English Sentence Analysis: An introductory course by Marjolijn Verspoor and Kim Sauter
Chapter 1
Sentences: Communicative functions and typical patterns
SENTENCE PATTERN ZIN (NL) EXAMPLE
DECLARATIVE Verklarend John is leaving
INTERROGATIVE Vragend Is John leaving?
IMPERATIVE Gebiedende wijs Leave!
EXCLAMATORY Uitroepend How awful John is leaving!
FUNCTION + ABBREVIATION FUNCTIE (NL) ROLE
SUBJECT (S) Onderwerp First participant
PREDICATOR (P) Werkwoord Process
SUBJECT ATTRIBUTE (SA) Onderwerpkenmerk About first participant
DIRECT OBJECT (DO) Lijdend voorwerp Second participant
OBJECT ATTRIBUTE (OA) Lijdend voorwerp kenmerk About second participant
INDIRECT/BENEFACTIVE Meewerkend voorwerp Third participant / receiver
OBJECT (IO/BO) *
ADVERBIAL (A) Bijwoordelijke bepaling The setting
* Indirect: actually getting it
Benefactive: not actually getting it IO/BO -> not always physically present in the sentence.
SENTENCE PATTERN STRUCTURE VERB
RUNNING PATTERN S – P – (A) Intransitive
BEING PATTERN S – P – SA Copula
DOING/SEEING PATTERN * S – P – DO Monotransitive
GIVING/BUYING PATTERN ** S – P – IO – DO Ditransitive
MAKING/CONSIDERING S – P – DO – OA Complex-transitive
PATTERN ***
* Doing: actually doing it
Seeing: express (mental) experience
** Giving: having it (IO)
Buying: not having it (BO)
*** Making: doing something
Considering: in the subject’s mind
Chapter 2
Sentences: Simple, compound, complex
CLAUSES – independent/main: stand on their own or connected with a coordinate/correlative
conjunction or separated by a semi-colon (;).
– dependent/subordinate: function as a (part of a) clause constituent and are introduced by
subordinators (does not form a complete sentence by itself).
SENTENCE TYPE STRUCTURE
SIMPLE SENTENCE One main clause
COMPOUND SENTENCE Two or more main clauses
COMPLEX SENTENCE At least one dependent clause
COMPOUND-COMPLEX SENTENCE Main clauses and dependent clauses
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, COORDINATE CONJUNCTION: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
CORRELATIVE CONJUNCTION: both … and, not only … but also, either … or, neither … nor.
SUBORDINATOR: because, although, if, who, where, when, that.
Chapter 3
Verbs I
CONSTITUENTS (zinsdeel): subject (S), predicator (P), complement (DO, IO, BO, SA, OA), adverbial (A).
VERB PHRASE (VP) PREDICATOR
SIMPLE One word
COMPLEX Two-five words
KIND OF VERB MEANING
LEXICAL (MAIN) VERB Names the process taking place
AUXILIARY (HELPING) VERB * In front of the lexical verb, help indicate when
the process takes place.
* Auxiliary verb has sub-types.
VERB FORM MEANING
FINITE (TENSED) VERB * The verb that is limited in tense, person, and
number; different forms for different subject +
difference in tense.
NON-FINITE The forms that are not finite. There are four
non-finite forms.
* Can be changed from present to past or the third person from singular to plural and vice versa.
NON-FINITE FORM STRUCTURE
PLAIN INFINITIVE Plain form of the verb
TO INFINITIVE To + plain form of the verb
PRESENT PARTICIPLE Ends in -ing: -ing form
PAST PARTICIPLE Ends in -ed or irregular: -ed form
AUXILIARY VERB TYPE STRUCTURE TENSE
PROGRESSIVE BE + PRESENT Be + -ing form Progressive tense
PARTICIPLE (present/past)
PERFECT HAVE + PAST Have + -ed form Perfect tense
PARTICIPLE (present/past)
PASSIVE BE + PAST PARTICIPLE Be (or get) + -ed form Passive voice/sentence
DO FOR QUESTIONS, NEGATION Do to form a question, negate or Interrogative, negative,
AND EMPHASIS emphasize an action emphatic
ORDER AUXILIARY VERBS: modal auxiliary – perfect have – progressive be – passive be (- lexical verb)
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