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CEFR C2 — Proficiency

Predicative

Definition

(linguistics, formal) Relating to or functioning as a predicate; expressing a property, quality, or relation attributed to the subject of a sentence. Often used in contrast to 'attributive' or 'appositive'. Typically collocates with 'construction', 'phrase', 'adjective', 'function'.

Example Sentences

1In the sentence 'The big red car is mine', 'big' and 'red' are attributive adjectives, while 'is mine' is a predicative construction.
2Does the distinction between attributive and predicative adjectives have any implications for how we understand the nature of predication itself?
3The predicative function of the adjective 'happy' in 'She is happy' differs from its attributive function in 'The happy couple'.
4Challenge the assumption that all adjectives can function both attributively and predicatively; consider the case of 'former' or 'mere'.
5There is ongoing debate in linguistic theory about the status of predicative nouns versus predicative adjectives in certain constructions.

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