[Grammar] predicate question - Should he always be the winner of every race

[HeartShape]

Hi,

Sentence: Should he always be the winner of every race?

Is "the winner" a predicate adjective or predicate noun in the sentence?

Other question: how do you determine if it's a predicate adjective or predicate noun? I would have thought if "the" is infront it would have be a noun. Am I confusing this with direct objects?

 

[jutfrank]

the winner is a noun phrase. The predicate is the winner of every race, which comes after the linking verb be.

I'm not sure how you're getting confused. You're right to think that the word the tells us that it's a noun. What makes you think it could be an adjective?

 

[HeartShape]

the winner is a noun phrase. The predicate is the winner of every race, which comes after the linking verb be.

I'm not sure how you're getting confused. You're right to think that the word the tells us that it's a noun. What makes you think it could be an adjective?

Ah... that's the simple predicate.

I should say: subject complement - two kinds of subject complements: predicate nouns and predicate adjectives.

Initially, I wrote predicate noun but the answer book say the answer is predicate adjective, so I posted up for a second opinion.

I think I know why she wrote predicate adjective, because it's not a proper noun. Would you agree?

 

[jutfrank]

I think I know why she wrote predicate adjective, because it's not a proper noun. Would you agree?

I have no idea why she thinks it's an adjective. It isn't. I don't see how proper nouns have to do with anything, either, to be honest.

 

[HeartShape]

I have no idea why she thinks it's an adjective. It isn't. I don't see how proper nouns have to do with anything, either, to be honest.

hmm... I don't really know. Maybe the answer a mistake because I notice in another answer about transitive active she wrote the answer as transitive passive when the answer should be transitive active.

Still analysing why she wrote that.

 

[HeartShape]

OK. I think I know why predicate adjective is the answer for "winner". "Winner" is acting like an adjective because it describes the racer, and since the sentence is an intransitive linking verb "the winner" cannot be a direct object so that doesn't suggest it's a noun.