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.

Lecture1Sentence 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 phraselogically 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.

Predicate2. 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 Monotr

ansitive 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

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.

C2C1

C4C3

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,

Su

bo

rdin

ate

Su

bo

rdin

ate

Su

bo

rdin

ate

Subordinate

Subordinate

When as

, for

that

The Structure of Sentence 1

C3 C5

C4 C6

C7

C1

C2

Coordinate

Subordinate SubordinateSub

ordi

nate

The Structure of Sentence 1