Introduction
Sentence structure refers to how words and phrases are arranged to form grammatically correct and meaningful sentences. English follows a predominantly Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order, which is more fixed than many other languages.
BasicSubject+Verb+Object/Complement
- She (S) reads (V) books (O).
- The dog (S) chased (V) the cat (O).
- He (S) is (V) a teacher (C).
| Sentence Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | One independent clause | She laughed. |
| Compound | Two+ independent clauses joined by conjunction | She laughed and he smiled. |
| Complex | One main + at least one subordinate clause | She laughed because he was funny. |
| Compound-Complex | Two+ independent + at least one subordinate clause | She laughed and he smiled because it was funny. |
The Basic Clause Patterns
Most English clauses follow one of seven basic patterns, depending on the verb type. (Some grammars list only the first five; the two with an obligatory adverbial - A - are also very common.)
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| S + V (intransitive) | Birds fly. |
| S + V + O (transitive) | She reads books. |
| S + V + C (linking + complement) | He is happy. |
| S + V + IO + DO (ditransitive) | She gave him a gift. |
| S + V + O + OC (complex transitive) | They elected her president. |
| S + V + A (obligatory adverbial) | She lives in Paris. |
| S + V + O + A | He put the book on the shelf. |
Word Order Rules
English word order is relatively fixed. Changing it can alter meaning or create an ungrammatical sentence.
| Rule | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective order (opinion before age) | a beautiful old house | an old beautiful house (opinion should come before age) |
| Manner adverbs after the object, not between verb and object | She sings the song beautifully | She sings beautifully the song |
| Frequency adverbs before main verb | She always drinks tea | She drinks always tea |
| Mid-position adverbs go after the auxiliary | He has already eaten | He already has eaten (less natural) |
| Questions: auxiliary before subject | Did she leave? | She did leave? (declarative, not question) |
Practice
English typically follows which word order?
'She laughed because he was funny' is an example of a ___ sentence.
In 'She gave him a gift,' which pattern is used?
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