Grammar for short

stories and narratives:

Sentence Patterns
TSLB1104

Week 9
11 -15/4/2022
Grammar for short stories and narratives:
Sentence Patterns
Subject - verb
Subject – verb - object
Subject – verb - adverbial
Subject - verb - complement
Subject – verb - indirect object – direct object
Subject – verb – object - complement
Subject - verb - adverbial
Sentence patterns
SV
What is the subject-verb?
Subject-verb agreement refers to the grammatical concept that the subject of a
sentence must align with the main verb of that same sentence. In particular,
singular subjects take singular verbs and plural subjects take plural verbs
What is subject and verb in a sentence?
Subjects and Verbs
The subject is usually a noun—a word (or phrase) that names a person, place, or thing. The verb
(or predicate) usually follows the subject and identifies an action or a state of being
SVO
Subject + Verb + Object - SVO pattern (English grammar practice) | Learn English - Mark
Kulek ESL
https://youtu.be/n6l9JFrEfF8

Subject + Verb + Adverb Pattern | English Speaking Practice | ESL | EFL

https://youtu.be/Ogv2cSf1tLY
SV Adverbial
An example of SVAdv if you were to say “I went into town to visit my friend,” the
adverbial phrase to visit my friend would clarify why you went into town. This can be
considered an adverbial phrase because it describes the verb went. Another common
use for adverbial phrases is to describe the frequency of an action.
The difference between adverb and adverbial
Is there any difference between an adverb and an adverbial? Adverbs modify verbs,
adjectives and other adverbs. Meanwhile, adverbials act like adverbs to modify a
verb or a clause. Adverbials can consist of a single word or an entire phrase.
What is an Adverbial Phrase?
Adverbial phrases help us understand things more clearly. An adverbial phrase consists
of two or more words that tell us more about a verb or an adjective. They appear as part
of a sentence and if they are removed from the sentence, it would no longer make sense.
They tell us how, where, when, how long, and why something has happened.
Examples of Adverbial Phrases:
Adverbial phrases can use the following phrases in bold:
•He sat in silence.
•She drove the car as carefully as possible.
•He spoke to his best friend almost every day.
Different types of adverbials
There are a whole bunch of different types of adverbials that we use in the English language.
They all have slightly different roles that help to shape the meaning of a sentence. Here are
some different types of adverbials that you may have heard of:
•Complements: a word, phrase, or clause that is necessary to complete the meaning of a
sentence. If they are removed, the sentence will not grammatically make sense.
•Adjuncts: these are part of the core meaning of a sentence, but the sentence still makes sense
without them.
•Prepositions: some prepositions like 'inside' or 'outside' may be used as an adverbial to specify
location.
•Conjuncts: words that are used to link two phrases or sentences together, for example
‘however’ or ‘therefore.’
•Disjuncts: words that stand outside the syntactic structure of a text they are commenting on.
They comment on the content or manner of what is being said or written. For example, phrases
like ‘without a doubt’ and ‘hopefully.’
Adverbials vs adverbs
So what exactly is the difference between adverbs and adverbials? Although adverbs and
adverbials are similar because they share the same modifying function, they do slightly different
things. Adverbials perform functions in sentences, whereas adverbs focus on modifying verbs
and actions within a sentence.
Adverbs are usually one word (like 'quickly' or 'excitedly'), whereas adverbials are usually a few
words together. Adverbs give more information about how the verb they are modifying was
performed, whereas adverbials give additional information about the entire sentence. You can
normally tell if a word is an adverb, because it will usually have the suffix '-ly' added to the end.
They are very similar and easy to get confused, and the difference between adverbs and
adverbials isn't always clear, so don’t worry if you feel a little lost. Here are two example
sentences, one with an adverb and one with an adverbial:
•Adverb: he stood and waited patiently
•Adverbial: he stood and waited by the exit
For further explanation
Subject Verb Object Adverbial English Grammar
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Subject + Verb + Adverb Pattern | English Speaking Practice | ESL | EFL

