The major sentence patterns - Sound symbols

A practical english grammar - Vyssaja skola 1978

The major sentence patterns
Sound symbols

In Chapters 1, 2, and 3 we considered four major English sentence pat­terns, listed below as Patterns la-4. Other important patterns that the student must learn make up the remainder of the list. They will be discussed one by one in the sections that follow.

(Pattern 1a) 

be +noun complement

He is a teacher.

(Pattern 1b) 

be + adjective, complement

He is helpful.

(Pattern 1c) 

be +adverbial complement

He is here.

(Pattern 2)

dummy there +be

There is coffee on the table.

(Pattern 3)

linking verb + complement

John seems happy.

Henry became a doctor.

(Pattern 4)

transitive verb + direct object

Birds eat seeds.

(Pattern 5a)

verb + indirect object + direct object

He gave me the book.

(Pattern 5b)

verb +direct object +to/ for-phrase

He gave the book to me.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY OTHER VERBS IN THE PREDICATE

(Pattern 6)

verb +infinitive

I want to go.

(Pattern 6.1)

linking verb +complement + infinitive

l am eager to go.

(Pattern 7)

verb +gerund

He enjoys eating.

(Pattern 7.1)

linking verb +complement + preposition + gerund

He is fond of eating.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY OTHER VERBS IN THE PREDICATE (Continued)

(Pattern 8)

verb + gerund with subject

He appreciates my reminding him.

I don’t like him doing that.

(Pattern 9)

verb + infinitive with subject

I want him to write a letter.

(Pattern 9.1)

linking verb + complement + for + infinitive with subject

I am eager for him to write a letter.

(Pattern 10)

verb + base form with subject

I made him write a letter.

(Pattern 11)

verb + noun + past participle

I had the letter written.

(Pattern 12a)

sensory verb +noun base form

I saw him cross the street.

(Pattern 12b)

sensory verb +noun + gerund 

I saw him crossing the street.

(Pattern 13)

the infinitive of purpose

He stopped to listen.

SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN THE PREDICATE

(Pattern 14)

verb + that-clause

I know that he studies English.

(Pattern 14.1)

verb of commanding +that-clause with base-form verb

I suggest that he write a letter.

(Pattern 14.2)

linking verb +complement + that-clause

I am sure that he studies English.

VERBS FOLLOWED BY SPECIAL PREDICATE STRUCTURES

(Pattern 15a)

verb + direct object + adjective

I consider him intelligent.

(Pattern 15b)

verb + direct object + noun adjunct

We elected him president.

TWO-WORD VERBS

(Pattern 16a)

separable two-word verb

She found out the answer.

She found it out.

(Pattern 16b)

inseparable two-word verb

She looked at the picture.

She looked at it.