Something must be said about the subject. The predicate is the part of a clause that attributes a property, action, or relation to the subject, typically containing the verb and its complements.

In traditional grammar the predicate contrasts with the subject as one of two main sentence parts. Modern syntax treats predicates as verbs or other predicative heads that select arguments. Nominal and adjectival predicates appear with linking verbs in many languages.

Identifying the predicate helps students parse structure and understand agreement. Logical theories of predicates abstract further, treating properties as unsaturated meanings completed by arguments. Classroom definitions usually stay closer to the verb-centered syntactic sense.

• Clause component that says something about the subject
• Typically includes the verb and its complements
• Contrasts with the subject in traditional analysis
• Central to clause-structure teaching