Basic Sentence Patterns with
Intransitive Verbs
 Subject
and verb relationship
 Basic unit of meaning (written and oral)
 Five
basic patterns
 Verb determines pattern
• Intransitive
• Transitive
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
S
S
S
S
S
Iv
Iv
Tv
Tv
Tv
SC
DO
IO DO
DO OC
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Doug stumbled.
Doug is a goofball.
Doug kicked pinecones.
Doug gave Mary a kiss.
Doug called Mary beautiful.
 Verb
is key to recognizing patterns
 Intransitive Verb
 Transitive Verb
 Basic
Patterns with Intransitive Verbs
1. S Iv
2. S Iv SC
1. S Iv.
Doug stumbled.
•Action of the verb stops with the verb.
• No action transfers across the verb to
an object because there is no object.
2. S Iv SC.
Doug is a goofball.
• No action transfers across the verb to
an object because there is no object.
•Instead, there is a connection. The
complement either renames or
modifies the subject.
•The verb links the subject to its
complement.
 Again, the
Two Basic Patterns with
Intransitive Verbs
1. Doug stumbled.
2. Doug is a goofball.
2. S Iv SC.
Doug is a goofball.
• The intransitive verb in this pattern is
usually a form of the verb “to be”: is,
are, was, were, etc. They express states
of being.
•In this pattern the “to be” verbs are
called linking verbs.
•To be verbs can also function as
auxiliary (helping) verbs in verb
phrases (to be studied in a later
lesson).
2. S Iv SC.
Doug became a goofball.
• Intransitive verb in this pattern can
also be the following:
•Feel, seem, appear
•Become, turn, grow, get
•Look, smell, taste, feel, sound
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
S
S
S
S
S
Iv
Iv
Tv
Tv
Tv
SC
DO
IO DO
DO OC
Basic Patterns with Transitive Verbs
3.
4.
4.
S Tv DO
S Tv IO DO
S Tv DO OC
3.
4.
4.
Doug kicked pinecones.
Doug gave Mary a kiss.
Doug called Mary beautiful.
2. S Tv DO.
Doug kicked pinecones.
• Action transfers across the verb to an
object . What was kicked? pinecones
•Objects of transitive verbs can be
nouns or pronouns.
2. S Tv
IO
DO.
Doug gave Mary a kiss.
• IO indirectly receives action of verb.
•What was given? A kiss.
•To whom was it given? Mary
2. S
Tv
DO
OC.
Doug called Mary beautiful.
• OC describes or renames the Direct
Object.