16. Predicate/Verbs – Sentences

One part of a sentence is the subject. The other part is the action or the predicate. The predicate tells us what the subject in the sentence is doing or feeling. The predicate in a sentence is the action of the subject. The predicate can be physical, mental (feeling), or it can be a helping/linking word in the sentence. Note: The predicate in a sentence is sometimes referred to as the verb.

HELPING VERBS

• Some sentences need a helping verb.
• A helping verb generally comes before a verb that ends in ‘ing’.
• In the following sentence, we could not say: Serena going to the movies.
• A helping verb is needed.

COMMON HELPING VERBS

LINKING VERBS

Some sentences need a linking verb.

A linking verb is used to connect, or link, the subject of a sentence with another word that either renames or describes the subject.
In this sentence, we could not say: Peter carpenter. A linking verb is needed.

Example

Peter is a carpenter.

In the above sentence, is links the subject – Peter – to a phrase that renames Peter.

Peter = carpenter. The linking verb is renamed Peter.

In this next sentence, we could not say: That carpet dirty. A linking verb is needed.

Example

That carpet was dirty.

In the above sentence, was links the subject – carpet – to the word dirty to describe the carpet.

carpet = dirty. The linking verb was describes the carpet.

Place a checkmark in the correct column for each predicate/verb.

Read each word. Are these words nouns or verbs? Place a checkmark in the appropriate column.

What Says?

Spelling and Sentence Dictation

Review

In the lesson we learned about predicates/verbs. One part of a sentence is the subject. The other part is the action or the predicate. The predicate tells us what the subject in the sentence is doing or feeling. The predicate in a sentence is the action of the subject. The predicate can be physical or it can be a helping/linking word in the sentence. Note: The predicate in a sentence is sometimes referred to as the verb.

HELPING VERBS

• Some sentences need a helping verb.
• A helping verb generally comes before a verb that ends in ‘ing’.
• In the following sentence, we could not say: Serena going to the movies.
• A helping verb is needed.

COMMON HELPING VERBS

LINKING VERBS

Some sentences need a linking verb.

A linking verb is used to connect, or link, the subject of a sentence with another word that either renames or describes the subject.

In the sentence below, we could not say:

Peter carpenter. A linking verb is needed.

Example

Peter is a carpenter.

In the above sentence, is links the subject – Peter – to a phrase that renames Peter.

Peter = carpenter. The linking verb is renamed Peter.

In this next sentence, we could not say:

That carpet dirty. A linking verb is needed.

Example

That carpet was dirty.

In the above sentence, was links the subject – carpet – to the word dirty to describe the carpet.

carpet = dirty. The linking verb was describes the carpet.

Practice

Underline the subject once, and the predicate twice in each sentence?

1. The dog ate my homework.
2. Jack ran on the track.
3. There is a frog in the pond.
4. Where is my dress?

Place each verb in the correct column.

Underline or highlight the predicate in each sentence.

1. Anna has a job in a nursing home.
2. Jane likes her teacher Mrs. Jones.
3. Bill will run in the race.
4. Fran can bake a cake for the class.
5. Do you drive your car to work?
6. Paul went to church on Sunday.