Download Sentence Structure

Sentence Structure
Why Verbs Matter So much!
Verbs--Most Important Word in
the sentence!
 They determine the structure of
the sentence
 Two kinds of Verbs: Action and
Linking
Sentences
Action Verbs
Linking Verbs
Action Verbs
 Show an Action…this is something we
could see or do; most verbs (in the
infinitive form):
To Think
to jump
To Run
to love
To Smile
to dream
To Eat
to study
To sleep
to kick
To drive
to compute
Linking Verbs
 Show a state of being
 When A form of the verb “to Be”
is the main verb…it’s linking
Be
Am
Is
Are
Was
Were
Been
Being
Also, Become & Seem
Verbs with multiple
personalities…
 Some verbs can be linking verbs
or Action Verbs
 appear, feel, grow, look, prove,
remain, smell, sound, taste, and
turn.
 How do you tell the difference?
What do I do Now?
 Try to substitute the verb for a
form of the verb “to be” like
“am,” “is,” or “are.”
Try it
 Sylvia tasted the spicy squid
eyeball stew……substitute “is”
for the verb…
 Sylvia is the stew? I don't think
so! Tasted, therefore, is an
action verb in this sentence,
something Sylvia is doing.
Try it
 The squid eyeball stew tasted
good.
 The squid eyeball stew is good?
Makes sense…must be linking!
Try it
 I smell the delicious aroma of a
mushroom and papaya pizza
baking in the oven.
 The mushroom and papaya pizza
smells heavenly.
Note…This won’t work
with “to appear”
Figure it out…which is an action?
The blue Jay appeared happy to
see the bird feeder.
Or
The blue jay suddenly appeared
on the branch near the bird
feeder. (try to substitute an
action verb)
Back to Action Verbs
Sentences
Action Verbs
Linking Verbs
There are two kinds of
action verbs--transitive
& intransitive
Realize though, that many verbs are both
transitive and intransitive
Action Verbs
Intransitive Verbs
No Direct Object
Verb is complete on its own
Transitive Verbs
Has a direct object
Needs to direct object to complete its thought, to receive its action
Action verbsIntransitive
Intransitive Verb Sentence Pattern
(Only One!)
SV
This doesn't mean there are only two words in the sentence
There may still be adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, etc.
Intransitive Verbs
Examples:
Huffing and puffing, we arrived at the
classroom door with only seven
seconds to spare.
Or
James went to the campus cafe for a
steaming bowl of squid eyeball stew.
Action Verbs--Transitive
Verbs
Transitive Verbs
Two Patterns
S V DO
S V IO DO
Again, these subject patterns may have adjectives,
adverbs, prepositional phrases, etc. These are the main
structural units of the sentence.
S V DO
 Everyone loves Raymond.
How to find the Direct Object.
Find the subject and verb, then
ask “Who” or “what”
everyone Loves who or what?
S V DO
Sylvia kicked Juan under the
table.
Subject?
Verb?
Subject Verb who or what?
S V IO DO
How to find the indirect object
Find the subject and verb
Find the direct object, subject and
verb who or what
Ask “to/for whom” or “to/for what”
When someone Gets the direct object,
there is an indirect object
S V IO DO
Josh built a Sand Castle on the
Beach.
Vs.
Josh built his sister a sand castle
on the beach.
Double Checking
indirect objects
 Can you make the indirect
object into a prepositional
phrase using “to” or “for”
 To explain the broken lamp, we
told mom a lie.
 What’s the indirect object?
 Check, make it into a
prepositional Phrase
Summing up action verbs
Action Verbs
sentence patterns
Intransitive Verbs
One Pattern
SV
Transitive Verbs
Two Patterns
S V DO
S V IO DO
Subject Complement
A subject complement is the
adjective, noun, or pronoun that
follows a linking verb.
Linking verbs Sentence
Patterns
Linking Verbs
3 Sentence Patterns
S LV PN
A predicate noun
or subject
complement—The
Predicate Noun or
pronoun
RENAMES the
subject
S LV PA
S LV adverbial
A predicate adjective or
subject complement
describes the subject of
the sentence
An adverbial is a
phrase or clause
acting as an adverb
often in the form of
a prepositional
phrase answering
the questions
where? or when?
S LV PN, example
A Ferret is a type of Weasel.
My mother is a lawyer in
providence.
Steve is the best student in the
class.
To double check: use an =
Ferret=weasel
S LV PA
A ferret is furry and fuzzy.
Brandon becomes embarrassed when
people compliment his skill.
The exchange student was French.
Double check, can the adjective be
moved in front of the subject? The
furry ferret…
S LV adverb
My birthday was yesterday.
The ferret is in the garage.
The ghost is in the attic.
S LV Pronoun
When a Pronoun is used as a
Subject Complement, you use the
Subject Pronouns:
I
you
s/he
We
they
Who
Examples
 Don’t get mad at me for pulling
your hair. It was he.
 Remember the wonderful poet
we were talking about. This is
she.
 Hello, it is I, your wonderful
teacher.
To Review
Sentence Patterns
Based on Verbs
Action Verbs
Intransitive
SV
Linking Verbs
Transitive
S V DO
S LV PN
S V IO DO
S LV PA
S LV adv