Lecture 1 Sentence Structure

Teaching Contents 1.1. Clause elements 1.1. Clause elements 1.2. Basic clause types and their transformation and expansion 1.2. Basic clause types and their transformation and expansion

Owing to the various sentence structures in a language, what is described here as sentence structure, sentence elements, or sentence patters is only concerned with the simple sentence or rather with the clause. Owing to the various sentence structures in a language, what is described here as sentence structure, sentence elements, or sentence patters is only concerned with the simple sentence or rather with the clause Clause elements 1.1. Clause elements The clause or the simple sentence is structurally a sequence of phrases and logically a construction of "subject + predicate". The clause or the simple sentence is structurally a sequence of phrases and logically a construction of "subject + predicate". 1) Subject and predicate 1) Subject and predicate

The subject is the topic or theme of the sentence, which tells of what the sentence is about. And it is generally realized by a noun phrase or an equivalent of noun phrases. The predicate says something about the subject and bears the new information which the speaker or writer wants to transmit to the listener or reader. The subject is the topic or theme of the sentence, which tells of what the sentence is about. And it is generally realized by a noun phrase or an equivalent of noun phrases. The predicate says something about the subject and bears the new information which the speaker or writer wants to transmit to the listener or reader.

2) Two ways of sentence analysis 2) Two ways of sentence analysis a. subject + predicate:Predicate verb + Object + Complement + Adverbial a. subject + predicate:Predicate verb + Object + Complement + Adverbial b. subject + predicate: Operator (the auxiliary or the first auxiliary in a complex verb phrase) + Predication b. subject + predicate: Operator (the auxiliary or the first auxiliary in a complex verb phrase) + Predication e.g. [All the men] [[have done] [their best]].

1.2. Basic clause types and their transformation and expansion 1.2. Basic clause types and their transformation and expansion 1) Basic clause types 1) Basic clause types A. SVC subj. + linking verb + complement She is in good health. She is in good health. My brother has become an engineer. My brother has become an engineer. Linking / Copular verbs: a. current copular verb: describe a state. e.g. be, feel, smell, taste, stay, look, keep, sound, appear a. current copular verb: describe a state. e.g. be, feel, smell, taste, stay, look, keep, sound, appear

b. resulting copular verb: denote a change of state b. resulting copular verb: denote a change of state e.g. become, come, fall, go, get, grow, turn, prove e.g. become, come, fall, go, get, grow, turn, prove B. SV subj. + intransitive verb e.g. Iron rusts. Everybody laughs. Everybody laughs. C. SVO subj. +(mono)transitive verb + object e.g. I want a return ticket. e.g. I want a return ticket.

D. SVOO D Double Object / Ditransitive Construction (DOC) subj. + ditransitive verb (give, send, teach, show, tell…) + indirect object (IO) + direct object (DO) e.g. I gave *(John) a book. S Someone left (you) this note.

E. SVOC subj. + complex transitive verb + object + complement subj. + complex transitive verb + object + complement The relationship between the object and complement can be paraphrased with either “be” or “become”. e.g. She found it cold here. =…that it was cold here. The Airport Operators Council re-elected him president. The Airport Operators Council re-elected him president. F. SVA Subj. + V. + Adverbial e.g. I live in Beijing.

G. SVOA subj. + transitive verb + object + obligatory adverbial adverbial e.g. Put / place a note on my door. The adverbial in the SVOA pattern most typically expresses location. It differs from ordinary locative adverbials in that it does not specify the circumstances of the action ‘ placing ’, ‘ putting ’, etc., but rather describes where the referent of the direct object ends up.

2) Transformation and expansion of basic clause types 2) Transformation and expansion of basic clause types The basic clause types are all affirmative statements with verbs in the active voice. An affirmative one can be transformed into a negative; a statement into a question; and an active into a passive; all these add varieties to the basic clause types. They can also be expanded into larger grammatical units through adding modifiers. The basic clause types are all affirmative statements with verbs in the active voice. An affirmative one can be transformed into a negative; a statement into a question; and an active into a passive; all these add varieties to the basic clause types. They can also be expanded into larger grammatical units through adding modifiers.

A: modifications --- Last Saturday, an old woman worker told the students the bitter story of her childhood. B: coordination and subordination --- Most us were in the hall, the doors had been closed and later comers had to wait outside. --- You can call him what you like, but you won ’ t make him what he isn ’ t.