Predicate Nominative
Predicate nominatives belong to subject-complement structure: they relate back to the subject through a linking verb rather than functioning as a direct object. Terminology varies, so “predicate noun” and “subject complement” often overlap with the concept.
A predicate nominative (often called a predicate noun when it is a noun) is a subject complement that follows a linking verb and renames or identifies the subject.
Key details
Important caveats
Terminology Boundary
Grammar references vary in labels: “predicate noun,” “predicate nominative,” and the broader “subject complement” are related terms but not always used with identical scope.
Further guidance
Core Rule
After a linking verb, a noun or pronoun that identifies or renames the subject can function as a predicate nominative.
Diagnostic
Ask whether the complement equates with or identifies the subject rather than receiving an action from the verb.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Subject complements — Cambridge Grammar (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Grammar evidence that adjective phrases can function as subject complements after linking-type verbs.
- Predicate Nouns: Usage and Examples (opens in a new tab)The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation · Grammar reference defining predicate nouns (predicate nominatives) as nouns that rename or identify the subject after a linking verb.