COLLEGE ENGLISH (ELECTIVE)

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Basic Sentence Patterns

Module 2

Basic parts of the sentence 6. Every child likes ice cream.

Subject. The subject of a sentence is that noun, 7. She swims every morning.
pronoun, or phrase or clause about which the
8. Cats hate water.
sentence makes a statement.
9. I don’t wash.
Verb phrase. The main verb, or verb phrase, of a
sentence is a word or words that express an action, SS TAKE SV (S, ES) He writes, write.
event, or a state of existence. It sets up a relationship They walks, walk.
PS TAKE PV
between the subject and the rest of the sentence.

Direct object. A direct object—a noun, pronoun, Singular Subject takes Singular Verb
phrase, or clause acting as a noun—takes the action
of the main verb. A direct object can be identified by
putting what? which? or whom? in its place. Just one Always has an “s” at the
end.
Indirect object. An indirect object—a noun, Example: Car,
pronoun, phrase, or clause acting as a noun— Tree, Ball Example: Cars, Trees,
receives the action expressed in the sentence. It can Balls, Eats, Drinks
be identified by inserting to or for.

Linking verbs. A linking verb is any form of the verb Example: A bird sings. The apple falls.
to be without an action verb; it sets up something like
Plural Subject takes Plural Verb
an equal sign between the items it links. Linking
verbs of a sentence can be longer than one word:

IS, ARE, WAS, WERE, HAS, HAVE, AM More than one. We will not add “s” in
the end.
had been, would have been, was being, might have Example: Birds,
been, had to have been, will have been. Teeth, Banana, Example: Write, Play,
Children Run
DOES NOT, DO, DID- should follow the basic form of
the verb.
Legends: Example: Flowers bloom. The dogs chase the cat.

Subject Verb BASIC SENTENCE PATTERN

1. She wrote. ❑ S-IV

2. She completed her literature review. ❑ S-TV-DO
3. He organized his sources by theme. ❑ S-LV-SC
4. They studied APA rules for many hours.
❑ S-TV-DO-OC
5. He doesn't teach math.
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❑ S-TV-IO-DO Transitive Verb: A transitive verb is a verb that

requires both a subject and a direct object. [A verb
Subject-Intransitive Verb (S-IV) that requires an object or receiver of an action.]
Legend:
Direct Object: The receiver of an action.
Subject Verb
1. Someone ate my sandwich.
2. Mikko reads the dictionary for pleasure.
❑ Peter sneezed. 3. The campers fear the bears.
4. The board showed their approval. I played
❑ Evil exists.
the piano.
❑ Fame ends.
Examples:
Subject: A person or thing that is being discussed or
described in a sentence. She likes coffee.

Intransitive Verb: An intransitive verb is a verb Do answers question “what” or “whom.” [What
without a direct object. [A verb that doesn’t require she likes? Coffee.
an object.] Clue: Shortened version of a sentence.
Subject-Linking Verb-Subject Complement
1. I wrote legibly. (S-LV-SC)
2. Michael and Gabriel woke and yawned. Legend:
3. He prays every day.
4. Students should study every night. Subject Linking Verb SC
5. She reads silently. ❑ Albus Dumbledore is the headmaster.

Examples: ❑ Pandas and polar bears are endangered

species.
They worked. Vience dance gracefully.
❑ That girl should be a singer.

Subject: A person or thing that is being discussed or

Subject-Transitive Verb- Direct Object described in a sentence.
(S-TV-DO)
Legend: Linking Verb: Shows what something is.

Subject Transitive Verb Direct Object Subject Compliment: A subject complement is a

word or phrase that appears after a linking verb in a
sentence and is closely related to the sentence’s
❑ The Chinese people have interesting subject—identifying, defining, or describing it. [A
traditions. subject complement’s job, along with a linking verb,
is to clarify the subject of a sentence.]
❑ She slapped me.
1. Anne is the boss.
❑ Students should respect their parents.
2. Whales and sharks are mammals.
Subject: A person or thing that is being discussed or 3. The girl should be the captain.
described in a sentence. 4. My mother is a teacher.
5. Philippines is the “Pearl of the Orient Seas.”
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Examples: Subject-Transitive Verb-Direct Object-

Object of the Complement (S-TV-DO-OC)
The tree we sit under in the park is an oak.
Legend:
Oona is always early for appointments.
Subject Transitive Direct Object
That curry smells delicious. Verb Object Comp.
❑ He called the girl beautiful.
Their job was becoming more and more
difficult to do. ❑ Dean defeated Sam fairly.

