What is a Complete Predicate?

Hello, class! Today, we are going to learn about something called the “complete predicate” in a sentence.

What is a Predicate?

First, let’s understand what a predicate is. The predicate tells us what the subject (the person, place, or thing we are talking about) is doing.

Example:

  • In the sentence “The dog barks,” the subject is “the dog,” and the predicate is “barks.”

What is a Complete Predicate?

Now, the complete predicate includes all the words that tell us what the subject is doing and what happens to the subject. It includes the verb (the action) and all the words that go with it.

Example:

  • In the sentence “The dog barks loudly at the mailman,” the complete predicate is “barks loudly at the mailman.”

Key Rules

  1. Find the Subject First: Always look for the subject of the sentence first.
  2. Look for the Verb: Identify the main action word (verb) in the sentence.
  3. Include Extra Information: Add any details that tell more about what the subject is doing.

Tips and Tricks

  • Ask Questions: After finding the subject, ask yourself, “What is the subject doing?” This will help you find the complete predicate.
  • Underlining: When you write sentences, try underlining the subject and circling the complete predicate to see how they work together.
  • Practice: The more you practice, the easier it will become to identify the complete predicate!

Examples

  1. Sentence: “The cat slept on the mat.”
    • Subject: The cat
    • Complete Predicate: slept on the mat
  2. Sentence: “The children played soccer in the park.”
    • Subject: The children
    • Complete Predicate: played soccer in the park

Questions to Practice

Easy Level (Multiple Choice)

  1. What is the complete predicate in “The bird sings”?a) The birdb) singsc) sings beautifully
  2. In “The boy runs fast,” what is the complete predicate?a) The boyb) runsc) runs fast
  3. Identify the complete predicate: “The flowers bloom in spring.”a) The flowersb) bloom in springc) bloom
  4. What does the complete predicate tell us in “The car raced down the street”?a) The carb) raced down the streetc) down the street
  5. In “The teacher explains the lesson,” what is the complete predicate?a) The teacherb) explainsc) explains the lesson
  6. What is the complete predicate in “The rabbit hops”?a) The rabbitb) hopsc) hops quickly
  7. Identify the complete predicate: “The stars twinkle at night.”a) The starsb) twinkle at nightc) at night
  8. What is the complete predicate in “The sun shines brightly”?a) The sunb) shinesc) shines brightly
  9. In “The baby cries,” what is the complete predicate?a) The babyb) criesc) cries loudly
  10. Identify the complete predicate in “The dog plays fetch.”a) The dogb) playsc) plays fetch

Medium Level (Fill in the Blanks)

  1. The boy _______ his homework quickly.
  2. The cat _______ on the windowsill.
  3. The children _______ in the playground.
  4. The teacher _______ the rules clearly.
  5. The flowers _______ in the garden.
  6. The train _______ to the station.
  7. The athlete _______ for the race.
  8. The dog _______ at the squirrel.
  9. The chef _______ a delicious meal.
  10. The stars _______ in the sky.

Hard Level (Open-Ended)

  1. What is the complete predicate in “The owl hooted softly at night”?
  2. Identify the complete predicate in “The children sang songs at the concert.”
  3. What is the complete predicate in “The football player scored a goal”?
  4. Find the complete predicate in “The teacher asked a difficult question.”
  5. Identify the complete predicate in “The wind blew fiercely through the trees.”
  6. What is the complete predicate in “The artist painted a beautiful landscape”?
  7. Find the complete predicate in “The dog chased the ball across the yard.”
  8. Identify the complete predicate in “The students worked on their projects together.”
  9. What is the complete predicate in “The movie started at eight o’clock”?
  10. Find the complete predicate in “The family enjoyed their picnic at the park.”

Answers and Explanations

Easy Level Answers

  1. c) sings beautifully
  2. c) runs fast
  3. b) bloom in spring
  4. b) raced down the street
  5. c) explains the lesson
  6. b) hops
  7. b) twinkle at night
  8. c) shines brightly
  9. b) cries
  10. c) plays fetch

Medium Level Answers

  1. does
  2. sleeps
  3. play
  4. explained
  5. bloom
  6. arrived
  7. trained
  8. barked
  9. cooked
  10. twinkle

Hard Level Answers

  1. hooted softly at night
  2. sang songs at the concert
  3. scored a goal
  4. asked a difficult question
  5. blew fiercely through the trees
  6. painted a beautiful landscape
  7. chased the ball across the yard
  8. worked on their projects together
  9. started at eight o’clock
  10. enjoyed their picnic at the park

Now, let’s practice finding the complete predicates in sentences! Remember, it takes time, but you will get better with each practice. Happy learning!