BASIC SIMPLE SENTENCE PATTERNS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE: PART ONE

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 INTRODUCTION

Apart from knowing how words are formed, writing essays in English also demands adequate knowledge of sentence constructions and parts of a sentence, their functions, simple and complex sentences etc. In this course  however,  we  shall  deal  mainly  with  basic  simple  sentences because we believe that if you can write simple sentences well then, it will not be difficult for you to write complex sentences when the need arises. Apart from this, it is better to write and be understood than to get things muddled up all in an attempt to impress the reader by writing complex sentences. There are some other grammar courses where you will be taught complex sentences at a deeper level. It is important for you to be conversant with the differences between simple and complex sentences and how the parts function together and differently because you will be doing a lot of writing. Just go through this unit with the following objectives in mind so that you can be fully prepared for the unique exercise of writing.

3.1     Basic   Simple   Sentence   Patterns   and   Basic   Simple Sentences

There are nine basic simple sentence patterns in English and below are these patterns.

1.   Subject.         Predicator

The girl.               prayed.

2.   Subject                Predicator             Direct object

The gentlemen     watched                  the movie.

Please note that the parts of the sentences are realised by or represented by particular kinds of words or word groups (noun/noun phrases, verbs/ verb phrases etc)

The various parts of the sentence are referred to as elements of structure. The  subject/direct  object  could be  a noun  or noun phrase while the predicator could be verb /verb phrase. Pattern 1 has only two elements of structure-  subject  and  predicate.  Pattern  2  has  three  elements  of structure. Below  are the remaining basic  simple  sentence patterns  in English.

3. Subject

We

4. Subject

You



Predicator

gave

predicator

are



Indirect object (Oi)     Direct object (Od)

Tinu                               the orange.

Subject complement (Cs) (nominal)

a man.

Nominal in front of subject complement for pattern 4 is an indication that all the items that can occupy that column are either nouns or noun phrases.  Apart  from  this,  there  is  always  an  intimate  relationship between  the  subject  and  the  subject  complement  in  that  the  subject complements comments directly on the subject.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

Study patterns1-4 very carefully and construct 5 sentences each for each

pattern.

5. Subject

She

6. Subject

Moji



predicator

is

predicator

is



Subject complement (Cs) (adjectival)

wonderful.

Adverbial

in the kitchen.

7. Subject        Predicator      Direct object (Od)   Object complement

His classmates     consider          him                       a genius.

8. Subject   Predicator  Direct object (Od)   Object complement(Co) (adjectival)

Some soldiers      find     such weapons                    useful.

9. Subject         Predicator       Direct object        Adverbial

Bola                put                  the utensils             in the cupboard.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Study patterns 5 - 9 very carefully and construct 5 sentences each for each pattern.

The  subject  and  predicator  etc.,  which  make  up  each  pattern,  are obligatory parts. Each of them is required for the pattern to be complete. It means they are compulsory and they must be in the structure for it to be complete. Each of these patterns may be expanded by the addition of an  appropriate  optional  (not  compulsory)  adverbial  (i.e.  an  adverbial

which is not obligatory like the adverbials in patterns 6-9).

The following are examples of patterns with optional adverbials.

1. Subject

Predicator   (Adverbial)

The girl

prayed             fervently.

3. Subject  Predicator   Indirect object (Oi) Direct object (Od) (Adverbial)

We           gave                  Tinu                       the orange     for a purpose.

6. Subject        predicator          Adverbial        (Adverbial)

Moji                is                     in the kitchen        now.

8.     Subject                         Predicator     Direct     object     (Od)     Object complement(Adverbial)

(Co)  (adjectival)

Some soldiers      find         such weapons                    useful             here.

Please note that the optional adverbials are put in brackets to show that they are optional and that their statuses are not the same as the ones without brackets.  The optional adverbials are optional because a pattern is complete without it. There may be more than one optional adverbial in a basic simple sentence pattern as in the examples below. An optional adverbial is not restricted to just one position but may occur in various positions in the patterns as in the following:

Subject     (Adverbial)     Predicator    (Adverbial)

He             usually               sleeps         on the table.

What is important in this structure is that ‘He sleeps’. The adverbials ‘usually’ and ‘on the table’ are therefore optional in the sense that we can do without them if we want. They have only succeeded in giving additional information. Below is another example.

Subject        (Adverbial)          Predicator         (Adverbial)

Soldiers     sometimes                 fight         with such weapons.

In this sentence as well, what is important is the fact that ‘soldiers fight’ . The  adverbials  ‘sometimes’  and  ‘with  such  weapons’  are  optional adverbials that we can do without. Have a look at another example:

(Adverbial)   Subject      Predicator     (Adverbial)

(Adverbial)

Yesterday          she               came            to the hall

alone.

Just like the last two sentences, the idea conveyed in the sentence is the fact that ‘she came’, whoever ‘she’ was. The adverbials-‘yesterday’, ‘to the hall’ and alone are optional adverbials which can be done away with at will.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3

What are the pattern numbers of the last three sentences with optional adverbials?

