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Basic Sentence StructureThere are five basic patterns around which most English sentences are built.* They are as follows:
At the heart of every English sentence is the Subject-Verb relationship. Other elements can be added to make a sentence more interesting, but they are not essential to its formation. The following sentences are examples of the S-V pattern.
Note: Any action verb can be used with this sentence pattern. The following sentences are examples of the S-V-O pattern.
Note: Only transitive action verbs can be used with this sentence pattern. The following sentences are examples of the S-V-Adj pattern.
Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern. The following sentences are examples of the S-V-Adv pattern.
Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern. The following sentences are examples of the S-V-N pattern.
Note: Only linking verbs can be used with this sentence pattern. *Other, less common structures are dealt with in another unit. See also : Grammar : Noun and Verb Phrases |
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