Sentence Patterns

A sentence has two basic

elements: the subject and the
predicate. It is a group of words
that expresses a complete idea.
Three Types of Verbs
• action verbs
• linking verbs
• helping verbs
 Action Verbs

• A transitive verb always has a noun

that receives the action of the verb,
called the direct object.

EXAMPLE: Laurissa raises her hand.

 Action Verbs
• Transitive verbs sometimes have
indirect objects, which name the
object to whom or for whom the action
was done.

EXAMPLE: Abdus gave Becky the pencil.

 Linking Verbs
• A linking verb connects the subject of a
sentence to a noun or adjective that renames
or describes the subject. This noun or
adjective is called the subject complement.

EXAMPLES: Jason became a business major.

Lisa is in love with Jason.
 Linking Verbs
• The most common linking verb is the verb to
be in all of its forms (am, are, is, was, were,
etc.). This verb may also be used as a helping
verb. To become and to seem are always
linking verbs. Other verbs may be linking
verbs in some cases and action verbs in
others.
 Linking Verbs

to appear to feel to look

to remain to stay to taste
to continue to grow to prove
to sound to smell to turn
 Helping Verbs
• Helping verbs are used before action or
linking verbs to convey additional information
regarding aspects of possibility (can, could,
etc.) or time (was, did, has, etc.). The main
verb with its accompanying helping verb is
called a verb phrase.
 Helping Verbs

EXAMPLES:
Maria is going to USA.
The trip might be dangerous.
 Helping Verbs

The following words, called modals, always

function as helping verbs:

can may must shall will

could might ought to should would
 Helping Verbs

In addition, the following forms of the verbs to be,

to do, and to have sometimes serve as helping
verbs.

am be being do had have was

are been did does has is were
 Aside from the subject and
predicate, sentences also contain
objects. We have two kinds of
objects in English grammar: Direct
and Indirect object.
 A Direct Object refers to the
person or thing affected by the
action of the verb. (He bought a
ball.)

An Indirect Object usually

refers to the person who
‘benefits’ from the action of the
verb. (He bought her a ball.)
 Additionally, we have the
complement. A complement
tells us something about the
nature of the subject or object.
There are two types of
complements:
Subject Complement and
Object Complement.
Subject Complement =
She is happy.

Object Complement =
He made her happy.
There are five basic sentence patterns in
English. Among them are:

1. Subject + Linking Verb + Complement (

S – LV – C)
2. Subject + Intransitive Verb ( S – IV )
3. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct
Object ( S – TV – DO )
4. Subject + Transitive Verb + Indirect
Object + Direct Object ( S – TV – IO – DO )
5. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct
Object + Object Complement ( S – TV –
DO – OC)
1. Subject + Linking Verb + Complement
( S - LV - C)
This includes a subject, a linking verb,
and a complement. Linking verbs are the
types of verbs that join the subject with
an adjective or another noun.
 On the other hand, a subjective
complement is a word or a group of
words that often follow a linking/sense
verb. Subjective complements can either
be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives.
Consider the order of the subject,
linking/sense verb, and complements in
the following sentences:

1. She looks happy.

2. Orange and yellow are bright colors.
3. The food tastes bad.
2. Subject + Intransitive Verb ( S - IV )
When learning the basic sentence
patterns, the S–IV pattern is the simplest
sentence type. It includes just a subject
and an intransitive verb.
Below are sample sentences with the
S-IV sentence pattern.

1. She swims.
2. The book fell.
3. Peter marches.
4. Peter sneezed.
5. Evil exists.
3. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct
Object ( S - TV - DO )
This pattern includes a subject, a
transitive verb, and a direct object. In
this case, the verb answers the question
“what?”
In the sample sentences we have below,
the subject, transitive verb, and direct
object are placed in a fixed order.

1. They baked cookies and cakes.

2. The batter hit the ball.
3. She teaches English.
4. Subject + Transitive Verb + Indirect
Object + Direct Object ( S - TV - IO - DO )
This type includes a subject, a
transitive verb, an indirect object, and a
direct object.
In the sentences below, you’ll notice that
the subject, the transitive verb, the
indirect object, and the direct object are
placed in the correct order.

1. Mary lent Josh money.

2. Ana taught her the answer.
3. He gave him the money.
5. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct
Object + Object Complement ( S - TV - DO
- OC)
This sentence pattern includes a
subject, transitive verb, direct object,
and an objective complement. Unlike
subjective complements, objective
complements describe a direct object.
Check out the examples we have below.

1. She called the boy attractive.

2. They painted the house blue.
Identify the sentence pattern used in
each item.

1. I am happy. (S-LV-C)
2. Amy eats cake. (S-TV-DO)
3. Mary considered Ana her friend.
(S-TV-DO-OC)
Identify the sentence pattern used in
each item.