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SVC: What is a subject verb complement?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. In grammar, a subject complement or predicative
of the subject is a predicative expression that follows a linking verb (copula) and
that complements the subject of the sentence by either (1) renaming it or (2)
describing it.
A subject complement is the noun phrase or adjective that follows the linking verb. The
subject complement renames (noun) or describes (adjective) the subject. Examples
include referee (noun) and openly cynical (adjective phrase).

silly.
That dog is being Subject
(subject) (be verb) complement
(Adjective)
SVC: Complement
A complement in grammar is a word, clause, or phrase that's needed to describe the subject or
object of a sentence. Complements typically follow linking verbs, which show connection rather
than action. Let's explore the different kinds of complements, as well as how to spot them in a
sentence.

Subject complements: parts of speech

•That rice tastes quite sweet. ( subject + adjective phrase)
•It seems a long time since this morning. ( subject + noun phrase)
•It still smells of paint in here. ( subject + prepositional phrase)
 What is SVC sentence pattern?
Each sentence pattern contains an independent clause that can be a complete sentence. The
independent clause (SVC.) contains a subject (S), a verb (V), and a completer (C),. The
completer = any word or words that complete the thought.
How do you identify a subject complement in a sentence?
A subject complement is found in the predicate of a sentence (the part of the sentence that
contains the verb and makes a statement about the subject). The subject complement follows a
linking verb (a verb that expresses a state of being).
Subject complements can be a noun, an adjective, a single word, or a group of words that act like a noun or
adjective. Subject complements can be further broken down into predicate nominatives and predicate
adjectives.
Use subject pronouns as subject complements.
1.It = subject; was = linking verb; I = subject complement.
2.It = subject; was = linking verb; he = subject complement.
3.This = subject; is = linking verb; she = subject complement
SVC
Can a sentence have two subject complements?
The carpets are muddy. In the above example, carpets are noun and are is the verb and
muddy is the compliment word. In a sentence, a compliment can exist in two different
forms i.e. subject complement and object complement.
What is a sentence for complement?
Her dress perfectly complements the shade of her eyes. They make a great couple;
their personalities are a perfect complement to one another

What are the 5 types of complements?

Types of Complements. There are five main categories of complements: objects, object
complements, adjective complements, adverbial complements, and subject
complements. We'll briefly look at each below. To learn more about them, continue on
to their individual sections.
Subject Complements vs. Objects
Subject complements follow subjects just like objects do. However, the difference between these
grammatical terms lies in the verb. Here’s how to tell which is which:
•Action Verb: If the subject is doing something active and the next word is receiving the action,
it’s an object. An object will answer the question "who" or "what" in reference to the verb.
Example: She ate the soup.
"The soup" is an object. It's answering the question "who" or "what" is being eaten. As such, it's
following an action verb and receiving the action of the verb "ate."
•Linking Verb: If the verb functions to connect the subject to a word that describes it more, it’s a
subject complement. A complement will provide greater detail about the subject.
Example: The soup tasted good.
In this case, “the soup” is the subject of the sentence. “Tasted” is a linking verb to the adjective
“good,” which describes more about the soup.
Object Complements
The object of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that's receiving the action of the verb.
Object complements can beef up, or complement, the object of a sentence. Object complements can
also be a noun, an adjective, a single word, or a group of words that act like a noun or adjective.

