Can 'are' be a simple predicate?

Answer:
Yes.

Here's an example:

"Are Sam and Pat fit to play on Saturday?"
"They are."

In the sentence "They are", They is the subject, and are the complete predicate.

However, such a sentence presumes an antecedent. It could hardly open a new discourse.

First answer by Ligand. Last edit by Ligand. Contributor trust: 216 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 2 [recommend question].