ENGLISH SYNTAX I

FACULTAD DE FILOSOFÍA Y LETRAS –

UNT - Año 2020
Part II
Elements of the clause structure

• Subject (S)
• Verb (V)
Syntactic • Direct object (Od)
Elements • Indirect object (Oi)
• Subject complement (Cs)
• Object complement (Co)
• Adverbial (A)
 The Verb – Verb complementation
The Verb Realized by the Verb Phrase.
It determines the type of complementation.
3 types of verbs :
1. Copular verbs SVC and SVA PATTERNS
be – appear – feel – look – become – grow – turn – etc

2. Intransitive verbs SV PATTERN

leave – shine – go – come – etc

3. Transitive Verbs
a) Monotransitive SVO PATTERN
buy – cook – want – etc
b) Ditransitive SVOO PATTERN
give – provide – lend – etc
c) Complex Transitive SVOC-SVOA
name – appoint – consider – etc
1. Copular verbs
• They characterize or give more information about the subject.
• They are followed by subject complements in the form of
adjective phrases, noun phrases or prepositional phrases
She seems strange.
S Vcop Cs
You are the boss.
S Vcop Cs
They were out of breath.
S Vcop Cs
• They may be followed by adverbials.
She is at home.
S Vcop A

be – seem – become – feel – remain –smell – sound – taste – get – turn

2. Intransitive Verbs

Some verbs are complete in themselves and do not require any further
elements to make their meaning complete; although there may be
further elements in the sentence, these are not essential.
This type of complementation is called intransitive complementation.
She died. Nothing happened.
S Vi S Vi
The passenger window closed. It is raining.
S Vi S Vi

• Particular case: Intransitive verb with obligatory adverbial

He lives next door. (prepositional phrase )
S Vi A

appear – drown – arrive – fall – sneeze – begin – go – snow –

break – happen – stop – come – increase – swim – cough –
laugh – wait – decrease – lie – work – die – disappear – rain
3. Transitive Verbs
• Transitive verbs in the active voice, require further
information to complete their meaning and are followed by
objects.
• Objects are most typically noun phrases or their
equivalents, e.g. nominal clauses.
may be direct animate or inanimate
indirect generally an animate agent

• Position The object follows the subject and verb.

If both objects are present the indirect
object precedes the direct object.
• Pronouns as objects occur in the objective case.
 Transitive verbs

Monotransitive verbs
Three categories Ditransitive verbs
Complex transitive verbs

1. Monotransitive verbs require only one object (direct)

I hate hospitals. Take a taxi!

S Vmonot Od Vmonot Od

2. Ditransitive verbs two objects( indirect and direct)

He gave me his number.

S Vdit Oi Od

She sent a letter to Ivy. (noun phrase + prepositional phrase)

 Transitive verbs

3. Complex transitive verbs

Direct object and object complement (which gives more

information about the object)
Golf has made him a multi-millionaire.
S Vcomp t Od Oc

He drove me mad.
S Vcomp t Od Oc

Direct object and adverbial (generally found with verbs that

indicate location)
He put the broken glass in the rubbish bin.
S Vcomp t Od A

Place the picture over here.

Vcomp t ` Od A
• Monotransitive verbs

enjoy – keep – bring – believe – close – find – help –

remember – know – hear – need – receive – see – take

• Ditransitive Verbs

bring – deny – give – hand – lend – owe – promise –

read – send – show – teach – throw

• Complex transitive verbs

consider – leave – wish – appoint – believe – make –

name – place – put – prefer – think – want – find
A) Verbs with or without an object with no change in meaning.
• Transitively used with object
She is driving her car. We passed the exam!!
• Intransitively used without object
She is driving. We passed.

B) Change of subject-verb relationship

Some verbs may be used with or without an object, but the subject-
verb relationship is different in each case.

