English for Language Teachers

Sentence Patterns

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 1

Sentence Patterns

Are they sentences?

• I like English. 
• I am an IT manager. 
• A young businessman 
• Students in this classroom 
• My computer hanged. 
• This program is good.

• A floppy disk on the big table in the lab 

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 2

Sentence Patterns

What is Sentence?
Every sentence has a subject and a predicate.

1 The subject is what or whom the sentence

is about,

2 The predicate tells what the subject is or

does.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 3

Sentence Patterns

What is Sentence?
A subject can be a noun or pronoun that is partnered with a
verb.
subject verb

My friend works for a computer company.

• The action of this sentence is expressed by the verb – works.
• The noun friend is doing the action of working.

• Therefore, friend is the subject of the sentence.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 4

Sentence Patterns

What is Sentence?
A predicate is the rest of the sentence coming after the
subject.

subject predicate

My friend works for a computer company.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 5

Sentence Patterns

What is Sentence?
Sometimes the predicate will be composed of 2 or 3 verbs  that
fit together. 

subject predicate subject predicate

My friend works My friend is working

subject predicate

My friend has been working

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 6

Sentence Patterns

Simple Sentence Pattern 1: Subject + Verb

Subject Verb Adverbial

Most computer has crashed.

The transmission failed an hour ago.

LAN links in the same building.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 7

Sentence Patterns

Simple Sentence Pattern 2: Subject + Verb+ Direct Object

Subject Verb Direct Object Adverbial

We are developing a new program.

Joe bought a new computer from the store.

Bill Gates founded Microsoft on the basis

of the development of
MS/DOS.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 8

Sentence Patterns

Simple Sentence
Pattern 3: Subject + Linking Verb+ Subject Complement
Subject Verb Subj Complement Adverbial

Computer systems are getting more intelligent (adj.) these days.

Multimedia software is interactive. (adj.)

PCs have become commodity items (n.)

Supercomputers are high –capacity

computers (adj.)

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 9

Sentence Patterns

Simple Sentence
Pattern 4: Subject + Verb+ Indirect Obj + Direct Obj

Subject Verb Indirect Obj Direct Obj Adverbial

You should send me the file by tomorrow.

I emailed them the documents.

They bought their company a new anti-

virus program.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 10

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• She bought/ordered a product online.

• She is calling the credit card call center.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 11

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• He is giving a presentation.

• He described the budget to the audience.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 12

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• She is bored.

• She is feeling disappointed.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 13

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• They are having a meeting via

video
conference.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 14

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• They are working together.

• They are satisfied with the results.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 15

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• A boy is playing games.

• Games can develop a child’s brain

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 16

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• She is using an ATM.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 17

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• They are celebrating.

• They are celebrating by tossing caps.
• They are celebrating their graduation.

• Graduates are throwing caps in the

air.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 18

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• She is entering her password.

• She has authorized access.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 19

Sentence Patterns

Writing Sentences Practice

• They are printing some pictures.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 20

Sentence Patterns

Compound Sentence
A compound sentence contains 2 simple sentences joined by a
coordinating conjunction (and, but, so, for, or) with a comma
preceding it.
simple
Simple 1 1 simple 2 Simple 2

IBM sold a lot of computers last year. It made a healthy profit.

simple1 + conjunction + simple 2 = compound

IBM sold a lot of computers last year, so it made a healthy profit.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 21

Sentence Patterns

Compound Sentence

Coordinating Examples
conjunctions
And shows addition Imagesetters produce very high-solution
output, and they are extremely fast.

But shows opposition Dot matrix printers can print up to 500

characters per second, but they produce
low resolution output.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 22

Sentence Patterns

Compound Sentence

Coordinating Examples
conjunctions
So shows a result The computer crashed, so I lost all of my
work.
For shows a reason: Good programmers usually test their
programs many times, for they don’t want to
overlook any errors.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 23

Sentence Patterns

Compound Sentence

Coordinating Examples
conjunctions
Or shows an alternative Computer programmers write programs for
or choice: users, or end users purchase and use
computer software.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 24

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

Computers have taken a dominant role in our society.

Most new jobs require access to computers and the Internet.

Computers have taken a dominant role in our

society, and most new jobs require access to
computers and the Internet.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 25

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

Flat screen monitors require less space.

They eliminate screen flicker.

Flat screen monitors require less space, and they eliminate

screen flicker.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 26

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

We use units such as KB, MB, and GB.

We want to avoid astronomical figures and sums in the

calculation of bytes.

We use units such as KB, MB, and GB, for we want to avoid
astronomical figures and sums in the calculation of bytes.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 27

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

Bluetooth can transfer data and voice very fast.

It uses high frequency radio waves.

Bluetooth can transfer data and voice very

fast, for it uses high frequency radio waves.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 28

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

Most users have their own favorite online service.

This can prevent them from seeing the advantages of others.

Most users have their own favorite

online service, but this can prevent
them from seeing the advantages of
others

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 29

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

A RAM cache may speed up our work.

We need a lot of memory or a special cache card.

A RAM cache may speed up our work , but we need a lot of

memory or a special cache card.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 30

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

You must not download computer programs illegally.

You will have committed to a computer

crime.

You must not download computer programs

illegally, or you will have committed to a
computer crime.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 31

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

Some computers have smart card readers.

You can buy things on the Web easily and safely with
digital cash.

Some computers have smart card readers , so you can buy

things on the Web easily and safely with digital cash.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 32

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

Speech will become a major component of user interface.

Applications will be completely redesigned to incorporate

speech input.

Speech will become a major component

of user interface, so applications will be
completely redesigned to incorporate
speech input.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 33

Sentence Patterns

Combining Sentences

The scanner doesn’t find a match for your fingerprint.

The keyboard remains locked.

The scanner doesn’t find a match for your

fingerprint, so the keyboard remains locked.

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 34

Sentence Patterns

THE END

Sentence Patterns PowerPoint by Sha 35