The simple sentence
Basic clause structure
(Elements of sentence structure)
⚫ A clause which can stand alone as a sentence has a subject
and a verb.
⚫ It may also have other elements:
⚫ an object
⚫ a complement
⚫ an adverbial
Basic clause structure
⚫ Each element plays its part in the structure of a clause
(FUNCTIONS OF SENTENCE ELEMENTS)
⚫ SUBJECT – a ‘doer’ of the action expressed by the verb:
The boy kissed the girl.
A car knocked them down.
⚫ We can put the elements together to form different
kinds/types of clauses.
⚫ There are seven types of clauses according to whether one or
more clause elements are obligatory present in addition to the
subject and verb
Clause types
1. SV
Subject Verb
My friend is waiting.
2. SVO
Subject Verb Object
The company sells mobile phones.
Clause types
3. SVC
Subject Verb Complement
This colour is nice.
4. SVA
Subject Verb Adverbial
The concert is tomorrow.
Clause types
5. SVOO
Subject Verb Object Object
Sarah sent me a fax.
6. SVOC
Subject Verb Object Complement
The project kept everyone very busy.
Clause types
7. SVOA
Subject Verb Object Adverbial
I put my credit card in my
wallet.
Linguistic structures used as sentence elements
My friend is waiting.
⚫ The subject of a sentence is a noun phrase.
The company sells mobile phones.
⚫ The object is also a noun phrase.
Linguistic structures used as sentence elements
⚫ A complement usually gives information about the
subject of the sentence (complement subject)
⚫ It can be:
⚫ an adjective phrase
The colour is nice.
⚫ a noun phrase
The old cinema became a nightclub.
Linguistic structures used as sentence elements
⚫ An adverbial expresses an idea such as when,
how, or why something happens. It can be:
⚫ an adverb phrase
The concert is tomorrow.
⚫ prepositional phrase
The photos lay on the table.
o noun phrase
The Olympics are every four years.
VERBS
⚫ Different types of verbs corresponding to the different types of
objects and complements:
▪ Intransitive verbs – do not permit any object or complement
The sun is shining.
▪ Transitive verbs – take direct objects
The boy kicked the ball.
▪ Ditransitive verbs – can take both a direct and an indirect
object
He gave Mary 10 dollars.
VERBS
▪ Complex-transitive verbs – take an object complement
They elected him chairman last year.
⚫ Verbs with a complement are called linking verbs:
be, become, get, look, seem
Complement
⚫ There are two different kinds of complement:
⚫ Subject complement
⚫ Object complement
Everyone was very busy. (Cs)
Simon became their spokesman. (Cs)
⚫ The subject complement relates to the subject of
the clause (everyone, Simon).
Complement
The project kept everyone very busy. (Co)
The group made Simon their spokesman. (Co)
⚫ The object complement relates to the object of the
clause (everyone, Simon)
Adverbials
⚫ We can add extra adverbials to any of the clause
structures.
My friend is waiting outside.
Unfortunately the dog has eaten my
homework.
To my surprise, Sarah actually sent me a fax
right away.
⚫ We can link two or more words or phrases with
and or or.
The colour is nice and bright.
My friend and his brother are here.
The concert is on Wednesday or Thursday.
⚫ We can use two noun phrases one after the other
when they both refer to the same thing. We say that
the phrases are ‘in apposition’.
My friend Matthew is coming to stay.
Everyone visits the White House, the home
of the President.
⚫ Give, send, buy, reserve and similar verbs come
in two different sentence structures.
⚫ They can either have two objects, or they can have
an object and a prepositional phrase.
You give the attendant your ticket.
You give your ticket to the attendant.
⚫ TWO OBJECTS
Indirect object Direct object
You give the attendant your ticket.
⚫ The indirect object refers to the person receiving
something
⚫ The direct object refers to the thing that is given.
⚫ OBJECT + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
Direct object phrase with to or for
You give your ticket to the attendant.
⚫ Some verbs go with to and some go with for.
⚫ You give something to someone, but you buy
something for someone.
⚫ Verbs with to: bring*, give, lend, mail, offer, owe,
pass, pay, promise, read, sell, send, show, take,
teach, throw, write
⚫ bring goes with either to or for.
We’ve brought some flowers for our hostess.
(giving things to people)
Lorries regularly bring coal to the power
station. (transporting things to places)
⚫ Verbs with for:
⚫ bring*, buy, cook, fetch, find, fix, get, keep, leave,
make, order, pick, reserve, save
⚫ When there is a pronoun, it usually comes before a
phrase with a noun.
Mark lent me his umbrella.
⚫ Some verbs can occur in the structure with to or for
but NOT with an indirect object.
Tim described the men to the police.
(NOT Tim described the police the men.)
I’ll explain everything to you.
(NOT I’ll explain you everything.)
STATEMENTS
⚫ There are two parts of a simple declarative sentence – statement
SUBJECT PREDICATE*
Jack laughed.
He is a student at the University of
Zadar.
His friend plays basketball.
That was his photograph.
How they dance depends on their mood.
To make mistakes is normal.
What I really need now is a break.
Hiking and playing are my favourite hobbies.
tennis
PREDICATE
⚫ Predicate can be divided into a maximum of four units:
1)Verb (V)
2)Complements: subject complement (Cs) and object
complement (Co)
3)Objects: direct object (Od) and indirect object (Oi)
4)Adverbial (A)
Jack (S) smiled (V).
He (S) is (V) a student (Cs) at the University of Zadar (A).
Martin (S) has sent (V) his girlfriend (Oi) a love letter (Od).
The students (S) elect (V) him (Od) chairman (Co) every year
(A).
The policemen (S) carefully (A) searched (V) the room (Od).
SENTENCE – CLAUSE DISTINCTION
⮚ SIMPLE SENTENCE
- has a single subject-predicate structure (contains just
one clause):
The man stole the jewellery.
- Clause – a syntactic unit that alone can be analysed into
the elements: S, V, O, C, A.
SENTENCE – CLAUSE DISTINCTION
⮚ Sentences which contain more than one clause are
either compound or complex.
⮚ COMPOUND SENTENCE
⮚ contains two or more independent clauses:
The man stole the painting and hid it in his house.
SENTENCE – CLAUSE DISTINCTION
⮚ COMPLEX SENTENCE
⮚ contains an independent clause (main clause) and one or
more subordinate clauses:
The man who stole the painting hid it in his house.
Who stole the painting = subordinate clause
The man hid it in his house = main clause
