Do you know what a predicate is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on predicate, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
Your writing, at its best
Compose bold, clear, mistake-free, writing with Grammarly's AI-powered writing assistant
According to Dictionary, a predicate is the part of a sentence or clause that is not the subject. It is the part of a sentence in which something is said about the subject. Predicate is three syllables – pred-i-cate. There are different types of predicates, including a complete predicate, verb phrase, linking verb, compound predicate, predicate nominatives, simple predicate, and more. The predicate of a sentence contains the action verb as well as modifiers like adverbs that modify the verb. Predicates are sometimes connected to a subject by a conjunction. There can be multiple verbs in a predicate, and modifiers can modify the main verb, first verb, and other verbs.
Many different languages also contain words that mean predicate. You may notice that some of these translations of predicate look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases in different languages that likely have the same root or language of origin, causing them to sound the same. The below list of translations of predicate is provided by Word Sense.
Predicates are also a term in programming languages such as Java or SQL. Java predicates represent single argument functions that return a boolean value, i.e. true or false. Below you will find a code example from Zet Code on using predicates in Java. Predicate conditions can also be used on arrays of simple string values. The program goes through each element of the list and compares it against the default value, creating a non-literal partition to create a result list. It might return a list of all values from the given list that meet the criteria, and if the list returns an empty list, this means that nothing in the list matches the given predicate. Many examples can be found on sites like GitHub. Predicates in Java are implemented with interfaces often using Java lambdas. Different parameters are given for the input which affect the output.
com/zetcode/JavaPredicateEx.java
package com.zetcode;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.function.Predicate;
class BiggerThanFive<E> implements Predicate<Integer> {
In the example, the predicate is used to filter integers.
class BiggerThanFive<E> implements Predicate<Integer> {
@Override
public boolean test(Integer v) {
Integer five = 5;
return v > five;
}
}
What are examples of predicates?
Predicates can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or grammatical technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of predicates that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. Take a look at these predicate examples from YourDictionary, Albert and 7 E S L and see how many you can identify the predicate in!
Children grow older every day.
The climate here appears idyllic and temperate.
My homes have been a basement apartment, a trailer, and a house.
After my workout, I feel powerful and energized.
Aspen leaves turn yellow in the fall.
Apples taste sweet and delicious.
The purchase of the black opal ring is extravagant.
The mountain air smells piney and clean.
Finally, all the laundry is washed, dried and folded.
Mount Rushmore looks amazing.
Dinner can be whatever you find in the refrigerator, Adam.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
January 4, 2022
Common Questions
