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:
adding modifiers at various levels
by coordination and subordination
Modifiers
Coordination
Subordination
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.
C2
C1
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
that
, but,
as
, for
C7
C6
C1
C5
C4
C3
C2
Coordinate
, but,
Subordinate
Subordinate
Subordinate
Subordinate
Subordinate
When
as
, for
that
The Structure of Sentence 1
C3
C5
C4
C6
C7
C1
C2
Coordinate
Subordinate
Subordinate
Subordinate
The Structure of Sentence 1