English Sentence Structure

‫ساختار جمالت زبان‬

Presented by
Dr. Amir Naami
Presentation Outline:

Part 1: Part 4:
Complex
Preliminaries
Sentences

Part 2: Part: 3:
Simple Compound
Sentences Sentences
 Part One:
Preliminaries (Introduction)
Units of Written Language
Sentences are made up of clauses and phrases

Phrase:
A phrase is a group of words which either does not have a subject,
or does not have a finite verb (time).

Example

1) walk to work every day = Verb Phrase (VP)

2) The reason behind their decision= Noun Phrase (NP)
3) In the morning = Prepositional Phrase (PP)
e.g.
That woman is a great scientist.
NP VP
Clause: A group of words which has a subject, i.e. the focus of
the clause, or someone or thing which does something in the
clause and a complete finite verb (time), i.e. a verb which has a
subject and a sense of time

Example:
Subject Verb
NP VP
The lecture finished at 3 pm

Pollution causes cancer

Types of clauses
There are two kinds of clauses:
a) Independent (or main) clauses
b) Dependent (or subordinate) clauses

Independent Clause

An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can

stand on its own as a sentence

e.g. Learning a new language is often frustrating at the beginning.

Dependent Clause:

A dependent clause does not express a complete thought and

needs to be joined to an independent clause to become a
sentence. It usually begins with a word such as although, while,
because, who, which, if, etc.
e.g.

Although learning a new language is often frustrating at the

beginning,
Practice (1)
Identify the following as phrases or clauses.

1. Trying to build up breeding herd numbers

2. The relationship between predator and prey

3. The development of technology allowed people to speed up

evolutionary change

4. Because humans are long-lived and reproduce slowly

Practice (2)
Find the subject and the verb in the following clauses. Then
decide if each clause is dependent or independent.

1. Dairying is concentrated in districts with reliable summer

grass

2. Although it started out with a similar fauna and flora to New

Caledonia and Australia

3. Scarcity creates the need for a system to allocate the available

resource among some of its potential users
4. Banks, insurance companies, and investment companies can
now enter one another’s markets

5. When layoffs become inevitable

6. These obvious contamination problems have long been known

Sentence:

• A unit of language which expresses a complete though or idea

• A sentence has an expressed or understood subject and a
predicate.

Examples:

1) The man is a genius.

2) The book was very expensive so I didn’t buy it.

3) As soon as the guests arrived, the party began.

Question:
What is the difference between a clause and a sentence????
 Types of Sentence:
1) Simple (One independent clause)
a) The man is a genius.
b) The boy plays the piano beautifully.

2) Compound (independent clause + (so, and,..) + independent

clause)
a) The book was very expensive so I didn’t buy it.
b) Jane is kind; moreover, she is generous.

3) Complex (dependent + independent clause)

a) As soon as the guests arrived, the party began.
b) The student who speaks English fluently is Iranian.
 Part Two:
Simple Sentence Patterns
 Pattern 1: Noun + Verb
Subject – Verb (intransitive)

• That man works.

• The girl has arrived.
• She laughed.
• Everybody is coming.
• The man did not work.
• She did not come.
• That hard-working man works.
 Pattern 2: Noun + Verb + Adverb / Prepositional Phrase
(Subject + Verb(intransitive) + Adverb Complement)

• That man works here.

• The musician played beautifully.
• She teaches in this school.
• She went to the party.

• Note: This pattern is a slight variation of pattern one. It only

has an adverb complement which gives some information about
the verb.
 Pattern 3: Noun + Verb + Noun
(Subject + Verb(transitive) + Object)

• She wrote a letter.

• The man teaches English.
• The scientist performed an experiment.
• My mother baked a cake.
• They mailed the package last week.
• The golfer hit the ball professionally.
 Pattern 4: Noun + Verb + Noun + Noun
(Subject + Verb (transitive) + Indirect object + Direct Object)

• The man teaches the students English.

• My dad gave us some money.
• Mr. Allison will buy his wife a gift.
• Professor asked the class an important question.
• She told me a real story.
• They built a new laboratory for us.

Note: Some verbs that function in this pattern:

Afford, lend, borrow, buy, tell, pass, send, bring, rent, envy, and
etc.
 Pattern 5: Noun + Verb + Noun + Adjective / Noun
(subject + verb + Object + Object complement)

• The man called the boy a genius.

• The class elected Ali (as) its president.
• He considered the exercise silly.
• The committee named him a hero.

Note1: This pattern may look similar to pattern 4. In fact, in pattern 4, the two
names following the verb refer to different things (verb complement) while
here the two nouns refer to the same things (object complement).

Note 2: Some verbs that can function in this pattern:

Consider, regard, name, appoint, elect, think, and etc.
 Pattern 6: Noun + Linking Verb + Adjective
(Subject + Linking verb + Subject Complement)
• The boy is sick.
• The soup tastes delicious.
• The girl seemed intelligent.
• I feel cold.
• That painting looks pretty.
• The milk turned sour.
• My dad is getting old.

Note 1: The following linking verbs are used in this pattern:

be, remain and become, get, appear, look, sound, feel, grow, seem, taste, turn

Note 2: After be and a few other verbs of this group, adverb or adverbial propositional
phrase might be used. E.g.
- The artist is here.
- She remained at home.
 Pattern 7: Noun + Linking Verb + Noun
(Subject + Linking verb + Subject Complement)

• That man is a businessman.

• Harry was a policemen.
• Africa is a continent.
• English is an international language.
• He will remain an officer.
• Water became ice.
• She became an author.

• Note: Verbs (be, remain and become) are used in this pattern.
 Pattern 8: There + To be+ Noun – Adverb / Prep. Phrase
There + Linking Verb + Subject + Subject Complement

• There is a teacher in the classroom.= A teacher is in the class.

