Simple sentence
| Site: | Plateforme pédagogique de l'Université Sétif2 |
| Cours: | WRITTEN EXPRESSION |
| Livre: | Simple sentence |
| Imprimé par: | Visiteur anonyme |
| Date: | Tuesday 14 May 2024, 17:14 |
Description
1. Parts of the sentence
Subject: the subject refers to the part of the sentence which tells whom or what the sentence is addressing.
For example, "Kelly walked down the street.
Types of subjects
There are different types of subjects.
Simple subject: Kate is a thin girl.
Compound subject: Paul and Tommy joined the soccer team at the same time
2. preicate
The predicate
"Kelly walked down the street."
walked" is the predicate because it is the verb that tells us what Kelly is doing
Types of predicates
Simple predicate: Harry ate his apple.
Full predicate: The mouse slowly ran towards the food.
Compound predicate: She both laughed and cried at the film
3. Inversion
Inversion means the verb is placed before the subject for emphasis. It occurs
in questions.
e.g. Are you hungry?
What have you done to solve the problem?
Note: No inversion when the question word is the subject.
Who invented the computer?
- in question tags.
He loves her very much, doesn’t he?
They cried, didn’t they?
- C. after “so, neither/nor, as”.
He is polite and so is his brother.
Ann was not at home and neither/nor was Ben.
His colleagues respected him, as did his boss.
- D. in exclamation.
Here comes my aunt!
There goes the taxi!
Note: No inversion when the subject is a pronoun.
Here he comes!
- E. after adverbs of place/direction.
e.g. On top of the mountain lies a farm.
Away ran the thief!
after verbs of reporting.
. “ Can you find it?” asked David.
“I have never seen it,” said Helen
after verbs of reporting
. “ Can you find it?” asked David.
“I have never seen it,” said Helen.
- in “there be” structure.
There were three students in the classroom.
There must be some misunderstanding.
in emphatic sentences with a negative word or idea.
Never have I heard such a strange story.
= I have never heard such a strange story.
Seldom do they visit us.
= They seldom visit us.
Little did she suspect that she was cheated.
= She little suspected that she was cheated.
Rarely have we watched such a moving film.
= We have rarely watched such a moving film.
Not until Monday did he return the camera to me.
= He did not return the camera to me until Monday.
Nowhere can you buy such cheap jeans.
= You cannot buy such cheap jeans at anywhere.
No sooner had he arrived than he called us.
= As soon as he had arrived, he called us.
Hardly/Scarcely had he returned from the journey when he fell ill.
= As soon as he had returned from the journey, he fell ill.
Under no circumstances will I give way to his demands.
= I will not give way to his demands under any circumstances.
In no way can they help you.
= They cannot help you in any way.
At no time was I aware of what was happening.
= I was at no time aware of what was happening.
On no account will she forgive him.
= She will not forgive him on any account
in adverbial expressions placed at the beginning.
Often have I heard that corruption doesn’t pay.
= I have often heard that corruption doesn’t pay.
Twice has he been warned to keep away from drugs.
= He has been warned twice to keep away from drugs.
So desperate was their situation that they decided to sell their house.
= Their situation was so desperate that they decided to sell their house.
Only after a hot debate did they agree to compromise.
= They agreed to compromise only after a hot debate.
Not only was he the producer but he was also the director of the film.
= He was not only the producer but also the director of the film.
Inversion also occurs in other expressions like(partie11)
Only afterwards/ later/ yesterday/ last week/…
Only if Only when Only after Not since
- with “Should, Were, Had” in conditionals when “If”is omitted.
Type 1: Should you see him, tell him to call me.
= If you should see him, tell him to call me.
Type 2: Were I you, I would cancel my appointment.
= If I were you, I would cancel my appointment.
Type 3: Had he known, he would have solved the problem.
= If he had known, he would have solved the problem
4. Direct and indirect object
An object in grammar is a part of a sentence, and often part of the predicate. It refers to someone or something involved in the subject's "performance" of the verb
Direct object
A direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?"
Indirect objects
Indirect objects are nouns or pronouns that identify to whom or for whom the action of the verb is performed. indirect object answers the question "to whom?", "for whom?", "for what?"
5. Subject and object complement
subject complement is the adjective, noun, or pronoun that follows a linking verb and describes or renames the subject of the sentence
The coplement can take two forms
→ Predicate nominative(noun , pronoun)
Subject comlepent→
→ Predicate adjective(adjective)
Predicate nominative
The noun should refer to the subject
*He is a footballer (predicate nominative)
* It (subj) was(LV) he who won the game.(subject complement pronoun)
* It was he who won the game(predicate nominative)
Don't mistake a subject complement for a direct object
Only linking verbs can have subject complements. If the verb is action, then the word that answers the question what? or who? after the subject + verb is a direct object.
2.Predicate adjective
Robert and John seemed happy
Copound subject Linking V Predicate adjetive
Examples
The light in the chapel was warm and soft.(predicate adjective)
Mrs. Rigney was my fourth-grade teacher.(PN)
· My fourth-grade teacher was exceptionally kind(PA).
6. Simple Sentence patterns
There are five basic patterns around which most English sentences are built.They are as follows:
Subject+IntransitiveVerb
Subject+Transitive Verb+Direct Object
Subject+ Transitive Verb +Indirect Object +Direct Object
Subject +Linking Verb+Subject,Complement
Subject +Linking Verb+Direct Object+Object Complement