TheSentenceI:SentencePatternshandout1

JOHNSONCOUNTYCOMMUNITYCOLLEGE

THESENTENCEPARTI
SENTENCEPATTERNS
Aknowledgeofbasicsentencestructureisnecessarytowritewell.Despitethecomplexityof
ourlanguagethereareonlysixbasicsentencepatternsintowhichwordsarearranged.Oncethe
sixbasicpatternshavebeenlearned,thestudyofmorecomplicatedpatternswillbeeasier.Most
ofthemoredifficultsentencesaremerelycombinationsofthebasicsentencesorwelldefined
orderlyalterationsofthem.
Notethatineachofthesixbasicsentencepatterns,thefunctionoftheverbandthenatureofthe
complementorcompleterrequiredbytheverb,arewhatdistinguishesonepatternfromanother.
Verbsareidentifiedastransitiveorintransitive.Transitiveverbstransfertheactionoftheverbto
areceiver.Intransitiveverbshavenonounorobjecttoactupon.

SentencePattern#1:Madeupofasubjectandaverbplusanymodifiersthereisno
complementorcompleter;therefore,theverbisintransitive:SV
Examples(subjectisbold,verbisunderlined,andprepositionalphrasesarein
parentheses):

Boyssing.

Theboys(inthechoir)(fromDetroit)singsweetly(atChristmas).

One(ofthethieves)musthavebeenhiding(inthebasement).

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SentencePattern#2:Madeofasubjectandaverbandadirectobject.Theverbistransitive
becauseitisactinguponanobjectdirectly:SVDO

Examples(subjectisbold,verbisunderlined,anddirectobjectisitalicized):

Studentswriteessays.

JCCCstudentswriteamazinglywellwrittenessaysaboutthemselves.

Withonespecialkindofverbthereisaproblemofdistinguishingbetweenadirectobjectandan
objectofapreposition.Noticethesetwosentences:
Harryjumpedoffthebox.

Harrytookoffhisraincoat.
ThefirstsentenceisPattern#1.Offisapreposition,boxistheobjectofthepreposition,and
theprepositionalphraseisusedasanadverbialmodifier,becauseittellswhereHarryjumped.
ThesecondsentenceisPattern#2.Theverb,withitsadverbialmodifieroff,istheequivalentof
thetransitiveverbremove.Raincoatisthedirectobject.
Thereisanotherwaytodistinguishbetweentheadverbialuseandtheprepositionaluseofsucha
wordasoffintheaboveexamples.Whenthewordisavitaladverbialmodifieroftheverb,it

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can,inmostcases,beusedineitheroftwopositions:immediatelyfollowingtheverbor
followingthedirectobject"Harrytookoffhisraincoat"or"Harrytookhisraincoatoff."But
whenthewordisapreposition,thealternatepositionisnotpossible."Harryjumpedtheboxoff"
isnonEnglish.
Herearesomeotherexamplesofthiskindofverbwithadverbialmodifier(s).Noticethat
ineachcaseyoucaneasilyfindatransitiveverbsynonymforthecombination:
...giveup(relinquish)hisrights

...leaveout(omit)thesecondchapter

...putout(extinguish)thefire

...makeover(alter)anolddress

...makeup(invent)anexcuse

SentencePattern#3:Consistsofasubjectandaverbwithtwocompletersoftheverb:the
directobject,whichdirectlyreceivestheactionofthetransitiveverbandanswerswhoorwhat,
andtheindirectobject,whichindirectlyreceivestheactionoftheverbandanswerstowhom(or
which)orforwhom(orwhich).
NOTE:Therecannotheanindirectobjectwithoutadirectobject.
Atypicalverbforthissentencepatternisgive,allow,assign,ask,tell,write,send,show,pay,
grant,etc.(Nearlyallsentencesusingtheseverbscanmakeessentiallythesamestatementby
usingaprepositionalphrase,theprepositionusuallybeingtoorfor.Whentheprepositionis
presentinthesentence,itisaPattern#2sentence.)Pattern#3:SVIODO

Examples(subjectisbold,verbisunderlined,directobjectisitalicized,andindirect
objectisinallcapitalletters):

IgavetheTEACHERmyessay.

InervouslygavemydemandingEnglishTEACHERmyperfectlycorrectessay.

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REMEMBER:

1.Everyverbhasasubject.
2.Someverbshaveadirectobject.
3.Afewverbshavebothadirectobjectandanindirectobject.

SentencePattern#4:Consistsofasubjectandaverbandtwocompleters.Theonecloserto
theverbisthedirectobjectandthesecondoneistheobjectivecomplement,whichiseithera
nounthatrenamesthedirectobjectoranadjectivethatdescribesthedirectobject.
NOTE:Youmaytestthispatternbyinsertingtobe.Sometimesthewordasisusedbetweenthe
directobjectandobjectcomplement.
ThefollowingverbsarethemostfrequentlyusedinSentencePattern#4:elect,appoint,name,
call,consider,find,make,think.
SVDOOC

Examples(subjectisbold,verbisunderlined,directobjectisitalicized,andobject
complementisinallcapitalletters):

TheparentsconsideredtheirchildaGENIUS.

TheteacherthoughthimSTUPID.

SentencePattern#5:Consistsofasubject,aspecialkindofintransitiveverbcalledalinking
verb(alistfollows)andasubjectivecomplement(maybeanounwhichrenamesthesubject):S
LVNC

Example(subjectisbold,linkingverbisunderlined,subjectivecomplementnounis
italicized):

Thechildisagenius.

