English Sentence Structure (Intensive Course in English Series)

Description
Part of the classic Michigan Rainbow series.
English Sentence Structure presents and clarifies all facets of the sentence for beginning and intermediate students. Oral drills, examples, and written exercises form a pattern of regular review and self-evaluation. Each lesson is coordinated with English Pattern Practices.

- English Writing Courses : How to Write English Simple Sentences

English Writing Courses: writing English simple sentences.

The topic in this series of English Writing Courses is writing English simple sentences. In English language, a sentence must have at least a subject an a verb. This is a particular character of English sentences. That is why in the English nominal sentence (the sentence which does not have a verb) the characteristic must be applied. English has the so called Auxiliary Verb (the helping verb, ). The auxiliary verb be (am, is, are, was, were) is used to fulfill the requirement that English sentences must have at least subject and verb. The other languages do not always have such a characteristic. Indonesian language, for example, does not have auxiliary verb. Compare the following English simple sentence and Indonesian simple sentence.

1. My father is a teacher.
--Ayahku seorang guru.

2. John is happy.
-- John bahagia.

3. My friends are in my house.
--> Temanku di rumahku.

Referreing to the examples above, Indonesian learners learning English often make the wrong English sentences as follows:

1. *My father a teacher.

2. *John happy.

3. *My friends in my house.


The wrong English sentences made by Indonesian learners above are influenced by the stcructure of indonesian language which does not need auxiliary be. The wrong sentences above are paralel to the following Indonesian sentences :

1. Ayahku seorang guru.
1. *My father a teacher.

2. John bahagia.
2. *John happy.

3. Temanku di rumahku.
3. *My friends in my house.

- Complement versus Object

We are usually confused about Object and Complement in an English sentence. Look at the following examples.

1a. The man likes a teacher. (a teacher is an object)

S V O

1b. The man is a teacher. (a teacher is a complement)

S V C

In the sentence 1a. a teacher is the object of the verb likes. An object is thing which completes the transitive verb. It fulfills the question what (for inanimate thing) and whom (for human). In example 1a. we can ask what does he like? The answer is a teacher. A teacher is the object of the word likes.

In the sentence ib. above, the teacher gives explanation to the subject the man. Therefore a teacher is a complement of the subject the man. it is not an object. That is why the pattern is S V C, not S V O like in 1a. We can identify the complement by the statement the man is a teacher and a teacher is a man. The man and a teacher are complementarary in the example 1b. That is why a teacher is a subject complement, or we usually call complement for short.

Complements are usually nouns or adjectives. Complements come after the linking verbs. The linking verbs are as follows:

be (am, is, are , was, were), look (tampak/kelihatan), taste (terasa/rasanya), smell (baunya/berbau), feel (merasa), appear (kelihatan), get (menjadi), become (menjadi), go (menjadi), remain (tetap), sound (kedengarannya), keep (tetap), turn (berubah)

Examples:

A. Complement

1. She is beautiful. (Dia cantik)

2. She looks beautiful. (Dia nampak cantik)

3. This food smells nice. (Makanan ini baunya enak)

4. I am a teacher. (saya guru/Saya adalah seorang guru)

5. Your plan sounds good. (Rencanamu kedengarannya baik)

6. His face turned pale. (Wajahnya berubah pucat)

7. This food tasetes delicious. (Makanan ini rasanya/terasa enak0

8. John becomes angry. (John menjadi marah)

etc.

Note: The underlined words in the examples above are complements

--------------------

B. Object

1. My father reads a novel.

2. She is writing a letter .

3. I love my mother.

4. She bought a car.

5. I met him.

6. He teaches English .

etc.

Note: All the underlined words above are objects

- English Passive Sentence (Past Tense)

The English passive sentence of past tense is made by using the to be (was or were) and past participle (VIII). The pattern is as follows.

PATTERN : S + was/were + VIII (PAST PARTICIPLE) +(by ....)

