Transcript The Predicate

Lecture 1
Sentence Structure
Lecture 1
Sentence Structure
There two main points in this lecture:
1.1 Clause Elements
1.2 Basic Clause Types
and Their Transformation
and Expansion
1.1 Clause elements
A review on what is Clause
1) Subject and predicate
2) Two Ways of Sentence Analysis
A review on what is Clause:
The
clause (the simple sentence) :
structurally a sequence of phrases
logically a construction of “subject
+ predicate”.
1) Subject and predicate
 A full-fledged clause can generally be
divided into two parts: the subject and the
predicate.
Henry is the most studious (diligent) in the class.
class
All the men have done their best
best.
Mr. Carter will investigate further.
further
Subject
Predicate
The subject:
 the topic or theme of the sentence, tells of
what the sentence is about (known
information).
 The subject is generally realized by a noun
phrase or an equivalent of noun phrase
The Predicate:
 says something about the subject and bears
the new information (the speaker or writer
wants to transmit to the listener or reader).
 The construction of the predicate, which is
more complicated, generally consists of a
verb phrase with or without
complementation.
2) Two Ways of Sentence Analysis
1. To divide the predicate into predicate verb,
object, complement and adverbial. These
elements together with the subject make the
five clause elements.
Five Clause Elements
Subject ﹢
Predicate
1
Predicate Verb
2
3
﹢
4
5
Object
Complement
Adverbial
2) Two Ways of Sentence Analysis
2. To divide the predicate into two parts:
the operator and the predication.
The operator
 the auxiliary or the first auxiliary in a complex
verb phrase
The predication
 the main verb with its complementation
Object / Complement / Adverbial
1.2 Basic Clause Types and Their
Transformation and Expansion
 In terms of the different combinations
of clause elements, English clauses can
be classified into seven basic types.
 Innumerable authentic sentences are
structured on the basis of these clause
types.
1) Basic Clause Types
 The seven basic clause types are:
SVC
SV
SVA
SVO
SVOA
SVoO
SVOC
These seven combinations of
clause elements
are wholly or largely
determined by
the Main Verb in the clause.
SVC:
 The main verb in an SVC pattern is a
Linking / Copula Verb which must be
followed by a Subject Complement.
That car is mine.
She is in good health.
SV / SVA :
 The main verb in an SV pattern is an Intransitive
Verb which is not to be followed by any
obligatory element except for a limited number
of intransitive verbs which require an obligatory
Adverbial, thus constituting the pattern SVA.
Every body laughed.
The children are sleeping.
I live in Beijing.
The train leaves at six.
SVO / SVOA :
 The main verb in an SVO pattern is a
Monotransitive which must be followed
by an object, and with some
monotransitives the object must be
followed by an obligatory adverbial, thus
constituting the pattern SVOA.
Nobody could answer the question.
Liverpool won the game.
I put the material evidence in front of her.
He treated her vilely.
SVoO:
 The main verb in an SVoO pattern is a
Ditransitive Verb which is to be followed
by two objects: Indirect and Direct Object.
Mary lent me her car.
I made myself a cup of tea.
SVOC:
 The main verb in an SVOC pattern is a complex
transitive verb which must be followed by an
object + object complement.
We made him our spokesman.
They elected him president.
2) Transformation and Expansion of Basic
Clause Types
Ways of Transformation:
The basic clause types are
all affirmative statements with verbs in the
active voice.
Affirmative
Negative
Statement
Question
Active Voice
Passive Voice
Ways of Expansion:
1. adding modifiers at various levels
2. by coordination and subordination
1. adding modifiers at various levels
clause
﹢ modifiers
phrases
﹢ modifiers
words
﹢ modifiers
2. by coordination and subordination
clause
﹢
coordination
clause
subordination
clause
clause
subordination
compound sentence
complex sentence
compound complex sentence
Example: How many clauses?
C1
When reports came into London Zoo that a
C2wild puma had been spotted forty-five
C3
miles south of London,
London they were not taken
seriously,
seriously but,
but as the evidence began toC4
accumulate,
accumulate experts from the Zoo feltC5
obliged to investigate,
investigate for the descriptionsC6
given by people who claimed to have seen
C7
the puma were extraordinarily similar
similar.
