Five Basic Sentence Patterns

These are the Five Basic Sentence Types used in Standard English:

Type I: Subject (NP¹) + Main Verb Phrase (Intransitive)

Type II: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Be-verb) + Adverb Phrase (of time/place)

Type III: Subject (NP¹)  + MVP (Linking Verb) + Adjective Phrase

Type IV: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Linking Verb) + Nominal Subject Complement (NP¹)

Type V: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Transitive verb) + Direct Object (NP²)

Type I: Subject (NP¹) + Main Verb Phrase (Intransitive)

                        Polly laughs.

                        The kitten is sleeping.

Type II: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Be-verb) + Adverb Phrase (of time/place)

My turn is next.

                        The bear was in the stream.

                       

Type III: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Linking Verb) + Adjective Phrase as Complement

                        That pie is wonderful.

                        Sarah is sad.

Type IV: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Linking Verb) + Noun Phrase as Complement (NP²)

                        Ivy was a graduate student.

                        Everyone is becoming an expert.

Type V: Subject (NP¹) + MVP (Transitive verb) + Direct Object (NP²)

                        Fred shot a zombie.

                        Ivy loves pie.

Verb Phrases and Auxiliary Words

Verb Phrases and Auxiliary Words

As noted on the previous page, a verb phrase consists of the most important verb in the phrase plus any auxiliary words attached to that verb. 

Phrases

Kinds of Phrases:

·        Noun phrase NP

·        Verb phrase VP /   Main Verb phrase MVP

·        Adjective phrase  ADJP

·        Adverb phrase ADVP

Interrogatives

Interrogatives

Interrogatives are sometimes called question words. They introduce both direct and indirect questions. When introducing indirect questions, they function somewhat like relative pronouns/adverbs.

Interrogates are also sometimes called W-words, since they almost all start with W: who, whom, whose, which, what, where, why, when, how.

Direct questions:

                Whose laptop is this?

                What’s for dinner?

                How do I work this scanner?

Indirect questions:

                Elvis knew whose laptop it was.

                I wondered what was for dinner.

                I had no idea how to work the scanner.

Relative words and clauses

Relative Pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs

List of relatives: who, whom, whose, which, that*