SENTENCE STRUCTURE: Introduction

 

Today's Grammar HELP! Handbook activities continue our introductory our unit of the chapter, "Sentence Structure".  It is primarily for beginners and lower-intermediate learners of English. This is not an audio lesson.

This is the first lesson in our unit on Sentence Structure. The goals of this lesson are:

1) to understand some basic terms, such as "sentence structure", "syntax", "main subject" and "main verb", and

2) understand the building blocks of a S-V-O sentence.

Before you begin the activities BELOW, you may want to study the podcast and initial grammar lesson, He's Always Talking about Grammar , also in our Library.


What Is Sentence Structure?  Part 2

Main subject, main verb

The normal word order (or syntax) for a declarative sentence and an exclamatory sentence in English is the main subject followed by the main verb. 

Intransitive Verbs

Transitive Verbs

When the verb is intransitive, that is, the verb does not take an object, this type of sentence is sometimes depicted as S-V.

Stative verbs, such as "be" verbs, are intransitive.

  • My wife was crying.

  • He painted briskly.

  • He looked happy.

Transitive Verbs and Objects of the Verb

Subjects, verbs, and objects of the verb

Now we are going to build upon the basic building blocks of a sentence.

We are going to add a new sentence pattern: sentences in which the verb is transitive (which means that it takes an object).

Often the verb has an object which answers the question, "what...?" or sometimes "to whom...?"  The normal word order for this type of sentence is depicted as S-V-O: Subject-Verb-Object.

  • Customs officials were checking her bags.  (What were the customs officials checking?)

Warm-up 2

The main verb in each of the following sentences is transitive; it therefore follows the pattern S-V-O.  For each sentence, identify the object of the verb.  Underline it once.  The first one has been done for you.

1. Many Americans watch television to relax.

2. I am having a problem with my landlord.

3. I didn't want to do my homework.

4. I realized how important this teacher was to me.

5. Samantha wrote a letter to the Russian president Andropov.

6. Watching so much TV has hurt my eyes.

Please click here to check your answers to Sentence Structure: Warmup 2".

Next...

In our next lesson...

In our next lesson, we will discuss the building blocks of any English sentence:
subject and verb.

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