ENGLISH : Sentence Pattern and Nouns
Notes and Sample Exercises on Basic Sentence Patterns and Nouns
Basic Patterns:
The essential components of the English sentence (subject, verb, complement) occur according
to a set order. This arrangement is called a pattern. English has seven basic sentence patterns.
Observe that in these basic arrangements:
The subject precedes the predicate.
The simple subject is always a noun or noun substitute, and
The simple predicate is a single word verb or a verb phrase (auxiliary verb or
verbs followed by a principal verb).
Pattern 1: N-V (Noun-Verb)
1. The typhoon raged.
2. Strong winds were howling.
3. Heavy rains poured incessantly.
Pattern 2: N-V-N (Noun-Verb-Noun)
4. Water flooded the streets.
5. Garbage blocked the outlets.
6. Many people lost their lives.
Pattern 3: N-V-N-N ( Noun-Verb-Noun-Noun)
7. The Red Cross gave the victims food.
8. Helicopters immediately brought them medical aid.
9. The city official gave the relief workers ample support.
Pattern 4: N-LV-ADJ (Noun-Linking Verb- Adjective)
10. Many people were homeless.
11. Roads and Bridges became impassable.
12. Signal No. 1 has remained hoisted.
Pattern 5: N-LV-N ( Noun-Linking Verb-Noun)
13. The chief problem was high prices.
14. The health department remained the source of medical aid.
15. The tennis player turned champion in her teens.
Pattern 6: N-OV-N-N (Noun-Verb-Noun-Noun)
16. The Cabinet voted him chairman of relief work.
17. The mayor chose the councilor his assistant.
18. The people branded him dictator.
Pattern 7: N-OV-N-ADJ (Noun-Verb-Noun-Adjective)
19. The citizens rated their work excellent.
20. The mayor ordered the dredging project launched.
, Exercises:
A. Identify the pattern of each of these sentences as N-V, N-V-N, N-V-N-N, N-LV-Adj, N-
LV-N, N-OV-N-Adj. and N-OV-N-N.
1. The officials thought their task difficult.
2. The situation was dangerous.
3. Huge waves dashed against the seashore.
4. A landslide buried homes.
5. Authorities considered the situation an emergency.
6. Respiratory diseases became the rampant cause of deaths.
7. Concerned citizens have provided them clothing.
Answer key :
1. N-OV-N-Adj
2. N-LV-Adj.
3. N-V
4. N-V-N
5. N-OV-NN
6. N-LV-N
7. N-V-N-N
Traditional grammar usually begins with a definition of the parts of speech. It defines nouns
as names of words; pronouns as substitutes of nouns; adjectives as words modifying nouns
and pronouns; verbs as action words; adverbs as words modifying verbs; adjectives and
adverbs; conjunctions as connecting words; prepositions as words showing relationship
between a noun or pronoun with another word in the sentence; and interjections as words or
phrases used as exclamations without grammatical connection.
In the new approaches to grammar, parts of speech or words are classified into two groups:
content words or form classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) and function words or
structure words (pronouns, determiners, intensifiers, auxiliary verbs, prepositions,
conjunctions).
The first group is called Form classes because they take special forms or signals which make
them different from other words in the sentence. They are also called Content words
because they express things, actions or qualities. Content words are used to fill grammatical
patterns and give them specific meanings.
The second group is the structure or function words. Used alone, function words have little
meaning, but used in sentences, they show the relationship of one word to another. Functions
words are words used to form grammatical patterns and cannot be changed without changing
the patterns.
Notes and Sample Exercises on Basic Sentence Patterns and Nouns
Basic Patterns:
The essential components of the English sentence (subject, verb, complement) occur according
to a set order. This arrangement is called a pattern. English has seven basic sentence patterns.
Observe that in these basic arrangements:
The subject precedes the predicate.
The simple subject is always a noun or noun substitute, and
The simple predicate is a single word verb or a verb phrase (auxiliary verb or
verbs followed by a principal verb).
Pattern 1: N-V (Noun-Verb)
1. The typhoon raged.
2. Strong winds were howling.
3. Heavy rains poured incessantly.
Pattern 2: N-V-N (Noun-Verb-Noun)
4. Water flooded the streets.
5. Garbage blocked the outlets.
6. Many people lost their lives.
Pattern 3: N-V-N-N ( Noun-Verb-Noun-Noun)
7. The Red Cross gave the victims food.
8. Helicopters immediately brought them medical aid.
9. The city official gave the relief workers ample support.
Pattern 4: N-LV-ADJ (Noun-Linking Verb- Adjective)
10. Many people were homeless.
11. Roads and Bridges became impassable.
12. Signal No. 1 has remained hoisted.
Pattern 5: N-LV-N ( Noun-Linking Verb-Noun)
13. The chief problem was high prices.
14. The health department remained the source of medical aid.
15. The tennis player turned champion in her teens.
Pattern 6: N-OV-N-N (Noun-Verb-Noun-Noun)
16. The Cabinet voted him chairman of relief work.
17. The mayor chose the councilor his assistant.
18. The people branded him dictator.
Pattern 7: N-OV-N-ADJ (Noun-Verb-Noun-Adjective)
19. The citizens rated their work excellent.
20. The mayor ordered the dredging project launched.
, Exercises:
A. Identify the pattern of each of these sentences as N-V, N-V-N, N-V-N-N, N-LV-Adj, N-
LV-N, N-OV-N-Adj. and N-OV-N-N.
1. The officials thought their task difficult.
2. The situation was dangerous.
3. Huge waves dashed against the seashore.
4. A landslide buried homes.
5. Authorities considered the situation an emergency.
6. Respiratory diseases became the rampant cause of deaths.
7. Concerned citizens have provided them clothing.
Answer key :
1. N-OV-N-Adj
2. N-LV-Adj.
3. N-V
4. N-V-N
5. N-OV-NN
6. N-LV-N
7. N-V-N-N
Traditional grammar usually begins with a definition of the parts of speech. It defines nouns
as names of words; pronouns as substitutes of nouns; adjectives as words modifying nouns
and pronouns; verbs as action words; adverbs as words modifying verbs; adjectives and
adverbs; conjunctions as connecting words; prepositions as words showing relationship
between a noun or pronoun with another word in the sentence; and interjections as words or
phrases used as exclamations without grammatical connection.
In the new approaches to grammar, parts of speech or words are classified into two groups:
content words or form classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) and function words or
structure words (pronouns, determiners, intensifiers, auxiliary verbs, prepositions,
conjunctions).
The first group is called Form classes because they take special forms or signals which make
them different from other words in the sentence. They are also called Content words
because they express things, actions or qualities. Content words are used to fill grammatical
patterns and give them specific meanings.
The second group is the structure or function words. Used alone, function words have little
meaning, but used in sentences, they show the relationship of one word to another. Functions
words are words used to form grammatical patterns and cannot be changed without changing
the patterns.
