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Sentence Structure
There two main points in this lecture:
1.1 Clause Elements (P15)
3. Object
1. Subject ﹢ 2. Predicate Verb Predicate
4. Complement
5. Adverbial
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:
SVO
SV SVOA
SVC SVOC
SVA 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
Monotransitive 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.
Affirmative Negative
Statement Question
Active Voice Passive Voice
Ways of Expansion:
1. adding modifiers at various levels
2. by coordination and subordination
Clause
﹢Modifiers
Compound Sen.
Clause Complex Sen.
Compound Complex Sen.
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
C1 C2
had been spotted forty-five miles south of London,
Subordinate
When as
Coordinate
C3 C5
, but,
Subordinate
, for
C6
Subordinate
C7
The Structure of Sentence 1
Coordinate
C3 C5
C1 C4 C6
C2 C7