❑ The class elected Josephine as president.

Subject-Transitive Verb-Indirect Object-
Direct Object (S-TV-IO-DO) Subject: A person or thing that is being discussed or
Legend: described in a sentence.

Subject Transitive Indirect Direct Transitive Verb: A transitive verb is a verb that
Verb Object Object requires both a subject and a direct object. [A verb
❑ I gave the conductor’ ticket. that requires an object or receiver of an action.]

❑ Faith gave Josh a new jacket. Direct Object: The receiver of an action. [Receives
the action done by the subject.]
❑ Neil taught us a new recipe.
Object Complement: An object complement is a
Subject: A person or thing that is being discussed or noun, pronoun, or adjective which follows a direct
described in a sentence. object and renames it or tells what the direct object
Transitive Verb: A transitive verb is a verb that has become. [Describes, renames, or gives info
requires both a subject and a direct object. [A verb about the object.]
that requires an object or receiver of an action.] 1. The class elected Nadine president.
Indirect Object: A noun/pronoun receiving the 2. Cathy cut her hair short.
direct object. [Tells “to whom” or “for whom” the 3. The child made her mother happy.
action of the verb is done and who is receiving the 4. Many people find martial arts challenging.
direct object.] 5. Some pet owners consider their dogs their
children.
Direct Object: The receiver of an action. [Receives
the action done by the subject.] Examples:

Examples: I found the book interesting.

Kat made Marian a dress.

Who received dress? (DO) -Marian. They chose Kenn their leader.
(IO) answers the question “to whom” or “for
whom” [For whom was the dress made? Marian. Additional Notes:
Thus, Marian is the IO.]
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Types of Listening
Module 2

Listening Comprehensive/Active Listening

The process of receiving, constructing meaning

from, and responding to a spoken and/ or non- → Listening to understand the message of a
verbal message (International Reading speaker, as when we attend a classroom
Association) lecture or listen to directions for finding a
friend’s house.
→ Focuses on accurately understanding the
Types of Listening meaning of the speaker’s words while
simultaneously interpreting non-verbal cues
1. Appreciative Listening
such as facial expressions, gestures, posture,
2. Emphatic Listening
and vocal quality.
3. Comprehensive/Active Listening
4. Critical/ Analytical Listening Steps in Active Listening
1. Listening carefully by using all available
Appreciative Listening
senses
2. Paraphrasing what is heard both mentally
→ Listening for pleasure and enjoyment, as and verbally
when we listen to music, to a comedy routine, 3. Checking your understanding to ensure
or to an entertaining speech accuracy
→ Describes how well speakers choose and use 4. Providing feedback
words, use humor, ask questions. tell stories
and argue persuasively. During a question-and-answer sessions,
speakers use comprehensive listening skills to
Emphatic Listening accurately interpret the audience’s questions.

→ Listening to provide emotional support for Critical/ Analytical Listening

the speaker, as when a psychiatrist listens to
a patient or when we lend a sympathetic ear
→ Listening to evaluate a message for purposes
to a friend.
of accepting or rejecting it, as when we listen
→ Focuses on understanding and identifying
to the sales pitch of a used-car dealer or the
with a person’s situation, feelings, or motives.
campaign speech of a political candidate.
→ There is an attempt to understand what the
→ Focuses on evaluating whether a message is
other person is feeling.
logical and reasonable.
→ Listener does not necessarily agree or feel
→ Asks you to make judgements based on your
the same way with the speaker instead
evaluation of the speaker’s arguments.
understand the type and intensity of feelings
→ Challenges the speaker’s message by
the speaker is experiencing without
evaluating its accuracy and meaningfulness,
judgement.
and utility.
→ Uses critical thinking skills.
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Note Taking
Module 2

NOTETAKING

• The practice of writing down or otherwise

recording key points of information.
(about.com)
• Taking notes involves active listening, as well
as connecting and relating information to
ideas you already know. It also involves
seeking answers to questions that arise from
the material. (Shelley O'Hara, Improving Your
Study Skills: Study Smart, Study Less. Wiley,
2005)
• Taking notes doesn't simply mean scribbling
down or marking up the things that strike
your fancy. It means using a proven system
and then effectively recording information
before tying everything together. (Walter Pauk
and Ross J.Q. Owens, How to Study in College,
11th ed. Cengage, 2013)

TAKING NOTES CAN HELP YOU TO:

• improve your understanding by making you
convert difficult ideas into your own words •
• prepare for writing fuller, better-connected
arguments in your essays
• be more focused and time-efficient in your
exam revision period
• assess your own progress as you study.
• recognizing the main ideas
• identifying what information is relevant to
your task
• having a system of note taking that works for
you
• reducing the information to note and diagram
format
• where possible, putting the information in
your own words
• recording the source of the information
Additional Notes:
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Subject Verb Agreement

Module 3

SINGULAR SUBJECT TAKES SINGULAR VERB. What is indefinite pronoun?

