sentence and its structure

CONTENTS

SENTENCE

SUBJECT

PREDICATE

COMPLEMENT
OBJECT

KINDS OF SENTENCES ON THE BASIS OF ITS MEANING

KINDS OF SENTENCES ON THE BASIS OF ITS STRUCTURE

Basic Sentence Elements

The basic parts of a sentence fall into two categories: the subject and the predicate. Know them well, because you can’t have a sentence without them!

Subjects

The subject performs the action of the sentence. It can be a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause. To analyze sentences, grammarians have distinguished three kinds of subjects:

• Complete Subject – “The old, dusty books on the table haven’t been read in years.” The complete subject includes the entire noun phrase — usually everything before the verb.

• Simple Subject – “books”. The simple subject is the main noun or pronoun stripped of all modifiers.

• Compound Subject – “The cowardly mailman and the huge, barking dog didn’t get along very well.” A compound subject consists of two or more subjects linked together by conjunctions. Note: the simple subject of that sentence would be “mailman and dog“.

Predicates

As with subjects, predicates can be classified as complete predicates, simple predicates, and compound predicates.

Objects

The object is the receiver of the action in a sentence: “He broke the table” or “He threw the ball.” Like subjects, objects can be any word or group of words functioning as a noun, and each type of object can also be categorized as a complete, simple, or compound object. Categorized by their different functions within a sentence, the three types of objects are:

• Direct Object – “I wrote a letter.” (What did I write? A letter.)

• Indirect Object – “I wrote a letter to my friend.” (Who did I write a letter to? My friend.)

• Prepositional Object – “I wrote on the paper.” (What did I write on? The paper.)

Complements

Complements (also called predicatives) complete the predicate by modifying a noun in the sentence; copulas or linking verbs require a complement to form a complete sentence.

• Subject Complement – “The car is new.” The subject complement follows a linking verb and modifies the subject. It can be a predicate adjective (He is happy), a predicate noun (He is the boss), or an adverbial complement (He is in the house).

• Object Complement – “I painted my room purple.” The object complement modifies the direct object, either by describing it or renaming it (They elected him governor

• Adjective Complement – “He was happy to help.” The adjective complement is a special case in which a group of words modifies an adjective. If removed, the adjective complement leaves a grammatically complete sentence, but the meaning of the sentence changes..

• Verb Complement – Some grammarians use the term “verb complement” to refer to direct and indirect objects (see the “Objects” section above), while others use it to refer to a complement occuring after a linking verb (a subject complement).

Adverbials

An adverbial is an adverb, adverbial phrase, or adverbial clause: any word or group of words that acts as an adverb within a sentence. They usually modify verbs, but they can also modify the whole sentence. Unlike an adverbial complement (He is in the house), an adverbial isn’t needed to complete a sentence (He had lunch in the house or He had lunch).

The Four Sentence Structures

1. Simple Sentences

A simple sentence contains only one independent clause.

*An independent clause is a group of words (with a subject and a verb) that expresses a complete thought.

Example:

I drink coffee.

I drink coffee is an independent clause.

It contains a subject (I) and a verb (drink), and it expresses a complete thought.

2. Compound Sentences

A compound sentence contains at least two independent clauses. These clauses are joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.

*A coordinating conjunction is a word that glues words, phrases, or clauses together.

She cooked and he cleaned.

She cooked is an independent clause.

He cleaned is also an independent clause.

And is a coordinating conjunction joining the two independent clauses.

She cooked and he cleaned is a compound sentence.

Learn more about the compound sentence here.

3. Complex Sentences

A complex sentence contains a subordinate clause and an independent clause.

*A subordinate clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb but does not express a complete thought.

I washed the dishes after I ate breakfast.

I washed the dishes is an independent clause.

After I ate breakfast is a dependent adverb clause modifying the verb washed.

I washed the dishes after I ate breakfast is a complex sentence.

4. Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at least one subordinate clause.

Example

I would have purchased the cheese that you like, but it was too expensive.

I would have purchased the cheese and it was too expensive are both independent clauses. They are being joined by the conjunction but.

That you like is a dependent adjective clause modifying the noun cheese.

The whole sentence is a compound-complex sentence.

Sentence Types

Sentence types are awesome.

We use different types of sentences for different purposes, and when we categorize sentences based on their purpose, we get four types of sentences:

 Statements

, questions,

exclamations,

 and commands.

1. Statement / Declarative Sentence

These are the most common type of sentence. We use them to make statements.

Example

The butter was in the cupboard yesterday.

Dinosaurs lived millions of years ago.

This is my favorite movie.

2. Question / Interrogative Sentence

When we want to ask questions, we use interrogative sentences.

These types of sentences often have an auxiliary verb before the subject.

Example

Where is the butter?

When did dinosaurs live?

What is your favorite movie?

3. Exclamation / Exclamatory Sentence

An exclamatory sentence makes a statement with emotion. It ends with an exclamation mark.

Example:

I can't find the butter!

I love this movie!

Alas! I have lost my book.

4. Command / Imperative Sentence

An imperative sentence is used for an order, a request ,a suggestion or an advice.

Example:

Don’t make a noise.

Give me a dinosaur for my birthday.

Play the movie.