UNIQUE Public Graduate College

Sentence Elements
A sentence is a meaningful group of words that gives a complete sense and can be followed by a period, question
mark, or exclamation point.

The principal elements of a sentence are the verb, subject of the verb, and direct object of the verb or complement of the
verb. Many sentences have only a verb and a subject.
Other important elements are the indirect object and modifiers.

VERB
A verb is the word or words that describe the action or state of being of the subject.
 Rats eat mice. (The verb eat describes the action performed by the subject rats.)
 Junaid has felt well recently. (The verb has felt describes the state of being of the subject John.)
 The organ was often played during the ritual. (The verb was played describes the action of the subject organ.)

SUBJECT
A subject is the person or thing that performs the action indicated by the verb or that is in the state of being described by
the verb.
 Trees and shrubs line the driveway. (Trees and shrubs is the subject of the verb line, answering the question who or
what line? Trees and shrubs line.)
 Rare books are expensive. (Books is the subject of the verb are. Who or what are expensive? Books are. Expensive
is the complement of are. Complements are discussed below.)

DIRECT OBJECT
A direct object is the word or words that receive the action indicated by the verb.
 Automobiles are polluting cities. (What is the action? Are polluting. What receives the action? Cities. Cities is the
direct object of the verb are polluting.)
 The gardener fertilized the lawn and trees. (What receives' the action? The lawn and trees. Lawn and trees is the
object of fertilized.)
 The safe was robbed. (There is no direct object. This sentence has only a subject safe and a verb was robbed.)

COMPLEMENT
A complement is the word or words that complete the meaning of verbs that express feeling, appearing, being, and seeming.
Such verbs are classified as copulative, or linking verbs. Copulative verbs. do not take a direct object. They are completed
by complements. Note that all forms of the verb to be are copulative except when used as auxiliary verbs.
 He seems sick. (The verb seems does not describe action but does describe a state of being. Seems links the subject he
with sick, and sick is the complement of seems. Note that it occupies the position in the sentence that an object would
occupy. The sentence He seems sick can best be understood by imagining that a physician is receiving a report on a
patient's health. No action is being reported, only a state of being. The verb seems to convey no meaning without a
complement. Thus, sick completes the meaning of seems and is called the complement of the copulative verb seems.)
 He is a carpenter. (The verb is links the subject he with carpenter, a noun. No action is being performed. Carpenter
complements-completes-the copulative verb is.)
 She feels fine early in the morning. (The copulative verb feels links she with fine, the complement of feels.)

It should be noted that the verb feel does not always function as a copulative verb. In the sentence She felt the table, an
action is being performed, the action of feeling. In this sentence, then, table is the direct object of felt.

POLARIS
To find the principal elements of a sentence:
 Find the verb or verbs by asking yourself: What is happening? What state of being is indicated?
 Find the subject or subjects by asking yourself: Who or what is performing the action described by the verb or verbs?
Whose state of being is described by the verb or verbs?
 Find the direct object of the verb or verbs by asking yourself: Who or what is receiving the action of the verb or verbs?
 Find the complement of a copulative verb by asking yourself: What element of the sentence completes the verb?
Note that a verb that takes a direct object cannot take a complement. A verb that takes a complement cannot take a direct
object.

EXERCISE:
This exercise tests your ability to identify subjects, verbs, direct objects, and complements. You may want to review the
material presented above before beginning work on this exercise. (The sentences include certain elements not yet discussed.
They will be discussed shortly.)
In the following sentences, identify the principal sentence elements as shown in these examples:
Examples:
Rimsha and Sana appeared happy. They have played cricket.
Subject: Rimsha and Sana Subject: they
Verb: appeared Verb: played
Direct Object: none Direct Object: cricket
Complement: happy Complement: none

EXERCISE:
Libraries contain the wisdom of civilization. Wars have produced death and destruction.

Subject: ______________________________ Subject: ______________________________

Verb: ______________________________ Verb: ______________________________

Direct Object: ______________________________ Direct Object: ______________________________

Complement: ______________________________ Complement: ______________________________

The house was ransacked. The defendants called their lawyer.

Subject: ______________________________ Subject: ______________________________

Verb: ______________________________ Verb: ______________________________

Direct Object: ______________________________ Direct Object: ______________________________

Complement: ______________________________ Complement: ______________________________

Transistors have revolutionized the television industry. Matadors are highly respected in Spain.

