English Language Arts
Grade 11
15 min
Identify the complete predicate of a sentence
Identify the complete predicate of a sentence
What you'll learn
- Identify the verb in a sentence with 80% accuracy.
- Explain what a complete predicate is in their own words, including the verb and all the words that tell what the subject does or is.
- Underline the complete predicate in at least 4 out of 5 sentences correctly.
- Distinguish between the subject and the complete predicate in a sentence and label each part correctly in at least 3 out of 4 sentences.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define the complete predicate and distinguish it from the simple predicate.
Isolate the complete predicate in simple, compound, and complex sentences from American literature.
Analyze how possessive nouns and contractions, which use apostrophes, function within a complete predicate.
Identify the complete predicate in sentences with inverted word order or introductory phrases.
Differentiate between possessive pronouns (e.g., its) and contractions (e.g., it's) when they appear within the predicate.
Apply knowledge of predicates to improve sentence clarity and precision in their own analytical essays.
Ever felt a sentence's true meaning was hidden? What if a tiny punctuation mark, the apostrophe, is a key clue to unlocking the sentence's actio...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Complete PredicateThe part of a sentence that contains the verb and all its modifiers, objects, or complements. It tells what the subject is, has, or does.In the sentence, 'Hawthorne's novel explores themes of sin and guilt,' the complete predicate is 'explores themes of sin and guilt.'
Simple PredicateThe main verb or verb phrase within the complete predicate that indicates the action or state of being, without any modifiers or objects.In the sentence, 'The poet's message isn't always obvious,' the simple predicate is the verb phrase 'is not' (or 'isn't').
Verb PhraseA group of words that functions as a single verb, consisting of a main verb and one or more helping (auxiliary) verbs.In 'The c...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Subject-First Rule
Identify the Complete Subject first. The Complete Predicate is everything else.
To use this rule, ask 'Who or what is the sentence about?' The answer is the complete subject. Everything that remains—the verb and all the words that follow it—is the complete predicate. This is the most reliable method for dividing a sentence.
The Verb Anchor Rule
Find the verb or verb phrase. The complete predicate begins with the verb.
The verb is the anchor of the predicate. Once you locate the simple predicate (the verb or verb phrase), you can identify the complete predicate by including the verb and all the words that complete its meaning, typically extending to the end of the sentence.
The Apostrophe's Function Rule
An apostrophe in a predicate...
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
Given the complete subject, "The new biography's controversial claim," which of the following complete predicates most effectively uses an apostrophe to create a concise and clear statement for an analytical essay?
A.hasn't been substantiated by the author's primary sources.
B.is not being substantiated by the sources of the author.
C.is lacking substantiation from the primary sources of the author.
D.doesn't have substantiation from the author's primary sources.
Challenging
Analyze the following sentence from a student's essay: "The novel's narrator isn't reliable, a fact the final chapter's events make clear." How could the student revise this to place the key information in the main clause's complete predicate for greater impact?
A.The final chapter's events aren't making the narrator's unreliability clear.
B.It's the final chapter's events that make the narrator's unreliability clear.
C.The narrator isn't reliable, which is made clear by the final chapter's events.
D.The final chapter's events make the narrator's unreliability clear.
Challenging
In the sentence, "The critic's review isn't just an opinion; it's a carefully constructed argument's foundation," how does the function of the apostrophe in the second clause's predicate shape the sentence's meaning?
A.The contraction 'it's' equates the review with the foundation, creating a metaphor.
B.The possessive 'argument's' modifies 'foundation,' suggesting the foundation belongs to the argument and is not the argument itself.
C.The contraction 'isn't' in the first clause sets up a contrast that the second apostrophe resolves.
D.The possessive 'critic's' in the subject is balanced by the possessive 'argument's' in the predicate.
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What grade level is "Identify the complete predicate of a sentence"?
Identify the complete predicate of a sentence is a Grade 11 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify the complete predicate of a sentence?
You'll be able to: Identify the verb in a sentence with 80% accuracy; Explain what a complete predicate is in their own words, including the verb and all the words that tell what the subject does or is; Underline the complete predicate in at least….
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This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.