Predicate

All sentences contain at least one subject and one predicate.

The predicate is what is said about the subject.

Note: In the following examples, the predicate is italicized.

The main word in the predicate is a finite verb. (A verb that shows past, present, or future time is called a “finite verb.”)

The predicate may be only one word (or a verb with one or more helping verbs):

The dog ran.
The clock has struck.
I have been thinking.

The predicate may include one or more adverbs that tell more about the main verb:

The singer sang loudly.

The predicate may include phrases:

The dog lay in his bed in the corner.