Two-member sentences

§ 3. The basic pattern of a simple sentence in English is one subject-predicate unit, that is, it has two main (principal) positions: those of the subject and of the predicate. It is the pattern of a two-member sentence. There are several variations of this basic pattern, depending mainly on the kind of verb occupying the predicate position. The verb in the predicate position may be intransitive, transitive, ditransitive or a link verb.

Here are the main variants of the fundamental (basic) pattern:

1. John ran.

2. John is a student.

3. John is clever.

4. John learned French.

5. John gives Mary his books.

6. John lives

in London. there

7. We found John guilty.

8. We found John a bore.

The basic pattern may be unextended or extended.

An unextended sentence contains two main positions of the basic pattern, that of the subject and tlie predicate.

Mary laughed.

Mary is a doctor.

Mary is happy.

An extended sentence may contain various optional elements (including attributes, certain kinds of prepositional objects and adverbial modifiers).

John ran quickly to me.

My friend John is a very kind student.

Mary laughed heartily at the joke.

Obligatory extending elements are those which complete the meaning of other words, usually verbs, or pronouns, which without them make no or little sense. Therefore obligatory elements are called complements.

John learned French. (the meaning of “learned” is incomplete without the object “French”)

John gives Mary his books. (the meaning of “gives Mary” conveys different meaning without the object

“his books”)

John lives in London, (the meaning of “lives” is incomplete without an adverbial of place)