An indefinite pronoun is a pronoun that
PLURAL SUBJECT TAKES PLURAL VERB. doesn’t specifically identify what it is referring to. For
example, the word someone is an indefinite pronoun
in the sentence Someone ate the last slice of
➢ Jan, John, and Bob walk to the store. pizza. We know that the pronoun someone refers to
➢ Bob and his brothers walk to the store. a human being, but we don’t know any other
➢ Jen and her sister read, reads the book. information about them. Indefinite pronouns vaguely
➢ They write writes the lesson. or generally refer to a person or thing.

If plural subjects are joined by “or,” “nor,” or Indefinite pronouns that always take a singular verb
“but,” the verb must only agree with the form:
subject that is closest to it.
✓ anybody ✓ anything
✓ either ✓ everyone
➢ Either Bob or his brother walks to the store.
✓ neither ✓ no one
➢ Neither Bob nor his brothers walk to the
✓ one ✓ someone
store.
✓ anyone ✓ each
➢ Not Bob but his brothers walk to the store
✓ everybody ✓ everything
➢ Not Bob but his brother walks to the store
✓ nobody ✓ nothing
➢ They listen listens to the discussion.
✓ somebody ✓ something
VERB- ES OR S=SINGULAR VERB

WITHOUT S OR ES= PLURAL VERB

Some indefinite pronouns and nouns will be
singular or plural depending on the object of
If a subject is modified by the words “each” or the prepositional phrase. These words are
“every” that subject is singular and will take a always about number or amount such as: all,
verb form that ends in “s.” a. half, some, none, most, part, etc.

➢ Each boy and girl walks to the store. ➢ Some (of the students) are gone.
➢ Each boy and girl has to take the test. ➢ Some (of the cake) is gone.
➢ Every frog and toad turns into a prince. ➢ The mother duck and all (of her ducklings)
walk to the store.
HAS, HAVE, IS, ARE, WAS, WERE
When a collective noun, such as family, group,
committee, or class, is the subject, the verb
Indefinite pronouns* are usually singular and will end in “s.”
take a verb form that ends in “s.

➢ Everyone walks to the store. ➢ My family with all my crazy cousins always
➢ Everything comes back eventually. walks to the store.
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➢ The herd is stampeding. ➢ The girls who eat cake are happy.
➢ The class was ready for the test. ➢ The girl who eats cake is happy.

If two subjects are separated by “and” refer to

the same thing, the verb is singular.

➢ Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite pasta

dish.
➢ The puppy and the dog is mammals.

Gerunds (“ing” words) can be subjects and

follow all the same rules above.

➢ Running is my favorite sport.

➢ Running to the store and flying through the
air are my favorite sports.
➢ Dancing is not something everyone can do as
well as I can.
A few nouns, such as economics, mumps,
measles, or news end in “s” but are Both, few, many, others, and several take a
considered singular. You can tell these “s” plural verb.
words are singular because if you take the “s”
away, you don’t have a noun. For example, ➢ Several need to finish the race.
economic and new are adjectives that ➢ A few have the right answer.
describe a noun. Mump and measles just don’t
make any sense. Two infinitives separated by and take a plural
verb.
➢ Economics is her favorite subject.
➢ News is reliable information. ➢ To run and to read are my two favorite “Free-
time” activities.
When the subject is a unit of measurement of
To run- to +base form
time, distance, money, weight, etc. The unit is
To sleep
considered singular, and the verb will end in To eat
“s.”

Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated

➢ Ten pounds of chocolate is too much to eat as singular.
at once.
➢ Thirteen feet of kite string tangles very ➢ Holes was one of my favorite books. I want to
easily. see the movie.
➢ Twenty kilometers of athlete runs in the oval.
When the subject is all, any, more, most, none,
When using who, that or which, you must look or some, this is the ONLY time you must look
to the noun these relative pronouns are at the object of the prepositional phrase to
referring to in order to determine whether the determine whether it is singular or plural.
subject is singular and will have a verb ending
in “s” or is plural and have a verb without an
“s.”
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➢ All of the chickens have laid eggs.

➢ Some of the milk has spilled.

FINAL RULE-
Remember, only the SUBJECT
affects the verb!

