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English Grammar Lessons: Introduction To Sentence Structure
English Grammar Lessons: Introduction To Sentence Structure
English Grammar Lessons: Introduction To Sentence Structure
The subject names the topic and the predicate tells about the
subject.
1. No Verb Complement
The simplest structure is one without a verb complement. In
traditional grammar, all verb complements are either nouns or
adjectives.
Examples 1. Canada wins.
2. Direct Object Verb Complement
The defining characteristic is the presence of a direct object.
Example: Boys love hockey.
Interjection
Examples: Man, that hurt!
Compound predicate
The bear howled and scratched ferociously.
Three subjects
John, Fred, and Cameron are working.
Direct object
Ted sent the letter.
Indirect object
The teacher gave the children homework.
Predicate noun
John is a coach.
Objective Complement
Johnny painted his front porch white.
Direct address
Harold, tell the class now.
Adjective
Athletic moves excite the crowd.
Compound adjectives
The little old lady hit the tall and distinguished gentleman.
Predicate adjective
The engine was powerful.
Comparative Adjective
Joe is considerably older than his brother.
Adverb
Fred works quickly.
Compound adverbs
The cat waited patiently and quietly at the door.
Passive Verbs
The ball was kicked.
Elements of Sentence Construction
Subjects and Predicates
Parts of speech have specific tasks to perform when they are put together in a
sentence.
Example:
Example:
Sometimes we use sentences in which a subject is not actually stated, but is,
nevertheless, understood in the meaning.
Example:
you (understood).
Example:
Sometimes the predicate will be composed of two or three verbs that fit together -
the main verb preceded by one or more auxiliary (helping) verbs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: To be a predicate, a verb that ends in -
ing must ALWAYS have a helping verb with it. An -ing verb WITHOUT a helping
verb cannot be a predicate in a sentence.
A subject and predicate may not always appear together or in the normal order, as
the following examples show:
Phrases
Examples:
Examples:
Even though these phrases contain nouns (pronouns) and/or verb forms,
none of the nouns/pronouns/verbs are subjects or predicates. None of them
work as apartnership.
Clauses
Note the difference between phrases and clauses in the following examples:
The coordinating conjunctions and, but, or, and nor may join subjects,
predicates, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases or dependent clauses
within a sentence. This process is called "compounding."
WORDS
PHRASES
DEPENDENT CLAUSES
When entire independent clauses (simple sentences) are joined this way,
they become compound sentences.
Avoiding Fragments
Writers make this error when they try to separate the two independent
clauses in a compound sentence with a comma alone.
Writers make this error by joining two independent clauses into a compound
sentence without using any punctuation between them.
Review:
C. a semicolon alone.
Punctuation patterns (to match A, B, and C above):
Punctuation patterns:
Follow the rules given above for compound and complex sentences.
A compound-complex sentence is merely a combination of the two.
Sentence patterns
Just about all sentences in the English language fall into ten patterns determined
by the presence and functions of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
The patterns are most easily classified according to the type of verb used:
Verb of being patterns (1, 2, 3) use a form of the verb to be as the main verb in
the sentence.
Linking verb patterns (4, 5) use one of the linking verbs as the main verb in the
sentence. The linking verb is followed by a noun or adjective functioning as a
subjective complement.
Action verb patterns (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) use one of the many action verbs as the
main verb in the sentence. The action verb may be either transitive (take a direct
object) or intransitive (not take a direct object).
Terms used to identify various parts of each sentence pattern include the
following:
NP = noun phrase
NP1, NP2, NP3, etc. = designations for different noun phrase functions
More information
on subjects
More information
on subjective complements
Note: The second NP receives the same numerical designation as the first
NP because the second NP, the subjective complement, is the same as the subject
(Mr. James = teacher).
4. NP1 + LV + ADJ
5. NP1 + LV + NP1
Note: The second NP receives the same numerical designation as the first NP
because the second NP, the subjective complement, is the same as the subject
(Joan = Buddhist).
6. NP1 + V-int
More
information on direct objects
Note: The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical
designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject (NP1).
The action verb is followed by an indirect object and then a direct object.
More information
on indirect objects
Note: The indirect object and the direct object each receive a new numerical
designation because each is different from the other and both are different from the
subject.
The action verb is followed by a direct object. The direct object is followed by an
adjective functioning as an objective complement.
More information
on objective complements
Note: The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical
designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject (NP1).
The action verb is followed by a direct object. The direct object is followed by a
noun functioning as an objective complement.
Note: The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical
designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject (NP1). The third NP,
the objective complement, receives the same numerical designation as the direct
object (NP2) because it is the same as the direct object (Jacobsen = friend).
The compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses (IC + IC). The two clauses
are usually connected by a coordinating conjunction, of which there are seven and, but, or, nor,
for, so, yet. However, two other patterns exist for the compound sentence. In one of these, a
semicolon and a transitional word or phrase are placed between the two clauses; in the other, only
a semicolon is used between the two clauses.
The rain fell for three days, and every street in town was flooded. (Uses the coordinating
conjunction and)
The rain fell for three days; therefore, every street in town was flooded. (Uses the semicolon and
the transitional word therefore)
The rain fell for three days; every street in town was flooded. (Uses only the semicolon)
The complex sentence consists of one or more dependent clauses and an independent clause.
The dependent clause may precede the independent clause (DC + IC) or may follow it (IC + DC).
[Punctuation Note: When the dependent clause comes first, it is followed by a comma; the only
exception is that the comma may be omitted after a very short introductory clause if omitting it does
not create confusion. When the dependent clause follows the independent clause, no comma is
usually necessary though one may be used occasionally for emphasis, for clarity, or for
underscoring contrast.]
Because the rain fell for three days, every street in town was flooded. (DC + IC}
Every street in town was flooded because the rain fell for three days. (IC + DC)
The compound-complex sentence consists of one or more dependent clauses and two or more
independent clauses. Heres one with an introductory dependent clause, two independent clauses
in the middle, and a closing dependent clause (the dependent clauses are underlined):
Because the rain fell for three days, every street in town was flooded, and people abandoned their
homes as the river overflowed its banks.