Subject: ______________________________ Subject: ______________________________

Verb: ______________________________ Verb: ______________________________

Direct Object: ______________________________ Direct Object: ______________________________

Complement: ______________________________ Complement: ______________________________

INDIRECT OBJECT
An indirect object is a word or words that receive the direct object. You will encounter indirect objects in two different
ways:
(1) When an indirect object follows the direct object, the indirect object will be preceded by to, for, or of.
(2) When an indirect object appears between the verb and the direct object, the indirect object will appear without to, for,
or of
Indirect objects occur most often with such verbs as ask, tell, send, give, and show.

Consider the following sentences:

 He gave the book to me. (The direct object of gave is book. Me is the indirect object and is preceded by to. Me receives
book, the direct object.)
 He gave me the book. (The direct object of gave is book. Me is the indirect object. Me receives book. Notice that to is
omitted, because the indirect object appears between the verb gave and the direct object book.)
 The professor asked her a question. (The direct object of asked is question. Her, the indirect object, receives question.
Notice that of is omitted.)
 The professor asked a question of her. (Her is the indirect object and is preceded by of. Her receives question, the
direct object.)
 Television commentators give audiences the news. (The direct object of the verb give is news. The indirect object
audiences receives news, the direct object.)
 Television commentators give the news to audiences. (The indirect object audiences receives news, the direct object.
The indirect object is preceded by to.)
 Many florists send their best customers orchids on New Year's Eve. (The direct object of send is orchids. The
indirect object is customers.)
 Many florists send orchids to their best customers on New Year's Eve. (The indirect object customers receives
orchids. the direct object.)

In the following sentences, underline the indirect objects as shown in these examples:
 The bride threw her bouquet to the bridesmaids.
 Gladstone delivered a major address to the House of Commons and House of Lords.

EXERCISE:
 Guatemala provides excellent facilities for vacationers.

 Attorneys ask their clients searching questions.

 The storekeeper sent his customer a red carpet.

 I wrote a poem for him.

 He gave the museum a rare vase.

 She showed her stamp collection to Maria.

 He gave his Chinese vase to the Museum of Art.

 District attorneys may ask embarrassing questions of witnesses.

 Cargo ships give reliable service to most clients.

 Children may tell their parents many strange stories.

POLARIS
MODIFIERS
All words in a sentence that are not verbs, subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, or complements are modifiers.
Typically, modifiers define, make more precise, identify, or describe a verb, subject, direct object, indirect object,
complement, or other modifier.
Modifiers may be single words or groups of words.

Consider the following sentences:

 He ran quickly. (The verb ran is made more precise---is modified---by quickly.)
 He ran as quickly as he could. (The verb ran is made more precise---is modified---by as quickly as he could.)
 The blue hat suited the woman. (The subject hat is described---is modified---by blue.)
 The hat that she wore suited the woman. (The subject hat is modified by that she wore.)
 The thief stole an electric typewriter. (The direct object typewriter is modified by electric.)
 A thief stole the typewriter that Andrew's wife had given him. (The direct object typewriter is modified by that
Andrew's wife had given him.)
 Copyright lawyers forward their findings to waiting clients. (The subject lawyers is modified by Copyright, and the
indirect object clients is modified by waiting.)
 Copyright lawyers forward their findings to clients who pay their bills. (The subject lawyers is modified by
Copyright, and the indirect object clients is modified by who pay their bills.)
 Salman appeared overly anxious. (The complement anxious is modified by overly.)
 Salman appeared anxious to an extreme degree. (The complement anxious is modified by to an extreme degree.)
 Excessively grateful people embarrass others. (The modifier grateful is itself modified by excessively.)
 Uninformed by any standard, he continued to pose as an expert. (The modifier uninformed is modified by by any
standard. The subject he is modified by uninformed by any standard.)

In the following sentences, underline the single-word modifiers as shown in these examples:
 Three large stores were opened simultaneously.
 The open book lay on the professor's desk.

EXERCISE:
 An outdoor market attracts enthusiastic visitors.

 The tired driver came home very late.

 Adina opened the large package carefully.

 The grocery store opened early and closed late.

 Mother always folded clean sheets neatly.

 I never hear the wolves.

 Our weekly paper prints only local news.

 Pervaiz quickly repaired the broken pipe.

 Hafsa's diary has a blue binding.

