Predicative Position Of Adjectives

When adjectives go after be or other copular verbs, they are being used predicatively. Adjectives used in the predicative position describe the subject.

• He is clever. (Here the adjective clever goes after the verb be and describes the subject he.)
• They are rich.
• He is kind.
• The night grew dark.
• She looked unhappy.
• The soup tasted delicious.

Some adjectives can only go in the predicative position. Examples are: afraid, afloat, alike, alive, alone, awake, asleep etc. Before a noun we use other words.

Worksheet

1. She lives ……………………. (alone / lonely)
2. The …………………… woman has no one to give her company. (alone / lonely)
3. The baby is fast ……………………. (sleeping / asleep)
4. Let ……………………. dogs lie. (asleep / sleeping)
5. She acted ……………………. (well / good)
6. She is a …………………….. actor. (good / well)
7. The ……………………. woman had to be hospitalized. (sick / ill)
8. He was …………………….. when they found him. (live / alive)

Answers

1. alone, 2. lonely, 3. asleep, 4. sleeping, 5. well, 6. good, 7. sick, 8. alive

See also

Adjectives used in the predicative position