0% found this document useful (0 votes)
7 views

The simple sentence (1)

Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
7 views

The simple sentence (1)

Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 29

The simple sentence

Basic clause structure


(Elements of sentence structure)

⚫ A clause which can stand alone as a sentence has a subject


and a verb.

⚫ It may also have other elements:

⚫ an object
⚫ a complement
⚫ an adverbial
Basic clause structure

⚫ Each element plays its part in the structure of a clause


(FUNCTIONS OF SENTENCE ELEMENTS)

⚫ SUBJECT – a ‘doer’ of the action expressed by the verb:


The boy kissed the girl.
A car knocked them down.

⚫ We can put the elements together to form different


kinds/types of clauses.

⚫ There are seven types of clauses according to whether one or


more clause elements are obligatory present in addition to the
subject and verb
Clause types

1. SV

Subject Verb
My friend is waiting.

2. SVO

Subject Verb Object


The company sells mobile phones.
Clause types

3. SVC

Subject Verb Complement


This colour is nice.

4. SVA

Subject Verb Adverbial


The concert is tomorrow.
Clause types

5. SVOO

Subject Verb Object Object


Sarah sent me a fax.

6. SVOC

Subject Verb Object Complement


The project kept everyone very busy.
Clause types

7. SVOA

Subject Verb Object Adverbial


I put my credit card in my
wallet.
Linguistic structures used as sentence elements

My friend is waiting.

⚫ The subject of a sentence is a noun phrase.

The company sells mobile phones.

⚫ The object is also a noun phrase.


Linguistic structures used as sentence elements

⚫ A complement usually gives information about the


subject of the sentence (complement subject)

⚫ It can be:
⚫ an adjective phrase
The colour is nice.

⚫ a noun phrase
The old cinema became a nightclub.
Linguistic structures used as sentence elements

⚫ An adverbial expresses an idea such as when,


how, or why something happens. It can be:

⚫ an adverb phrase
The concert is tomorrow.

⚫ prepositional phrase
The photos lay on the table.

o noun phrase
The Olympics are every four years.
VERBS

⚫ Different types of verbs corresponding to the different types of


objects and complements:
▪ Intransitive verbs – do not permit any object or complement

The sun is shining.

▪ Transitive verbs – take direct objects

The boy kicked the ball.

▪ Ditransitive verbs – can take both a direct and an indirect


object

He gave Mary 10 dollars.


VERBS

▪ Complex-transitive verbs – take an object complement

They elected him chairman last year.

⚫ Verbs with a complement are called linking verbs:

be, become, get, look, seem


Complement

⚫ There are two different kinds of complement:

⚫ Subject complement
⚫ Object complement

Everyone was very busy. (Cs)


Simon became their spokesman. (Cs)

⚫ The subject complement relates to the subject of


the clause (everyone, Simon).
Complement

The project kept everyone very busy. (Co)

The group made Simon their spokesman. (Co)

⚫ The object complement relates to the object of the


clause (everyone, Simon)
Adverbials

⚫ We can add extra adverbials to any of the clause


structures.

My friend is waiting outside.

Unfortunately the dog has eaten my


homework.

To my surprise, Sarah actually sent me a fax


right away.
⚫ We can link two or more words or phrases with
and or or.

The colour is nice and bright.

My friend and his brother are here.

The concert is on Wednesday or Thursday.


⚫ We can use two noun phrases one after the other
when they both refer to the same thing. We say that
the phrases are ‘in apposition’.

My friend Matthew is coming to stay.

Everyone visits the White House, the home


of the President.
⚫ Give, send, buy, reserve and similar verbs come
in two different sentence structures.

⚫ They can either have two objects, or they can have


an object and a prepositional phrase.

You give the attendant your ticket.


You give your ticket to the attendant.
⚫ TWO OBJECTS

Indirect object Direct object


You give the attendant your ticket.

⚫ The indirect object refers to the person receiving


something

⚫ The direct object refers to the thing that is given.


⚫ OBJECT + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE

Direct object phrase with to or for


You give your ticket to the attendant.

⚫ Some verbs go with to and some go with for.

⚫ You give something to someone, but you buy


something for someone.
⚫ Verbs with to: bring*, give, lend, mail, offer, owe,
pass, pay, promise, read, sell, send, show, take,
teach, throw, write

⚫ bring goes with either to or for.

We’ve brought some flowers for our hostess.


(giving things to people)

Lorries regularly bring coal to the power


station. (transporting things to places)
⚫ Verbs with for:

⚫ bring*, buy, cook, fetch, find, fix, get, keep, leave,


make, order, pick, reserve, save
⚫ When there is a pronoun, it usually comes before a
phrase with a noun.

Mark lent me his umbrella.


⚫ Some verbs can occur in the structure with to or for
but NOT with an indirect object.

Tim described the men to the police.


(NOT Tim described the police the men.)

I’ll explain everything to you.


(NOT I’ll explain you everything.)
STATEMENTS
⚫ There are two parts of a simple declarative sentence – statement

SUBJECT PREDICATE*
Jack laughed.

He is a student at the University of


Zadar.
His friend plays basketball.

That was his photograph.

How they dance depends on their mood.

To make mistakes is normal.

What I really need now is a break.

Hiking and playing are my favourite hobbies.


tennis
PREDICATE

⚫ Predicate can be divided into a maximum of four units:


1)Verb (V)
2)Complements: subject complement (Cs) and object
complement (Co)
3)Objects: direct object (Od) and indirect object (Oi)
4)Adverbial (A)

Jack (S) smiled (V).


He (S) is (V) a student (Cs) at the University of Zadar (A).
Martin (S) has sent (V) his girlfriend (Oi) a love letter (Od).
The students (S) elect (V) him (Od) chairman (Co) every year
(A).
The policemen (S) carefully (A) searched (V) the room (Od).
SENTENCE – CLAUSE DISTINCTION

⮚ SIMPLE SENTENCE
- has a single subject-predicate structure (contains just
one clause):

The man stole the jewellery.

- Clause – a syntactic unit that alone can be analysed into


the elements: S, V, O, C, A.
SENTENCE – CLAUSE DISTINCTION

⮚ Sentences which contain more than one clause are


either compound or complex.

⮚ COMPOUND SENTENCE
⮚ contains two or more independent clauses:

The man stole the painting and hid it in his house.


SENTENCE – CLAUSE DISTINCTION

⮚ COMPLEX SENTENCE

⮚ contains an independent clause (main clause) and one or


more subordinate clauses:

The man who stole the painting hid it in his house.

Who stole the painting = subordinate clause


The man hid it in his house = main clause

You might also like