Additional Notes:
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Moods of the Verb

Module 4

MOOD However, it can also express an opinion

because opinions are often stated as facts;
Indicative, Imperative, Subjunctive when you have an opinion about something,
you usually view it as a fact. Almost all the
What is mood? verbs you've studied so far have been in the
indicative mood, so you're already familiar
LIFE DEFINITION with it. The simple, progressive, and perfect
tenses all express indicative mood.
How you are feeling at a given time.

FACTS
LITERATURE DEFINITION Rain falls quite heavily during the month of April.
The reader’s emotional response. Lots of rain fell yesterday.
Rain is falling.
The atmosphere of a story. Rain is not falling.
Is rain falling?

“Mood” in Grammar
OPINIONS
DEFINITION: The form a verb takes to indicate Lots of rain will fall tomorrow.
the ATTITUDE of the person using the verb. That is a beautiful painting.
These chocolate cookies taste delicious.
Tense, Voice, Mood
Jenna thinks that Norah will win the
TENSE – shows time (past, present, future) competition.
We believe he should go alone.
VOICE – shows who’s doing an action or having My little sisterIMPERATIVE
likes that we MOOD
visit Florida every
action done to them. summer.
Direct command or request.
MOOD – shows attitude (telling a fact, giving a
command, expressing a wish)
➢ Show me the money.
INDICATIVE MOOD ➢ Now give me the money.
Express a fact, opinion, or question. ➢ Don’t call the police.

Imperative mood is "bossy" mood—it's used

➢ It is 84 degrees in here. to give commands or to advise or beg
➢ I think I am going to pass out. someone to do something. Commands can be
➢ Can we please turn the heat down? affirmative (tell someone what to do) or
negative (tell someone what not to do).
Indicative mood is fact mood, and it's the one Affirmative commands use the base form of
we use most often. It states, asks, or denies a the verb. Negative commands follow this
fact. formula: do + not + base. The subject of all
imperative sentences is the unstated you.
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EXAMPLES ➢ The judge suggested that we be given first

prize.
(you) Open the door, please. ➢ I demand that he do the assignment.
(you) Do not forget your homework. ➢ Her mom insisted that she not play
or: Don't forget your homework. tomorrow night.
➢ I insist that Michael come early.
SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD ➢ I strongly suggest that he cooperate with the
police.
The subjunctive mood is used to express
suggestions, recommendations, advice, PAST SUBJUNCTIVE
demands, wishes, and doubts. It is also used
➢ I wish you were in my English class.
to talk about hypothetical (imaginary)
➢ I wish Mr. McGowan weren’t so awesome.
situations or something that is contrary to fact.
➢ If I were you, I wouldn’t do that.
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE: What mood? Indicative, Imperative,
Subjunctive?
→ To express a suggestion, a necessity, or an
indirect command/order.
1. Maria translates articles into Spanish.
PAST SUBJUNCTIVE:
INDICATIVE
→ To express an untrue condition, or a wish or
2. I wish you were here. SUBJUNCTIVE
desire.
PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE 3. Bring me the towels. IMPERATIVE
(Mandative Subjunctive) 4. I suggest that you be quiet now.
The present form of the subjunctive is most often
used to talk about recommendations, SUBJUNCTIVE
suggestions, advice, requests, and demands, and 5. Please be quiet. IMPERATIVE
it often (but not always) follows the word that. This
is called the mandative subjunctive. 6. The coach asked that each player practice
twice each day. SUBJUNCTIVE
Jonathan's academic advisor
recommended that he study abroad next year. 7. The coach wishes the rugby team be more
motivated. SUBJUNCTIVE
Additional Notes:
What does the subjunctive mood look like?

Common verbs:

ask, demand, determine, insist, move, order,

pray, prefer, recommend, regret, request, require,
suggest, and wish.

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE:

➢ The teacher recommended that I be in her

class.
➢ I recommend that you be on time the rest of
the year.
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Tenses of Verb
Module 5

SIMPLE, PROGRESSIVE, PERFECT PERFECT TENSE

SIMPLE TENSE 1. Perfect Present

2. Perfect Past
1. Present Tense 3. Perfect Future
2. Past tense
3. Future Tense Linking verb, HAS, HAVE, HAD + Past
4. tense/Past participle

PROGRESSIVE TENSE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE TENSE

1. Present Progressive 1. Perfect Present Progressive

2. Past Progressive 2. Perfect Past Progressive
3. Future Progressive 3. Perfect Future Progressive

-ing + linking verb HAS, HAVE, HAD + -ing

Additional Notes: