THE SENTENCE
SUBJECT
Every sentence in English must have a subject.
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Is the agent of the sentence in active voice.
Performs the action.
Usually precedes the verb.
May be a noun, a noun phrase, a pronoun.
Every Sentence must have a subject.
Examples:
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Coffee is delicious.
That new red car is John’s.
Mary, George, and I went to a restaurant.
He likes to go to that park.
It & There
● It: can be the subject of an impersonal verb:
- It rains quite often in the winter.
- It is hard to believe that he is dead.
● There: can act as a pseudo-subject. The true
subject appears after the verb.
- There was a fire last night.
- There were many students in the room.
VERB
Every sentence in English must have a verb.
● Follows the subject.
● Shows the action of the sentence.
● May be a single verb or a verb phrase
Examples:
- John drives too fast.
- Josh is going to Miami tomorrow.
- Joe has gone home.
COMPLEMENT
Not every sentence must have a complement.
Some verbs must have a complement.
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Completes/receives the action of the verb.
Generally follows the verb in active voice.
Cannot begin with a preposition.
Answers “what?” or “whom?”
Examples:
- John bought a cake yesterday.
- Josh was driving a new car.
- She saw James at the concert.
MODIFIER
Not every sentence must have a modifier.
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Tells time, place, or manner.
Usually follows the complement.
Modifier of time usually comes last.
Answers “when?”, “where?”, or “how?”.
Examples:
● As a prepositional phrase (cannot separate
verb and complement).
- John bought a book at the bookstore.
● As an adverb.
- Jim was swimming in the pool yesterday.
● As an adverbial phrase:
- She was driving very fast.
EXERCISE 1
Subject, verb, complement, and modifier.
Identify the subject, verb, complement, and modifier in each
of the following sentences
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
George is cooking dinner tonight.
Henry and Marcia have visited the president.
We can eat lunch in this restaurant today.
Pat should have bought gasoline yesterday.
Trees grow.
It was raining at seven o’clock this morning.
She opened a checking account at the bank last week.
Harry is washing dishes right now.
She opened her book.
Paul, William, and Mary were watching television a few minutes ago.
Answers:
http://www.thewayofthetest.com/