I. Grammar 3.

5: Sentence Patterns
SENTENCE PATTERNS

In learning a foreign language, a person must do more than memorize words and
their meanings. One must also learn how to put those words together in the proper
order. A paragraph in English, for example, cannot be translated straight across into
Chinese, word for word. The characters must be rearranged according to Chinese
thought patterns. Every language, including English, has its own sentence patterns.

In this lesson we will give special attention to English sentence patterns. But first,
let us learn some new words.

WORDS TO REMEMBER

1. "actually" (adverb) ---- Really, as a matter of fact.

Example: "Jesus was actually, physically, and literally raised from death."
2. "crucify" (verb) ---- To put to death by nailing or tying a person to a cross.
Example: "The soldiers broke the legs of the men who had been crucified with
Jesus."
3. "dawn" (noun) ---- The beginning of daylight in the morning.
Example: "At dawn Sunday morning, three women brought sweet-smelling spices to
put on Jesus' body."
4. "fable" (noun) ---- A fictitious, imaginary, untrue story.
Example: "When we read in the Bible that Jesus was raised from death, we are not
reading a fable."
5. "ghost" (noun) ---- A spirit or soul without a body.
Example: "Jesus' apostles thought they were seeing a ghost."
6. "Good News" (proper noun) ---- Welcome information; the news that Jesus Christ has
broken the power of evil.
Example: "Jesus told his apostles to go everywhere and preach the Good News."
7. "Holy One" (proper noun) ---- Jesus Christ, the one human being who was spiritually
perfect, pure, and uncorrupted by evil.
Example: "You will not let the body of your Holy One rot in the grave."
8. "lightning" (noun) ---- A flash of light in the sky caused by an electrical discharge in
the atmosphere.
Example: "The angel was very bright like lightning."
9. "linen" (noun) ---- Cloth made of flax.
Example: "Joseph and Nicodemus took Jesus' body down from the cross and
wrapped it in pieces of linen."
10. "permission" (noun) ---- The act of allowing or giving consent.
Example: "Pilate gave Joseph permission to take the body of Jesus."
11. "resurrection" (noun) ---- A coming back to life; a rising from death.
Example: "Jesus' resurrection from death was the greatest event in human history."
12. "seal" (verb) ---- To make the contents of a container secure, as by pressing a wax
wafer across the opening of a tomb.
 Example: "They made the tomb safe from thieves by sealing the stone in the
entrance and putting soldiers there to guard it."
13. "witness" (noun) ---- A person who has seen something firsthand and who tells others
what was seen.
Example: "It is written that the Christ would be killed and would rise from death on
the third day. You saw these things happen--you are witnesses."

WORD ORDER

Learning word order patterns is an important step in learning English. Any person
learning English as a second language should concentrate on sentence patterns until
he or she is able to use the patterns without thinking. In this lesson, you will learn
the patterns of positive and negative statements.

AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENTS

The basic word order in an affirmative statement is as follows:

SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT or OBJECT

A "complement" is a word or group of words used after a linking verb to complete the
predicate. "Complement" means "to make complete."

Subject + Verb: "He lives."

Subject + Verb + Complement: "He is alive."
Subject + Verb + Object: "An angel opened the tomb."

(1) The linking verb "be" or one of its forms ("is," "are," "was," "were," "will be" etc.)
is usually followed by a complement. The complement may be a noun, pronoun, or
adjective.

SUBJECT LINKING VERB COMPLEMENT

You are witnesses (noun).

They were afraid (adjective).

The robe is his (possessive pronoun).

Other linking verbs that are similar in meaning to the verb "be" can also be followed
by an adjective complement. "Appear," "become," "feel," "look," "seem," "smell,"
"sound," and "taste" are some of the verbs that are similar in meaning to "be."
Examples: "They became afraid."
"It sounded crazy."
"That food smells good."

(2) Most other verbs (other than "be" and those similar in meaning to "be") are
followed by an object. The object may be a noun, pronoun, or gerund.

SUBJECT VERB OBJECT

The soldiers closed the tomb (noun).

The women worshiped him (pronoun).

She enjoys reading (gerund).

(3) Some verbs are followed by two objects, that is, a "direct object" and an "indirect
object."
Examples of verbs that are followed by two objects are "bring," "buy," "fix," "get,"
"give," "hand," "leave," "offer," "pass," "sell," "send," "take," "teach," "tell," and
"write."

The "direct object" is something that is given, sent, shown, taken, or told to
someone. The "indirect object" is the person to whom or for whom something is
given, sent, shown, taken, told, etc. When a verb is followed by two objects, the word
order is as follows:

SUBJECT + VERB + INDIRECT OBJECT + DIRECT OBJECT.

SUBJECT VERB INDIRECT OBJECT DIRECT OBJECT

Pilate gave Joseph permission.

Jesus showed them the holes.

The Father gave Jesus all authority.

Sometimes a prepositional phrase, introduced by "to" or "for," is used instead of an

indirect object. In that case, the word order is as follows:

SUBJECT + VERB + DIRECT OBJECT + PHRASE.

SUBJECT VERB DIRECT OBJECT PHRASE

Pilate gave permission to Joseph.

Jesus showed the holes to them.

The Father gave all authority to Jesus.

(4) Words that explain the subject, complement, or object usually come before the
words they modify. The word order is,

MODIFIER + SUBJECT + VERB + MODIFIER + COMPLEMENT or OBJECT.

MODIFIER SUBJECT VERB MODIFIER COMPLEMENT/OBJECT

That day was a special Sabbath day.

