Predicate Nominatives

Predicate Nominatives

A subject complement is a complement that identifies or modifies the subject of a linking verb.

REMINDER

Some common linking verbs include forms of be (such as am, is, was, were, being, will be, and have been), appear, become, feel, grow, look, remain, seem, smell, sound, stay, taste, and turn.

A predicate nominative is a type of subject complement that identifies or refers to the subject of a linking verb. A predicate nominative may be a noun, a pronoun, or a word group that functions as a noun. 

EXAMPLES 

• The Grangers were the first settlers in the region. [The noun settlers identifies the subject Grangers.] 
• Who is the woman in the back row? [The pronoun Who refers to the subject woman.] 
• The goal of the architects is to restore the building to its original condition. [The infinitive phrase to restore the building to its original condition functions as a noun and identifies the subject goal.]

NOTE

For emphasis, a writer sometimes places a subject complement before the subject and the verb. 

EXAMPLE 

• What an interesting sculpture that is! [The noun sculpture identifies the subject that.]

A predicate nominative may be compound. 

EXAMPLES 

• The colors of the rainbow are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. [Violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red identify the subject colors.] 
• The top salespeople for the month were Brady and Ramona. [Brady and Ramona refer to the subject salespeople.]

Predicate Nominatives Quiz

For each of the following sentences, choose the predicate adjective.