2011 by CHUM PISETH

CHAPTER 1: THE SENTENCE BASICS - PARTS OF A SENTENCE (UNIT 1-4)

by CHUM PISETH 3/13/2012

Test yourself
 Can you find the subjects and the verbs in the

following sentences?
You are my best friend. Hang up your clothes. They really wanted to be here tonight. He made a sandwich and put it in a brown paper bag. Linda and Tom went to the dance.

by CHUM PISETH

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Test yourself
Subjects are underlined once and verbs twice in

the following sentences. Can you name other parts?

You are my best friend. Hang up your clothes. They really wanted to be here tonight. He made a sandwich and put it in a brown paper bag. Linda and Tom went to the dance.

by CHUM PISETH

3/13/2012

The Subjects and The Verbs

 To be complete, every sentence must have a

subject. The subject tells who or what the sentence is about.

John always came home early.
The sentence is about John.

 To be complete, every sentence must have a

verb as well as a subject. The verb tells what the subject is doing or what is happening.
John always came home early.
The verb came tell what John did.

(See Unit 1 for details)

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More About the Verbs

Action Verbs (see unit 3) An action verb tells what a subject is doing. Some examples of action verbs: skip, breathe, remember, restate, cry, decrease, write, paint
The car crashed into the tree. (physical action) The verb crashed tells what the car did (action of the car) I considered my decision carefully. (metal action) The verb considered tells what I did (action of me)

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More About the Verbs (cont )

Linking Verbs (see unit 3)
In a sentence, a linking verb connects the subject to the other word that describes, renames, or identifies the subject.
Maria looks very sad at the moment. very sad describes Maria by the Linking Verb look .

Common linking verbs are

appear look stay be remain test become seem turn feel smell grow sound

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More About the Verbs (cont )

Action or Linking Verb (see unit 3) Some linking verbs may act either as an action verb or a lining verb. To recognize whether the verb is as action or linking, substitute the main verb with the verb be ; if the sentence still makes sense, the main verb is a liking verb; or if the sentence does not make sense, the main verb is an action verb.
I feel cold. => I am cold. The sentence still makes sense, so feel is a linking verb. I feel the water. => I am the water. The sentence does not make sense, so feel is an action verb.
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More About the Verbs (cont )

Helping verb (see unit 2)
Often the main verb (the action or linking verb) in a sentence needs help to convey its meaning. Helping verbs add information, such as when an action took place. The verb phrase (or complete verb) consists of a main verb and all its helping verb.
He might be a doctor. might is a helping verb, be is a main verb (linking verb), and might be is a verb phrase. We should have gone to the concert. should have is helping verbs, gone is a main verb (action verb), and should have gone is a verb phrase.
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More About the Verbs (cont )

Helping verb (cont ) Note that not isn t part of a helping verb or a verb phrase. Similarly, never, always, only, just, and still are never part of the verb. The most common helping verbs are
be, am, is, are, was, were, been, being have, has, had Do, does, did

Other common helping verbs are

may, might shall, should can, could used to
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will, would ought to

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Complete Subjects and Predicates

A sentence is a group of words with two main parts: a complete subject and a complete predicate. Together these parts express a complete thought. (see unit 1)
A complete subject is a noun or pronoun including its

modifier(s) that the sentence is about. A complete predicate is a verb or a verb phrase with additional word to it that tells something about the subject.
The gently rocking boat lulled us to sleep.
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 The simple subject is the essential noun, or

Simple Subjects and Predicates

pronoun, or group or words acting as a noun that cannot be left out of the complete subject. (see unit 1) The simple predicate is the essential verb, or verb phrase that cannot be left out of the complete predicate. (see unit 1)
simple subject simple predicate

Some flowers will not bloom in the shade.

complete subject complete predicate
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Compound Subjects and Verbs

 The complete subject of a sentence may contain

two or more subjects. The two or more subjects that are joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and or or is a compound subject. (see unit 1)
My brother and I live with my grandmother. Snow, ice, drought, and flooding are natural

phenomena.

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Compound Subjects and Verbs

Like complete subject, a complete predicate of a sentence may contain two or more verbs or verb phrases. The two or more verbs or verb phrases that are joined by a coordinating conjunction such as and or or is a compound verb. (see unit 1)
He runs and swims twice a week in the summer.