• There is some bread at home.
• There were two exams yesterday.
• There will be a party tomorrow.
• There are some problems now.
• There was some food in the kitchen.

Note: The word “there” is a dummy subject not a real one.

 Pattern 9: It + To be+ Adjective, Adverb, Prepositional Phrase
(Subject + Linking verb+ Subject Complement)

• It was March.
• It will be noisy there.
• It is thirty miles.
• It was rainy yesterday.
• It has been cold.

Note: Similar to pattern 8, here it is also dummy subject, but in

this case there is no other subject. Hence, although it has no real
meaning, it remains the subject.
Conclusion:

• A simple sentence = an independent clause

• Simple sentences are the building blocks of other types of
sentences such as compound and complex ones.
• Simple sentences have certain limited patterns.
• Verb is the main element of each sentence and in fact it
determines its pattern.
• From now on, pay attention to the verbs and check their nature
through their use or by consulting a monolingual English
dictionary.
Practice (3)
Homework
 Part Three:
Compound Sentences
Compound Sentence:

Definition:
Two independent clauses which are logically and meaningfully
related can be combined to make a compound sentence.
E.g.
1) Jane moved to a new city, and she found a job there.
2) The books were very valuable; therefore, I bought them.
3) The books were very valuable; I bought them.
4) Either you will confess, or I will complain.

Types of Compound Sentences

Group 1: These sentences are joined by the following coordinate
conjunctions: (and, but, yet, for, so, or, nor).
Examples:
• John moved to New York, and Allice moved to Seattle.
• My sister moved to Tehran, but/yet I stayed here.
• The student failed the test, for he was sick.
• They left the home early, so they arrived at the meeting on
time.
• You can stay home, or you can go out with them.
• You cannot stay home, nor can you go out with them.
NB 1) or and nor indicate the presence or lack of choice
respectively.
NB 2) As shown in the above examples coordinate conjunctions
are preceded by a comma.
Types of Compound Sentences

Group 2: These sentences are joined by the following conjunctive

adverbs:
• furthermore, moreover, besides, also, in fact (=and)
Example:
Jane moved to a new city, and found a job there.
Jane moved to a new city; furthermore, found a job there.

• However, nevertheless, on the contrary, still (= but)

Example:
My sister moved to Tehran, but I stayed here.
My sister moved to Tehran; however, I stayed here.
• Hence, thus, accordingly, consequently, as a result (= so)

Example:
They left the home early, so they arrived at the meeting on time.
They left the home early; consequently, they arrived at the
meeting on time.

• Then, afterwards, later on (time succession)

Example:
I will study medicine for six years; then I will become a doctor.
• Else, otherwise (= condition)
Example: You must study hard; else you will fail.
• likewise, similarly, or in the same way
Example:
All of John’s ancestors were strong and long-lived; likewise, he is very healthy
at the age of 75.

Group 3: All the sentences (examples) in group 2 can be joined by nothing

more than a semicolon (;).
Example:
• Jane moved to a new city; furthermore, she found a job there.
Jane moved to a new city; she found a job there.

• My sister moved to Tehran; however, I stayed here.

My sister moved to Tehran; I stayed here.
Group 4: Sometimes sentences are joined by conjunctions which are used in
pairs called correlative conjunctions:
1) Either ………….., or……………........
2) Neither ………….., nor……………....
3) Not only …………, but also………….
4) Both ……………., and…………........
Examples:
1) Either you will confess, or I will complain.
2) Neither is he dependable, nor is he trustworthy.
3) Not only is he dependable, but also he is trustworthy.
4) Both Jerry and Bob are from England.

Implications:
• Writing
• Reading
 Part Four:
Complex Sentences
Complex Sentence (Subordination)
• A complex sentence has one independent clause and at least one
dependent (subordinate) clauses.
• In this type of sentence, the clauses do not have equal importance. The
independent (or main) clause contains the most important idea, and the
dependent clause adds extra information.
• The two clauses are linked by a subordinate conjunction placed at the
beginning of the dependent clause. Such as

although, because, whereas, unless, even though, if

For example:
Today, New Zealand lacks crocodiles, freshwater turtles and land turtles, even
though all were probably part of its heritage

Even though crocodiles, freshwater turtles and land turtles were probably part of
its heritage, New Zealand lacks these species today.
• In this type of sentence, the clauses do not have equal
importance. The independent (or main) clause contains the
most important idea, and the dependent clause adds extra
information.

• In fact, in the complex sentences the dependent or the

subordinate clause becomes a grammatical component in the
independent clause.
• In other words, the dependent clause replaces a NOUN,
Adjective or an Adverb in the independent (main) sentence.
Hence there major categories of complex sentences are formed:

• A) Noun Clause

• B) Adjective Clause

• C) Adverb Clause

Example: A) Noun Clause

1) Jane accepted the idea.

Jane accepted what I her. (Noun Clause)

Noun Clause: a dependent clause functions as a noun.

Example: A) Adjective Clause

1) The smart girl passed the test easily.

The girl who was smart passed the test easily. (Adjective clause)

Adjective Clause: A dependent clause that modifies a noun in an

independent clause.

Example: A) Adverb Clause

1. I talked to her yesterday.

I talked to her after you called me. (Adverb clause)

2) The man agreed to meet me everywhere.

The man agreed to meet me wherever I decide. (Adverb Clause).

Question:

What is the difference between the Example 1 and 2 above?

More Examples:

3) You do not need to read that chapter because you have already
read.

4) He will sign the contract if it is satisfactory.

5) Many young Iranians seem to love rap while their parents feel
terrible about it.

6)