4. Horses run. (S-IV)

5. The instructor assigned Steve poetry.
(S-TV-IO-DO)
 CONNECTIVES
Connectives connect and relate sentences
and paragraphs. They assist in the logical flow
of ideas as they signal the relationship between
sentences and paragraphs.
 USAGE CONNECTIVE WORDS
and, also, besides, further, furthermore, too, moreover, in
addition of ideas
addition, then, of equal importance, equally important, another
next, afterward, finally, later, last, lastly, at last, now,
subsequently, then, when, soon, thereafter, after a short time,
time the next week (month, day, etc.), a minute later, in the
meantime, meanwhile, on the following day, at length,
ultimately, presently
first, second, (etc.), finally, hence, next, then, from here on, to
order or sequence begin with, last of all, after, before, as soon as, in the end,
gradually
above, behind, below, beyond, here, there, to the right (left),
nearby, opposite, on the other side, in the background, directly
space and place
ahead, along the wall, as you turn right, at the top, across the
hall, at this point, adjacent to
for example, to illustrate, for instance, to be specific, such as,
to signal an
moreover, furthermore, just as important, similarly, in the same
example
way
 USAGE CONNECTIVE WORDS
as a result, hence, so, accordingly, as a consequence,
results consequently, thus, since, therefore, for this reason,
because of this
to this end, for this purpose, with this in mind, for this
purpose
reason(s)
comparison like, in the same manner (way), as so, similarly
but, in contrast, conversely, however, still,
contrast nevertheless, nonetheless, yet, and yet, on the other
connectives hand, on the contrary, or, in spite of this, actually, in
fact
in summary, to sum up, to repeat, briefly, in short,
to summarize or
finally, on the whole, therefore, as I have said, in
report
conclusion, as you can see
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

1. I was very happy ____ all

my old friends were living
there.

❑ that
❑ with
❑ which
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

2. I didn't feel lonely ____ I

had a lot of friends who
could help me.

❑ that
❑ since
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

3. They were very friendly

____ I felt at home.

❑ and
❑ but
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

4. ____ I felt unhappy, but I

came to like it.

❑ At first
❑ First
❑ Firstly
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

5. ____ I needed it, there

was always someone
willing to help.

❑ Whether
❑ If
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

6. ____ this, I always felt I

would succeed.

❑ Beside
❑ Besides
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

7. Living there has many

advantages, ____ there are
problems.

❑ however
❑ though
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

8. It was great ____ it

made me feel at home.

❑ because of
❑ since
Choose the correct connective to
be used in each item.

9. They spend ages trying to

prove themselves ____
getting accepted.

❑ as
❑ before
❑ since
Choose the correct connective
to be used in each item.

10. ____ she saw it, she

had assumed it was an
explosion.

❑ While
❑ When
 COLLOCATIONS
A collocation is two or more words that often
go together. These combinations just sound
"right" to native English speakers, who use
them all the time. On the other hand, other
combinations may be unnatural and just sound
"wrong".
natural English... unnatural
English...
the fast train the quick train
fast food quick food
a quick shower a fast shower
a quick meal a fast meal
Why learn collocations?
• Your language will be more natural and more
easily understood.
• You will have alternative and richer ways of
expressing yourself.
• It is easier for our brains to remember and
use language in chunks or blocks rather than as
single words.
How to learn collocations?
• Be aware of collocations, and try to
recognize them when you see or hear them.
• Treat collocations as single blocks of
language. Think of them as individual blocks or
chunks, and learn strongly support, not strongly
+ support.
How to learn collocations?
• When you learn a new word, write down
other words that collocate with it (remember
rightly, remember distinctly, remember vaguely,
remember vividly).
• Read as much as possible. Reading is an
excellent way to learn vocabulary and
collocations in context and naturally.
How to learn collocations?
• Revise what you learn regularly. Practice using new
collocations in context as soon as possible after learning
them.

• Learn collocations in groups that work for you. You

could learn them by topic (time, number, weather, money,
family) or by a particular word (take action, take a
chance, take an exam).
Types of Collocation
1. adverb + adjective
• Invading that country was an utterly stupid
thing to do.
• We entered a richly decorated room.
• Are you fully aware of the implications of
your action?
Types of Collocation
2. adjective + noun
• The doctor ordered him to take regular
exercise.
• The Titanic sank on its maiden voyage.
• He was writhing on the ground in
excruciating pain.
Types of Collocation
3. noun + noun
• Let's give Mr Jones a round of applause.
• The ceasefire agreement came into effect at
11am.
• I'd like to buy two bars of soap please.
Types of Collocation
4. noun + verb
• The lion roar when it heard the dog barking.
• Snow was falling as our plane took off.
• The bomb went off when he started the car
engine.
Types of Collocation
5. verb + noun
• The prisoner was hanged for committing
murder.
• I always try to do my homework in the
morning, after making my bed.
• He has been asked to give a presentation
about his work.
Types of Collocation
6. verb + expression with preposition
• We had to return home because we had run
out of money.
• At first her eyes filled with horror, and then
she burst into tears.
• Their behaviour was enough to drive anybody
to crime.
Types of Collocation
7. verb + adverb
• The keys were placed gently on the table.
• Mary whispered softly in John's ear.
• I vaguely remember that it was growing dark
when we left.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

