Sentence-Structure

Lecture1SentenceStructureLecture1SentenceStructureTheretwomainpointsinthislecture:1.1ClauseElements1.2BasicClauseTypesandTheirTransformationandExpansion1.1ClauseelementsAreviewonwhatisClause1)Subjectandpredicate2)TwoWaysofSentenceAnalysisAreviewonwhatisClause:Theclause(thesimplesentence):structurallyasequenceofphraseslogicallyaconstructionof“subject+predicate”.1)SubjectandpredicateAfull-fledgedclausecangenerallybedividedintotwoparts:thesubjectandthepredicate.Henryisthemoststudious(diligent)intheclass.SubjectPredicateAllthemenhavedonetheirbest.Mr.Carterwillinvestigatefurther.HenryAllthemenMr.Carterhavedonetheirbestwillinvestigatefurtheristhemoststudious(diligent)intheclassThesubject:thetopicorthemeofthesentence,tellsofwhatthesentenceisabout(knowninformation).ThesubjectisgenerallyrealizedbyanounphraseoranequivalentofnounphraseThePredicate:sayssomethingaboutthesubjectandbearsthenewinformation(thespeakerorwriterwantstotransmittothelistenerorreader).Theconstructionofthepredicate,whichismorecomplicated,generallyconsistsofaverbphrasewithorwithoutcomplementation.2)TwoWaysofSentenceAnalysis1.Todividethepredicateintopredicateverb,object,complementandadverbial.Theseelementstogetherwiththesubjectmakethefiveclauseelements.PredicatePredicateVerbObjectComplementAdverbialSubjectFiveClauseElements﹢﹢123452)TwoWaysofSentenceAnalysis2.Todividethepredicateintotwoparts:theoperatorandthepredication.TheoperatortheauxiliaryorthefirstauxiliaryinacomplexverbphraseThepredicationthemainverbwithitscomplementationObject/Complement/Adverbial1.2BasicClauseTypesandTheirTransformationandExpansionIntermsofthedifferentcombinationsofclauseelements,Englishclausescanbeclassifiedintosevenbasictypes.Innumerableauthenticsentencesarestructuredonthebasisoftheseclausetypes.1)BasicClauseTypesThesevenbasicclausetypesare:SVCSVSVASVOSVOASVoOSVOCThesesevencombinationsofclauseelementsarewhollyorlargelydeterminedbytheMainVerbintheclause.SVC:ThemainverbinanSVCpatternisaLinking/CopulaVerbwhichmustbefollowedbyaSubjectComplement.Thatcarismine.Sheisingoodhealth.SV/SVA:ThemainverbinanSVpatternisanIntransitiveVerbwhichisnottobefollowedbyanyobligatoryelementexceptforalimitednumberofintransitiveverbswhichrequireanobligatoryAdverbial,thusconstitutingthepatternSVA.Everybodylaughed.Thechildrenaresleeping.IliveinBeijing.Thetrainleavesatsix.SVO/SVOA:ThemainverbinanSVOpatternisaMonotransitivewhichmustbefollowedbyanobject,andwithsomemonotransitivestheobjectmustbefollowedbyanobligatoryadverbial,thusconstitutingthepatternSVOA.Nobodycouldanswerthequestion.Liverpoolwonthegame.Iputthematerialevidenceinfrontofher.Hetreatedhervilely.SVoO:ThemainverbinanSVoOpatternisaDitransitiveVerbwhichistobefollowedbytwoobjects:IndirectandDirectObject.Marylentmehercar.Imademyselfacupoftea.SVOC:ThemainverbinanSVOCpatternisacomplextransitiveverbwhichmustbefollowedbyanobject+objectcomplement.Wemadehimourspokesman.Theyelectedhimpresident.2)TransformationandExpansionofBasicClauseTypesWaysofTransformation:Thebasicclausetypesareallaffirmativestatementswithverbsintheactivevoice.NegativeQuestionPassiveVoiceAffirmativeStatementActiveVoiceWaysofExpansion:1.addingmodifiersatvariouslevels2.bycoordinationandsubordination1.addingmodifiersatvariouslevelsmodifiersclausephraseswords﹢modifiers﹢modifiers﹢2.bycoordinationandsubordinationclause﹢clausecoordinationsubordinationclauseclausesubordinationcompoundsentencecomplexsentencecompoundcomplexsentenceExample:Howmanyclauses?WhenreportscameintoLondonZoothatawildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fivemilessouthofLondon,theywerenottakenseriously,but,astheevidencebegantoaccumulate,expertsfromtheZoofeltobligedtoinvestigate,forthedescriptionsgivenbypeoplewhoclaimedtohaveseenthepumawereextraordinarilysimilar.reportscameintoLondonZoowildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fiveamilessouthofLondontheywerenottakenseriouslytheevidencebegantoaccumulateexpertsfromtheZoofeltobligedtoinvestigatethedescriptionswereextraordinarilysimilargivenbypeoplewhoclaimedtohaveseenthepumaC2C1C4C3C6C5C7WhenbutasforwhoC3C5C4C6C7C1C2CoordinateTheStructureofSentence1butasforwhoC1reportscameintoLondonZooC2awildpumahadbeenspottedforty-fivemilessouthofLondonC3theywerenottakenseriouslyC4theevidencebegantoaccumulateC5expertsfromtheZoofeltobligedtoinvestigateC6thedescriptionsgivenbypeoplewereextraordinarilysimilarC7whoclaimedtohaveseenthepumaSentence2Furthermore,he(asuccessfulscientist)isnotonlycriticaloftheworkofothers,butalsoofhisown,sinceheknowsthatmanistheleastreliableofscientificinstrumentsandthatanumberoffactorstendtodisturbimpartialandobjectiveinvestigation.C2C1C3C4C1C2C3C4MainClauseSubordinateClauseSubordinateClauseAdverbialObjectsincethatthatandSentence3Iknowofmanycaseswherehavingnochildrenthehusbandaftermiddleagewantedtotakeaconcubine,butbecausethewiferefusedtogiveherconsent,desisted.C1C2C3C1SVOIknowofmanycasesC2whereAppositiveC3becauseAdverbialComplexClauseSimpleClauseSimpleSentenceSentence4Iknowevenofacasewherethehusband,becausehedidnotwanttoexactthismarkofselflessnessfromhiswifewhowassickandinbadh