 The red paint dries slowly.

 The stormy winds raised high waves.

 Robert's black car needs new tires.

 They sell a million hamburgers annually.

POLARIS
MULTIPLE-WORD MODIFIERS
Multiple-word modifiers are composed of sentence elements known as phrases or clauses. A phrase is a logical
grouping of words that does not contain a subject or verb. A clause is a logical grouping of words that does contain a
subject and verb.

Consider the following sentences:

 The house with the gabled roof belongs to the parson. (In this sentence, the phrase with the gabled roof modifies
house; the phrase to the parson modifies belongs. Note that there is no subject or verb in either multiple-word
modifier.)
 The man who entered the room hastened to the hostess. (In this sentence, the clause who entered the room modifies
man; the phrase to the hostess modifies hastened. The first multiple-word modifier has both the subject who and the
verb entered. For this reason, the modifier is a clause. To the hostess has neither subject nor verb, so it is a phrase.)
 The girl whose arm was set awoke in the hospital. (In this sentence, the clause whose arm was set modifies girl; the
phrase in the hospital modifies awoke.)

In the following sentences, underline the multiple-word modifiers as shown in these examples:
The expert who identified the forgeries was rewarded by the art collector.
I find him guilty. (none)

EXERCISE:
 The dress that the champion wore on the tennis court was trimmed with green piping.

 The man with blond hair ran down the stairs.

 The flanker of the visiting team ran around the right end.

 The building in which we live has been condemned.

 A car that is double parked blocks traffic in the entire street.

 The man wearing the brown suit left his papers on his desk.

 Garbage had fallen across the sidewalk.

 People of all ages enjoy swimming.

 The shop on the corner sells newspapers from many cities.

 A line of unemployed men appeared outside the office door.

 The girl in the red dress walked down the street.

 The light of morning shone through the window.

 The window box Mary planted is full of red flowers.

 Students from our class visited the museum.

 The girl with brown eyes pointed across the room with her left hand.

 The driver of our bus was pleasant to all the passengers.

 The salesman who spoke only English could not communicate with many customers.

 The batter who hit to left field reached second base before the ball was thrown in.

POLARIS
 In the following sentences, identify verbs, subjects, direct objects, complements, indirect objects, and
modifiers as shown in these examples:

Examples:
The basement of the house across the street was flooded during the storm.
Subject: basement
Verb: was flooded
Direct Object: none
Complement: none
Indirect Object: none
Modifiers: of the house, across the street, during the storm

Mr. Jinnah was an able man.

Subject: Mr. Jinnah
Verb: was
Direct Object: none
Complement: man
Indirect Object: none
Modifiers: able

North is the best student in the senior class.

Subject: North
Verb: is
Direct Object: none
Complement: student
Indirect Object: none
Modifiers: best, in the senior class

The ornithologist identified many rare birds.

Subject: ornithologist
Verb: identified
Direct Object: birds
Complement: none
Indirect Object: none
Modifiers: many rare

POLARIS
EXERCISE:
Fires endanger the lives of many city families.

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________________

Verb: _____________________________________________________________________________

Direct Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Complement: _____________________________________________________________________________

Indirect Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Modifiers: _____________________________________________________________________________

Zunaira made good pottery for herself and her friends.

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________________

Verb: _____________________________________________________________________________

Direct Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Complement: _____________________________________________________________________________

Indirect Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Modifiers: _____________________________________________________________________________

Old typewriters are a burden to their users.

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________________

Verb: _____________________________________________________________________________

Direct Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Complement: _____________________________________________________________________________

Indirect Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Modifiers: _____________________________________________________________________________

Literary critics often are frustrated authors.

Subject: _____________________________________________________________________________

Verb: _____________________________________________________________________________

Direct Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Complement: _____________________________________________________________________________

Indirect Object: _____________________________________________________________________________

Modifiers: _____________________________________________________________________________

POLARIS
CLAUSES
Like a sentence, a clause contains a subject and a verb. It may also contain an object or complement, an indirect object,
and modifiers.
A clause that gives a complete sense and can stand alone as a sentence is called an independent clause. A clause that
cannot stand alone as a sentence is called a subordinate or dependent clause.
A sentence may consist of one or more independent clauses plus one or more subordinate clauses.