1. She _______
made (did, gave, made, put, tried)
an effort to find out as many details
about the issue as possible.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

2. He is a very interesting person. I

would never ________
miss (lose, miss, fail,
make) the chance to meet him again.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

3. We have already started to __________

make
(do, make, prepare, create) plans for
Christmas.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

have
4. It's very important to _________ (feel,
have, hold, find) a good relationship with
all our business partners.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

keep (hold, put, keep,

5. You should _________
do) a record of all your travel and food
expenses on the trip.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

make (draw, produce,

6. Could you _________
make, do) a list of all the people we
should invite to the conference?
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

find
7. We have to work together to _________
(make, do, find, bring) a solution to the
problem.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

Give
8. I disagree with you. ________ (Make,
Say, Give, Explain, Get) me two good
reasons why we should give him the job.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

9. Excuse me for a moment: I have to

_________
make (do, create, produce, ring,
make) a telephone call.
Choose the best collocates to fill
the gap in each of the following.

10. I am sorry, Mr. Green is out at the

moment. Would you like to ___________
leave
(make, do, leave, give) a message for
him?
Determiners
In grammar, a determiner is a word which is
used at the beginning of a noun group to
indicate, for example, which thing you are
referring to or whether you are referring to one
thing or several.
Types of Determiners
1. Definite and Indefinite Articles
Articles are among the most common
determiners. There are three singular articles:
a, an and the. Articles specify (or determine)
which noun the speaker is referring to.
Types of Determiners
A and an are indefinite articles and are used
when you are talking about a general version of
the noun. A is used before words that begin
with consonants while an is used before words
beginning with vowels or vowel sounds.
EXAMPLES:
A dog is a good pet.
An ostrich would beat a chicken in a race.
I need an MRI.
We are to look at a hampster.

In these examples, the sentence is talking about dogs

or ostriches in general, meaning any dog. When your
meaning is general, use an indefinite article.
Types of Determiners
On the other hand, the is a definite
article, meaning the speaker is
referring to a specific noun.
EXAMPLES:
We went to the best restaurant in town.
The dog is barking too loudly.
She didn't like the music.
We are going to the hospital.

Here, the speaker is referring to a particular dog and a

particular restaurant. It's not a general category, but only one
animal or place that's important. When your meaning is specific,
use a definite article.
Types of Determiners
Demonstrative pronouns are also used as
determiners in English. There are four of
them: this, that, these, and those.
Demonstratives are used in situations where
the speaker can point to the item they mean,
making them even more specific than a
definite article.
EXAMPLES:
Do you want this piece of chicken?
I don't want to go to that movie.
These black raspberries are sour.
He wanted those boys to go away.
Types of Determiners
Quantifiers indicate how much or how little
of the noun is being discussed. They include
words such as all, few and many.
EXAMPLES:
He took all the books.
She liked all desserts equally.
Few children like lima beans, so the cafeteria
stopped serving them.
Many kittens are taught to hunt by their
mothers.
Types of Determiners
When referring to a noun that belongs to
someone or something, you can use
possessive pronouns to show ownership.
Possessive pronouns include my, your, his,
her, its, our, and their.
EXAMPLES:
My best friend is a cat.
Which one is his house?
The tree shed its leaves.
Choose the correct determiner.
thos
1. Could you bring me ____________
e
(this, these, that, those) books I
left in the garden?
Choose the correct determiner.

Th
2. ________ (The, A, An) sun rises
e east.
from the
Choose the correct determiner.

3. The doctor advised me to eat

_______
a (the, a, an) apple every
morning.
n
Choose the correct determiner.

man
4. There aren't ___________ (much,
y
many, a lot) students in the
library.
Choose the correct determiner.

an
5. I haven't got __________ (some,
any, many) y
pictures in my
bedroom.
Choose the correct determiner.

6. She gave a cookie to _________

eac
(any, all, each) child. h
Choose the correct determiner.

som (any,
7. I've got to solve ________
some, all) math problemse before I
go to sleep.
Choose the correct determiner.

8. (With a bowl of cherries on your

lap) __________
Thes (This, These, That,
Those)echerries are delicious!
Choose the correct determiner.

