Sentence Structure
| noun phrase + verb phrase
| Noun phrase |
| Verb phrase
|
| Prepositional phrase |
subject|syntactic order|
|object |
| verb phrase | auxiliary and main verb| adjective |
To understand English grammar, you need to know how all the words fit together within a sentence. This web page will show you basic sentence structure by looking at phrase structure rules and sample sentences.
Phrase structure rules
Sentence = noun phrase + verb phrase
[S=NPVP] The boy went home.
Noun phrase=(determiner) +(adjective) + noun [NP=(det)
(adj) N]
The big car.....
Verb phrase =verb + (noun phrase) + (prepositional phrase)
[VP=V(NP)(PP)]
.....hit the ball over the fence
Prepositional phrase =preposition + noun phrase [PNP]
.....in the golf course
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All sentences consist of a noun phrase and a verb phrase. One example of a noun phrase is a
subject. The subject may consist of a group or words that includes the subject noun and words that modify it. Observe the subjects in the following sentences.
Set A
1. The clover smells sweet. [noun as subject]
2. It is a new bookcase. [pronoun as subject]
3. What they found surprised me. [noun clause as subject]
4. Swimming is good exercise. [gerund as subject]
5. Working ten years in the mine was enough. [gerund phrase as subject]
6. To sleep in is a luxury. [infinitive as subject]
7. To be able to read is very important. [infinitive phrase as subject]
The syntactic order in the above sentences is subject + verb
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Observe the next group of sentences. Pay particular attention to the subject in each of the sentences. Notice that the
syntactic order of these sentences are different from Set A.
Set B
1. Where are the boxes? [where + verb + subject]
2. Have you seen the first test? [auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + direct object]
3. Do you live in San Bernardino? [auxiliary + subject + main verb + prepositional phrase]
4. At the edge of Hill Country lies Austin, Texas. [ prepositional phrase of location + verb + subject]
5. Located on the table is my book. [main verb + prepositional phrase of location + auxiliary verb + subject]
6. Out of the bag came a cat. [prepositional phrase of location + verb + subject]
7. Had I not sped, I wouldn't have received the ticket. [omit if in adverb clauses of condition: auxiliary verb + subject + not + main verb, subject + modal + auxiliary verb + main verb + direct object]
8. Were I rich, I would buy a new Mercedes. [omit if in adverb clauses of condition: main verb + subject + adjective, subject + modal + main verb + adjective + direct object]
9. Seldom does John study. [adverb of frequency + auxiliary + subject + main verb]
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A noun phrase can also be an object in a sentence. In this case, the noun phrase will be part of the verb phrase in the sentence. Observe the
objects in the following sentences?
1. We saw the teacher. [teacher=direct object]
2. The boy gave the book to his friend. book= direct object; friend=object of preposition] The boy gave his friend the book. [friend=indirect object; book=direct object]
3. The nurse stood beside the doctor. [doctor=object of preposition]
4. I know that you want to go to the store. [noun clause as direct object]
5. That I know where you went is not the issue. [issue= subject complement]
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Stating the action of the subject, a verb (the core component of the verb phrase) may be accompanied by a NP and a PP. In the following sentences, observe the entire
verb phrase; all parts of the verb are in italics.
1. My brother lives in North Dakota. [simple present]
2. Chia Ching Yu is watching TV right now. [present progressive]
3. The mail came early this morning. [simple past]
4. I was reading a book when the phone rang. [past progressive and simple past ]
5. You will pass my class. Don't worry. [future and simple present]
6. At noon tomorrow, I'll be having lunch with Angela. [future progressive ]
7. She has never climbed Mount McKinley. [present perfect]
8. I have been studying for three hours now. [present perfect progressive ]
9. Grandma had already left by the time we arrived. [past perfect and simple past]
10. They had been playing tennis before the storm arrived. [past perfect progressive and simple past]
11. By next March, we will have been married for fifty years. [future perfect]
12. By the end of June, Mohammed will have been working at Nissan for five years. [future perfect progressive]
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Consider the following verb phrases focusing on the auxiliary and main verb in each sentence.
1. We can leave after 2:30. [possibility]
2. We could leave after 2:30. [probability]
3. We had better leave after 2:30. [obligation]
4. We have to leave after 2:30. [obligation]
5. We shall leave after 2:30. [high degree of certainty]
6. We will leave after 2:30. [high degree of certainty]
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Observe the following sentences. These verbs have two functions: that of an adjective and and verb.
Set A
The amazing(adj) man amazed(v) the audience.
The satisfied (adj) girl satisfied (v) her appetite.
The frightened (adj) boy frightened (v) his friend.
Here is a short list of words that can function as adjectives and verbs: annoy, astonish, confuse, depress, disgust, depress, embarrass, excite, exhaust, fascinate, horrify, shock, and worry