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.