SENTENCE PATTERN DEFINITION
There are five important components in a sentence.
Components Of Sentence Pattern
Subject (S) |
Verb (V) |
Object (O) |
Complement (C) |
Adverbial (A) |
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1. SUBJECT (S)
Definition :
To get ‘S’ ask the quesiton ‘Who?’ before the verb.
Subject In Sentence Pattern Examples
Nancy danced well |
(Here “Nancy” – Subject) |
The child broke the glass |
(Here “The child” – Subject) |
Subject (S) |
consists of nouns or pronouns |
occurs before a verb |
2. VERB (V)
Definition :
In every sentence the most important word is the verb. A verb shows action or activity or work done.
Verb In Sentence Pattern Examples
He is a doctor |
(“Be” form verb) |
Jems wrote a letter |
(Main verb) |
The baby is crying |
(auxiliary verb + Main verb) |
Verb (V) |
consists of (a) auxiliaries |
(b) finite verbs |
(a) Auxiliaries
Auxiliary Verbs In Sentence Pattern Examples
am, is, are ,was, were |
has, have, had |
does, do, did |
Modals : can, could; will, would; shall, should; may, might; must |
Semi-modals / Quasi Modals : dare to; need to; used to; ought to |
(b) Finite Verbs – Denote Action
Examples
talk, sing, write, make, dance, play, cook, leave, teach, sleep |
– verbs occur after the subject |
– vebs occur before the object |
3. OBJECT (O)
Definition :
To get the object ‘O’ ask the question ‘What’ or ‘Whom’. ‘What’ is for things and ‘Whom’ is for persons. Persons may be nouns or pronouns.
Examples
He bought a pen |
(a pen = Object) |
He handles the computer |
(computer = Object) |
I saw him |
(him = Object) |
Object (O) – consists of nouns or noun phrases or noun clauses
(a) Do |
– direct object |
– answers the question ‘what’ |
Examples
S |
V |
O (what) |
I |
likes |
animals |
(b) IO |
– indirect object |
– answers the question ‘whom’ |
Examples
S |
V |
IO (whom) |
DO |
I |
gave |
Rosy |
a pen |
4. COMPLEMENT (C)
Definition :
The words required to complete the meaning of a sentence are called Complement of the sentence.
Examples
S |
V |
C |
He |
is |
a dentist |
She |
became |
a journalist |
It |
grew |
dark |
Complement (C) – from the word ‘complete’
– completes the meaning in the sentence |
– without it the, meaning is incomplete |
– without it the, meaning changes |
occurs in two pattern. (i) S V C pattern. (ii) S V O C pattern |
(i) In S V C pattern, the complement C
– complements the subjects |
– tells about the subject |
– without it the, meaning changes |
– without C, the sentence is incomplete or the sentence changes its meaning |
– use to be forms, grew, became, seems for verb |
Examples
S |
V |
C |
They |
are |
players |
She |
was |
angry |
It |
seems |
absurd |
(ii) In S V O C pattern
– the complement tells about the object |
– the complement and object are of the same person or thing |
Examples
S |
V |
O |
C |
They |
called |
David |
a genius |
I |
found |
her |
crying |
They |
elected |
Michle |
leader |
Types of Complement
1. Subject Complement
Definition :
The complement which expresses the quality or identity or condition of the subject is called Subject Complement.
Examples
She is a doctor |
She looks sad |
2. Object Complement
Definition :
The complement which expresses the quality or identity or condition of an object is called Object Complement.
Examples
They made her angry |
She called him a liar |
Adjunct or Adverbial
Definition :
To get ‘A’ ask the question why, when, where or how.
The use of adverbial is optional whereas complement is essential. It has adverb phrase, adverbial clause, noun-phrase and prepositional phrase.
Examples
Why? (reason) |
When? (Time) |
Where? (Place) |
How? (Manner) |
due to cold |
now, later |
here, there |
by bus / cycle |
through floods |
after 2 years |
every where |
through efforts |
under compulsion |
when young |
in the sky |
by mixing |
carefully |
in the morning |
at home |
by hard work |
Adjunct – A – answers the questions where? when? how? why?
– without A, any change in the meaning of the sentence
Examples Of Adjuncts In Sentences
Examples
S |
V |
A |
She |
Comes |
every day |
– |
Sit |
here |
EXAMPLES OF SENTENCE PATTERN
Abbreviations For Important Components In A Sentence.
Subject (S) |
Verb (V) |
Object (O) |
Complement (C) |
Adverbial (A) |
Direct Object (DO) |
Indirect Object (IO) |
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There are basically five sentence patterns in English Grammar. They are
e.g.
SV |
Subject + Verb |
SVO |
Subject + Verb + Object |
SVIODO |
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object |
SVC |
Subject + Verb + Complement |
SVOC |
Subject + Verb + Object + Complement |
Note : Adjunct or Adverbial could be added to all these five patterns.
e.g.
