Transcript SENTENCE PATTERNS

SENTENCE
PATTERNS
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şehnaz Şahinkarakaş
• There are seven basic sentence patterns.
• Being able to recognize a variety of sentence patterns
enhances your ability
• to use those patterns in your own writing and
• to understand better how grammar functions
Sentence Pattern 1:
The Be Pattern (Adverbial)
• Adverbial modifies the verb (be) and answers questions like
when, where, why, how.
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
SUBJECT
California
BE
is
ADVERBIAL
in the West US.
Our final exam
was
yesterday.
Swimming
is
for fun.
Exercise for Pattern 1
• Identify the Adverbials
• 1. The performance will be next month.
• 2. Your teacher is on this campus.
• 3. Michael’s only hope was for a short break.
Sentence Pattern 2: The Be Pattern
(Subject Complement)
• Subject modifiers, or subject complements, explain or rename
what the subject is.
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
SUBJECT
BE
The students
are
SUBJECT
COMPLEMENT
clever. (adjective)
Studying hard
is
important.
I
am
an optimist. (noun phrase)
Michael
was
an Olympic gold medalist.
Exercise for Pattern 2
• Use the cues to finish each sentence with the specified type of
subject complement:
• 1. Will you be (noun phrase)?
• 2. Shakespeare’s writing was (adjective)!
• 3. Joshua isn’t (noun phrase).
Sentence Pattern 3:
The Linking Verb Pattern
• linking verbs other than be and a subject complement (which
explains or renames what the subject is)
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
SUBJECT
LINKING VERB SUBJECT COMPLEMENT
The pizza
looks
delicious. (adjective)
The lake
appears
calm.
My sister
became
a nurse. (noun phrase)
• Most common linking verbs
• Senses:
• taste
• Smell
• Look
• Feel
• Sound
• Other
• Become
• Remain
• Seem
• Appear
• prove
Exercise for Pattern 3
• Look at the following pairs of sentences and discuss the
differences.
• 1. Making a gourmet meal seems too time-consuming.
Making a gourmet meal is too time-consuming.
• 2.
The mark looked distinct, like a fingerprint.
The mark was distinct, like a fingerprint.
• 3.
Don’t be a cynic; they’re no fun.
Don’t become a cynic; they’re no fun.
Sentence Pattern 4:
The Intransitive Verb Pattern
• involves only two components: a subject and an intransitive
verb (an action verb that requires no complement)
Slot 1
Slot 2
SUBJECT
INTRANSITIVE VERB
Mary
laughed.
The camera battery
died.
Dogs
bark.
• Intransitive verbs could certainly be accompanied by
modifiers, too. E.g.
• The battery died suddenly.
• The audience laughed at the joke.
• However, this does not change the basic pattern.
• Some common intransitive verbs:
sit
walk
stand
run
come
work
go
play ...
Exercise for Pattern 4
• State which of these verbs below are intransitive.
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•
Walk
Play
Depart
Respect
Select
Stand
Give
Scream
Exercise for Pattern 4 (KEY)
• State which of these verbs below are intransitive.
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Walk
Play
Depart
Respect
Select
Stand
Give
Scream
(√ )
(√ )
(√ )
(√ )
(√ )
Exercise
• Identify the boundaries in the following sentences; and then
identify the pattern name
• E.g. The world of computers remains a mystery to my mother.
• The world of computers / remains / a mystery / to my mother.
(Pattern 3—Linking words)
• 1. The breeze from the neighbor’s grill smells wonderful.
• The breeze from the neighbor’s grill / smells / wonderful.
(Pattern 3—linking verb)
• 2. Grace Kelly's co-star, James Stewart, was highly enthusiastic
about working with her.
• 2. Grace Kelly's co-star, James Stewart,/ was / highly /
enthusiastic / about working with her. (Pattern 2--to be +
adjectival)
• 3. Certain types of food become contaminated if they are
stored in an unsafe container.
• 3. Certain types of food / become / contaminated / if they are
stored in an unsafe container. (Pattern 3--Linking verb)
• 4. Tomato plants grow as a series of branching stems, with a
terminal bud at the tip that does the actual growing.
• 4. Tomato plants / grow / as a series of branching stems, /
with a terminal bud at the tip that does the actual growing
(Pattern 4—intransitive)
• Now, go to p.23 for Exercise 4
Pattern 5: The Basic Transitive
Verb Pattern
• uses transitive verbs, which must be followed by a direct
object (the person or thing receiving the action of the verb)
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
SUBJECT
TRANSITIVE VERB DIRECT OBJECT
My roommate
borrowed
my laptop.
Our secretary
distributes
our weekly timesheets.
Dina
spoiled
her niece.
Exercise for Pattern 5
• Determine whether the verbs below are transitive or
intransitive. If a verb is intransitive, complete the sentence
with a period. If a verb is transitive, complete the sentence by
adding on a direct object.
• 1. Maggie contacted
• Maggie contacted me 3 times this week.
• 2. That novel completes
• That novel completes the series of his work
• 3. The ground shook
• The ground shook.
Pattern 6: The Transitive Verb + Two
Complements (Type 1)
• The verb is followed by a direct object and an indirect object.
