Just like other adjectives, a predicate adjective describes a noun. However, instead of going right before a noun, a predicate adjective comes after the verb in a sentence.
He is a tall man.
Here the adjective tall comes right before the noun man.
We can write this sentence another way.
The man is tall.
The adjective tall still describes man, but tall is not next to man. The verb is comes between the noun and the adjective. We call the word tall a predicate adjective because it finishes off the predicate (the verb). The man is what? The man is tall.
Forms of the verb to be are used with predicate adjectives.
Look at these “being” verbs: am, are, is, was, were
We use these verbs with a predicate adjective.
The lady is pretty.
The adjective pretty describes lady.
Last night’s dinner was tasty.
The adjective tasty describes dinner.
Our new puppy is black.
The adjective black describes puppy.
The math problems were hard.
The adjective hard describes math problems.
I am hungry.
In this sentence, you describe yourself as hungry.
A predicate adjective comes after a “being” verb to describe the subject of the sentence. A predicate adjective finishes off the “being” verb by describing the subject of the sentence. He is what? I am what? The predicate adjective answers the question.