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