Download Verbs Nouns and Basic Sentences

Verbs, Nouns and Basic Sentences
1. WHAT IS A SENTENCE?
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A sentence must contain at least one verb.
99.9% of sentences also contain at least one noun or pronoun, as the Subject of the Verb.
To make a sentence, the Verb must be in a correct tense form to connect with the Subject.
2. WHAT ARE SUBJECTS AND VERBS?
Sentences tell us that someone or something does, thinks, feels, has or is something.
Verb = the doing, thinking, feeling, having or being word that the subject “does”.
Subject = the person or thing that does, thinks, feels, has or is .
For example:
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Geoff teaches.
“teaches” is the Verb
“Geoff “ is the Subject – he is the someone or something that “does” the verb.
To make a sentence, the Verb must “be in a correct tense form to go with” (agree with) the Subject.
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“Geoff teaches”; “Geoff taught”; “Geoff has taught”; “Geoff is teaching”; “Geoff will be teaching” are all
sentences because each time the Verb is in a correct tense form to go with the Subject, Geoff. When this
happens, we say that “the Subject and Verb agree with each other”.
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“Geoff teaching” and “Geoff teach” are not sentences , because the verb is not in the correct tense form to
go with the subject, “Geoff”. When this happens, we say “the subject and verb do not agree with each
other”.
3. WHAT ARE OBJECTS?
An Object is a person or thing that “has the verb done to it” by the Subject. Objects are therefore also either nouns
or pronouns. The Object is not normally the same person or thing as the Subject. To decide if there is an Object in a
sentence, we use the question frame: [Subject] [verb] WHOM OR WHAT?
For example:
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Jane eats oranges.
“eats” is the Verb
“Jane” is the Subject
To check if “oranges” is the Object in the sentence, we ask:
Jane eats WHOM OR WHAT?
Answer: oranges.
So, yes, “oranges” is the Object.
4. WHAT ARE SUBJECT COMPLEMENTS?
Subject Complements are similar to Objects, but not exactly the same. Like Objects, Subject Complements can be
nouns or pronouns, but they can also be adjectives (and sometimes other word classes).
Subject Complements give us more information about the Subject, so they refer to the same person or thing as the
Subject.
For example:
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Chris and Joe became friends.
“became” is the Verb
“Chris and Joe” is the Subject
Now, is “friends” an Object or a Subject Complement?
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Subjects and Objects refer to different people or things.
Subjects and Subject Complements refer to the same people or things.
So, in the example, does the word “friends” refer to “Chris and Joe”? Yes. So, “friends” is a Subject Complement.
5. WHAT ARE INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE AND LINKING VERBS?
a. INTRANSITIVE verbs exist quite happily without an Object. They are Pattern 1 verbs.
For example:
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I see.
“I see” makes sense on its own, so “see” doesn’t need an Object. Therefore, it is Intransitive.
However, if we add an Object, such as “I see my children.”, suddenly, “see” becomes a Transitive verb.
Some verbs can therefore be used both transitively and intransitively.
b. TRANSITIVE verbs ‘take’ an Object. That is, they need an Object to make sense. They are Pattern 2 verbs.
For example:
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I make cakes.
“make” is the verb.
Could I write simply: “I make.”? No. This doesn’t make any sense on its own. We need an Object to
complete the sentence.
This means that “make” is a Transitive verb: it needs (or ‘takes’) an Object.
c. LINKING verbs link Subjects and Subject Complements together. They are Pattern 3 verbs.
For example:
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Harry was a footballer.
“was” simply links the Subject and the Subject Complement
The most common Linking verbs are: am, is, are, was, were, become, remain, equal, resemble
You will find that most Linking verbs are “being verbs”