Basic Sentence Structure in English

There are five basic patterns around which most English sentences are built.
S+V

Subject + Verb

S+V+O

Subject + Verb + Object

S + V + Adj

Subject + Verb + Adjectives

S + V + Adv

Subject + Verb + Adverb

S+V+N

Subject + Verb + Noun

John sleeps.
John is sleeping.
John is eating an orange.
John loves his job.
John is funny.
John seems angry.
John is here.
Flowers are everywhere.
He is my cousin.
John is the singer.

At the heart of every English sentence is the Subject-Verb relationship. Other elements can be
added to make a sentence more interesting, but they are not essential to its formation.
The following sentences are examples of the S + V pattern.
She sleeps.
She sleeps soundly.
She sleeps on the sofa.
She sleeps every afternoon.
She is sleeping right now.
Jane will sleep later.
The cats are sleeping in my room.

Core sentence.
An adverb is added to describe how she sleeps.
A prepositional phrase is added to tell where she sleeps.
A time expression is added to tell when she sleeps.
Verb tense is changed, but S + V relationship remains the same.
Subject is named and another tense is used.
New subject may require a different form of the verb.

The following sentences are examples of the S + V + O pattern.

They like rice.
The people like rice.
The friendly people like rice.
The people like boiled rice.
The people like hot, white rice.

Core sentence.
Specific subject.
Subject modified with an adjective.
Object modified with an adjective.
Object modified with more than one adjective.

Note: Only transitive action verbs can be used with this sentence pattern.
Recognize a transitive verb when you see one. A transitive verb has two characteristics. First, it is an
action verb, expressing a doable activity like kick, want, paint, write, eat, clean, etc. Second, it must
have a direct object, something or someone who receives the action of the verb.

The following sentences are examples of the S + V + Adj pattern.

He is fine.
He seems happy.
John is tall, dark and handsome.
He appears very comfortable.
John became sick last night.

Basic sentence with be verb.

Basic sentence with another linking verb.
Series of adjectives.
Adverb or intensifier added.
Different tense and linking verb.

Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern.
A linking verb connects the subject with a word that gives information about the subject, such as a
condition or relationship. They do not show any action; but, they link the subject with the rest of the
sentence. For example, in the sentence "They are a problem," the word "are" is the linking verb that
connects "they" and "problem" to show the relationship between the two words.

The following sentences are examples of the S + V + Adv pattern.

The teacher is here.
The teacher is over there.
Teachers are everywhere.
The teachers are in the lobby.

Basic sentence.
Using an adverb phrase.
Plural noun and verb used.
Prepositional phrase functioning as adverb.

Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern.
An adverb phrase is simply two or more words that act as an adverb. It can modify a verb, adverb, or
adjective and can tell how, where, why, or when. An adverb clause which also modifies
verbs, adverbs and adjectives; but, an adverb clause also includes a subject and a verb.

The following sentences are examples of the S + V + N pattern.

The man is a doctor.
The women are doctors.
My father is a nice guy.
My grandparents are senior citizens.

Basic sentence.
Using plural noun and verb.
Modified subject and complement.
Modified plural subject and complement.

Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern.
In grammar, a complement is a word, phrase or clause that is necessary to complete the meaning of a
given expression. Complements are often also arguments (i.e., expressions that help complete the
meaning of a predicate).

Source: http://www.eslgold.com/grammar/basic_sentence.html