Which term describes the phrase that includes the verb and all the words that describe it and complete its meaning?

• A. Complete sentence
• B. Complete predicate
• C. Simple predicate
• D. Verb phrase

Answer: (B)

Understanding what a predicate includes: the verb and all the words that describe it and complete its meaning. The term described here is the complete predicate, because it covers the verb itself plus every modifier, object, and other word that completes the action. For example, in a sentence like “The cat chased the mouse quickly through the garden,” the complete predicate is “chased the mouse quickly through the garden.” It includes the verb chase and all the words that tell what happened, to whom, how, and where. The simple predicate would be just the main verb, “chased,” without the accompanying words. A verb phrase would include the verb and any helping verbs, but not necessarily the objects or all modifiers. A complete sentence is the whole unit with a subject and predicate, not just the predicate itself.