100 Examples of Predicative Verbs

The predicative verbs they are those that have their own and full meaning, because they refer to concrete or abstract actions or processes. For example: eat, sleep, think.

Predicative verbs differ from copulatives (to be to be to look like), because the latter do not have their own meaning and require a attribute to complete its meaning. For example: Sofia she is very good. (“very good” is an attribute that completes the meaning of the statement and the verb “is” has the function of joining the subject “Sofia” with the attribute)

On the other hand, predicative verbs do not require an attribute, but they may require or be accompanied by other complements, such as the direct complement, the indirect compliment, the complement regimen and the circumstantial.

From a syntactic conception, predicative verbs are generally found in bimember sentences and fulfill the function of the verbal nucleus of the verbal predicate. For example:My uncle ski very good. (“he skis very well” is the verbal predicate and “skis” is a predicative verb that fulfills the function of the verbal nucleus)

To take into account:Most of the verbs of Spanish are predicative and some of them in certain contexts are pseudocopulative, that is, they function as copulative, because they unite a subject with an attribute. For example: Mariana put on happy.

• See also: predicative sentences

Types of predicative verbs

Predicative verbs can be:

• transitive. They are those who demand a direct complement, that is, a construction that refers to the entity that receives the action designated by the verb. For example: buy, ask, give.
• Intransitives. They are those that do not require a direct complement, because the action does not fall on another entity. For example:go, come, go out.

To take into account:Some Spanish verbs can be transitive or intransitive depending on the context. For example: Daniela have breakfast tea with toast / Daniela have breakfast every day. In the first sentence, "breakfast" is transitive, because "tea with toast" is a direct object. On the other hand, in the second sentence, “breakfast” is intransitive, because there is no direct object.

examples of predicative verbs

admire	sleep	browse
rejoice	doubt	to snow
feed	start	smell
analyze	find	organize
walk	cool	paraphrase
dance	to teach	take a walk
go down	to understand	to think
shine	get in	forgive
Search	to write	put
change	listen	prefer
sing	to study	to ask
cook	explain	turn on
to compete	expose	propose
to complete	celebrate	post
to buy	to film	want
understand	Record	row
Spice up	save	distribute
trust	like	solve
know	speak	check
contemplate	run away	pray
run	research	to know
cut	to go	leave
believe	play	heal
comply	justify	apply for
to give	judge	Sound
to decide	read	go up
tell	clean up	Add
deduct	to call	to have
let	wear	end up
show	to rain	throw
wake up	make up	drink
dictate	to snack	bring
to direct	born	to fly
donate	to swim	return

Examples of sentences with predicative verbs

1. In this restaurant they cook very good.
2. The new employee always have bright ideas.
3. They go to the same beach every summer.
4. Darius read three books a week.
5. Eugenie always think in the others.
6. Or well I enter in his house, rang the ringer.
7. Nope HE a lot on that subject.
8. ¿You know To Pedro?
9. Where keep The grass cutter?
10. famous film director filmed many documentaries.
11. All they fulfilled contract.
12. Many people they dream with a better world.
13. The physical demonstrated that her theory was valid.
14. Manager analyzed carefully the project and approved.
15. Josephine dance sauce very good.
16. Luke study Engineering in Paris.
17. Daniela wakes up every day at nine.
18. My father change the car for a new one.
19. fabian I take a coffee in the restaurant.
20. The cats they sleep about twenty hours a day.
21. The editorial public over a hundred books this year.
22. this chef spice up very good dishes.
23. Every morning, Analia she puts on makeup and then he combs.
24. Gabriel investigate chimpanzee behavior.
25. The mathematician resolved all the equations in a very short time.
26. The teacher wrote the questions on the board.
27. the minister of education he said That they had built thirty schools last year.
28. the artisans ordered their workbenches.
29. What time begin the movie?
30. Prior to descend of the mountain, the climbers contemplated landscape for the last time.

Interactive test to practice

Follow with:

• verb complements
• types of verbs
• Auxiliary verbs
• impersonal verbs
• state verbs
• Attributive sentences

References

• Gomez-Torrego, L. (2005). Didactic grammar of Spanish. SM editions.
• Ruiz de Aguirre, A. (2020). new syntax. Own publication.