What is a Simple Predicate?

S2-SA1-0153

Grade Level:

Class 2

NLP, Law, History, Social Sciences, Literature, Journalism, Communication

Definition

What is it?

The simple predicate is the main verb or verb phrase in a sentence that tells us what the subject does or is. It's the action word or the state of being word in the predicate part of the sentence.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine your friend, Rohan, 'eats a delicious samosa.' Here, 'eats' is the simple predicate because it's the main action Rohan is doing. It's the core verb in the sentence.

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's find the simple predicate in the sentence: 'The auto-rickshaw driver quickly drove to the market.'

1. First, find the subject of the sentence. Who or what is the sentence about? The auto-rickshaw driver.
---2. Now, identify the entire predicate. What did the auto-rickshaw driver do? quickly drove to the market.
---3. Within the predicate, find the main action word or verb. What is the core action? 'drove'.
---4. So, 'drove' is the simple predicate.
---Answer: drove

Why It Matters

Understanding simple predicates helps you write clear and strong sentences, which is vital for telling stories, writing news reports, or even explaining your ideas clearly in a presentation. Journalists and content creators use this skill every day to make their writing easy to understand.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Including all the words in the predicate as the simple predicate. For example, in 'She is running very fast,' thinking 'is running very fast' is the simple predicate. | CORRECTION: The simple predicate is just the main verb or verb phrase. In 'She is running very fast,' 'is running' is the simple predicate.

MISTAKE: Confusing the simple predicate with the direct object. For example, in 'He plays cricket,' thinking 'cricket' is the simple predicate. | CORRECTION: 'Cricket' is what he plays (the direct object). The simple predicate is the action 'plays'.

MISTAKE: Only picking a helping verb and ignoring the main verb in a verb phrase. For example, in 'They will study for the exam,' only choosing 'will'. | CORRECTION: When there's a helping verb and a main verb, the simple predicate includes both. So, 'will study' is the simple predicate.

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: Identify the simple predicate in: 'My mother bakes delicious gulab jamuns.' | ANSWER: bakes

QUESTION: What is the simple predicate in the sentence: 'The children are playing kabaddi in the park.' | ANSWER: are playing

QUESTION: Find the simple predicate in: 'Our school team has won the inter-school championship.' | ANSWER: has won

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of the following sentences has 'watched' as its simple predicate?

He watched a movie.

The watched movie was interesting.

She watched him play.

Both A and C

The Correct Answer Is:

In option A, 'watched' is the main verb. In option C, 'watched' is also the main verb telling what 'She' did. Option B uses 'watched' as an adjective.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

When you read news headlines or social media posts, understanding simple predicates helps you quickly grasp the main action. For example, a headline like 'ISRO launches new satellite' immediately tells you what ISRO did, thanks to the simple predicate 'launches'.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

PREDICATE: The part of a sentence that tells what the subject does or is. | VERB: A word that describes an action, state, or occurrence. | SUBJECT: The person, place, thing, or idea that is doing or being something. | VERB PHRASE: A main verb and any helping verbs that go with it.

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Great job learning about simple predicates! Next, you can explore 'Complete Predicates' to see how all the words that describe the verb fit together. This will help you build even more detailed and interesting sentences.