Lecture 1 Lecture 1 Sentence Structure
Lecture 1Lecture 1
Sentence Structure
Lecture 1Sentence Structure
There two main points in this lecture:
1.1 Clause Elements
1.2 Basic Clause Types and Their Transformation and Expansion
1.1 Clause elements
A review on what is Clause
1) Subject and predicate
2) Two Ways of Sentence Analysis
A review on what is Clause:
The clause (the simple sentence) : structurally a sequence of phraseslogically 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.
Henry is the most studious (diligent) in the class.
Subject Predicate
All the men have done their best.
Mr. Carter will investigate further.
Henry
All the men
Mr. Carter
have done their best
will investigate further
is the most studious(diligent) in the class
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.
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
Predicate VerbObject
Complement
Adverbial
Subject
Five Clause Elements
﹢
﹢
1
2
34
5
2) Two Ways of Sentence Analysis
2. To divide the predicate into two parts: the operator and the predication.
The operator the auxiliary or the first auxiliary in a complex verb phrase
The predication the main verb with its complementation
Object / Complement / 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:
SVC
SV SVA
SVOSVOA
SVoO
SVOC
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 Mon
otransitive 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 Ditr
ansitive 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
1. adding modifiers at various levels
modifiersclause
phrases
words
﹢
modifiers﹢
modifiers﹢
2. by coordination and subordination
clause ﹢ clause
coordination
subordinationclause clause
subordination
compound sentence
complex sentence
compound complex sentence
Example: How many clauses?
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.
reports came into London Zoo
wild puma had been spotted forty-five
a
miles south of London they were not taken
seriously the evidence began to
accumulate experts from the Zoo felt
obliged to investigate the descriptions
were extraordinarily similar
given by people who claimed to have seen
the puma
C2
C1
C4
C3
C6
C5
C7
When
but as
for
who
C3 C5
C4 C6
C7
C1
C2
Coordinate
Subordinate SubordinateSub
ordi
nate
The Structure of Sentence 1
When
that
but
as for
who
C1
reports came into London Zoo
C2
a wild puma had been spotted forty-five miles south of London
C3
they were not taken seriously
C4
the evidence began to accumulate
C5
experts from the Zoo felt obliged to investigate
C6
the descriptions given by people were extraordinarily similar
C7
who claimed to have seen the puma
Sentence 2Furthermore, he (a successful scientist) is not only critical of the work of others, but also of his own, since he knows that man is the least reliable of scientific instruments and that a number of factors tend to disturb impartial and objective investigation.
C2
C1
C3
C4
C1
C2
C3 C4
Main Clause
Subordinate Clause
Subordinate Clause
Adverbial
Object
since
thatthatand
Sentence 3 I know of many cases where having no
children the husband after middle age wanted to take a concubine, but because the wife refused to give her consent, desisted.
C1
C2
C3
C1
S V O
I know of many cases
C2where
Appositive
C3
becauseAdverbial
Complex Clause
Simple Clause
Simple Sentence
Sentence 4 I know even of a case where the husband,
because he did not want to exact this mark of selflessness from his wife who was sick and in bad health, refused, when urged by the wife, to take a concubine, but the wife, without his knowledge and consent, not only bought a concubine, but actually forced him to take the concubine into the house. C1
Appositive
Adverbial
Post Modifier
C1 C2
C3
C4
C5
IS V O
know even of a case
C2 C5where
but
C3C4
because
who
Exercise 1 A
Identify the clause elements in the following sentences:
Model: why should I have to take out the trash?
A. Subject: IB. Predicate Verb: should have to take out
1. Joshua quickly finished his homework
and went out to play.
A. Object: B. Adverbial:
his homeworkquickly, to play
2. The huge black horse easily won the
race. A. Subject: B. Object:
The huge black horsethe race
3. People have though about going into
space for many years.
A. Predicate Verb: B. Object:
have though aboutgoing into space
4. The snake warms up and crawls out of
the bag. A. Predicate Verb: B. Adverbial:
warms up and crawlsout of the bag
5. Saturn is one of the most beautiful
planets to look at through a telescope because of the many rings that surround it. A. Complement:
B. Adverbial:
one of the most beautiful planets to look at through a telescope
because of the many rings that surround it
6. Neptune takes 165 years to complete
its path, or orbit, around the sun. A. Object: B. Adverbial:
165 yearsto complete its path, or orbit, around the sun
7. How many pairs of shorts should you
and your brother bring?
A. Subject: B. Object:
you and your brother
How many pairs of shorts
8. What is the most expensive meal listed
on the menu?
A. Subject:
B. Complement:the most expensive meal listed on the menu
What
9. The boy scouts teach their members
an “out-door code” before the camp.
A. Direct Object: B. Indirect Object:
an “out-door code”their members
10. Hurricane winds can blow as fast as
180miles (290kilometers) an hour. A. Predicate Verb: B. Adverbial:
can blowas fast as 180miles (290kilometers) an hour
11. The spiral of heated air and moist air
begins to twist and grow and spin faster and faster in a counterclockwise direction. A. Subject:
B. Object:The spiral of heated air and moist air
to twist and grow and spin
12. The direction a hurricane’s spiral
moves is counterclockwise.
A. Subject:
B. Complement:The direction a hurricane’s spiral moves
counterclockwise
13. At the North Pole the sun does not
shine for half of the year.
A. Predicate Verb: B. Adverbials:
does not shineAt the North Pole,for half of the year
14. The cold winds that blow off the Arctic
Ocean make the North Pole a very cold place.
A. Subject:
B. Object Complement:
The cold winds that blow off the Arctic Ocean
very cold place
15.
These criminals might have been guilty of murder.
A. Predicate Verb: B. Complement:
might have beenguilty of murder