What is a simple predicate?

A simple predicate is the main verb in a sentence. It's the word (or words) that express the action or state of being of the subject. It's "simple" because it doesn't include any helping verbs (auxiliary verbs) that might be part of a verb phrase.

Here's a breakdown:

• It's the core of the predicate: The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells what the subject does or is. The simple predicate is the essential action or state of being within that predicate.

• It can be one word: Many simple predicates consist of just a single verb. For example:

  • The dog ran. ("ran" is the simple predicate)
  • She sleeps. ("sleeps" is the simple predicate)
  • He laughed. ("laughed" is the simple predicate)

• It can be more than one word (but only if it's a single verb): Some verbs are made of more than one word but still function as one single verb and thus represent the simple predicate. This is less common. For example:

  • The children were playing. ("were playing" functions as a single verb, though it's made up of an auxiliary verb and a main verb)

• It's contrasted with the complete predicate: The complete predicate includes the simple predicate plus any modifiers or objects that relate to it. For example, in the sentence "The dog ran quickly across the park," the simple predicate is "ran," but the complete predicate is "ran quickly across the park."

In short, identifying the simple predicate helps you pinpoint the main action or state of being described in a sentence. It's the foundation upon which the rest of the predicate is built.