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I have read this sentence in a newspaper

Reality Winner pleaded guilty in June to a single count of transmitting national security information.

[Handout via Reuters]

Why is an adjective "guilty" following a verb "plead"?

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    There's no reason an adjective can't follow a verb: I saw red, I heard loud music, I thought hard, etc.
    – stangdon
    Commented Aug 24, 2018 at 11:44
  • Ex: A right sentence, I saw a red pen
    – Maika
    Commented Aug 25, 2018 at 2:33
  • "I saw red" is an idiom with its own distinct meaning, "I thought hard" (hard is an adverb) and "I heard loud" is an incomplete sentence, you need a noun (music, noises, talking, cries) after the adjective.
    – Mari-Lou A
    Commented Aug 31, 2022 at 21:03

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In this context, guilty is effectively a noun, the object of "plead". Historically it (or at least "not guilty" - "plead guilty" came later) was the name of a plea, so the phrase was really:

plead 'Not Guilty'

The noun can be used in a very limited set of contexts: beside "plead guilty" you can say "a verdict of guilty".

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  • Would it not be analogous to All those in favor say aye?
    – TimR
    Commented Aug 24, 2018 at 11:44

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