Sentence Patterns: Generating Sentences
Sentence Patterns: Generating Sentences
Today in class, we looked at various patterns of sentences and you generated sentences from these patterns. Here are some of the patterns, with the sentences you generated and commentary. Sentences in red are PROBLEMS. Test preparation instructions are at the end of this explanation.
1. Subject + Verb Phrase + Direct Object.
Barak Obama is a democrat.
Commentary: Not an appropriate sentence for this question -- the lexical verb is “is” which is a linking verb. Linking verbs are not followed by direct objects. What follows a linking verb is called a “subject complement.” A subject complement can be a noun phrase or an adjective phrase. In this case, it is a subject complement: noun phrase.
2. Subject + Verb Phrase + Adverbial Prepositional Phrase
Barak Obama is running for office in 2008.
Commentary: An okay, sentence, but not what is requested. This is a different pattern: Subject (Barak Obama) + Verb Phrase (is running) + Verb Complement (for office) + Adverbial Prepositional Phrase (in 2008).
3. Subject + Verb Phrase + Subject Complement: Noun Phrase + Adverbial Noun Phrase.
Barak Obama remains a likely candidate in the US.
Commentary: This one is almost there – but the adverbial at the end is NOT a noun phrase. It’s a prepositional phrase (in the US). Review the material in the book (chapter 5). An adverbial noun phrase is basically just that: a noun phrase that works as an adverbial. This could be changed to: Barak Obama remains a likely candidate this week.
4. Subject + Verb Phrase + Subject Complement: Noun Phrase
Global warming is a problem.
Commentary: This is a good one!
5. Subject + Verb Phrase + Adverbial Prepositional Phrase
Global warming was ignored at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Commentary: Another good one!
6. Subject + Verb Phrase + Adverbial Prepositional Phrase
The beach volleyball team won in Greece.
Commentary: A good one!
7. Subject + Verb Phrase + Direct Object + Adverbial Prepositional Phrase
A member of the track team ran a steady race on the track.
Commentary: A good one!
8. Subject + Verb Phrase + Subject Complement: Noun Phrase + Adverbial Noun Phrase
The torch carrier was a runner with no legs.
Commentary: Problems here. This is good right up until the last part “with no legs” – which is definitely not an adverbial noun phrase. What it is is a noun-modifying adjectival prepositional phrase that modifies “a runner” – so it’s part of the giant noun phrase: a runner with no leg. It can’t be separated (meaningfully) from the “a runner.” An adverbial stands alone and does not modify a noun. It can often move around in a sentence. An adverbial noun phrase is an adverbial that is just a noun phrase (e.g. last week). This could be fixed by saying: Last week, the torch carrier was a runner with no legs. (Note – adverbials can move around – it’s just important to be sure they get into the sentence. It’s okay to put them at the front of the sentence).
9. Subject + Verb Phrase + Indirect Object + Direct Object
Clinton promises voters national health care.
Commentary: Good job! As discussed in class, not all verbs can take both an indirect object and a direct object. Both objects are noun phrases. One way to tease them out of a sentence is to ask some questions: direct objects can often be found by asking a what/who question using the subject and the verb: What does Clinton promise voters? (National health care – direct object). Indirect objects can often be found by trying to restate the noun phrase with a to/for prepositional phrase. If that works, the noun phrase is probably an indirect object: Clinton promises national health care to voters. Therefore in the sentence Clinton promises voters national health care, the word voters is an indirect object.
10. Subject + Verb Phrase + Subject complement: Adjective phrase + Adverbial prepositional phrase.
Clinton appears unpresidential to some voters.
Commentary: Good job!
11. Subject + Verb Phrase + Direct Object + Verb Complement
Clinton will provide voters with national health care.
Commentary: Good job!
12. Subject + Verb Phrase + Subject Complement: Adjective Phrase + Adverbial: Prepositional Phrase
John McCain seems perfect for the job according to the polls.
Commentary: Good job!
13. Subject + Verb Phrase + Direct Object + Object Complement
John McCain supports the Republican Party very well.
Commentary: This doesn’t fit the pattern requested. The problem is with the phrase “very well” – which is an adverb phrase. It’s not an object complement. Keep in mind that object complements tell you something about the direct object – not the verb. Object complements can be either adjective phrases or noun phrases – but not adverbs. Not all verbs can take a pattern that allows for an object complement. Here’s a possible one: John McCain considers the Iraq War a success.
HINT: If you want to test for an object complement that is a noun phrase, try linking it to the direct object with the infinitive “to be” –
John McCain considers the Iraq War (to be) a success.
14. Subject + Verb Phrase + Direct Object + Adverbial: Noun Phrase
John McCain will be the next President of the US to continue the Republican Party in office.
Commentary: There are a lot of problems with this sentence. The problems start with the fact that the lexical verb is a form of “be” – and that can’t take a direct object! This is a Subject + Verb Phrase + Subject complement. There are also some other structures (a transitive infinitive phrase) that we haven’t even covered in class. This latter is not an adverbial noun phrase. Read the book carefully for ideas on what adverbial noun phrases are! Here’s a possible rewrite: John McCain survived the Vietnam War the hard way.
15. Subject + Verb Phrase + Indirect Object + Direct Object + Adverbial Prepositional Phrase.
The trees give the animals a good environment in the summer.
Commentary: Good job!
16. Subject + verb Phrase + Subject complement: Adjective phrase
The environment is important.
Commentary: Good job!
17. Subject + Verb phrase + Direct Object + Verb Complement
The EPA provides us with ways to protect the environment.
Commentary: Good job!
Test Preparation: ½ of the quiz on Friday will be an opportunity for you to generate sentences. You need to be conversant with the patterns we talked about above. You also need to spend some serious time rereading Chapter 5.
Possible topics (I will select 1) will be:
A. The role of animals in our lives;
B. Vegetarianism;
C. Recycling
The other half of the test will be an analysis of some of these sentences. I’ll ask questions (much like the ones on last week’s quiz) about some of these sentences which are adapted from a New York Times article:
The Canadian government will declare a widely used chemical in plastic baby products toxic
A person with knowledge of the chemical program spoke last week to a reporter.
According to him, the research on bisphenol-a was complete.
The study was recently endorsed by a panel of outside scientists.
A public announcement by Health Canada may happen Wednesday.
The announcement could be delayed until the end of May.
B.P.A., disrupts the hormonal systems of animals.
The Canadian decision was first reported in The Globe and Mail, a Toronto newspaper, on Tuesday.
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.