Common Sentence Structures

Basic Sentence Patterns

Subject + verb

The simplest of sentence patterns is composed of a subject and verb without a direct object or complement. It uses an intransitive verb, that is, a verb requiring no direct object:

  • Control rods remain inside the fuel assembly of the reactor.
  • The development of wind power practically ceased until the early 1970s.
  • The cross-member exposed to abnormal stress eventually broke.
  • Only two types of charge exist in nature.

Subject + verb + direct object

Another common sentence pattern uses the direct object:

  • Silicon conducts electricity in an unusual way.
  • The anti-reflective coating on the the silicon cell reduces reflection from 32 to 22 percent.

Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object

The sentence pattern with the indirect object and direct object is similar to the preceding pattern:

  • I am writing her about a number of problems that I have had with my computer.
  • Austin, Texas, has recently built its citizens a system of bike lanes.

Practice

Identify the basic sentence pattern of the sentences below:

  1. All amplitude-modulation (AM) receivers work in the same way.
  2. The supervisor mailed the applicant a description of the job.
  3. We have mailed the balance of the payment in this letter.