object predicatives follow a direct object and describe or classify it.
- It can make
themobject noun worseobject predicative (comparative).(Grové 2019)
The pronoun "them" is the object of the verb, "make", and "worse" is an object predicative. - This is another adaptation to keep
themobject noun warmobject predicative. (Younger 2019)
The pronoun "them" is the object of the verb, "make", and "warm" is an object predicative. - But perhaps having a partner with a
compatibleadjective personalitynoun makes
all these thingsobject noun phrase slightly easierobject predicative modified by the adverb 'slightly' to manage. (McCully 2023)
The noun phrase "all these things" is the object of the verb, "makes", and "easier" is an object predicative postmodified by a to-clause, "to manage". - Things such as the structure of a compound and its stability can make
itobject noun more complex and difficultobject predicative to make. (Addicoat 2023)
The pronoun "it" is the object of the verb, "make", and "more complex and difficult" is an object predicative (comparative with two adjectives) postmodified by a to-clause, "to make".
As you can see from the last two examples, predicative adjectives often have complements of their own such as to-clauses, prepositional phrases, that clauses or than comparative phrases or clauses.
Adjectives which are predominantly predicative
Almost all adjectives can be used either attributively or predicatively but many adjectives with the prefix a- occur predominantly in the predicative position: alike, alive, alone. Adjectives which take complementation also occur predominantly in the predicative position: able, afraid, answerable, anxious, asleep, averse, aware, clear, conscious, essential, difficult, important, impossible, likely, loath, necessary, possible, ready, responsible, subject, sure, unlikely, worse.
You can see more examples of predicative adjectivesAn adjective which is used after a verb. Predicative adjectives may be subject predicatives or object predicatives. in the glossary.