Which term is an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject?

• A. Direct object
• B. Subordinate clause
• C. Predicate nominative
• D. Predicate adjective

Answer: (D)

A predicate adjective describes the subject and follows a linking verb. Linking verbs connect the subject to a description rather than showing action, so the word that follows them and describes the subject is an adjective. For example, in “The soup tastes delicious,” the adjective delicious describes the subject soup and comes after the linking verb tastes. This shows a property of the subject.

This differs from predicate nominatives, which are nouns or pronouns that rename the subject after a linking verb (for instance, “The winner is she” or “The winner is Mary”). Direct objects receive action, and subordinate clauses are not descriptors at all.

So the term you’re looking for is a predicate adjective.