Sentence Structure

Sub-pokok bahasan:
Central core
The parts of English sentences

CENTRAL CORE
English sentences consist of predications;
something is said or predicated about a
subject. The main grammatical divisions of
a sentence are therefore:
THE SUBJECT : Who or what is being
talked about
THE PREDICATE : What is being said
about the subject

 The sentence is further divided according to the

function each word has in the subject-predicate
relationship. Each of these functions is classified
as a different part of speech.
The words that form the CENTRAL CORE of the
sentence are the parts of speech known as
nouns (or pronouns) and verbs.
The words that modify the central core words
are adjectives and adverbs.
The words that show a particular kind of
connecting relationship between these four parts
of speech are called prepositions and
conjunctions.

SENTENCE
Central core = NOUNS (or pronouns) and
VERBS.
Modifying the central core = ADJECTIVES
and ADVERBS.
Connecting the relationship between those
four parts of speech = PREPOSITIONS
and CONJUNCTIONS.

SUBJECT
SUBJECT = NOUN (or PRONOUN)
1. Proper nouns:
- Names of persons and things (Dr. Jim Smith,
Susan, Mr. Blake, speculum, nursing station)
- Names of geographic units (Amazon river, Arjuna
mountain, Atlantic ocean)
- Names of countries/cities (Egypt, England, Abu
Dhabi, London)
- Names of nationalities and religions (Dutchman,
Englishman, Americans, French, Islam,
Christianity )
- names of time units (Sunday, September)

2. Concrete and abstract nouns

- Concrete nouns: a word for physical object that can be
perceived by the senses. We can see, touch, smell the
object (stethoscope, bed, wheel chair).
- Abstract nouns: a word for a concept. Its an idea that
exists in our minds only (beauty, freedom, happiness).
3. Countable and uncountable nouns
- Countable nouns can be pluralized by the addition of
s/-es (two patients, some visitors, a group of nurses).
- Uncountable nouns are not used in the plural (rice,
milk, tea, coffee, sugar).

4. Collective nouns: a word for a group of people,

animals, or objects considered as a single unit

(audience, committee, family, government, team,
class).
5. Noun compounds: a group of words (usually two
or more) joined together into one vocabulary unit
that functions as a single part of speech
(bathroom, grammar book, nurses duty,
common sense, blue print, pickpocket, lifeguard,
punching bag, dining room, water skiing)

PREDICATE
1. PREDICATING WORD
- It expresses actions/events.
- It is frequently followed by another word
that completes the predication, called
object.
e.g.: work, walk, examine, measure,
hold, carry, happen, occur.
THE PATIENT TAKES THE PILLS
S
PW
O

2. LINKING WORD/BE
- It expresses state or condition.
- it is always followed by another word
which makes the actual predication,
called subjective complement.
e.g.: is, am, are, was, were.
SUSAN IS A NURSE
S
LW
SC

COMPLEMENT
1. SUBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT:
It modifies the subject.
- NOUN
My sister is a surgeon.
- ADJECTIVE
My sister is pretty.
- ADVERB OF PLACE/PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE
My sister is here.

2. OBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT
It modifies the object
- NOUN
The people elected SBY the President of
Indonesia.
Most students chose Ario Jatmiko the
chairman of the students senate.