Sometimes a sentence has both a compound subject and a compound predicate.

John and Michael jump into the boat and started the motor. The boys, girls, and their parents will gather, sit and cheer at the graduation ceremony.
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Complements (see unit 4)

 The complete predicate of a sentence may

contain a complement(s) or/and a modifier(s). The complement is a word or group of words that completes the meaning to a verb(s) of a sentence in a complete predicate. It is very necessary to express a complete thought of a sentence that cannot be left out.
Education gives men and women more opportunities. He is a surgeon.

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Kinds of Complements (see unit 4)

 Five different kinds of complements:
Direct Objects (D.O.) Indirect Objects (I.O.) Objective Complements (O.C.) Predicate Nominatives (P.N.) Predicate Adjectives (P.A.)

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Direct Objects (D.O.)

A direct object is a noun, pronoun, or group of

words acting as a noun that receives the action of a transitive verb.

Mud and leaves clogged the gutters.

Direct Objects or Objects of a Preposition (O.P.) A direct object is never the noun or pronoun at the end of a prepositional phrase. The noun or pronoun at the end of the prepositional phrase is the object of a preposition.
She sat near her father. (near her father is

prepositional phrase; object of a preposition is father)

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Indirect Object (I.O.)

An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that appears

with a direct object and names the person or thing something given to or done for. (see page 11 for verbs
used in this pattern) Our teacher teaches us sentence skills.

Direct Objects or Objects of a Preposition Do not confuse an indirect object with an object of a preposition. The noun or pronoun after the preposition to or for is an object of a preposition.
I bought my mother a scarf. (mother is an indirect object) I bought a scarf for my mother. (mother is an object of a

preposition for)
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Objective Complements (O.C.)

An objective complement is an adjective or a noun

or pronoun that appears with a direct object and describes or rename it. (see page 12 for verbs used in this
pattern) I consider her the best candidate for the job.

Objective Complements or Direct Objects Do not confuse an objective complement with a direct object. A direct object and complement is only one person or thing. An indirect object and direct object are always two different persons or things.
She calls me teacher. (me is D.O.; teacher is O.C.) She gave me a doll. (me is I.O.; doll is D.O.)
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Predicate Nominatives (P.N.)

 A predicate nominative is a noun or a pronoun

that appears with a liking verb and renames, identifies, or explains the subject or a sentence.
Peace of mind and a clear conscience are everything. In spite of their quarrel, they remained friends.

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Predicate Adjectives (P.A.)

 A predicate adjective is an adjective that appears

with a linking verb and describes the subject of the sentence.

The design on the vase was intricate.

 Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjective are

Subject Complements.

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More about complements

 Note that all kinds complements may be compound

(two or more complements joined by coordinating conjunction like and or or) such as compound direct objects, compound indirect objects, compound objective complements, and compound subject complements (P.N. & P.A.).
I have a car and a bike. (car and bike are a compound D.O.) My mother told me, my sister, and young relatives tales. (me, sister, relatives are a compound indirect object) She is pretty, clever, and smart. (pretty, clever, smart are a compound predicate adjective)
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The Modifiers
 Adjectives and adverbs are the most common types

of modifiers that add more information to a complete sentence, but these adjectives and adverbs are not usually necessary to make a complete thought.
She cried. (a complete sentence) She cried sadly. (sadly is a modifier)

 Other modifiers such as prepositional phrases,

infinitives, participles and dependent clauses also function as an adjective or an adverb. See unit 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19 & 20 for those modifiers.
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Summary
Parts of a sentence A sentence = Subject + Predicate  Subject + Verb
She laughs

 Subject + Verb + Modifier

She laughs happily

 Subject + Verb + Complement

She is happy.

 Subject + Verb + Complement + Modifier

She is happy this morning.
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References
 Oshima, A. & Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic

English. Fourth Edition. Pearson Education: 10 Bank Street, White Plains, NY 10606. USA.  Flachmann, K. (2005). Mosaics Focusing on Essays. Third edition. Pearson Education: New Jersey, USA.  Soryong, O. (1999). Basic Sentence Skills. IFL: Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

by CHUM PISETH

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