Unit 1B - Sentence Shapes

1. BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS Main reference: Dadufalza, C. D. 1992. Reading into writing 1. Makati City

Philippines: Bookmark

1. S iV or S-V

2. S LV SC

3. S tV DO

4. S TV IO DO

5. S tV DO OC

Basic Sentence Patterns

1. S-V Subject (S) intransitive Verb (iV)

Examples: Bees buzz.

Huge waves dashed against the seashore.

Bryan will arrive next week.

S = Actor/ Topic - iV = Acts / Event

Basic Sentence Patterns

2. S-LV-SC Subject (S)-Linking Verb (LV)-Subject Complement (SC)

Examples: Raquel is a teacher. Raquel is diligent. That students seems smart.

S = noun or substitute LV = connects/ties up S and SC SC = completes meaning /explains subject = follows a linking verb

2. S - LV - SC

Forms of the linking verbs or verbs to be:

am, is, was, are, were

will be, shall be, has been, have been

Verbs of the senses:

taste, sound, feel, hear, appear, grow, look, remain, seem, turn

3. S tV DO

Subject - transitive Verb - Direct Object

Example: I sip coffee. S first noun tV verb followed by noun phrase that functions as

direct object (receiver of the action)

DO (second noun) - answers the question WHO or WHAT

- receiver of action

4. S TV- IO- DO Subject - transitive Verb - Indirect Object - Direct Object

Example: My professor taught me a good lesson.

S = subject/first noun

tV = follows subject; verb that takes a DO

IO = second noun; person/thing to/for whom action is performed/receiver of action

DO = third noun; answers the question

WHAT/WHO

5. S tV DO OC Subject (S) transitive Verb (tV) Direct Object (DO)

Objective Complement (OC)

Example: The villagers elected Mr. Delos Santos mayor.

OC= adjective or noun

= completes meaning of DO

= may indicate condition, state, attribute

Unit 1B - Sentence Shapes 2. RHETORICAL SENTENCE PATTERNS Main reference: Dadufalza, C. D. 1992. Reading into writing 1. Makati City

Philippines: Bookmark, Inc. pp. 120-121

RHETORICAL SENTENCE PATTERNS 1. Periodic (Main idea is withheld until the end

of the sentence.) 2. Semi-Periodic (Main idea is positioned in

between introducers and continuers or reinforcers.)

3. Loose/Cumulative (Main idea is stated at the beginning of the sentence followed by additional information./The sentence continues after the main idea has been stated.)

4. Balanced (The phrases or clauses balance each other in likeness or structure, meaning, or length.)

RHETORICAL SENTENCE PATTERNS

1. PERIODIC - Main idea is withheld until the end of the sentence.

How fireflies with their continuously blinking lanterns switch them on and off as they flit in the night often puzzled me as a child.

Source:

Dadufalza, C. D. 1992. Reading into writing 1. Makati City Philippines: Bookmark, Inc. pp. 120-121

2. SEMI-PERIODIC - Main idea is positioned in between introducers and continuers or reinforcers.

In contrast to the labor movements in may foreign countries that have politically waged the class struggle for major reform, American unions exist primarily for economic betterment: to try to get higher wages, shorter hours, more vacations, easier work rules, fringe benefits such as pensions and health insurance, democratic rights for men on the job, and so forth.

Source:

Dadufalza, C. D. 1992. Reading into writing 1. Makati City Philippines: Bookmark, Inc. pp. 120-121

3. LOOSE - Main idea is stated at the beginning of the sentence followed by additional information./The sentence continues after the main idea has been stated.

Many tough-minded economists would agree that much of our government aid now goes to very prosperous commercial farmers, with too little filtering down to the really poor farmers, whose poverty makes them most deserving.

Source:

Dadufalza, C. D. 1992. Reading into writing 1. Makati City Philippines: Bookmark, Inc. pp. 120-121

4. BALANCED - The phrases or clauses balance each other in likeness or structure, meaning, or length.

government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.

Amores, C. J. et. al. (2010). Handbook of English

grammar. Mandaluyong City: National Book Store. Basic sentence structure (2005). Retrieved on 5 June

2010 from http://www.eslgold.com Dadufalza, C. D. 1992. Reading into writing 1.

Makati City Philippines: Bookmark, Inc. Malicsi, J. (2010). The English linguistics project:

English manual. Pasig City: Anvil Publications Inc. Ralleta-Navarro, R. (2010). From words to sentences.

Mandaluyong City: National Book Store. Prof. T. J. Yambaos powerpoint presentation on Basic

Sentence Patterns

References