Lesson 1: Understanding

The English Sentence

Bruce Clary, Instructor

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Sentences
always consist of a subject and a predicate. The
predicate contains the verb and (usually) everything
that follows it. The predicate tells us something
about the subjectwhat its doing, what it is, what
state it is in. Taken together, the subject and
predicate state a complete idea.

The Three Basic Sentence Patterns

Subject

Simple
Subject

Complete
Subject

Predicate

Action
Verb

Intransitive
Verb

Linking
Verb

Transitive
Verb

Direct
Object

SV

SVDO

Subject
Complement

Predicate
Nominative

Predicate
Adjective

SVSC

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How to parse a sentence

Step 1: Find the verb. The verb will be a word (or
words) that will make sense if they are inserted in
one of these blanks:

I ____. You ____. He ____. It ____. They ____.

If you find two or more words that can be verbs

because they make sense in the blanks above,
change the verb tense of the sentence. The word
that changes is the verb of the sentence.

Ex: The lost book was Calebs.

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

How to parse a sentence

Step 2: Find the subject. Ask Who? or What? in
front of the verb. Sometimes the subject will come
after the verb in the sentence, but it will still answer
the question Who? or What?

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Predicates
usually take one of two forms, depending upon the
verb. A subject complement renames or describes
the subject. A direct object receives the action
expressed by the verb.
Ex: Miranda is the editor-in-chief of The Spectator.
Ex: The editor-in-chief leads the staff meetings.
Ex: Run!

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Thus,
most English sentences assume one of three basic
patterns comprised of these basic sentence parts:

S-V

S-V-O (or S-V-DO, which is the same thing)

S-V-SC

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

S-V: Intransitive Verbs

Some sentences do express a complete idea with
nothing but a subject and an action verb. Action
verbs that have no direct object are intransitive
verbs.
Ex: Rivers flow.
Ex: Becki teaches.
Ex: Chris smiled.

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

S-V-O: Transitive Verbs

Most sentences with action verbs have a direct
object, a receiver of the action expressed by the verb.
Verbs that take a direct object are transitive verbs.
Ex: Becki teaches communication courses.
Ex: Caleb mentors freshmen.
Ex: Germany invaded Poland in 1939.

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S-V-SC: Subject complements

Subject complements come in two varieties.
Predicate nominatives rename the subject.
Predicate adjectives describe the subject.
Ex: Editors are leaders.
Ex: A good editor is fair minded.

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Linking verbs
are state-of-being verbs followed by subject
complements. When followed by a subject
complement, the forms of to be are linking verbs.

am

is

are

[will] be

[has/have] been

[is/were] being

was

were

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Linking verbs
can look like action verbs, but the predicate that
follows renames or describes the subject instead of
receiving any action.

look

feel

sound

smell

taste

appear

stay/remain

become

grow

prove

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Steps in analyzing sentences

1. Find the verb

2. Ask Who or what [insert verb]? to find the subject.

3. If the verb is an action verb, Ask [Insert subject

and verb] who or what? to find the direct object.

4. If the verb is a linking verb, ask Does the subject

complement rename or describe the subject? to
determine if it is a predicate nominate or predicate
adjective.

CM305 EDITING FALL 2015

Practice
This teriyaki chicken tastes salty!
The flood waters rolled through Lakeside Parks lagoon.
The flood waters carried debris into the lagoon.
The test proved difficult for the class.
This lesson is the key to your success in this class.