NSCC: Loft Tutoring: Grammar Handouts - Basic Sentence Patterns and Verb Types

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Basic Sentence Patterns and Verb Types

Subject/verb pattern and intransitive verb: John swam in the pond yesterday.; Near the end of the runway sat the bombed-out shell of a 747.; Sarah came to the party after work.; I came home before you did.; He did not grow last year.
Subject/verb/direct object and transitive verb: I ate a huge helping of turkey on Thanksgiving.; Near the end of the runway, the plane lost power and hit the barrier lights.; She has lost track of her old friends.; Nancy grows championship roses.
Subject/verb/indirect object and transitive verb: Mary gave John a letter.; For Christmas, Mama knits everyone a new sweater.; The elders tell the children stories of the tribe.
Subject/verb/direct object/object complement and transitive verb: In the last presidential election, we elected Clinton president.; After a week of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of the crime.; We named our cat Isabelle but then called her Miss Kitty.
Subject/verb/subject complement and linking verb: He is the only person in the auditorium.; Jerry grew restless before the end of the concert.; This grammar seems easy to us.; We have become good students.

Expletive patterns

There is no reason for you to be angry.; There are fourteen children waiting for their hamburgers.; It is clear that you are the person for the job.; It is difficult to get there from here.; John considered it fatal for Jane to be present at the wedding.
Prepositional phrases (preposition+adjective+object of preposition): Near the end of the drive, I planted a tree.; The sum of his experiences made him wise.; The boy in the short pants was teased by his playmates.; The bunch of grapes on the table is molding.; There is a pile of dirty clothes on the floor.
Adjectives: He is tall. (predicate adjective); The tall man is reaching for the stars. (attributive adjective); The tree, tall and stately, stood alone on the hill. (appositive adjective); Tall and stately, the tree stood on the hill. (appositive adjective); The small, round, red ball bounces well. (cumulative adjective)
Adverbs: He walked slowly toward the new building.; During the long night, they prayed silently.; He walked home in the dawn.; I was too tired to finish the job.

Verbal Phrases

Gerund phrases (verb+ing) (used as a noun): Leaving the party early was not a good idea.; He is tired of working every night.; He has never thought of leaving home.; His hobby is collecting antique trains.; Nelly enjoys living near the new mall.
Participle phrases (present participle: verb+ing; past participle: verb+ed and irregular forms) (both are used as adjectives): Nearing the wreck, we could hear the ambulance sirens.; The clothing made in Mexico is beautiful.; He stood near the corner, begging for help.; Marinated in the sauce for three hours, the meat was tender and delicious.; The old man, leaning heavily on his walking stick, moved slowly down the street.
Infinitive phrases (to+base verb; subject in object case+to+base verb; base verb; subject in object case+base verb) (used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs): I wanted to work last night.; That is not the best way to eat spaghetti.; The teacher was too kind to be cruel.; The teacher asked me to erase the board.; There is nothing to do but wait for his answer.; The boy helped his mother rake the lawn.

Dependent Clauses

Relative or adjective clauses: I know the man who is wearing the orange polo shirt.; The man who baked the white chocolate cake won the prize.; Mr. Drew, who named his daughter Nancy, was a lawyer.; American history, which has many different interpretations, is my favorite subject.; American history classes which present only the white contributions to the United States; should not be found in our schools.
Noun Clauses: I know that you will finish this on time.; That he is tired of working is clear.; The idea that all humans are created equal is given lip service in our school system.
Adverb Clauses: When you finish your work, please call me.; After the boys left the party, things got really interesting.; He asked her to marry him before he had known her for a week.; He was so tired that he forgot to eat.; Jerry is not as tall as his older brother.; --This material was provided by Edith Wollin.