Consider the following sentences:

 Before he sat down, he removed his coat. (This sentence consists of a subordinate clause Before he sat down and an
independent clause he removed his coat. You know from the previous discussion of modifiers that, in this sentence, the
subordinate clause modifies the verb removed in the main clause. Note that both clauses have their own subjects and
verbs: he sat, he removed. Note further that the independent clause can stand as a sentence: He removed his coat. The
subordinate clause cannot stand as a sentence: Before he sat down. The subordinate clause does not make a complete
statement but depends on the independent clause for its meaning. The word Before connects the subordinate clause to
the independent clause. Before here is classified as a subordinating conjunction.
 We went to the movies, and they stayed home. (This sentence consists of two independent clauses. Each clause has
its own subject and verb: We went, they stayed. Either clause can stand as a complete sentence. Each makes a statement
that does not depend on the other. The conjunction here is and, which is classified as a coordinating conjunction. Other
coordinating conjunctions are but, for, so, or, nor, and yet.)

In the following sentences, underline the independent clauses as shown in these examples:
 We stayed on the dock long after the ship had gone.
 Even though he was sick, he attended class regularly.

 Some of us liked the program that night, and many people were enthusiastic about it.

 Many women misinterpreted the remarks of the candidate, so he tried to restate his position.

 While we were walking home, we considered the problem carefully.

 Pooch lived a long and happy life, but his time had come to die.

 During the years they spent raising their children, they had many happy experiences.

 Cigarettes are known to be dangerous to health, yet many people continue to smoke them.

 He agreed to join her in the new business, but he had little capital to invest.

 Although there were enough instruments to go around, their quality was poor.

 His first remarks were greeted with derision, but the audience later began to applaud.

 Typewritten papers usually get higher marks than handwritten papers.

POLARIS
 In the following sentences, underline the dependent clauses as shown in these examples:

 Most of the seniors will be graduated before they reach eighteen.

 At every opportunity he downgrades his associates. (none)

EXERCISE:
 Some of them have been driving carelessly although they all passed Driver Education.

 Aspens and poplars grow rapidly but are not useful in building.

 They left California before their children entered school.

 Sally never eats meat, even though her mother and father do.

 We decided that she was not a friend of ours and that he was.

 My wife could barely manage to get home on time from her job at school, where she taught reading improvement.

 The mayor told her constituents that she would do her best to meet the town's financial needs.

 Supersonic transport airplanes have little to recommend them, since they save the traveler little time and contribute

heavily to air pollution.

 I have reserved two seats for tonight's performance.

 The movie held all of us spellbound except for Kate, who yawned audibly from the time the movie began.

PHRASES
A phrase is a group of two or more words that does not contain a subject and verb. Phrases have many forms and functions,
but it is useful here to learn to recognize phrases and to identify their functions as modifiers, subjects, complements, and
objects.

Consider the following sentences:

 She hid behind the building. (The phrase behind the building modifies hid. Note that no single word within the
phrase conveys the meaning intended by the entire phrase, which functions as a logical grouping of words that
conveys a single meaning. Note also that the phrase has no subject or verb.)
 The child in front will win. (The phrase in front modifies child.)
 Eating apples has been called a sure way to avoid doctors' bills. (The phrase Eating apples functions as the subject
of has been called. Note that words such as Eating often function as subjects, objects, and modifiers. In these roles,
they are classified as verbals. In this sentence Eating is a gerund, one of the three types of verbals.)
 Her hobby was flying airplanes. (The phrase flying airplanes functions as the complement of was, a copulative
verb. Flying is also a gerund.)
 Areeba wanted to finish her work early. (The phrase to finish her work early is the object of wanted. Note that to
finish is an infinitive, which is one of the three types of verbals.)

POLARIS
In the following sentences, underline the phrases as shown in these examples:

 The children were taken to the store.

 Winning the peace is more important now than winning the war.
 She decided to spear an octopus for dinner.

EXERCISE:
 We swam across the winding river.

 After her downfall, all mention of her name was forbidden.

 He saw himself pinned to the wall.

 The glider soared skyward, soon enough to return to Earth.

 They baited the trap in the hope of snaring something for dinner.

 A simple country doctor was all she wanted to be.

 Books were his best friends, time his greatest foe.

 A cup of tea in the late afternoon enabled him to survive until evening.

 In the library, the boy found peace and quiet.

 The captain ordered us to pick up our gear and retreat to the nearest town as quickly as possible.

POLARIS