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SentencePattern#6:Consistsofasubject,aspecialkindofintransitiveverbcalledalinking
verbandasubjectivecomplement(maybeanadjectivewhichdescribesthesubject):SLVAC
Example(subjectisbold,linkingverbisunderlined,subjectivecomplement
adjectiveisitalicized):
Thechildisstupid.

LinkingVerbsVerbsthatdonotalwaysexpressaction.
Become
Grow
Turn
Seem
Appear
Look
Remain
Stay
Continue
Feel
Smell
Taste
Sound
Prove
Get
Wear

Shebecameahousewife.
Hegrewwearyofthelecture.
Macturnedgreenwithenvy.
Maryseemedilltome.
Gladysappearedwelltome.
Franceslooksgoodinred.
Heremainedcalm.
Hestayedmyfriend.
Theweathercontinuedwarm.
Laterhefeltbetter.
Thefishsmellsspoiled.
Thefishtastesterrible.
Thissentencesoundsallrighttome.
Sheprovedfaithfultotheend.
Theroadshavebeengettingprogressivelyworse.
Herpatienceiswearingthin.

Thefollowingtobeverbs:
Be

Shallbe

Being

Willbe

Am

Hasbeen

Is

Hadbeen

Was Shallhavebeen

Are Havebeen

Were Willhavebeen

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NOTE:Analternativetothebasicsentencepatternsgivenisthepassivevoice.Onlytransitive
verbscanhavepassiveverbforms;therefore,onlypatterns#2,#3,and#4canbealteredtothis
structure.Becausetheuseofpassivevoiceisconsideredtobelifelesswriting,manycomposition
teacherswilldiscourageit.
Examples:

SentencePattern#2 ActiveStudentswriteessays.

PassiveEssaysarewrittenbystudents.

SentencePattern#3 ActiveIgavetheteachermyessay.

PassiveMyessaywasgiventotheteacherbyme.
SentencePattern#4
ActiveTheparentsconsideredtheirsonagenius.

PassiveTheirsonwasconsideredageniusbytheparents.
Ifthedoeroftheactionisexpressedinasentenceusingapassiveverb,thedoermustoccuras
theobjectofthepreposition.
ActiveIhave.
PassiveIamhad.

PracticeExerciseA

Identifythesentencepattern(#1,#2,#3,#4,#5,or,#6)ofeachofthefollowingsentences.

1.Themuseumsprovidesomethingforeveryone.
2.Therunnerranaroundthirdbase.
3.Tryingtoletinsomefreshair,Dorisopenedawindow.
4.Theairoutsidewasworsethantheairinside.
5.AnnieyieldedtoJack'ssweettalk.
6.Unemploymentisgettingworse.
7.Partyingisfun.

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8.Suewantstoquitherjob.
9.Bertstumbledthroughthelobbyoftheunion.
10.Theexcitedhorsethrewitsrider.
11.Havetheystartedthegameyet?
12.Thehunteronsafarikilledtwolions.
13.Ihaven'tgotanymoneyforthemovie.
14.Therearetwonewtheatersintown.
15.Ienjoygoingtothemovies.
16.Thepitcherpitchedawildpitch.
17.Thatwildpitchofhiscosthimthegame.
18.Thefollowingstudentsshouldreporttothedean'soffice.
19.Ihavebeenfollowingtennisforyears.

20.Thissentenceisthelastoneinthisexercise.

PracticeExerciseB

Writetwosentencesasexamplesofeachofthesentencepatterns.Besuretomarksubject(S),
verb(V),andcomplement(DO,IO,OC,AC,and/orNC).

SentencePattern#1

SentencePattern#2

SentencePattern#3

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SentencePattern#4

SentencePattern#5

SentencePattern#6

PracticeExerciseC

Givethesentencepatternforeachsentence,andthendiagrameachsentence.

1.Mr.Browndeniedeveryoneoftheaccusations.

2.Ishallassigntheclassthefirstthreechaptersofthetextbook.

3.ThefloodwatershavebeenslowlyrecedingsincelastSunday.

4.Uponreexaminationnow,myyouthfulambitionsseemquiteunrealistic.

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5.Agovernmentchemistpronouncedthegrainunfitforhumanconsumption.

6.Thedebatingcoachpointedouttwoseriousflawsinmyargument.

7.Bobhadlefthisraincoatinoneofhisclassrooms.

8.Hisstoriesleftthechildrenweakfromlaughter.

9.ProfessorEwing'slectureshaveshownmethevalueofthesesurveys.

10.Mrs.Albertskeepsherhousespotlesslyclean.

11.Theprincipal'sanswertoourrequestwasavehement"No."

12.Latelytherehasbeenanoutbreakofmysteriousforestfires.

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13.Icanofferyounothingexceptmydeepestsympathy.

14.Mostofusconsideryouthelogicalreplacementforthemissingtreasurer.

15.Inspiteoftheheat,theoldmankepthisovercoaton.

16.Shermanhasbecomeoneofourmostreliableinvestigators.

17.Afterthepresident'sannouncement,manyofthereporterslookedstunned.

18.Mr.Garfieldhasgivenusaninspirationalexampleofselfsacrifice.

19.Beforeusstoodatall,sternfacedguard.

20.I'moptimisticaboutyourchancesforanearlypromotion.