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The Basic Elements of A Sentence

This document provides an overview of the basic elements of sentences: subjects, verbs, objects, complements, modifiers, and conjunctions. It defines these elements and provides examples to illustrate how they are used in sentences. The examples demonstrate how sentences can be expanded through the addition of these elements to become more specific and informative.

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Célia ZENNOUCHE
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52 views5 pages

The Basic Elements of A Sentence

This document provides an overview of the basic elements of sentences: subjects, verbs, objects, complements, modifiers, and conjunctions. It defines these elements and provides examples to illustrate how they are used in sentences. The examples demonstrate how sentences can be expanded through the addition of these elements to become more specific and informative.

Uploaded by

Célia ZENNOUCHE
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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University of Abulkacem Sadallah/ Department of English/S3

Grammar / 2021 /Week 1/ Instructor: Mrs. Kater Meriem.

RECOGNIZE THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF SENTENCES

Although many sentences are complicated word structures, all sentences,


even the most complicated, are built from a few basic elements: subjects (S),
verbs (V), objects (O), and complements (C). These elements work together
to express a central idea that may be further developed or refined by other
elements: modifiers (M) and conjunctions (Conj).

The verb with its objects, complements, and modifiers is known as the

predicate of the sentence. The predicate describes the action performed by the

subject or the state of being of the subject. Subject and predicate are the two

main parts of a simple sentence.

 The lawyer wrote. [Subject + Verb.]


 The lawyer wrote the brief. [Subject + Verb + Object.]
 The trial lawyer hurriedly wrote the Hernandez brief but then
carefully revised it. [Subject + Verb + Object + Conjunction +
Verb + Object. Modifiers used throughout.]

These examples show that a sentence composed of the basic elements can be

made more specific and informative through expansion.

1. Subjects identify the people, places, things, ideas, qualities, or


conditions that act, are acted upon, or are described in a sentence.

Nouns and pronouns are the most common subjects, but phrases (groups

of words without verbs) or clauses (groups of words with subjects and verbs)

may also be subjects.

To win is her objective. [Subject (phrase) + Verb + Complement.]


What President Aquino wants most is political stability. [Subject (clause) +
Verb + Complement.]

2. Verbs express action (select, walk) or a state of being (seem, is).


Verbs consist of single words (develop) or groups of words (might
have developed).

A verb that requires an object to complete its meaning is a transitive verb. A


verb that does not require an object to complete its meaning is an intransitive
verb. Notice that some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive.

President Roosevelt ordered (transitive verb) the evacuation (object).

After two years, Senator Harris resigned (intransitive verb).

The building inspector examined (transitive verb) the wiring (object).

Pandas eat voraciously (intransitive verb) .

A verb connecting a complement to a subject is a linking verb.

The child seemed frightened.

After years of study, Fred became an aerospace engineer.

3. Objects are nouns or pronouns that complete the ideas expressed by

subjects and transitive verbs.

Direct objects answer the questions what? or whom? Indirect objects answer
the questions to whom or what? or for whom or what?

With great care, Dr. Rodriguez (S) completed (V) the report (O).

[Report is what Dr. Rodriguez completed.]

Dr. Rodriguez (S) sent (V) the immunologist (IO) the report (DO).

[Report is what Dr. Rodriguez sent; immunologist is to whom he sent it.]


4. Complements are adjectives or nouns that complete the ideas in a
sentence by modifying the subject (predicate adjective) or by
renaming the subject (predicate noun).

Complements are joined to the subjects of sentences by linking verbs, such as


am, are, is, was, were, become, get, feel, look, and seem.

Throughout the competition, Warren (S) remained (V) optimistic (C).

[Predicate adjective modifies the subject Warren.]

In the end, Warren (S)was (V)first runner-up(C).

[Predicate noun renames the subject Warren.]

5. Modifiers (typically adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases


used as adjectives or adverbs) describe or limit subjects, verbs,
objects, complements, or other modifiers.

Modifiers alter the meanings of other words by answering one of these

questions: what kind? which one? how many? whose? how? when? where?
How often? or to what extent?

Long speeches are unacceptable. [What kind of speeches?]

Those four-wheelers are dangerous. [Which four-wheelers?]

We received sixty-seven applications. [How many applications?]

The subcommittee shared its findings. [Whose findings?]

The immigrant slowly completed the form. [How did he complete it?]

After the tennis match, we celebrated. [When did we celebrate?]

Leave the carton in the mailroom. [Where should it be left?]

Michael called his doctor frequently. [How often did he call?]

The glassblower very skillfully formed the stem. [What degree of skill did the

glassblower use?]
6. Conjunctions join and relate two or more words, phrases, or clauses
in a sentence.

Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet) link equivalent

sentence elements.

John Kander and Fred Ebb collaborated on several major musicals.


[Conjunction links two subjects.]

The burglars gained access to the vault, yet left its contents intact. [Conjunction
links two verbs.]

He fought unenthusiastically but skillfully. [Conjunction links two modifiers.]

I will not do it, nor will I recommend anyone else who might. [Conjunction

links two clauses.]

Correlative conjunctions, such as both . . . and, either . . . or, neither . . . nor,

and not only . . . but also, work in pairs and also link equivalent sentence
elements.

Both Senator Robins and Representative Hershell received contributions

from the tobacco industry. [Conjunction links two subjects.]

Marion will go either to Butler University to study pharmacology or to Indiana


University to study dentistry. [Conjunction links two modifiers.]

Subordinating conjunctions, such as after, although, because, even if, so


that,until, and when, join clauses, but they subordinate one clause to another.
The subordinate clause, introduced by the subordinating conjunction, can be
positioned at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence.

Because she was outspoken on the subject of women writers, Virginia

Woolf has become a central figure in feminist criticism. [Subordinate clause


first.]

Virginia Woolf has become a central figure in feminist criticism because she

was outspoken on the subject of women writers. [Subordinate clause last.]

Virginia Woolf, because she was outspoken on the subject of women

writers, has become a central figure in feminist criticism. [Subordinate clause

embedded.]

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