Three women brought sweet-smelling spices.

The angel was very bright.

(5) Words that explain the verb are usually placed after the verb, and after the
complement or object (if there is one). The word order is,

SUBJECT + VERB + COMPLEMENT/OBJECT + MODIFIERS.

SUBJECT VERB COMPLEMENT/OBJECT MODIFIERS OF VERB

Blood and water came out.

The angel rolled the stone away.

The women left the tomb quickly.

(6) The verb usually follows the subject in a positive statement. There is, however,
an important exception to this rule, namely, when a statement (like the one that
follows) begins with "there" + some form of the verb "be."
Example:

There linking verb subject

"There are many rooms in my Father's house."

NEGATIVE STATEMENTS

In English, sentences may be made negative by using "not" with the verb. The
position of "not" is determined by three rules:

(1) When used with present or past tense forms of the verb "be" ("am," "is," "are,"
was," and "were"), "not" follows the verb.

SUBJECT LINKING VERB NOT COMPLEMENT

He is not guilty.

He was not a ghost.

In conversational English, linking verbs are often combined with "not" to form
"contractions."
Examples:
is not = isn't;
are not = aren't;
was not = wasn't;
were not = weren't.
"He isn't guilty."

(2) When a sentence contains a simple present or past tense form of a verb other
than "be," it is made negative as follows: the verb is changed into a verb phrase
made up of "do," "does," or "did" + the base form of the verb. Then "not" is placed
after the helping verb "do," "does," or "did."

SUBJECT DO, DOES, DID NOT MAIN VERB MODIFIER OBJECT

A ghost does not have a body.
SUBJECT DO, DOES, DID NOT MAIN VERB MODIFIER OBJECT
Jesus did not make empty claims.

In conversational English, the helping verbs in these sentences would be combined

with "not" to form contractions. Examples: did not = didn't; do not = don't; does not =
doesn't.

(3) In a sentence containing a verb phrase, "not" is placed after a helping verb and
before the main verb in the verb phrase.

SUBJECT HELPING VERB NOT MAIN VERB MODIFIER OBJECT

They could not believe their eyes.
God can not tell a lie.

Positive statements can also be made negative by using the word "no" before the
object.
Example: "Jesus made no empty claims."

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Now, answer the questions in the test on this lesson. Then, read Reading
Assignment 19 and answer its questions. After reviewing your answers, your teacher
will release lessons 20 to you.

1. The word that means "an imaginary, untrue story"

is . . . .

fable

actually

crucify

linen
2. The word that means "really; as a matter of fact"
is . . . .

crucify

linen

actually

fable

resurrection

3. The word that means "a coming back to life" is . . . .

crucify

actually

resurrection

linen

fable

4. The word that means "cloth made of flax" is . . . .

fable

crucify

linen

resurrection

actually
5. The word that means "to nail someone to a cross"
is . . . .

actually

resurrection

crucify

fable

linen

6. In a positive statement, the subject usually comes ( . .

. ) the verb.

before

after

7. In a positive statement, the verb comes ( . . . ) the

complement or object.

after

before

8. When a verb is followed by two objects, the indirect

object comes ( . . . ) the direct object.

before

after
9. When a prepositional phrase is used instead of an
indirect object, the phrase comes ( . . . ) the direct
object.

before

after

10. Words that explain the subject, complement, or

object usually come ( . . . ) the words they modify.

after

before

11. Words that explain the verb usually come ( . . . ) the

verb they modify.

before

after

12. Words that explain the verb usually come ( . . . ) the

complement or object.

after

before

13. In a negative statement, 'not' comes ( . . . ) the verb

'be' in its present or past tense forms.

before

after
When used with present or past tense forms of the verb "be" ("am," "is," "are," was,"
and "were"), "not" follows the verb.

14. In a negative statement, 'not' comes ( . . . ) the verb

'do' in its present or past tense forms.

before

after

15. In a negative statement, 'not' comes ( . . . ) the main

verb in a verb phrase.

after

before
In a sentence containing a verb phrase, "not" is placed after a helping verb and
before the main verb in the verb phrase.

16. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "He is dead."

He is not dead.

He was not dead.

When used with present or past tense forms of the verb "be" ("am," "is," "are," was,"
and "were"), "not" follows the verb.

17. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "He was guilty."

He is not guilty.

He was not guilty.

18. Change the following positive sentence into a
negative sentence: "He was a ghost."

He is not a ghost.

He was not a ghost.

19. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "The apostles believed the women."

The apostles did not believe the women.

The apostles do not believe the women.

20. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "God can tell lies."

God could not tell lies.

God cannot tell lies.

21. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "Joseph consented to Jesus' death."

Joseph does not consent to Jesus' death.

Joseph did not consent to Jesus' death.

22. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "God would let him rot in the grave."

God would not let him rot in the grave.

God will not let him rot in the grave.

In a sentence containing a verb phrase, "not" is placed after a helping verb and
before the main verb in the verb phrase.
23. Change the following positive sentence into a
negative sentence: "They could believe their eyes."

They could not believe their eyes.

They cannot believe their eyes.

24. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "My kingdom belongs to this world."

My kingdom does not belong to this world.

My kingdom did not belong to this world.

25. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "The soldiers broke Jesus' legs."

The soldiers do not break Jesus' legs.

The soldiers did not break Jesus' legs.

26. Change the following positive sentence into a

negative sentence: "They wanted to leave Jesus' body
on the cross."

They did not want to leave Jesus' body on the cross.

They do not wanted to leave Jesus' body on the cross.