3.2     Non -basic simple sentences

The non-basic simple sentences can be formed by altering the basic ones  in various ways. The formation of the non-basic simple sentences from the basic ones usually involves the following two operations-‘insertion’ and ‘movement’ .

3.2.1  Movement

By  moving  the  predicator  before  the  subject  (and  using  a  rising intonation) we change the basic simple sentences to non-basic as in the example below:

Subject        predicator            Adverbial

Tunde             was                   in the room.

The sentence above can be changed to -

Predicator        Subject

Adverbial

Was                       Tunde

in the room?

In the sentence above, the predicator has been moved and it has been made to come before the subject. Hence we have a question arising out of the movement instead of a sentence. All basic simple sentences are statements. Once you reverse the structure and you have a question, it is no longer basic, it is non-basic.

3.2.2  Insertion

You can get a non-basic simple sentence by inserting the item not within the predicator as in the example below.

Subject

Tunde

Subject

Tunde



predicator

was

predicator

was not



Adverbial

in the room.    (positive)

Adverbial

in the room.   (negative)

3.3     Non-simple sentences

Please note that non-basic is different from non-simple. The non-simple sentences of English involve combining two or more simple sentences and these are of three main kinds:

.    compound sentences

    x

These have to do with the ways the source sentences are combined in the process of forming them.

A  compound  sentence  is  usually  formed  by  combining  the

sentences using a conjunction or linker such as ‘and’ .

Source simple sentence

a.        The boys played the instruments.

b.        The girls sang.

Resulting compound sentence

The boys played the instruments and the girls sang.

A  complex  sentence  is  commonly  formed  by  combining  the

sentences using a conjunction such as ‘when’ as in the following:

Source simple sentences

a.       I went there at some time.

b.       I met him then.

Resulting complex sentence

I met him when I went there.

A  compound-complex  sentence  is  formed  partly  like  a  compound sentence  and  partly  like  a  complex  sentence.  For  example,  if after forming the complex sentence:

I met him when I went there.

We use the conjunction ‘and’ (as in a compound sentence) to combine it with the simple sentence

He asked me the question.

The result will be the compound - complex sentence -

I met him when I went there and he asked me the question.

4.0     CONCLUSION

In this unit we have been able to go through nine basic simple sentences in English. We have also given examples of each. Each of the patterns can be expanded by inserting optional adverbials

5.0     SUMMARY

In this unit you have learnt that there are nine basic simple sentences in English:

1.  pattern 1 is subject/predicator

2.  pattern 2 is subject /predicator/direct object

3.  pattern 3 is subject/predicator/indirect object/direct object

4.  pattern 4 is subject/predicator/subject complement (nom)

5.  pattern 5 is subject/predicator /subject complement (adj)

6.   pattern 6 is subject/predicator/adverbial

7.   pattern   7   is   subject/predicator/direct   object/   object   complement (nom)

9.        pattern  8  is  subject/predicator/direct  object/  object  complement (adj)

10.       pattern 9 is subject/predicator/direct object/ adverbial

11.      A  compound  sentence  is  usually  formed  by  combining  the source sentences using a conjunction or linker such as ‘and’

12.      A  complex  sentence  is  commonly  formed  by  combining  the source sentences using a conjunction such as ‘when’

13.      A  compound  sentence  is  usually  formed  by  combining  the

source sentences using a conjunction or linker such as ‘and’ .

6.0     TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

1.        Construct two examples each of a compound sentence, complex sentence and a compound complex- sentence.

2.        Mention and give examples of two ways by which basic simple sentences can be turned to non-basic simple sentences.

7.0     REFERENCES/FURTHER READING

Adedeji, E.O. (2005). Grammatical ties in English Discourse in Moji Olateju & Lekan Oyeleye (eds.). Perspectives on Language and Literature.  Ile-Ife,  Nigeria:  Obafemi  Awolowo  University.  pp 157-166.

Aremo,  B  (2001).  (ed.).  Advanced  English   Compositions.  Lagos, Nigeria: Scribo Educational Books.

Aremo, B. (1995). An Introduction to English Sentences (1). Ibadan, Nigeria: Caltop Publications Nigeria Ltd

Aremo, B. (1997). An Introduction to English Sentences (2). Ibadan, Nigeria: Caltop Publications Nigeria Ltd.

Asiyanbola, A.A.  (2005).  Sentence  Connective Devices  as Linguistic Tools  for  English  Reading  Tasks  in  a Nigerian  ESL  in  Moji Olateju & Lekan Oyeleye (eds.). Perspectives on Language and Literature.  Ile-Ife,Nigeria:  Obafemi  Awolowo  University.  pp 187-184.

Babalola, E.T. (2005). The Grammar of Paragraphs and the Mechanics of Good  Written  English  in  Moji  Olateju  &  Lekan  Oyeleye (eds.). Perspectives on Language and Literature. Ile- Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University. pp 269-284.

Zandvoort, R.W.  (1967). A handbook of English  Grammar. London: Longman Group Limited.