Predicate

The Predicate

• Every clause contains a predicate.
• The predicate is the highest VP (or AuxP) in a clause.
• In English, clauses always have a VP predicate, however, this VP can also contain a semantically vacuous verb, such as the copula be, and an AP, NP, or PP (i.e. a predicative complement).

Example: with a VP predicate (a), and an AuxP predicate (b)

         _S_                     _S_
        /   \                  /    \
       /    pred              /     pred
      /       \              /        \
    NP    ____VP___        NP   ______AuxP____
   /__\  /_________\      /__\ /______________\
   Pat   read a book.     Pat  will read a book.

Read further on other grammatical functions:

1. The predicate
   
2. The subject
   
3. The complements
   
   1. The direct object
      
   2. The indirect object
      
   3. The predicative complement
      
   4. The oblique complement
      
4. Modifiers (Adjuncts)
   

 ↑ Grammatical Functions          → Subject