Sentences

Pattern Of Normal Sentence

SUBJECT + VERB + OBJECT (COMPLEMENT)  + MODIFIER

A sentence is composed of following parts.

SUBJECT: is an agent in the sentence in the active voice who does work.

• It is a person or thing or phrase noun or proper noun or pronouns that does action.
• Sometimes pseudo (false) subjects are used e.g it, there etc.

Examples:

1. Coffee is delicious. ( Thing)
2. The Chemistry professor cancelled class today. (Noun phrase)
3. George likes boats. (Proper noun)
4. They are playing football. (pronoun)
5. It is a nice day today. (Pseudo subject)
6. There were many students in the room (Pseudo subject)

VERB: It follows the word and generally shows action.

• It may be single or verb phrase ( auxiliary or helping verb + main verb)

Note: Auxiliary or helping verbs are (am, is, are, was, were, has, have, had, shall, will, be)

Examples:

1. John drives too fast.
2. Joe has gone home.
3. Mary is watching television.

OBJECT: follows the verb in a sentence. It is usually a noun or noun phrase on which work is done. Object is receiver of the action.

• It answers the question what or whom
• In active voice, object is receiver on which work is done.

Example:

1. John bought a cake yesterday.
2. They called Mary on last Monday.

COMPLEMENT: Complement is used instead of object but receive no action. It is also follows the verb in a sentence. It is usually a noun, noun phrase, adjective, adverb or any group of words.
Example:

1. She runs fast.(Subject complement)
2. He found me disturbed.(Object complement)

MODIFIER: It tells time, place or manner of action.

• Very often it is prepositional phrase (preposition followed by noun).
• modifier of time usually comes in last if more than one modifier are used.
• It may also be adverbial phrase.
• Modifier answer the question when?, where?, and how?

a- Preposition Phrase: in the morning, at the university, on the table.
b- Adverbal Phrase:   last night, hurriedly, next year, out doors, yesterday.

Example:

1. Jill was swimming in the pool yesterday.
2. We at dinner at seven o'clock.
3. He was driving very fast.

Exercise

In the following separate the parts of sentences:

1: George is cooking dinner tonight.

George (Subject), is cooking (verb), dinner (Complement or object), tonight. (Modifier of time)

2: Henry and Maria has visited the president.

Henry and Maria(Subject), has visited(verb), the president. (Complement or object)

3: We can eat lunch in this restuarant today.

We (Subject), can eat (verb), lunch (Complement or object), in this restuarant(Modifier of place), today. (Modifier of time)

4: Pal should have bought gasoline yestarday.

Pal (Subject), should have bought (verb), gasoline (Complement or object), yestarday. (Modifier of time)

5: Tree grows.

Tree (Subject), grows (verb).

6: It was raining at seven o'clock this morning.

It (Subject), was raining (verb), tonight. (Modifier of time)

7: She opened a checking account at the bank last week.

She (Subject), opened (verb), a checking account (Complement or object), at the bank (Modifier of place), last week. (Modifier of time)

8: Harry is washing dishes right now.

Harry (Subject), is washing (verb), dishes (Complement or object), right now. (Modifier of time)

9: She opened her book.

She (Subject), opened (verb), her book. (Complement or object)

10: Paul, William and Mary were watching television a few minutes ago.

Paul, William and Mary (Subject), were watching (verb), television (Complement or object), a few minutes ago. (Modifier of time)