Sentence Patterns

Sentence Patterns• Subjects, verbs, and clauses

• Four Basic Patterns

Basic Pattern: Subject + Verb

Simplest Form:

One subject + one verb Subject – shows who or what (noun or pronoun) is

doing the action

Verb – shows the action or the state of being (e.g. action verb “run”, or state verb “seem”)

Examples (two word sentences):Marvin slept.Dogs bark.Isotopes react.


There are five basic structures of simple sentences:

1. Subject +Verb2. Subject + Verb + Direct Object3. Subject + Verb + Complement4. Subject + Verb + Indirect Object +

Direct Object5. Subject + Verb + Direct Object +

Object Complement

Examples of Basic Structures of Simple Sentences

Sentence Structure ExamplesSubject + Verb(SV)

Edward laughed.The baby crawls and coos.Spring rain and flowers abound.

Subject + Verb + Direct Object(SV+DO)

Margaret recalled a memory.Susan shovels snow.President Obama gave a speech.

Subject + Verb + Complement(SV+C)

The consultant seemed pleasant.All applicants were UM graduates.Our house is sturdy.

Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object(SV + IO + DO)

The new candidate gives me hope.I offered the candidate my support.He gave the child a stern look.

Subject + Verb + Direct Object + Object Complement(SV + DO + OC)

The girl thinks herself intelligent.The children made David “it”.Squirrels drove the dogs mad.

Notes

Complement = a word or group of words that describe or rename the subject. follow a linking verb. 2 kinds of subject complements:

(i) Predicate nominative = noun or pronoun that renames or classifies the subject of the sentence

(ii) Predicate adjective = an adjective that describes the subject of the sentence

Notes

Indirect Object = tells for whom or to whom *If the IO comes after the DO (in a prepositional phrase “to…” or

“for…”), the sentence pattern is shown as S-V-DO-IO.*Pronouns are usually used as indirect objects, but not always.

e.g. Granny gave every last asset to Gary. S V DO IO in prepositional phrase

Object Complement = a word or group of words that renames, describes, or classifies the direct object.

are nouns or adjectives follow the object


Can modify the main subject and verb with other words and phrases to convey much more information:

Unfortunately, Marvin slept fitfully.Dogs bark louder after midnight.Heavy isotopes react more slowly than light isotopes of the same element.

*Each sentence still has one subject and verb = still one clause.

Subject + Verb modified with other words and phrases

You can add adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases without changing the basic pattern:

(i) Adding adjectivesThe sad little girl tried.The hazy, yellow sun set.The old grandfather clock ticked.

Subject + Verb modified with other words and phrases

(ii) Adding adverbs

The girl tried very hard.

The sun set slowly.

The clock ticked loudly.

Subject + Verb modified with other words and phrases (iii) Adding prepositional phrase:

The girl in the blue jeans tried.

The sun set in the west.

The clock in the hallway stopped after father’s death.

A herd of elk gathered beside the stream.

Subject + Verb modified with other words and phrases Subject-verb expanded with a

dependent relative clause and a prepositional phrase:

The house, which was originally built in the 1920s, stood next to an old mill.

Her computer, which was donated by a colleague, crashed during a data analysis.

Subject + Verb modified with other words and phrases Subject-verb-object expanded with a

participial phrase:

Hearing a loud clap of thunder, the campers gathered their gear.

Intending to garner support for his campaign, the politician delivered his speech.


dependent adverbial clause:

The campers packed their gear while rain soaked the ground.

Although the forecast calls for freezing temperatures, she planted her garden.


dependent relative clause:

The athlete, who knew her own prowess, scored a goal.

Her father, who could hardly contain his excitement, let loose a cheer.

Subject + Verb modified with other words and phrases Subject-verb-object expanded with all

of the above:

Using all her strength, the athlete, who knew her own prowess, scored a goal while her father cheered from the stands.

Subjects, Verbs, and Clauses

Clause = combination of ONE subject and ONE verb

(i) Independent clause (IC) – a subject and verb that make a complete thought; can stand on its own and make sense.

(ii) Dependent clause (DC)- a subject and verb that don’t make a complete thought; always needs to be attached to an independent clause.


Subjects and verbs can double up in the same clause. These are called compound subjects or verbs because there are two or more of them in the same clause.

(i) Compound subject (two subjects related to the same verb):

Javier and his colleagues collaborated on the research article.

(ii) Compound verb (two verbs related to the same subject)

Javier conducted the experiment and documented the results.


(iii) Compound subject with compound verb

Javier, his colleagues, and their advisor drafted and revised the article several times.

*Notice that they don’t overlap. All of the subjects in one clause come before all of the verbs in the same clause.

Four Basic Patterns

Sentence Pattern

Clause Structure Connectors

Examples

Simple 1 IC SV None John eats monkeys.

Compound

≥2 ICs SV, and SV

SV; however, SV

FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

However, moreover, therefore

John eats them for breakfast every day, but I don’t see the attraction.

Eating them makes him happy; however, he can’t persuade me.

Four Basic Pattern Sentence Pattern


Examples

Complex 1 IC + ≥1 DCs

SV because SV

Although SV, SV

S, because SV, V

Always at the beginning of the DC

Show how the DC is related to the IC.

He recommends them highly because they taste like chicken when they are hot.

Although chicken always appeals to me, I still feel sceptical about monkey.

Jane, because she loves us so much, has offered to make her special monkey soufflé for us.

Four Basic PatternSentence Pattern


Examples

Compound-complex

≥2 ICs + ≥1 DC

SV, and SV because SV

As a result of SV, SV, but SV.

Same as Pattern 2 & 3.

John said that he would share the secret recipe; however, if he does, Jane will feed him to the piranhas, so we are both safer and happier if I don’t eat monkeys or steal recipes.

ReferencesSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville 2015, Basic Sentence Patterns Module#1, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, viewed 1 September 2015, <http://www.siue.edu/lss/writing/modules/sentence_patterns.shtml >.

The Writing Center n.d., Five Basic Structures of Simple Sentences, The Writing Center of UMT, viewed 31 August 2015, <http://www.umt.edu/writingcenter/docs/resourcesforwriters/fivestructures.pdf>.

The Writing Center 2012, Sentence Pattern, The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill, viewed 31 August 2015, <http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/sentence-patterns/>.

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Sentence Patterns