Basic Sentence Patterns(For review)

In English, S V and C follow BASIC PATTERNS.

Except as predicate adjectives or objective complements, adjectives are never part of a sentence’s basic pattern. Nor are adverbs, conjunctions, interjections or prepositional phrases which add details or connections between the sentence parts.

1. S – V

The taxi is coming. The students are waiting.

2. S-V-DO

She recklessly hit the brakes. Voraciously, Edgar ate the freshly baked cake. 3. S-V-IO-DO I tipped the waiter five dollars. I bought her a new pair of shoes. 

4. S-V-IO-DOI tipped the waiter five dollars. I bought her a new pair of shoes. 5. S-V-O-OCWe named our girls, Heloise and

Freya.They judged the movie appropriate

for us.  

6. S-LV-C That gentleman is a foreign diplomat.

Success in business was her goal. The bill was outrageous. The field grew barren from overuse.

Exercise1. I skinned my knees on the rough surface.2. The retired couple made gardening their full time

occupation.3. We talked for hours and hours.4. For such a small restaurant, the menu appeared

extensive.5. The treasurer embezzled thousands from the company.6. Its strong rhythm won the band many enthusiastic

reviews.7. He dived into the water and emerged two minutes later.8. The picture on the rubber stamp became my trademark

for all my correspondence.9. The actress flashed her smile and waved a gloved hand at

the admiring crowd.10. After questioning, the suspect no longer seemed

defensive and evasive.