(An indirect object is the object that is affected indirectly by
the verb; the recipient of the direct object)
Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4
SUBJECT
TRANSITIVE
VERB
INDIRECT
OBJECT
DIRECT OBJECT
Marie
gave
Ramon
a birthday gift.
The nurse
handed
the child
a bar of chocolate.
My father
bought
my sister
a car.
She
made
me
a delicious cake.
• When can we change the place of the direct/indirect object?
• E.g. Mary gave a birthday cake to Ramon.
• -- if we want to put the main emphasis on Ramon.
• -- if we want to add a modifier. (long modifiers are generally used at
the end)
• E.g. Marie gave a birthday gift to Ramon, a friend from her old
neighborhood in Northridge.
Exercise for Pattern 6
• In the sentences below, identify the indirect objects (IO) and direct
objects (DO):
• 1. David handed Terrance the ball when they were done playing
catch.
• David handed Terrance the ball when they were done playing catch.
• 2. Give Cindy the notice once she leaves the meeting.
• Give Cindy the notice once she leaves the meeting.
• 3. Do scientists really administer animals human medicines for
official testing?
• Do scientists really administer animals human medicines for official
testing?
Pattern 7: The Transitive Verb + Two
Complements (Type 2)
• a transitive verb, which requires a direct object to receive the
action, as well as an object complement to modify or rename
that object
Slot 1
SUBJECT
Slot 2
Slot 3
TRANSITIVE DIRECT
VERB
OBJECT
Slot 4
OBJECT COMPLEMENT
The teacher
My mum
considers
calls
hard workers.
a fool.
the students
me
• Alternative use: The teacher considers the students to be hard
workers.
• Other verbs common to this pattern: make, prefer, elect, find
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I prefer my coffee black.
Some students find grammar challenging.
The teacher made the test too easy.
California voters elected a movie start as their governor.
Exercise for Pattern 7
• In the sentences below, identify the direct object (DO) and
object complement (OC) of each verb and state whether it is a
noun that renames or adjective that modifies the object.
• 1. The baker made the bread too chewy.
• The baker made the bread too chewy.
• 2. We elected him class president because of his speech.
• We elected him class president because of his speech.
• 3. The jury found him “not guilty” of murder in the first degree
• The jury found him “not guilty” of murder in the first degree
THE OPTIONAL ADVERBIAL
• The optional adverbial can also be added while analyzing
sentence patterns.
• Egs (underlined are adverbials)
• During the Vietnam War, Gino’s dad was a pilot.
• Because a weasel is wild, it should be approached with great
caution.
• Yesterday the teacher called the students lazy when they
complained about their assignment.
• This morning I got up early to study for my Spanish test.
• Sentences without those adverbials are grammatically correct;
adverbials add information!
• My friends and I have pizza regularly.
• My friends and I have pizza with persistent regularity.
• My friends and I have pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
nearly every day of the week.
• My friends and I have pizza whenever the mood strikes.
• Now go to page 28 for Exercise 5
PUNCTUATION AND
SENTENCE PATTERNS
• Do not mark boundaries of the required sentence units with
punctuation.
• That is, never use a single comma to separate
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the subject from the verb
the direct object from the object complement
the indirect object from the direct object
the verb from the subject complement
• And with one exception, never separate
• The verb from the direct object
• Exception: He said, «I love you.»
Exercise 6
• Use slashes to separate the units of the following sentences
and then identify the sentence patterns:
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1- be/adverbial
2-be/subject complement
3-linking verb
4-intransitive
5-basic transitive
6-transitive with two complements (direct/indirect)
7-transitive with two complements (direct/object complement
• 1. In 1747 a physician in the British navy conducted an
experiment to discover a cure for scurvy.
• In 1747 / a physician in the British navy / conducted / an
experiment / to discover a cure for scurvy. (basic transitive)
• 2. Scurvy was a serious problem for men at sea.
• Scurvy / was / a serious problem / for men at sea. (be/subj.
complement)
• 3. Dr. James Lind fed six groups of scurvy victims six different
remedies.
• Dr. James Lind / fed / six groups of scurvy victims / six different
remedies. (transitive-two complements/direct-indirect)
• 4. When the men consumed oranges and lemons every day,
they recovered miraculously.
• When the men consumed oranges and lemons every day, /
they / recovered / miraculously. (intransitive)
• 5. Although fifty years passed before for the British Admiralty
Office recognized Lind’s findings, it finally ordered a daily dose
of fresh lemon juice for every British seaman.
• Although fifty years passed before for the British Admiralty
Office recognized Lind’s findings, / it / finally / ordered / a
daily dose of fresh lemon juice / for every British seaman.
(transitive-two complements/direct-indirect)
• 6. Interestingly, Lind’s discovery also affected the English
language.
• Interestingly, / Lind’s discovery / also / affected / the English
language. (basic transitive)
• 7. In the eighteen century, the British called lemons ‘limes.’
• In the eighteen century, / the British / called / lemons / ‘limes.’
(transitive-two complements/direct-object complement)
• 8. Because of that navy diet, people call British sailors ‘limeys.’
• Because of that navy diet, / people / call / British sailors /
‘limeys.’ (transitive-two complements/direct-object
complement)