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Sentence Patterns

The document describes basic English sentence patterns using subject-verb-object structures. It discusses three main patterns: 1) simple sentences with a subject, verb, and object, 2) sentences with both a direct object and indirect object, and 3) sentences where a preposition is placed before the indirect object. Examples are provided for each pattern along with exercises for readers to practice rearranging words into complete sentences. The document serves as a guide for non-native English speakers to learn fundamental English grammar rules for sentence construction.

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Lili Djenna
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330 views6 pages

Sentence Patterns

The document describes basic English sentence patterns using subject-verb-object structures. It discusses three main patterns: 1) simple sentences with a subject, verb, and object, 2) sentences with both a direct object and indirect object, and 3) sentences where a preposition is placed before the indirect object. Examples are provided for each pattern along with exercises for readers to practice rearranging words into complete sentences. The document serves as a guide for non-native English speakers to learn fundamental English grammar rules for sentence construction.

Uploaded by

Lili Djenna
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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Basic English Sentence Patterns

A. When we make simple English sentences, we usually follow the


Subject-Verb-Object pattern.
Steps:
1. put the subject and the adjectives such as ‘fat’, ‘thin’ etc. or any words
describing the subject at the beginning of the sentence
2. put the verb and some adverbs such as ‘often’, ‘usually’ etc. after the
subject
3. put the object of the verb, the adjectives or other words describing the
object and the adverbs describing the verb at the end of he sentence

Subject Verb Object

Paul often eats biscuits.


Mary ate two apples quickly.
My father and mother are eating mangoes now.
The fat girl has eaten a watermelon.
That little boy will eat some bread soon.

Exercise 1
Rearrange the words in correct order to make complete sentences.
e.g. the fat cat / a mouse / is chasing.
The fat cat is chasing a mouse.

1. that thin girl / is drinking / milk now


2. the robbers yesterday / the police / caught
3. our teacher / like /we
4. my mother / my baby sister / is looking after
5. has just written / a letter / the tall man
6. the students / have solved / some Mathematics problems
7. her aunt tomorrow / will visit / Mary
8. newspapers every day / my boss / reads
9. enjoyed / the movie / the audience
10. the cook / some chocolate cakes / has made

1
Answers

Exercise 1
1. That thin girl is drinking milk now.
2. The police caught the robbers yesterday.
3. We like our teacher.
4. My mother is looking after my baby sister.
5. The tall man has just written a letter.
6. The students have solved some Mathematics problems.
7. Mary will visit her aunt tomorrow.
8. My boss reads newspapers every day.
9. The audience enjoyed the movie.
10. The cook has made some chocolate cakes.

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B. Some verbs can be followed by two objects without an ‘and’ connecting them.
One of these objects is called the ‘direct object’ and the other the ‘indirect
object’. Below is the pattern of a sentence containing both direct object and
indirect object:
Subject – Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object

Subject Verb Indirect Object Direct Object

I gave my sister a birthday present.


My parents always tell me stories.
We have lent him some money.
They are asking the teacher some questions.

Exercise 2
Rearrange the words in correct order to make complete sentences.
e.g. my sister / a birthday cake yesterday / me / baked
My sister baked me a birthday cake yesterday.

1. the short man / has bought / some crayons from the stationery shop / his son
2. the policeman / has just shown / the driver / his driving license
3. the patient / gave / some medicine / the nurse
4. brought / me / a bouquet of flowers last week / my uncle
5. the shopkeeper / the customer / is paying / two hundred dollars
6. he / his brother / the secret / has never told
7. a postcard from Japan / sent / her / her best friend
8. did not lend / his new model car / the child / his classmate
9. her mother / cooked / her / some congee
10. has ever given / any help / the blind woman / no one in the street

3
Answers

Exercise 2
1. The short man has bought his son some crayons from the stationery shop.
2. The driver has just shown the policeman his driving license.
3. The nurse gave the patient some medicine.
4. My uncle brought me a bouquet of flowers last week.
5. The customer is paying the shopkeeper two hundred dollars.
6. He has never told his brother the secret.
7. Her best friend sent her a postcard from Japan.
8. The child did not lend his classmate his new model car.
9. Her mother cooked her some congee.
10. No one in the street has ever given the blind woman any help.

4
C. Sometimes a preposition is put in front of the indirect object. The pattern of
such sentence is :

Subject – Verb – Direct Object – Preposition – Indirect Object

Subject Verb Direct Object Preposition Indirect Object

My friend has sent a letter to me.


His parents bought a computer for him.

Exercise 3
Rewrite each of the following sentences by placing the word in brackets before the
indirect object.
e.g. My brother showed me his new wallet. (to)
My brother showed his new wallet to me.

1. The postman took her a letter yesterday. (to)


2. The dog owner gives his dog a bone every day. (to)
3. The students sent their teacher a present. (to)
4. The gardener handed me some flowers. (to)
5. My mother has already taken my father a cup of coffee.(to)
6. She found me a seat in the concert last Sunday. (for)
7. Betty has painted her best friend a beautiful picture. (for)
8. We bought our uncle a pair of gloves on his birthday. (for)
9. The tailor made the princess a new dress. (for)
10. Judy has baked me some chocolate cookies. (for)

5
Answers

Exercise 3
1. The postman took a letter to her yesterday.
2. The dog owner gives a bone to his dog every day.
3. The students sent a present to their teacher.
4. The gardener handed some flowers to me.
5. My mother has already taken a cup of coffee to my father.
6. She found a seat for me in the concert last Sunday.
7. Betty has painted a beautiful picture for her best friend.
8. We bought a pair of gloves for our uncle on his birthday.
9. The tailor made a new dress for the princess.
10. Judy has baked some chocolate cookies for me.

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