Chapter 7

Five Basic Sentence Types

Sentence Slots

Subject / Predicate

Predicate Intransitive BE Transitive

What’s the Pattern?

Fish swim. A telephone is ringing. Jan snores loudly. The customer complained

persistently. Carla must have enrolled rather

early.

Type I: Intransitive Verb Sentence ends with:

Verbor

Adverbial modifier

Tests Divide predicate into phrases

If all phrases are ADVP = Intransitive Test for ADVP by substitution

Type I: Intransitive Verb

NP + I.V. (+ optional ADVP)

Intransitive or not? The bus stops here on Mondays. Becky stepped very cautiously into the

street

Find the Type I Construction…

Diagramming

(you) Stay__downwind

(you) Stay downwind

Treeing

S

NP VP

(you) Stay downwind

MVP ADV

(you) Stay downwind

What’s the Pattern?

Jesse is outside. Her job interviews were yesterday. The reception will be at noon. Cheryl’s notebook must have been

on the desk.

Type II: BE + Adv of Time/Place

Sentence includes: Linking (BE) Verb

AND Adverbial Complement (required)

Complement = something that completes…

Tests Is the Main Verb “BE”? Is “BE” followed by ADVP of time or

place?

Find the Type II Construction…

Diagramming

keys areunder

carYour

the

sofa

Your car keys are under the sofa

Treeing

S

NP VP

Your car keys are under the sofa

MVP ADVP

Type II: BE + Adv of Time/Place

Are these Type II? I am here now! I am happy to be here. I must have been elsewhere

yesterday. Classes go on all week all over the

USA.

What’s the Pattern?

Sheila is beautiful. Her parties are very lavish. She is becoming friendly. Your uncle (her husband) has

seemed happier in the past.

Type III: Linking + Adj Subj Comp.

Sentences contain: Linking Verb

AND Subject Complement // Predicate Adjective

Are these Type III? His cashmere sweater feels silky Pat looked surprisingly sad after her victory He looked as though he had been up all night Fred seems to be angry

Type III: Linking + Adj Subj Comp.

Sentences contain: Linking Verb

AND Subject Complement // Predicate

Adjective

Tests Is the MVP followed by ADJP? Is the MV “BE” or substitutable with

“BE”? e.g. Appear, become, seem grow, feel, look, sound…

Find the Type III Construction…

Diagramming

something can seem \ plausible

Something can seem so plausible at the time…

soat

the

time

Treeing Something can seem so plausible at the time…

S

NP VP

Something can seem at the time

MVP ADJP

so plausible

PP/ADVP

Type III: Linking + Adj Subj Comp.

Are these Type III? Fred seems to be angry His cashmere sweater feels silky Pat looked surprisingly happy after his

loss He looked as though he had been up all

night

What’s the Pattern?

Those men are football players The auction was a success Jennifer’s bedroom is becoming a

jungle Jack and Jill remained friends after

their tumble down the hill

Type IV: Linking + Nom Subj Comp

Sentence contains: Linking Verb

AND NP that complements the subject (NP1)

Tests Is the MVP followed by another NP?

Does this NP refer to the same entity as the Subj? Is the MV “BE” or substitutable with

“BE”? Can “may be classified as” substitute for the MV?

Type IV Constructions?

Diagramming

This is \ Lyle

This is Lyle Complements the Subject

Treeing

S

NP1VP

This is

MVP NP1

Lyle

This is Lyle

Pron.

Type IV: Linking + Nom Subj Comp

Are these sentences Type IV? That paint is the right color The train disappeared into a tunnel Her carrot cake was a dreadful failure

What’s the Pattern?

Dave threw the ball to George John saw Bill Three minnows were nibbling her

toes Pecan pie enlivens any meal The man had bought a cake for

dinner

Type V: Transitive Verb Sentence is constructed like this:

NP1 + Vtrans + NP2

Subject = Actor Object = Receiver

Tests for Direct Object: Who? What? ≠ NP1

Type V Sentence…

Diagramming

I hate | hour

I hate happy hour

happy

Direct Object

Treeing

S

NP1VP

I hate

MVP NP2

happy hour

Find the Type V Construction…

Comma Usage

Never put a single comma between the Subject and Predicate or between the Verb and its complements

Use two commas to set off anything that interrupts the Subject and predicate or the Verb and its complements

Diagramming Review

NPs & VPs on flat lines Major break between Subject & Predicate Modifiers on slanted lines Subject Complement ADJPs go on main line

after “\”

Direct Objects go on main line after “|”

\ Modifier

NP1 VPModifier

ADJP

| Modifier

NP1 VPModifier

NP2

Modifier

Modifier

Coming Soon

Real-life Revisions…