He makes me very sad. (Providing more information about the object "me")
A wool scarf will keep your neck warm in the winter. (Providing more information about the object
"your neck")
We appointed Barry treasurer. (Providing more information about the object "Barry")
The gentle music rendered Janine quite drowsy. (Providing more information about the object "Janine")
Darren found his son fast asleep under his blanket. (Providing more information about the object "son")
SV IO DO
What is direct and indirect object with examples?
In the example sentence “She gave the award to the winner,” the word “to” helps identify
that the indirect object is “the winner.” Indirect objects are affected by the action of
the verb. The indirect object is the part of the sentence that is affected by the result of
the verb's action
Begin by looking for action verbs, then look for a noun or pronoun that receives
the action of the verb. That is the direct object. If there is a noun or pronoun that
receives the direct object, it is the indirect objec
 How to identify direct and indirect
object
A Grammar Lesson: Direct and Indirect Objects
1.An object is the part of a sentence that gives meaning to the subject's action of the verb.
For example: Alice caught the baseball. ...
2.A direct object answers the question of who(m) or what. ...
3.An indirect object answers the question of to whom, for whom, or for what
 SV IO DO
What verbs are always used with indirect objects?
The indirect object always modifies the verb. It may have modifiers and be compound. It is used with
verbs such as give, tell, send, get, buy, show, build, do, make, save, and read.
How do you find a direct object?
To find the direct object, say the subject and verb followed by whom or what. If nothing answers the
question whom or what, you know that there is no direct object. Example: The car hit the tree.

To find an indirect object:

1.Find the verb. Is it an action verb?
2.If it is an action verb, put the verb in the blank and ask "____ who or what?" Now, you have found the
direct object.
3.Now, ask "to whom or for whom"? If the sentence tells you the answer to this question, you have found
an indirect object
SV O C
Subject complements follow a linking verb and provide additional information
about the subject of the sentence. The subject complement is normally a noun or an
adjective that defines or renames the subject in some way. Object complements follow
and modify a direct object and provide additional information about it.
An object complement can be a noun, pronoun, or adjective. Object Complement
Examples: He made her happy.
What is verb complement and examples?
A verb complement is a direct or indirect object of a verb. (See above.) Granny left
Raoul all her money. (Both "money" [the direct object] and "Raoul" [the indirect object]
are said to be the verb complements of this sentence.)
SVOC
What are the 4 types of complements?
Types of Complements. There are five main categories of complements: objects, object
complements, adjective complements, adverbial complements, and subject
complements.
An objective complement is a noun or adjective that completes the meaning of the verb
and modifies, names, or renames the direct object. (Since these modify, name, or
rename direct objects, you'll only find them in sentences that have direct objects.
SVOC
A subject complement is a noun, adjective, or pronoun that follows a linking verb to
describe or rename the subject. The three types of subject complements are
called predicate nouns, predicate adjectives, and predicate pronouns.
The main difference between object and complement in English grammar is that the
object is what is affected to the action of the subject while the complement is a
part of a clause that usually follows the verb and adds more information about the
subject or object.
In English grammar, a direct object is a word or phrase that receives the action of the
verb. In the sentence The students eat cake, the direct object is cake; the word eat is
the verb and cake is what's being eaten.
SV Adverb (Subject-Verb-Adverb)
Examples: Maria laughs loudly. The dog jumps high. Apples are everywhere.
Jack quickly eats carrots.
An adverb is added (quickly) to tell how Jack eats. Jack quickly eats carrots. An
object is added (carrots) to tell what Jack eats. Jack quickly eats carrots at home.
Another adverb is added (at home) to tell where Jack eats.

Subject + Verb + Adverb Pattern | English Speaking Practice | ESL | EFL

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Examples
Examples
Examples
PRACTICE
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar/function/ex8.htm

https://www.grammarinenglish.com/sentencepattern/?lesson=examples

https://www.grammarinenglish.com/sentencepattern/?lesson=exercises
Tutorial task
Work in small groups, write a short narrative (one or two paragraphs) using all the sentence
patterns below. Highlight the identified sentence patterns with different colours.

Subject – verb
Subject – verb - object
Subject – verb - adverbial
Subject - verb - complement
Subject – verb - indirect object – direct object
Subject – verb – object - complement
Subject - verb - adverbial
 e-learning
English Grammar: Sentence Patterns - What you need to know!
https://youtu.be/745WT5bcFwA

The Five Basic Sentence Patterns in English

https://youtu.be/dZ4uFl2kusY

Basic Sentence Patterns-examples and activities

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 e-learning (continuation)
THE BASIC SENTENCE PATTERN
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LEARN ENGLISH SENTENCE PATTERNS || Subject + Verb+ Direct Object + Subject

Complement
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