• When these verbs are used with an object, the subject is the
agent (doer) of the action.
1) With object the subject is the agent of the action/event and the
object is affected by the action of the verb
We closed the door. Sony has increased overseas production.
• When they are used without an object, the action or event
happens to the subject.
2) Without object the action/event happens to the subject.
The door closed. Worldwide sales have increased by 14%..
 Direct Object

• Directs objects indicate the person or thing that

undergoes the action denoted by the verb, or the
participant directly affected by the action:
1. I broke that window.
S Vt Od
2. She kicked him.
S Vt Od

• The direct object of an active clause can typically become the

subject of a passive clause:
3. Everybody hated the teacher. Active voice
Od
4. The teacher was hated by everybody. Passive voice
S
 Indirect Object

• The indirect object indicate the recipient of a direct object.

• Indirect objects are usually animate agents (people or
animals).
• An indirect object is always accompanied by a direct object:
They handed me a pile of forms.
S Vt Oi Od

They handed a pile of forms to me.

S Vt Od Oi

Her mother lend her some money.

S Vt Oi Od
 Object Complement

• An object complement adds information in the predicate

about the object:
All that hard work has left me exhausted.
Od Co
(Co gives information about the object, ‘me’)

• They are realized by Noun Phrases, Adjective Phrases,

Prepositional phrases, or Clauses.
• Object complements characterize the object directly.
 Object Complement
• The Co is needed when the verb is complex transitive.
(SVOC pattern)
E.g. make, paint, find, appoint, declare, elect.

• Position Co follows the object.

• When realized by pronouns, they should be in the

objective case.
subject verb object object complement
1. Ryan had called her Katy. (noun phrase)
2. He makes me happy. (adjective phrase)
 Subject Complement
• A subject complement adds information about the subject.
• It characterizes the subject directly.
• Realized by Noun Phrases, Adjective Phrases,
Prepositional Phrases, Pronouns or Clauses.
• Position It follows the subject and verb.
He is a maths teacher. (Cs gives information about
S Vc Cs the subject, ‘he’)
The subject complement here is not the same as an object.
‘He’ and ‘a maths teacher’ are the same person

Compare:
He married a maths teacher.
S Vt Od
‘a maths teacher’ is the object, and a different person from ‘he’
Number concord with subject complements

In informal spoken language, speakers sometimes have a

choice whether to use a singular or plural verb when there
is a difference in number between the subject and the
complement:

Singular subject with plural complement

1. Another topic of course is words that have changed

their meaning.

2. The only good thing are the tyres.

Normally, and in more formal styles, the subject determines

the number of the verb.
 Adverbials
• Realized by Adverbs, Prepositional phrases, Clauses or
Noun phrases.
• Obligatory elements in patterns SVA or SVOA.
The children are in the garden. SVA
He put the money in his pocket. SVOA
• They occur in more than one position in the clause, in which
case they are peripheral, optional elements in the clause.
• Adverbials have a variety of meanings. They most typically
relate to the circumstances of an action or event, e.g. time,
place, manner, degree, frequency, etc:
In the summer we often make our own ice cream.
He was born in Rome in 1998.
She speaks many languages well.
 Adverbials
• Position Adverbials can occupy a variety of positions in
the clause front position (In the summer)
mid position (often)
end position (in 1998, well).

Adverbials and complements

• Adjuncts modify the verb or the clause but, unlike complements,
they do not complete the meaning of the verb and are not
always required elements:
It rained in the afternoon. (optional) (adjunct: indicates
the circumstances, i.e. the time when it rained)
• But in the following example:
I’ll put it in my diary. (obligatory)
(It completes the meaning of the verb put, which must
specify both an object and a location.)
 The Basic Sentence Types

The following elements function in the basic sentence structures:

Subject S

Verb V

Object O Direct Object Od

O Indirect Object Oi

Complement C Subject Complement Cs

C Object Complement Co

Adverbial A
1. SV subject + intransitive verb
The baby is crying.
S V
2. SVA subject + verb + adverbial
Ophelia lies in bed.
S V A
3. SVC subject + copular verb + subject complement
His advice was very useful.
S V Cs
4. SVO subject + monotransitive verb + direct object
Thomas bought a new ipod.
S V Od
5. SVOO subject + ditransitive verb + indirect object + direct object
Thomas handed him the ipod.
S V Oi Od
6. SVOA subject + complex transitive verb + direct object + adverbial
I placed the letter on the dressing table.

S V Od A
7. SVOC subject + complex transitive verb + direct object + object complement
Everybody considered Sheila an excellent teacher.
S V Od Co