English Grammar: Sentence Patterns - What you need to know!

I hope you've watched the first part of this lesson.

It's now time to study five common sentence patterns.

How exactly will knowledge of sentence patterns help you?

Is it worth learning? I think so.

First, you can create a variety of sentences

and not be limited to one or two patterns each time you speak or write.

Second, you can more easily correct sentences

because you'll know how sentences are built.

You'll understand the parts of a clause and how they fit together.

Lastly, you'll have an easier time when you read and come across long sentences.

You'll be able to recognize clauses by identifying the subject and the verb.

So let's get started.

[title]

The first pattern is the most basic one: subject + verb.

For example, we relaxed.

Remember that verbs express an action or a state.

Here are some longer examples of this pattern.

[reads]

The second pattern adds one more element.

subject + verb + object

a direct object

For example, they played music.

Some verbs take an object. We call these transitive verbs.

Direct objects are objects of verbs.

Someone or something is acting upon the object, performing on the object.

For example, they played music. Played what? Played music.

So recall the first pattern with our model sentence: We relaxed.

There was no object.

Some verbs don't have an object.

They don't need one.

We call these intransitive verbs.

So we have transitive and intransitive verbs.

Only transitive verbs have an object.

Here's a tip: When you learn a new verb, pay attention to the grammar.

Is it transitive or intransitive?

A learner's dictionary will tell you. It will show you whether that verb requires an object.

But some verbs can have both meanings.

It can be both transitive and intransitive.

A verb you already know like that is "play."

The children are playing. The children played a game.

Here's a quick note on objects.

Objects are nouns or anything that behaves like a noun.

This includes pronouns, gerunds...could even be a whole clause.

But that's for another lesson. (See link.)

Both sentences SV and SVO can add on one more unit called an adverbial.

An adverbial can be a single word, a phrase... It could even be a whole clause -

an adverb clause, but that's for another lesson. (See link.)

Here's what you need to know.

Adverbials add information.

This information answers questions like where, when, why, how....?

Which includes other "how" questions like how long, how often, how much?

So our first pattern subject + verb can become: subject + verb + adverbial.

The children played in the sand.

Where? In the sand.

Our second pattern subject + verb + object can become:

subject + verb + object + adverbial.

They sang songs last night. When? Last night.

We can have more than one adverbial in a sentence.

And adverbials aren't always in a final position.

They sang songs on the beach last night.

How many adverbials?

Two. Where? When?

Watch this rewrite.

Last night they sang songs on the beach.

When you start using more than one adverbial in a sentence, they usually follow an order.

Manner > place > time. Time usually goes last.

But be careful not to make your sentences too long and too wordy.

What I understand is that some adverbials are necessary, and some are optional.

Let's look at some examples. [reads]

Would these sentences make sense if we took out the adverbials?

No. They're necessary.

Now look at these next two examples. [reads]

I'd argue that these adverbials could be omitted.

We'll talk more about terminology in a couple minutes.

The third basic sentence pattern has three parts:

subject + verb + complement

For example, today was fun.

"Fun" is the complement.

And we could add an optional adverbial to this pattern.

Today was fun as usual.

That's subject + verb + complement + adverbial.

We talked about transitive and intransitive verbs.

There's another group of verbs we need to talk about.

Linking verbs. Have you heard of those?

Linking verbs link or connect the subject to an idea called the complement.

We need the complement to fully understand the subject.

For example, she's an artist.

Shes' what? An artist.

You seem confused.

You seem...like what?

You seem confused.

We need the complements to complete the idea.

To fully explain the subject.

Complements are very often nouns or adjectives.

Here's a list of common linking verbs. [reads]

There are a few others.

After these linking verbs you'll usually see a noun phrase or an adjective phrase.

But adverbs and prepositional phrases can also fit this sentence pattern.

She's upstairs. She's in her studio.

Not everyone agrees on labels.

We agree that adverbs and prepositional phrases are adverbials.

But can adverbials be complements after a linking verb?

I think so.

But if the terminology is confusing, then just remember this:

We need subject + linking verb + more information about the subject.

That information is necessary.