Subject Verb Object Examples – (SVO)
S+V+O |
I / finished / the work |
I / like / puppies |
David / scolded / the boy |
We / received / the parcel |
She / sings / a song |
They / did / a lot of work |
He / resembles / her father |
Many students / witnessed / the play |
The police / arrested / the thief |
I / want / one of these books |
I / love / England |
Peter / secured / admission |
A huntsman / pursued / a wild animal |
Many critics / criticised / the play |
My mother / is teaching / French |
She / is / intelligent |
Subject Verb Adverbial Examples – (SVA)
S+V+A |
He / came / to the party |
They / came / suddenly |
It / is going / away |
The train / arrived / late |
They / will come / later |
It / rained / last night |
She / worked / in a second-hand bookshop |
They / went / to the market |
He / reads / slowly |
The noise / feded / away |
Subject Verb Complement Examples – (SVC)
S+V+C |
They / are / players |
Her father / is / a doctor |
I / am / an Indian |
The class / became / noisy |
Her eyes / are / beautiful |
Mother Teresa / is / India’s gift to the world |
Our headmaster sideline / was / a lending library |
The leaves / turn / yellow |
Her dreams / have come / true |
They / worked / hard |
The tea / is getting / cold |
It / was / a very pleasant talk |
Adverbial Subject Verb Examples – (ASV)
A+S+V |
Soon / we / wake up |
Nicely / he / replied |
fondly / she / asked |
Yesterday / I / came |
Tomorrow / she / leaves |
Subject Verb Object Complement Examples – (SVOC)
S+V+O+C |
They / made / him / captain |
They / named / him / Robert |
They / elected / him / president |
They / elected / him / speaker |
They / made / him / the Mayor |
They / made / David / Chairman of the Rotary club |
The news / made / his name / popular |
She / made / him / happy |
She / learnt / music / last year |
She / got / her shoes / wet |
She / recognised / him / as a genius |
He / panted / the wall / white |
England / declared / me / a jew |
He / made / his son / a doctor |
Subject Verb Indirect Object Direct Object Examples – (SVIODO)
S+V+IO+DO |
We / wish / you / Happy new year |
The principal / gave / him / the medal |
He / gave / her / a watch |
She / sold / him / her house |
Paul / gave / his wife / a gift |
The Headmaster / showed / her / the result |
He / sent / us / some foreign stamps |
The doctor / gave / her / medicine |
Sarah / sent / Paul / a gift |
She / offered / me / a firm hand shake |
They / sold / him / pictures |
Subject Verb Object Complement Adverbial Examples – (SVOCA)
S+V+O+C+A |
She / made / her views / clear / at the outset |
The company / appointed / him / clerck / last week |
They / named / their baby / Sarah / in the church |
They / took / the child, / unconscious / to the hospital |
She / made / his intentions / clear / now |
She / had made / his life / a success / long back |
I / lost / my purse / with money / in the bus |
The governor / has sworn / him / chief minister / yesterday |
Subject Verb Object Adverbial Examples – (SVOA)
S+V+O+A |
The boy / kicks / the ball / with force |
She / made / a new dress / yesterday |
The kidnapper / locked / the child / in a lonely house |
He / threw / the chair / out |
She / invited / the guests / to get in |
They / played / the match / in broad daylight |
The thieves / broke open / the lockers / in the bank |
I / shall meet / you / at the railway station |
You / will understand / the truth / one day |
She / lost / her father / last week |
She / shot / the tiger / at once |
You / will understand / the truth / one day |
He / wrote / a letter / from Paris |
They / want / money / immediately |
He / got / his shoes / wet |
They / had / their lunch / in the late hours |
He / felt / a hand / on his shoulder |
Subject Verb Object Adverbial Adverbial Examples – (SVOAA)
S+V+O+A+A |
I / met / Sarah / at the theatre / yesterday |
He / practised / pistol shooting / in the firing range / in London |
Everyone / relished / the dinner / in the hotel / yesterday |
She / enjoyed / the music recital immensly / yesterday |
They / pushed / the bus / from behind / to make it move |
I / will close / the shop / early / today |
The rider / brought / the news / typed / at night |
He / left / the book / on the table / at once |
Subject Verb Complement Adverbial Examples – (SVCA)
S+V+C+A |
The child / fell / asleep / soon |
You / seem / tried / to day |
It / is / dark / everywhere |
She / became / wise / thereafter |
They / reached / home / late |
The train / left / the station / on time |
She / got / well / soon |
He / became / popular / at once |
I / am / a programmer / in this company |
She / acts / well / at all times |
My father / is / an engineer / in India |
He / got / well / slowly |
I / am / the principal / here |
Dr.David / is / famous / in his locality |
David / is / a doctor / at Paris |
She / was made / the Mayor / last week |
Mr. Obama / was elected / the President / last month |
Adverbial Subject Verb Object Examples – (ASVO)
A+S+V+O |
Everyday / she / was / late |
In broad daylight, / she / fell / unconscious |
Often / Akbar / got / mad |
This year / she / is / the captain |
During day time / he / is / an honest man |
Adverbial Subject Verb Indirect Object Direct Object Examples – (ASVIODO)
A+S+V+IO+DO |
Last night / She / gave / him / food |
Last week / he / gave / his son / new shirts |
Every day / she / teaches / them / science |
Everywhere / people / gave / the President / a welcome |
During lunch / I / served / him / ice-cream |
Adverbial Subject Verb Object Complement Adverbial Examples – (ASVOCA)
A+S+V+O+C+A |
In the end, / the judge / declared / the culprit / innocent, / after the trial |
Yesterday / the man / murdered / a woman / in rags, / mercilessly |
In ancient times / people / shot / deer / dead / in the forest |
Last month / they / christened / the child, / John / in the Chruch |
Next Sunday / we / will paint / the car / red / in the meeting |
Every day / she / noticed / the poor, / half dead / in the street corners |
Adverbial Adverbial Subject Verb Complement Examples – (AASVC)
A+A+S+V+C |
In the prayer hall, / during whorship / they / are / silent |
Every day, / in the hostel, / she / is / asleep |
Next month, / in Bombay, / they / have / a meeting |
Every week, / in her garden / she / is / at work |
Last week, / in Paris, / she / worked / as a professor |
Verb Object Examples – (VO)
V+O |
Perdon / me. |
Call / him. |
Try / it. |