SENTENCE STRUCTURE

LESSON 2: BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS In Lesson 1 of this unit, it was stressed that every sentence must have two basic parts: a subject and a predicate. You also learned that the complete subject is built around the simple subject (a noun or pronoun), and the complete predicate is built around the verb. In this lesson, you will study the subject-verb or two-part sentence pattern and see how it can be expanded into two other patterns. Once the three patterns have been mastered, you will realize that all sentences are variations of these. Once you begin to use these patterns consciously, your own sentence structure will improve. Pattern One (Subject-Verb or S-V) Subject The students Miss Jones I He A refund Verb Cheered Retired Ran was studying has been given

Note: This is the simplest of sentence patterns and is not used as often as other patterns.

Pattern Two (Subject Verb Object or S V O) Subject 1. 2. 3. Vera The teacher The bookstore Verb wrote will mark sells Object a report. it. books and other supplies.

4. 5. Notes:

He Lois

has misspelled

one of the new textbooks. ten simple words on the test.

a. The object receives the action of the verb. You may ask who or what after the verb to get the object Example: Vera wrote what. b. The object may be a noun or pronoun. Examine all the objects again. c. The action verbs or verbs of possession (has, own, etc.) take objects. Examine all the verbs again. d. The object may be compound (made up of two or more), as in Sentence 3. e. The object is never in a prepositional phrase. In Sentence 4 of the examples, "one" is the object of the verb. "Textbooks" is the object of the preposition "of". What is the object of the verb in the last sentence? What is the prepositional phrase?

Pattern Three (Subject-Linking Verb-Complement or S-L-V-C) Subject 1. Those lawyers Linking Verb are has been is is was are was Complement experts. Mr. Roberts. the woman with the green coat. he. I. they and I. interesting and informative. Complement Complement Pronouns Complement Nouns

2. The accountant 3. Miss Wilson 4. The principal 5. It 6. The winners 7. The lecture

8. She 9. The coffee

seems tastes

tired. bitter.

Adjectives

Notes: a. A complement completes or describes or explains the subject. Subjects and complements may sometimes change places in the sentence. E.g., "The principal is he" may be changed to "He is the principal." Likewise, "The winners were they and I" may be changed to "they and I were the winners." b. Complements are used with linking verbs. The chief linking verbs come from the family of verbs call to be (am, is, are, was, were, be, have been, are being, etc.). Other linking verbs are words such as become, seem, appear, look, feel, smell, taste, remain, and sound. c. The complement can be a noun, as in Sentences 1 to 3; it can be a pronoun, as in Sentences 4 to 6; and it can be an adjective as in Sentences 7 to 9. d. The complement may be compound, as in Sentences 6 to 7. e. The complement is never in a prepositional phrase. In Sentence 3, "woman" is complement of the linking verb "is". The prepositional phrase "with the green coat" modifies the complement "woman". f. In a sentence such as "The woman is over fifty," the pattern would be SLV.

Sentence Patterns and Sentence Length The sentences in the examples are short. The same patterns, however, can occur in long sentences. Example: 1. The quaint little restaurant, located in the Winnipeg Lakes District, should appear in tourists guidebooks. restaurant S; should appear V (pattern: S V) 2. The businessman, sensing the trend, bought stocks in the new corporation. businessman S; bought V; stocks O (pattern S V O)

3. Their mother, a former teacher, is very competent in helping them with their homework. mother S; is LV; competent C (pattern: S LV C)

Variations in the Basic Sentence Patterns 1. Here and There Sentences In sentences beginning with the words here and there, the subject follows the verb. Here and there are used as fill-ins to satisfy our sense of word order. Example: Here is the newspaper. Is LV; newspaper S There are the students. Are LV; students S 2. Commands and Requests In these kinds of sentences, the speaker talks directly to another person, so the subject you is left out, but is understood by the listener. Example: (You) Be quiet. (You) S; Be LV; quiet C (You) Go. (You) S; Go V (You) Please sign it. (You) S; sign V; it O 3. Questions In questions, the subject separates different parts of the predicate from one another. Example: Has the mail arrived? The mail S; has arrived? P When will your lease expire? Your lease S; will expire when? P

What will you do? You S; will do what? P

Quiz: - Basic Sentence Patterns In the space provided, write the patterns of each sentence: S V (Subject Verb); S LV (Subject Linking Verb); S V O (Subject Verb Object); S L V C (Subject Linking Verb Complement). Each sentence is worth one point. 1. I recently read an interesting book. 2. The book is The Underside of Toronto. 3. "Skid Row" is the title of one chapter. 4. At the end of the test, define the term for yourself. 5. Four streets near the downtown core form the boundaries of the main area. 6. Skid Row attracts the uneducated, the unskilled, and the social outcast. 7. High unemployment areas of Ontario and provinces east of Ontario account for most of the men. 8. There is no mention of women. 9. Most of the men are over fifty. 10. About one-fifth are under twenty-five. 11. Another third are moderate drinkers 12. The chapter does not discuss the drinking habits of the last third. 13. These pensioners usually rent single rooms or share accommodations with others. 14. Some of the other "skid-rowers" rent beds in houses, for a dollar a night. 15. These places are called flop houses. 16. Flop-houses are usually cheap, run-down places. __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

17. Hostels like the Fred Victor Mission, the Good Shepherd Refuge, the Salvation Army, and Seaton House also provide cheap or free shelter, food and clothing. 18. The Harbour Light, run by the Salvation Army, helps alcoholics deal with their problems. 19. The men prefer the flop-houses to the hostels. 20. The men make some money from casual work, from "panhandling" and from selling or pawning their own things or things they have stolen. 21. Can these men be pulled from Skid Row? 22. Opinion is divided. Answer Key 1. S V O 5. S V O 9. S LV 13. S V O 17. S V O 21. S V 2. S LV C 6. S V O 10. S LV 14. S V O 18. S V O 22. S LV C 3. S LV C 7. S V O 11. S LV C 15. S LV C 19. S V O

__________ __________ __________

__________ __________ __________

4. S V O 8. S LV 12. S V O 16. S LV C 20. S V O