So we always need more information about the subject after a linking verb.

Subject complements are only one type of complement.

Let me quickly show you another.

Look at this example. [reads]

What pattern does this sentence follow?

Well, "She was excited..."

That's subject + verb + complement.

"Excited" is an adjective. It's a subject complement.

"About the party" is information that explains her excitement.

It explains the adjective.

It's an adjective complement.

So our sentence is now subject + verb + complement + complement.

The first is a subject complement that links to the subject with a linking verb.

Then we have an adjective complement directly after the adjective.

So complements define or fully explain another part of the sentence.

Adjective complements are very often prepositional phrases.

If you'd like to learn more collocations like "excited about" and "afraid of,"

you can watch my series of videos on prepositions.

Our fourth sentence patterns has four parts.

subject + verb + object + object

How do we have two objects?

Well, the first is an indirect object. The second is a direct object.

It will be clearer when you see an example.

Indirect objects often follow a preposition.

For example, I tell secrets to my friends.

To my friends.

"(My) friends" is the indirect object.

I sing songs for the children.

For the children.

"(The) children" is the indirect object.

But with some verbs we can drop the preposition

and move the indirect object so that it comes between the verb and the direct object.

It's the only time we can do that.

We don't normally separate a verb from its direct object.

We showed our cousins a good time.

What did you show? - A good time.

That's the direct object.

Who did we show it to? - Our cousins.

That's the indirect object.

The indirect object is often the one who receives the action.

We showed our cousins a good time.

indirect object + direct object.

If I tell you a secret, what did I tell? - A secret.

To who? - To you.

Tell you a secret.

I sang her a song. Sang her a song.

indirect object + direct object

The basic pattern is subject + verb + object + object.

We can add an adverbial. Look at these two examples.

We showed our cousins a really good time last weekend.

subject + verb + object + object + adverbial

Last weekend we showed our cousins a good time.

Here we have the adverbial at the beginning.

We've talked about subject complements.

And I've shown you adjective complements directly after an adjective.

Get ready for the fifth sentence pattern.

It's subject + verb + object + object complement.

Here's an example. [reads]

"The best trip ever" is the object complement.

It explains or defines the object.

It directly follows it, and I need that to fully understand

...I consider that...to be what?

The best trip ever.

Some sentences require an object complement, like this one.

Here's a similar example.

We consider him family.

Consider him...to be what?

We consider him family.

Here's a nice example: You make each day special.

You make each day...what?

Special. We need the adjective, we need that word as the object complement.

To explain the object.

Was it worth learning these patterns?

Well, I want to show you the power of this new knowledge.

Let's try an exercise.

I'll show you five sentences.

I want you to find and correct the mistake in each sentence.

I know you can do it.

Here's the first sentence.

What's wrong with it?

"Put" is a transitive verb. It needs an object.

The sentence pattern should be subject + verb + object (+ adverbial).

You put what on the table?

You put it on the table.

You put the vase on the table.

Here's the second sentence.

This sentence has no subject.

The basic pattern should be (adverbial +) subject + verb + object.

Who missed the bus? Put in a subject.

This morning I missed the bus.

Here's the third sentence.

This sentence is missing a verb, a linking verb.

The pattern is: subject + verb + complement.

Let's put in a verb.

Music is a beautiful art form.

Look at the fourth sentence.

This sentence has two objects, and they're in the correct order.

But if you put the indirect object first, you need to drop that preposition.

The pattern is subject + verb + indirect object + direct object.

What's the full sentence?

I sent her a thank-you note.

Here's the fifth sentence.

This one's more challenging.

Can you figure out the relationship of all these parts?

Identify the subject and the verb.

This whole experience...has made...

Does the verb have an object?

Me.

Has made me what?

We need a complement, an object complement.

subject + verb + object + object complement

Has made me what?

A better person.

Remember the five basic sentence patterns are:

subject + verb

subject + verb + object

subject + verb + complement

subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

subject + verb + object + object complement

And we can add adverbials to these patterns.

I hope you found this lesson useful.

That's all for now.

Thanks for watching and happy studies!