Six Basic Sentence Patterns

SIX BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS

There are six basic sentence structures in the English language.

1. Subject-Verb

Examples:

• The boy plays.
• Jack eats.
• Sara sits.

2. Subject-Verb-Direct Object

Examples:

• The girl pets the cat.
• I love apples.
• Bill kicks the ball.

3. Subject-Verb-Indirect Object-Direct Object

Examples:

• The girl bakes her mother a cake.
• I bought Frank a book.
• Cindy gave me a present.

4. Subject-Linking Verb-Adjective

Examples:

• Lisa is pretty.
• They are nice.
• I am sad.

5. Subject-Linking Verb-Noun

Examples:

• I am the teacher.
• Jon is a carpenter.
• The boy is a student.

6. Subject-Verb-Adverb

Examples:

• Maria laughs loudly.
• The dog jumps high.
• Apples are everywhere.

Expanding Sentences

The examples above are basic sentences. Basic sentences can be expanded, or lengthened, by adding adjectives, adverbs and objects.

1. Subject-Verb

• Jack eats.
  This is the basic subject-verb pattern.
• Jack quickly eats.
  An adverb is added (quickly) to tell how Jack eats.  
   
• Jack quickly eats carrots.
  An object is added (carrots) to tell what Jack eats.
• Jack quickly eats carrots at home.
  Another adverb is added (at home) to tell where Jack eats.
• Jack quickly eats fresh carrots at home.
  An adjective is added (fresh) to tell what kind of carrots Jack eats.

2. Subject-Verb-Direct Object

• Bill kicks the ball.        
  This is a basic subject-verb-object pattern.
• Bill kicks the red ball.
  An adjective is added (red) to tell the color of the ball.
• Bill kicks the red ball hard.
  An adverb is added (hard) to tell how Bill kicks the ball.
• Bill kicks the red ball hard every day.
  Another adverb is added (every day) to tell when Bill kicks the ball.
• 
  

3. Subject-Verb-Indirect Object-Direct Object

• The girl baked her mother a cake        
  This is a basic subject-verb-object pattern.
• The girl baked her mother a chocolate cake.
  An adjective is added (chocolate) to tell the kind of cake..
• The girl skillfully baked her mother a cake.
  An adverb is added (skillfully) to tell how the girl bakes the cake..
• The girl baked her mother a cake yesterday.
  Another adverb is added (today) to tell when the girl bakes the cake

4. Subject-Linking Verb-Adjective

• She looks pretty.
  This is the basic subject-verb-adjective pattern.
• She looks pretty tonight.
  An adverb is added (tonight) to tell when she looks pretty.
• Lisa looks pretty tonight.
  The subject is identified with a name (Lisa).
• 
  

5. Subject-Linking Verb-Noun

• The boy is a student.
  This is the basic subject-verb-noun sentence pattern.
• Jon is a student. 
  The subject is identified with a name (Jon).
• Jon is a smart student.
  An adjective is added (smart) to tell what kind of student Jon is.
• Jon is a smart student at school.
  An adverb is added (at school) to tell where Jon is a smart student.

6. Subject-Verb-Adverb

• Apples are everywhere.
  This is the basic subject-verb-adverb pattern.

• Green apples are everywhere.
  An adjective is added (green) to describe the apples.

• Ripe, green apples are everywhere. 
  A series of adjectives are added (ripe and green) to describe the apples.

• Children sing happily.
  The subject-verb-adverb pattern can also use action verbs.

• Children sing happily today.
  Additional adverbs may be added to inform when.

• Children in the choir sing happily today.. 
  Prepositional phrases may be added to explain which children.