sentence structure

Lecture1
Sentence Structure
There two main points in this lecture:
1.1 Clause Elements (P15)
1.2 Basic Clause Types and Their
Transformation and Expansion (P20)

1.1 Clause elements
•
A review on what is Clause:
The clause (the simple sentence) :
structurally a sequence of phrase
logically a construction of “subject +
predicate”.

1) Subject and predicate
•
A full-fledged clause can generally be divided
into two parts: the subject and the
predicate.
Subject Predicate

Henry is the most studious (diligent) in the class.
All the men have done their best.
Mr. Carter will investigate further.

The subject:
•
the topic or theme of the sentence, tells
of what the sentence is about (known

information).
•
The subject is generally realized by a noun
phrase or an equivalent of noun phrase

The Predicate:
•
says something about the subject and bears
the new information (the speaker or writer
wants to transmit to the listener or reader).
•
The construction of the predicate, which is
more complicated, generally consists of a
verb phrase with or without
complementation.

•
Compound subject/ Compound
predicate/ Double predicate

2) Two Ways of Sentence Analysis
1. To divide the predicate into predicate
verb, object, complement and
adverbial. These elements together with
the subject make the five clause elements.
Predicate
2. Predicate Verb
3. Object
4. Complement
5. Adverbial

1. Subject
Five Clause Elements
﹢

2. To divide the predicate into two parts: the
operator and the predication.
–
The operator is usually the auxiliary or the
first auxiliary in a complex verb phrase
–
The predication comprises the main verb with
its complementation (object, complement or
adverbial).

1.2 Basic Clause Types and Their
Transformation and Expansion
•
In terms of the different combinations of
clause elements, English clauses can be
classified into seven basic types.
•
Innumerable authentic sentences are
structured on the basis of these clause
types.

1) Basic Clause Types
•
The seven basic clause types are:
SV
SVC

SVA
SVO
SVOA
SVOC
SVoO
These seven combinations of clause elements
are wholly or largely determined by
the Main Verb in the clause.

SVC:
•
The main verb in an SVC pattern is a
Linking / Copula Verb which must be
followed by a Subject Complement.
That car is mine.
She is in good health.

SV / SVA :
•
The main verb in an SV pattern is an
Intransitive Verb which is not to be followed
by any obligatory element except for a
limited number of intransitive verbs which
require an obligatory Adverbial, thus
constituting the pattern SVA.
Every body laughed.
The children are sleeping.
I live in Beijing.
The train leaves at six.

SVO / SVOA :
•
The main verb in an SVO pattern is a
Monotransitive which must be followed by an
object, and with some monotransitives the
object must be followed by an obligatory
adverbial, thus constituting the pattern SVOA.
Nobody could answer the question.
Liverpool won the game.
I put the material evidence in front of
her.
He treated her vilely.

SVoO:
•
The main verb in an SVoO pattern is a
Ditransitive Verb which is to be followed by
two objects: Indirect and Direct Object.
Mary lent me her car.
I made myself a cup of tea.

SVOC:
•
The main verb in an SVOC pattern is a
complex transitive verb which must be
followed by an object + object
complement.

We made him our spokesman.
They elected him president.

2) Transformation and Expansion
of Basic Clause Types
Ways of Transformation:
The basic clause types are
all affirmative statements with verbs in the
active voice.
Negative
Question
Passive Voice
Affirmative
Statement
Active Voice

Ways of Expansion:
1. adding modifiers at various levels
2. by coordination and subordination
Modifiers
C
o
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
i
o
n

S
u
b
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
i
o
n
Compound Sen.
Complex Sen.
Compound Complex Sen.
Clause
﹢
Clause
Clause
﹢
﹢

When reports came into London Zoo that a
wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles
south of London, they were not taken
seriously, but, as the evidence began to
accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt
obliged to investigate, for the descriptions
given by people who claimed to have seen

the puma were extraordinarily similar.

•
When reports came into London Zoo that a wild puma
had been spotted forty-five miles south of London,
they were not taken seriously, but, as the evidence
began to accumulate, experts from the Zoo felt obliged
to investigate, for the descriptions given by people
who claimed to have seen the puma were
extraordinarily similar.
C2C1
C4
C3
C6
C5
C7

reports came into London Zoo
a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London
they were not taken seriously
the evidence began to accumulate
experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate
the descriptions given by people were extraordinarily similar
who claimed to have seen the puma
C1
C2
C3
C4
C5
C6

C7
When
t
h
a
t
,

b
u
t
,
a
s
,

f
o
r

C7
C6
C1
C5
C4
C3
C2
Coordinate
, but,
S

u
b
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
e
S
u
b
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
e
Subordinate
Subordinate
Subordinate
When
as
, for
that
The Structure of Sentence 1

C3 C5
C4 C6
C7
C1
C2
Coordinate
S
u
b
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
e
S
u
b
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
e
S
u

b
o
r
d
i
n
a
t
e
The Structure of Sentence 1