When the passive sentence is derived from the active one, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the subject of the active sentence is changed to be a prepositional phrase using the preposition by and it is palced in the final position of the sentence.

The following examples are the English passive sentences of past tense derived from the active sentences.

1a. + (Active) : My father wrote a report.
--- + (Passive) : A report was written by my father.

1b. - (active) : My father did not write a report.
--- - (Passive) : A report was not written by my father.

1c. ? (Active) : Did my father write a report?
--- ? (Passive) : Was a report written by my father?


2. (Active ) : The people broke the building.
---(Passive) : The building was broken by the people.

3. (Active) : Robert taught English.
---(Passive) : English was taught by Robert.


Exercises:
The answer key is available in other page of this blog (Click: Blog Archieve)

A. Change The sentences below into passive.

1. My father swept the floor.
2. Jonathan cleaned my room.
3. He read the novel last year.
4. The people broke the old house.
5. That man sold traditional medicine.

B. Translate the following passive sentences into English.

1. Rumahku dibangun tahun 1997.
2. Novel ini ditulis sepuluh tahun yang lalu.
3. Sejarah diajar oleh pak Ali tahun lalu.
4. Mobilku dijual bulan lalu.
5. Radioku direparasi minggu lalu.

- Exercise: Write the pattern of the following sentences. Number one is done for you.

01. She is a student. ( S V C )
02. The man in my room gives the woman red flowers. ( ____________ )
03. Your skin feels soft and smooth. ( _____________________ )
04. The telegram surprised all my family. ( ____________________ )
05. A good wife will not make her husband disappointed. ( ___________________ )
06. The next-door neighbor bought a new car two weeks ago. ( __________________ )
07. He is sleeping in my room. ( ________________ )
08. My mother makes her children breakfast every morning.
09. The soup tastes very nice. ( ____________________ )
10. The student studies English seriously. ( _______________________ )

- Sentence Pattern

1. S V
- Noun/Noun Phrase (Intransitive)
- Pronoun
- Noun Equivalent

Examples:
- We breathe.
- All fish canswim
- All people will die
S V

2. S V C
- Noun/Noun Phrase ( be ) - Adjective
- Pronoun am, is, are, - Noun
- Noun Equivalent was were - adverb (Place)

Examples:
- They are here.
- The student is diligent.
- I am a teacher.
S V C


3. S V A
- Noun/Noun Phrase (intransitive) - time
- Pronoun - place
- Noun Equivalent - manner

Examples :
- The horse runs fast.
- The post office opens at seven.
- The lectures live near the campus.
S V A

4. S V O (A)
- Noun/Noun Phrase (Transitive) - Noun/Noun Phrase - time
- Pronoun - Pronoun - place
- Noun Equivalent - Noun Equivalent - manner

Examples:
- My brother is writing a letter.
- The woman ikes flowers.
- I Bought a book yesterday.
S V O (A)


5. S V O C
- Noun/Noun Phrase (Transitive) - Noun/Noun Phrase - Noun/Noun Phr.
- Pronoun - Pronoun - Adjective
- Noun Equivalent - Noun Equivalen

Examples:
- I name my daughter Nisrina.
- She makes me jealous
- We elected him our president
S V O C


6. S V I.O. D.O.
- Noun/Noun Phrase (Transitive) - Noun (usually - Noun/Noun Phrase
- Pronoun - person/living thing)
- Noun Equivalent - Pronoun

Examples:
- My wife will make me hot coffee.
- You must send your mother a letter.
- Sally has given John red flowers.
S V I.O. D.O.

- Online English Courses: - Simple Sentence

Simple sentence is a sentence which has one independent clause ( one subject and one predicate or one construction of S V)). An Independent clause is a clause which can stand alone as a sentence. The examples of simple sentence is as follows:


1. I am a teacher.
2. The young beautiful girl studies in Ahmad Dahlan University in Yogyakarta.
3. My father bought a new car last month.
4. The teacher looks tired.
5. They are watching TV.