NOTES ON
ENGLISH SYNTAX 1
TYPES OF SENTENCES ................................................................................................................. 3
According to their STRUCTURE ............................................................................................ 3
According to their FUNCTION .............................................................................................. 4
SYNTACTIC PHRASES .................................................................................................................. 6
NOUN PHRASE.............................................................................................................................. 6
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE ..................................................................................................... 7
VERB PHRASE .............................................................................................................................. 7
ADJECTIVE PHRASE .................................................................................................................. 8
ADVERBIAL PHRASES ............................................................................................................. 9
THE SUBJECT ...................................................................................................................................... 9
THE PREDICATE ............................................................................................................................. 11
THE SUBJECT COMPLEMENT .............................................................................................. 11
LINK VERBS: ................................................................................................................................ 12
AGREEMENT BETWEEN SUBJECT AND PREDICATE................................................ 13
GRAMMATICAL AGREEMENT............................................................................................ 13
NOTIONAL AGREEMENT ...................................................................................................... 13
PROXIMITY CONCORD ........................................................................................................... 13
1.
, EXCEPTIONS ................................................................................................................................ 14
OBJECTS .............................................................................................................................................. 15
DIRECT OBJECT ........................................................................................................................... 15
INDIRECT OBJECT...................................................................................................................... 16
PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT ..................................................................................................... 16
COMPLEMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 17
OBJECT COMPLEMENT ........................................................................................................... 17
ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT ................................................................................................... 17
SUBJECT COMPLEMENT ........................................................................................................ 18
ADVERBIAL MODIFIERS........................................................................................................... 19
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF TIME ..................................................................................... 19
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF PLACE .................................................................................. 20
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF MANNER ............................................................................ 20
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF CAUSE/ REASON ........................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF CONDITION ....................................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF CONCESSION.................................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF RESULT ............................................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF PURPOSE ........................................................................... 22
MINOR TYPES OF ADVERBIALS: .................................................................................... 22
2.
, TYPES OF SENTENCES
A SENTENCE is a grammatically self-contained unit of speech which serves as the
main means of expressing a thought.
According to their STRUCTURE
SIMPLE SENTENCE: contains only 1 finite verb form.
Types:
• (subject+ predicate) a sentence consisting only of the principal parts. E.g. John is
sleeping.
• (+objects, complements, adverbials) a sentence consisting of the subject, predicate
and one or more secondary parts. E.g. John is sleeping in the living room.
COMPOUND SENTENCE: contains 2 or more coordinated sentences. E.g. I went into
the room and I switched on the light.
The main coordinating conjunctions: and, besides, as well as, not
only…but also, both…and, but, whereas, either...or, or…, neither…nor, or else, hence,
accordingly, therefore).
COMPLEX SENTENCE: contains a main clause and 1/ more subclauses. E.g. I told
John that I was very happy.
COMPOSITE SENTENCE: contains a mixture of compound and complex sentences.
E.g. John came home and showed his mum the present that he has received from his friend.
3.
ENGLISH SYNTAX 1
TYPES OF SENTENCES ................................................................................................................. 3
According to their STRUCTURE ............................................................................................ 3
According to their FUNCTION .............................................................................................. 4
SYNTACTIC PHRASES .................................................................................................................. 6
NOUN PHRASE.............................................................................................................................. 6
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE ..................................................................................................... 7
VERB PHRASE .............................................................................................................................. 7
ADJECTIVE PHRASE .................................................................................................................. 8
ADVERBIAL PHRASES ............................................................................................................. 9
THE SUBJECT ...................................................................................................................................... 9
THE PREDICATE ............................................................................................................................. 11
THE SUBJECT COMPLEMENT .............................................................................................. 11
LINK VERBS: ................................................................................................................................ 12
AGREEMENT BETWEEN SUBJECT AND PREDICATE................................................ 13
GRAMMATICAL AGREEMENT............................................................................................ 13
NOTIONAL AGREEMENT ...................................................................................................... 13
PROXIMITY CONCORD ........................................................................................................... 13
1.
, EXCEPTIONS ................................................................................................................................ 14
OBJECTS .............................................................................................................................................. 15
DIRECT OBJECT ........................................................................................................................... 15
INDIRECT OBJECT...................................................................................................................... 16
PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT ..................................................................................................... 16
COMPLEMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 17
OBJECT COMPLEMENT ........................................................................................................... 17
ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT ................................................................................................... 17
SUBJECT COMPLEMENT ........................................................................................................ 18
ADVERBIAL MODIFIERS........................................................................................................... 19
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF TIME ..................................................................................... 19
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF PLACE .................................................................................. 20
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF MANNER ............................................................................ 20
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF CAUSE/ REASON ........................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF CONDITION ....................................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF CONCESSION.................................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF RESULT ............................................................................... 21
ADVERBIAL MODIFIER OF PURPOSE ........................................................................... 22
MINOR TYPES OF ADVERBIALS: .................................................................................... 22
2.
, TYPES OF SENTENCES
A SENTENCE is a grammatically self-contained unit of speech which serves as the
main means of expressing a thought.
According to their STRUCTURE
SIMPLE SENTENCE: contains only 1 finite verb form.
Types:
• (subject+ predicate) a sentence consisting only of the principal parts. E.g. John is
sleeping.
• (+objects, complements, adverbials) a sentence consisting of the subject, predicate
and one or more secondary parts. E.g. John is sleeping in the living room.
COMPOUND SENTENCE: contains 2 or more coordinated sentences. E.g. I went into
the room and I switched on the light.
The main coordinating conjunctions: and, besides, as well as, not
only…but also, both…and, but, whereas, either...or, or…, neither…nor, or else, hence,
accordingly, therefore).
COMPLEX SENTENCE: contains a main clause and 1/ more subclauses. E.g. I told
John that I was very happy.
COMPOSITE SENTENCE: contains a mixture of compound and complex sentences.
E.g. John came home and showed his mum the present that he has received from his friend.
3.
