Sentence Patterns
S-V S-V-O S-V-SC
Rocks explode. Lizards like rocks. Lizards are lazy.
Dinosaurs grew large.
They became extinct.
A frog is on the rock.
S-V: Subject-Verb: This pattern uses an intransitive verb. Intransitive verbs take
no direct object.
S-V-O: Subject-Verb-Object: This pattern uses a transitive verb. Transitive verbs
take direct objects. (Direct objects answer “Who?” or “What?” They are
used with action verbs only.
S-V-SC: Subject-Verb-Subject Complement: This pattern uses a linking verb.
Linking verbs require some kind of subject complement to finish the
thought. Subject complements can be nouns, adjectives, or
prepositional phrases.
Pattern 1, subject + verb
Rocks explode.
Rocks explode.
Pattern 1, subject + verb
Ghosts walk.
Fish swim.
Penguins waddle.
Balloons pop.
The elephant swaggered.
The ice cream melted.
The strawberry ice cream cone with the cherry on top of it melted.
The verb in a Pattern 1 sentence does not
have to be the last word of the sentence.
Happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow.
bluebirds fly
rainbow
Pattern 2:
Subject + Verb + Direct Object
Everybody loves Raymond.
Everybody Raymond.
loves
A DIRECT OBJECT answers the question “Who?” or “What?” to the verb.
DIRECT OBJECTS apply only to action verbs (not linking verbs).
Pattern 2:
Subject + Verb + Direct Object
We ate pepperoni pizza.
We pizza.
ate
Transitive verbs are verbs that take direct objects.
DIRECT OBJECTS apply only to action verbs (not linking verbs).
Pattern 3:
Subject + Verb + Subject Complement
Elephants are mammals.
Elephants
are mammals.
When the subject complement is a noun (or pronoun), it RENAMES the
subject and the sentence is reversible. (Mammals are elephants.) We use
the “back-slash” to indicate that the subject complement refers back to the
subject.
Pattern 3:
Subject + Verb + Subject Complement
Elephants are large.
Elephants
are large.
When the subject complement is a noun (or pronoun), it RENAMES the
subject and the sentence is reversible. (Mammals are elephants.) We use
the “back-slash” to indicate that the subject complement refers back to the
subject.
Pattern 3:
Subject + Verb + Subject Complement
Elephants look pretty .
Elephants
look pretty.
A few other verbs sometimes get treated like linking verbs: look, feel, sound, smell,
taste, become, grow, appear