Better sentence-writing in 30 minutes a day - Dianna Campbell 1995

Summary of basic clause types
Basic clause patterns
Introduction to sentence structure

There are five basic types of clause.

Exercise 1.1

In the following sentences, label the subject s, the verb υ, the direct object do, the indirect object io, the subject complement sub com, and the object complement ob com.

1. His motive was mysterious.

2. I bought the suit.

3. The woman in the second row coughed.

4. Caroline gave Steven a choice.

5. The nectarines feel ripe.

A note on multiple parts: In the remaining exercises, you may find clauses with more than one key word in the subject or more than one verb, complement, or object. In the following sentences, use the blanks provided to identify the multiple parts that appear in italics:

1. Rose, gray, and white are her favorite colors. ______

2. He loves and respects her. ________

3. The little girl is curious and spunky. ________

4. I bought fudge, cashews, and a newspaper. ________

5. The architect gave her clients and the entire audience a real surprise. ________

6. The release of the movie made him rich and famous.

7. The decision surprised Isaac and angered Anna. _______ _______

Item 1 has three key words in the subject. Item 2 has two verbs. Item 3 has two subject complements. Item 4 has three direct objects. Item 5 has two indirect objects. Item 6 has two object complements. Item 7 has two verbs (surprised and angered) and two direct objects (Isaac and Anna).

Exercise 1.2

Label the parts of the following simple sentences, using s for subject, υ for verb, do for direct object, io for indirect object, sub com for subject complement, and ob com for object complement. Remember: Find the verb first.

1. Serious baseball fans consider Nolan Ryan a superb major league pitcher.

2. According to statistics, the typical major league pitcher shows hitters his best stuff at age thirty.

3. But a recent baseball season was Ryan’s twenty-fourth in the big leagues.

4. According to the radar guns, at this point in his long career, his fastballs sometimes reached speeds of one hundred miles per hour.

5. Ryan’s amazing fastball made his curveball more effective.