In language, reasoning occurs as statements or premises connect logically and lead to a conclusion. This reasoning can be of different types including cause and effect in which an event, situation, etc. is presented as a trigger of others. In the statement "Gradually, desertification causes a dryland, such as the Sonoran Desert, to lose its ability to support plants and animals" this is the type of reasoning as a cause is presented "desertification" and the effect of it " to lose its ability to support plants and animals" which is also shown by the verb "cause" that shows the cause and effect reasoning.
A simple predicate, or verb, is the main word or word group that tells something about the subject. A simple predicate may be a one-word verb or a verb phrase. In this sentence, it is a one-word verb, is.