The Structure of Sentence 1
Coordinate
C3
C1
C5
but
as
C4
for
C6
who
C2
C7
C1
reports came into London Zoo
C2
a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London
C3
they were not taken seriously
C4
the evidence began to accumulate
C5
experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate
C6
the descriptions given by people were extraordinarily similar
C7
who claimed to have seen the puma
Sentence 2
C1he (a successful scientist)
Furthermore,
is not only critical of the work of others,
but also of his own, since he knows that C2
C3 man is the least reliable of scientific
instruments and that a number of factors
C4
tend to disturb impartial and objective
investigation.
Main Clause
C1
since
Subordinate Clause
Subordinate
Clause
Adverbial
that
that
C3
and
C4 Object
C2
Sentence 3
C1
I
know of many cases where having no
C2 children the husband after middle age
wanted to take a concubine, but because
C3 the wife refused to give her consent,
desisted.
C1
Simple Sentence
S
V
O
I know of many cases
where
Appositive
C2
Complex Clause
because
Simple Clause
C3 Adverbial
Sentence 4
 I know even of a case where the husband, C2
C1
because he did not want to exact this mark of C3
selflessness from his wife who was sick and in C4
bad health, refused, when urged by the wife, to
take a concubine, but the wife, without his C5
knowledge and consent, not only bought a
concubine, but actually forced him to take the
concubine into the house. C1
S
Post Modifier
V
O
I know even of a case
Appositive
where
Adverbial because C2
but
who C3
C4
C5
Exercise 1 A
Identify the clause elements in the following
sentences:
 Model:
 why should I have to take out the trash?
A. Subject: I
B. Predicate Verb: should have to take out
1.
 Joshua quickly finished his homework
and went out to play.
A. Object: his homework
B. Adverbial: quickly，to play
2.
 The huge black horse easily won the
race.
A. Subject: The huge black horse
B. Object: the race
3.
 People have though about going into
space for many years.
A. Predicate Verb: have though about
B. Object: going into space
4.
 The snake warms up and crawls out of
the bag.
A. Predicate Verb: warms up and crawls
B. Adverbial: out of the bag
5.
 Saturn is one of the most beautiful
planets to look at through a telescope
because of the many rings that
surround it.
A. Complement:
one of the most beautiful
planets to look at through a telescope
B. Adverbial:
because of the many rings
that surround it
6.
 Neptune takes 165 years to complete
its path, or orbit, around the sun.
A. Object: 165 years
B. Adverbial:to complete its path, or orbit,
around the sun
7.
 How many pairs of shorts should you
and your brother bring?
A. Subject: you and your brother
B. Object: How many pairs of shorts
8.
 What is the most expensive meal listed
on the menu?
A. Subject:
the most expensive meal listed on the menu
B. Complement: What
9.
 The boy scouts teach their members
an “out-door code” before the camp.
A. Direct Object: an “out-door code”
B. Indirect Object: their members
10.
 Hurricane winds can blow as fast as
180miles (290kilometers) an hour.
A. Predicate Verb: can blow
B. Adverbial: as fast as 180miles
(290kilometers) an hour
11.
 The spiral of heated air and moist air
begins to twist and grow and spin
faster and faster in a counterclockwise
direction.
A. Subject:
The spiral of heated air and moist air
B. Object:
to twist and grow and spin
12.
 The direction a hurricane’s spiral
moves is counterclockwise.
A. Subject:
The direction a hurricane’s spiral moves
B. Complement: counterclockwise
13.
 At the North Pole the sun does not
shine for half of the year.
A. Predicate Verb: does not shine
B. Adverbials: At the North Pole，
for half of the year
14.
 The cold winds that blow off the Arctic
Ocean make the North Pole a very cold
place.
A. Subject: The cold winds that blow off
the Arctic Ocean
B. Object Complement: very cold place
15.
 These criminals might have been guilty
of murder.
A. Predicate Verb: might have been
B. Complement: guilty of murder