Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
URL: http://www.siue.edu/IS/WRITING/
Published by: Instructional Services Department
Last Updated: August 22, 2005 
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MODULE #1
BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS
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1.  There are four basic sentence patterns:

PATTERN 1A:  SUBJECT + ACTION VERB (S+V)

                               People                 die.

To find the subject, ask "What is the sentence about?"

To find the action verb, ask "What did the subject do?"

PATTERN 1B:  SUBJECT + ACTION VERB + DIRECT OBJECT (S+V+DO)

                               Bill                     likes                     music.

To find the direct object, find the action verb and ask "What?"

PATTERN 1C:  SUBJECT + ACTION VERB + INDIRECT OBJECT + DIRECT OBJECT (S+V+IO+DO)

                                Mom                 gave                         Betty                        a kiss.

To find the indirect object, ask, "To or for whom was the action done?"

PATTERN 1D:  SUBJECT + LINKING VERB + SUBJECT COMPLEMENT (S+LV+SC)

                                Alice                       is                             smart.

To find a linking verb, substitute IS or ARE.  If the meaning is the same, the sentence has a linking verb, not an action verb.

2.  You can add adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases without changing the basic pattern:

Adding adjectives:

                The sad little girl tried.
                The hazy, yellow sun set.
                The old grandfather clock ticked.

Adding adverbs:

                The girl tried very hard.
                The sun set slowly.
                The clock ticked loudly.

Adding prepositional phrases:

                The girl in the blue jeans tried.
                The sun set in the west.
                The clock in the hallway stopped after father's death.

PREPOSITIONS: 

about                      before                      during                  of                            toward 

above                     behind                     except                   off                           under

across                    below                       for                         on                           until

after                        beneath                   from                      outside                   up

against                   beside                      in                           over                       upon

along                      between                   inside                   past                        with

among                    beyond                    into                       since                       within

around                   by                             like                        through                  without

at                             down                       near                      to

When you find prepositional phrases, ignore them.  None of the major sentence elements will be in prepositional phrases.

For more practice, go to the practice test menu and type 1A for the S+V pattern, 1B for the S+V+DO pattern, 1C for the S+V+IO+DO pattern, and 1D for the S+LV+SC pattern.