Lesson 104 - Parts of the Sentence - Predicate Nominative

View lesson on Daily Grammar

A predicate nominative or predicate noun completes a linking verb and renames the subject.  It is a complement or completer because it completes the verb.  The verb in a sentence having a predicate nominative can always be replaced by the word equals.

     Examples:
     Mr. Johanson is a teacher.
     Mr. Johanson equals a teacher.
     Mr. Johanson is a father.
     Mr. Johanson equals a father.
     Mr. Johanson is my neighbor.
     Mr. Johanson equals my neighbor.

Predicate nominatives complete only linking verbs. The linking verbs include the following: the helping verbs is, am, are, was, were, be, being, and been; the sense verbs look, taste, smell, feel, and sound; and verbs like become, seem, appear, grow, continue, stay, and turn.

Predicate nominatives can be compound. 

 

     Example: 

     Mr. Johanson is a teacher, father, and my neighbor.

Instructions: List the subject, verb, and predicate nominatives in the following sentences. Some may have compound subjects, verbs, or predicate nominatives. Some may not have a predicate nominative.

1. Abbott and Costello were famous actors and a comedy team.

2. Radio and television have become old inventions and household necessities.

3. Many neglected children become really unhappy grownups.

4. The car has been here for a long time.

5. She was a model and became a movie star.

--For answers scroll down.

Answers:

1. Abbott and Costello were famous actors and a comedy team.

2. Radio and television have become old inventions and household necessities.

3. Many neglected children become really unhappy grownups.

4. The car has been here for a long time.

5. She was a model and became a movie star.

 

Next Lesson
 

For your convenience, all of our lessons are available on our website in our lesson archive at http://www.dailygrammar.com/archive.html.