9. My mother doesn't drink

__________
muc (much, many, a lot)
coffee.
h
Choose the correct determiner.

10. I always keep __________

som (any,
every, some) money ine my wallet
for emergencies.
EXPLETIVES

In grammar, these are often referred

to as “empty words” which means they
can add emphasis but, essentially,
take up space while not adding
meaning.
 The most common expletives come in the
form of “it is/was/will be,” and “there
is/are/was/were/will be,” especially at the
beginning of sentences.

For example, in the sentence, “There is a

study room located in the back of the library,”
the
words “there is” function as expletives.
There is a study room located in the
back of the library.

A study room is located in the back of

the library.
Expletive: There are going to be hundreds of people attending the
party.
Correction: Hundreds of people will attend the party.

Expletive: There is an easy way to determine the external

temperature.
Correction: The external temperature is easy to determine.

Expletive: It is going to be a long, cold winter.

Correction: The winter will be long and cold.

Expletive: It was the setting sun that made it hard to see the ball.
Correction: The setting sun made the ball hard to see.
 While expletive constructions tend
to take space without adding meaning,
they can, when used correctly and
sparingly, add emphasis to a sentence.
RUN-ON SENTENCES

A run-on sentence occurs when two

independent clauses run together
without proper punctuation or
appropriate conjunctions.
TYPES OF RUN-ON SENTENCES

There are three types of run-on

sentences: a fused sentence, a comma
splice, and a polysyndeton.
1. Fused sentence: In this type of
run-on sentence, two independent
clauses are joined together (fused)
without proper punctuation.

The children played in the sprinkler the

dog joined them.
2. Comma splice: A comma splice
occurs when two independent clauses
are joined together with a comma and
no coordinating conjunction.

The children played in the sprinkler,

the dog joined them.
3. Polysyndeton: This type of run-on
sentence uses multiple conjunctions in
the sentence, usually without proper
punctuation.

The children played in the sprinkler and

the dog joined them but the cat sat on the
sidewalk.
Correct run-on sentences by:
- dividing the clauses into two sentences by
inserting a period between them.

Incorrect: Mary came home from work early we

worked hard on our project.
Correct: Mary came home from work early. We
worked hard on our project.
Correct run-on sentences by:
- inserting a semicolon between them, if the two
clauses are very closely related.

Incorrect: Mary came home from work early she

had been feeling ill all morning.
Correct: Mary came home from work early; she
had been feeling ill all morning.
Correct run-on sentences by:
- using a comma with a coordinating conjunction
to separate the clauses. The coordinating
conjunctions are: and, but, or, so, for, yet, nor.

Incorrect: I was too tired to go to the store the

guys shopped for three hours.
Correct: I was too tired to go to the store, but
the guys shopped for three hours.
Correct run-on sentences by:
- adding a subordinating conjunction to make one
sentence out of the two clauses. Some subordinating
conjunctions are: when, while, because, as,
although, if, though, since

Incorrect: I will watch The Office you do your

homework.
Correct: I will watch The Office while you do your
homework.
Correct the run-on sentences.

We wanted to go to the store we

decided to stay home.

We wanted to go to the store, but

we decided to stay home.
Correct the run-on sentences.

All the parents came to our school

play they all liked it.

All the parents came to our school

play, and they all liked it.
Correct the run-on sentences.

Luke dances every day he is a very

good dancer.

As Luke dances every day; he is a

very good dancer.
Correct the run-on sentences.

Peter wants to be an astronaut he

loves science.

Peter wants to be an astronaut

because he loves science.
Correct the run-on sentences.

She was happy she was crying.

She was happy, yet she was crying.

What makes it hard for the learners
to understand these lessons?
• Language skills of the learners
(vocabulary, oral reading skills,
comprehension)
• Exposure to proper reference
materials
• Practice of the target language
• Learners’ interest
• More effort from the teachers
• Exposing the learners to English
textbooks and other reference
materials
• Encouraging learners to speak in the
language
• Prepare engaging lessons
REFLECTION:
Students often associate grammar with a complicated set of rules
and terms instead of an avenue for clear and powerful writing. As
teachers, we can create better conditions in our classroom.
We have to remember that successful grammar implementation
occurs over time and across varied contexts. Teachers should allow
multiple opportunities for students to make mistakes, receive feedback,
and improve their skills. Direct instruction and modeling of grammar is
part of a balanced literacy framework. To teach grammar effectively,
teachers must give students multiple and various opportunities to
correct grammar in order to achieve at high levels in every classroom.
Remember, in teaching grammar, the key is to allow students to try,
adjust, and try again.
REFERENCES:
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~:text=A%20run%2Don%20sentence%20occurs,proper%20punctuation%2
0or%20appropriate%20conjunctions.