Basic Sentence

Structure
Parts of Sentences

• Parts of Sentences
➢ Subject
➢ Predicate
▪ Direct Object
▪ Indirect Object
▪ Complement
 SUBJECT
The subject of a sentence is the person, place,
or thing that is performing the action of the
sentence. The subject represents what or whom
the sentence is about. The simple subject usually
contains a noun or pronoun and can include
phrases, or clauses.
Examples:
The man . . .
Caring for others……
That he could sing so well…….
Predicate

• The predicate expresses action or state of being

within the sentence. The simple predicate
contains the verb and can also contain modifying
words, or phrases.
Example:
The man /  builds a house.
Direct Object

DIRECT OBJECT
The direct object receives the action of the
sentence. The direct object is usually a noun or
pronoun.
Examples:
• The man builds a house. 
• The man builds it.
INDIRECT OBJECT

• The indirect object indicates to whom or for whom

the action of the sentence is being done. The
indirect object is usually a noun or pronoun.
Examples:
• The man builds his family a house. 
• The man builds them a house.
SUBJECT COMPLEMENT

• A subject complement either renames or describes

the subject, and therefore is usually a noun, pronoun,
or adjective. Subject complements occur when there
is a linking verb within the sentence (often a linking
verb is a form of the verb to be).
• The man is a good father. (father = noun which
renames the subject)
• The man seems kind. (kind = adjective which
describes the subject)
 Clause
• A clause is a sentence or a part of a sentence which has a
subject and predicate.
• Independent Clause
Independent clauses are essentially simple, complete
sentences. They can stand alone or be combined with other
independent clauses e.g. He runs fast.
………………………….Continued

Dependent clauses
• Dependent clauses are unfinished thoughts that
cannot stand alone; they are a type of sentence
fragment and must be joined to independent
clauses.
• Example
If he runs fast,……
SENTENCE TYPE AND PURPOSE

• Sentences come in a variety of shapes and lengths. Yet

whatever their shapes and lengths (or types), all sentences
serve one of only a few very basic purposes.
• Sentence Type
Every sentence is one of the following types:
➢ Simple
➢ Compound
➢ Complex
➢ Compound/Complex
Simple Sentence

• A simple sentence is simple because it contains only one

independent clause.
Examples:
• Bilal waited for the train.
• Bilal and Ahmad arrived at the bus station early but waited
until noon for the bus.
• Ali gulped down his fourth cup of coffee, swallowed a
tablet for his pounding headache, groaned, and decided
he would have to drop his Economics class.
Compound Sentence

• When you join two simple sentences properly, you get

a compound sentence. Conversely, a compound
sentence can be broken into two complete
sentences, each with its own subject and its own verb.
You can join simple sentences to create compound
sentences either of two ways:
• With a semicolon
• With a comma and coordinating conjunction (for,
and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
………………………….Continued

• Examples:
• Bilal waited for the train, but the train was late.
• I looked for Bilal and Ahmad at the bus
station, but they arrived at the station before noon
and left on the bus before I arrived.
OR
I looked for Bilal and Ahmad at the bus station; they
arrived at the station before noon and left on the bus
before I arrived.
Complex Sentence

• A complex sentence is a sentence that contains

both a dependent and an independent clause.
• In the following example, both clauses contain a
subject and a verb, but the dependent clause
has, in addition, the dependent-making
words called Subordinating Conjunctions.
………………………….Continued

Examples
• While he waited at the train station, Ahmad
realized that the train was late.
• After they left on the bus, Ali and Ahmad realized
that Joe was waiting at the train station.
• I did not see them at the station because Mary
and Samantha arrived at the bus station before
noon.
……………………Continued

Note:
• When the dependent clause comes first, a
comma should be used to separate the two
clauses.
• When the independent clause comes first, a
comma should not be used to separate the two
clauses.
The compound-complex
sentence
A compound-complex sentence combines at least
two independent clauses and at least one
dependent clause.
Examples:
Ali was already in class, and Ahmad was in the lab
while Saeed was sleeping off his headache.
 Sentence Purpose
Sentences can do different things. The purpose of some
sentences is to make statements, ask questions, give
commands and express emotions.
• Declarative sentences make statements and end with full
stops.
Example:
I am planning to visit Dubai next week.
• Interrogatives ask questions and end with question marks.
…………………………continued

• Imperative sentences give commands and make

requests and demands e.g.
• Hand in your assignments, please.
• Stop. Drop.
• Exclamatory sentences convey strong emotion
and end with exclamation marks e.g.
• Watch out for the snake!
Exercise

• Identify the type of sentence:

1. The training rooms of these college athletes smell of
grease and gasoline.
2. Their practice field is a stretch of asphalt, and their
heroes make a living driving cars.
3. Their tools are screwdrivers and spanners rather
than basketballs and footballs.
4. This new brand of college athlete is involved in the
sport of auto racing.
…………………………………Conti
nued
5. Most of the students are engineering majors, and they
devote every minute of their spare time to their sport.
6. Although the sport is new, it has already attracted six
collegiate teams in the Southeast.
7. The students work on special cars designed for their sport.
8. Though Amir prefers watching comedy films, he rented
the latest spy thriller, and he enjoyed it very much.
…………………………..Continued

9. The cars are called Legends cars, models of Fords

and Chevys from 1932 to 1934, and they are
refitted by the students with 1200 cc motorcycle
engines.
10. The Saturday morning races of the competing
teams have attracted as many as 3,500 fans, but
the students concede they are no threat to the
nation's fastest growing sport of stock car racing.