Week 10
UNIT 4
BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS
We do not speak English by merely stringing words together in some random fashion.
Instead, we carefully arrange our words into patterns. In English, there are 9 basic
sentence patterns and a multitude of sub-patterns. Any sentence we speak will probably
be based on one of them.
In order to identify a sentence pattern, we base on the main verb.
Basing on the main verb in the sentence, 9 basic sentence patterns can be divided into 4
groups.
TO BE: Pattern number 1, 2, 3.
LINKING VERB: Pattern number 4, 5.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: Pattern number 6.
TRANSITIVE VERB: Pattern number 7, 8, 9.
Pattern 1 : N be ADJ
Ex: Food is good.
(1) (2) (3)
The first position is the position of the Subject / nominal.
This position can be occupied by other words or word-groups / S/Nal.
The 2nd position is ‘to be’, a linking verb with the meaning “may be described as”.
(description)
The 3rd term must be an adjective or an adjectival in function SC/Ajal, answering
the question with how.
This position may also be occupied by a PP that can be replaced by an adjective.
Ex: They are in a hurry. (how?) (= hurried)
PP/SC/Ajal
The teacher was in bad mood. (how?) (= irritable)
PP/SC/Ajal
Your explanation was over their head (how) (= incomprehensible)
PP/SC/Ajal
Pattern 2 N be ADV
The girl is here
(1) (2) (3)
The first position is the position of the Subject / nominal.
This position can be occupied by other words or word-groups / S/Nal.
The 2nd position is also ‘to be’, but here it is an intransitive verb with the meaning
“be located” or “ occur”. (location)
The 3rd term is occupied by an adverb of time or place / M / Aval, answering the
question with when or where.
This position may also be occupied by a PP that can be replaced by there or then.
Ex: The wolf is at the door (where). ( = there)
PP/M/Aval
The game is at 3 o’clock (when) ( = then)
PP/M/Aval
Pattern 3 N1 be N1
My brother is a doctor
(1) (2) (3)
The superscript 1 after the N in position (1) & (3) means that the both nouns refer
to the same person (brother = doctor).
‘To be’ in the 2nd position means “be identified or classified as”.
The 3rd term is a noun in function SC/Nal, answering the question with what.
This position can be occupied by other words or word-groups / SC /Nal.
Ex: My hobby is to go fishing (what).
InfP/SC/Nal
That car is hers.
PN/SC/Nal
That is what I intended to say.
NC/SC/Nal
To sum up
Pat. 1: N be A - Description - How? - SC - Ajal.
Pat. 2: N be Av - Location - When / Where? - M - Aval.
Pat. 3: N1 be N1 - Identification / Classification - What? - SC - Nal ( N = N )
EXERCISE 16
Identify the pattern of the following sentences.
1. Sandy must have been the culprit.
2. The dinner was tasty.
3. They are in agony.
4. They are at the cinema now.
5. My favorite dog is under the table.
6. My favorite hiding place is under the table.
7. Seeing is believing.
8. The appointment is in the afternoon.
9. In a corner of the room is an old wardrobe cramped with old clothes.
10. On the beach now is much better than in class.
11. What is important now is to arrive on time.
12. What he required was beyond my ability.
13. What he wants to know is where I am from.
14. Whether we are going for a picnic again is the question he is always asking.
15. Aspirin is probably the most useful medicine known to man.
16. She is never at home on weekends.
17. I am very glad to see you.
18. Paying one’s bill is sometimes difficult.
19. John is at the university now.
20. The government’s action to control interest rates has been very prompt.
Pattern 4 N LV ADJ
The girl seems happy
(1) (2) (3)
In pattern 4, the verb is a linking verb (LV), as it links the adjective with the
subject. A linking verb describes a state and can be replaced by seem, become, be
or remain.
Ex: The cyclist appears weary.
The boy grew sleepy.
The screw worked loose.
The defendant stood firm.
His face went pale.
She turned red at the thought.
The well ran dry.
The 3 position is an adjective, sometimes a PP, in function SC / Ajal, describing
rd
the state of the subject.( how?)
This position may sometimes be confusing when the adjective and adverb have the
same form.
Ex: The teacher seemed hard. (1) (how?)
The teacher worked hard. (2) (how?)
In (1), ‘hard’ describes the subject and so it is pattern 4: A/SC/Ajal
In (2), ‘hard” describes the action of the verb and so it is pattern 6: Av/M/Aval
Pattern 5 N1 LV N1
The girl remained an outstanding student
(1) (2) (3)
The two superscripts show that both nouns have the same referent (girl = student).
The 2nd slot is a LV as in pattern 4.
The 3rd position is a noun / noun phrase / SC / Nal, identifying the subject (what?).
This position may sometimes be confusing as it can also be occupied by a DO in
another pattern.
Ex: The girl made a fruit cake (1) (what?)
A fruitcake makes a nice gift (2) (what?)
In (1) the two nouns do not have the same referent, and the 2 nd noun is a
DO, completing the meaning of the verb ‘made’ (made what?)
In (2) the two nouns have the same referent, so the verb must be a LV
and the noun is a SC / Nal (fruitcake = gift)
To sum up
Pat. 4 : N – LV – Adj – how? – Description – SC – Ajal
Pat. 5 : N1 – LV – N1 – what? – Classification – SC – Nal (S = SC)
In fact, Pat.4 & Pat.5 are similar to Pat.1 & Pat.3. The only difference is that in
Pat.1 & 3, the verb is ‘to be’; in Pat.4 & 5, the verb is a LV.
Pattern 6 N Int.V (intransitive verb)
Girls smile
(1) (2)
The verb in pattern 6 is an intransitive verb, which is a self-sufficient verb and can
stand alone with its subject.
An intransitive verb does not have an object and so cannot be put into passive
form.
Pattern 6 can have verbal modifiers / adverbial. (when, where, why, how, what
for?)
EXERCISE 17
Identify the pattern of the following sentences
1. The table stood near the desk.
2. Jameson stood loyal to his firm.
3. Donald continued my friend, despite our differences.
4. The milk remained sweet for a week.
5. Jane remained my good roommate for 3 years.
6. The new comer remained quietly in her room all day.
7. The dog smells bad.
8. The dog smelled hungrily at the package.
9. The bird flew high in the sky.
10. The tent flap blew open during the night.
11. The patient is lying still on the hospital bed.
12. The patient is lying motionlessly on the ground.
13. Jim fell sick during the night.
14. Jim fell off the ladder last night.
15. You will never keep slender that way.
16. The beer may stay cold until evening.
17. You may stay at home as long as you want.
18. You look sharp today.
19. He looked sharply to the right.
20. To be wealthy does not mean to be happy.
