Unit 62: SIMPLE SENTENCE TYPES

All sentences need a subject and a verb. Some sentences do not need anything else to complete them. But with most sentences, a subject and a verb are not enough. This unit shows you seven basic types of sentences.

1

SUBJECT + VERB (only)

[S]: SUBJECT + [V]: VERB

[S] Maria [V] is working..

[S] They [V] worked.

[S] It [V] has been working.

Of course, we can add extra information if we want to:

Maria is working very hard these days.
They talked about work.
It has been working for days.

But the extra information is not necessary to make a good sentence.

2

SUBJECT + VERB + NOUN PHRASE (Unit 45)

[S]: SUBJECT + [V]: VERB + [N]: NOUN PHRASE

[S] We [V] have found [N] a broken fuse.

[S] John [V] is [N] the best electrician.

[S] The client [V] saw [N] me.

These sentences are not complete without the noun phrase.

3

SUBJECT + VERB + ADJECTIVE (Unit 64)

[S]: SUBJECT + [V]: VERB + [A]: ADJECTIVE

[S] The noise [V] was [A] terrible.

[S] She [V] looked [A] scared.

[S] The fuse [V] popped [A] noisily.

You can also make sentences of this type with these verbs:
become, get, feel, seem, smell, sound.

4

SUBJECT + VERB + NOUN PHRASE + PLACE

[S]: SUBJECT + [V]: VERB + [N]: NOUN PHRASE + [P]: PLACE

[S] John [V] put [N] the fuse [P] in the fusebox.

[S] He [V] left [N] his bag [P] in the van.

We must complete a sentence with put this way.

5

SUBJECT + VERB + NOUN PHRASE + NOUN PHRASE

[S]: SUBJECT + [V]: VERB + [N]: NOUN PHRASE + [N]: NOUN PHRASE

[S] She [V] gave [N] John [N] a screwdriver.
(gave a screwdriver to John)

[S] John [V] finished [N] his [N] job.
(finished it for himself)

[S] They [V] showed [N] us [N] the new fusebox.
(showed the fusebox to us)

[S] He [V] told [N] me [N] a story.
(told a story to me)

[S] I [V] paid [N] him [N] a hundred dollars.
(paid my money to him)

You can also make sentences of this type with these verbs:
ask, bring, find, leave, make, offer, owe, pay, promise, read, sell, send, take, teach, wish.

6

SUBJECT + VERB + NOUN PHRASE + ADJECTIVE

[S]: SUBJECT + [V]: VERB + [N]: NOUN PHRASE + [A]: ADJECTIVE

[S] I [V] twisted [N] the wire [A] tightly.

[S] They [V] kept [N] the lights [A] bright.

[S] She [V] painted [N] the fusebox [A] black.

You can also make sentences of this type with these verbs:
call, find, get, hate, have, leave, like, prefer, want.