HOW TO ANALYSE SENTENCESFinding the sentence elements in a sentence

THE VERB(AL)We usually start a syntactic analysis by finding the verb(s) in a sentence. There may be one verb:He goes to school. I like doing homeworkOr there may be several verbs (a verb phrase):He does not go to schoolI am doing homeworkWe will be writing lettersYou shouldn’t have done itThere may be a phrasal verb in the sentence:He woke up at sevenYou must never give upAnd several verbs may be coordinated:She was laughing and crying at the same time

THE SUBJECTThe subject may be:A proper noun: John loves his wifeA noun: The man loves his wifeA pronoun: He loves his wifeA noun + a relative clause: The man who is sitting between aunt Sarha and your mother loves his wifeA noun + complementation: The man on the corner loves his wifeAn infinitive clause: To roll stones can be dangerousAn –ing clause: Riding two horses at the same time is difficultA sentence may have two subjects joined by coordination: The man on the corner and his son want to speak with you

THE OBJECTThere are three types of objects: direct object, indirect object and oblique object.

Direct object:Proper noun: I know JohnNoun: I know the manPronoun: I know himNoun + relative clause: I know the man who is sitting between Sarah and your motherNoun + complementation: I know the man on the cornerInfinitive clause: I hate to get up early-ing clause: I don’t like being responsibleSeveral objects coordinated: I hate ice-cream, chocolate and chewing gum

Indirect objects resemble direct objects in form:Proper noun, noun, pronoun: She gave John / the man / him moneyNoun + relative clause: She gave the boy who fell off his bike a helping hand

Oblique object:Sometimes the indirect object in a sentence with both direct and indirect objects (e.g.: she gave the man money) is realised as a prepositional phrase:She gave money to the manAnd sometimes the oblique object cannot be rephrased as direct object:Can you post this letter for me?(you cannot say: can you post me this letter?)

SUBJECT COMPLEMENT (PREDICATIVE)In form the subject predicative may look like a direct object, but whereas the direct object and the subject denote two different entities, the subject predicative describes the subject, i.e. there is identity between the subject and the subject predicative.Proper noun: His name is Max Noun: John is a boy (an extremely nice boy)Adjective: She became famous

OBJECT COMPLEMENT (PREDICATIVE)The object predicative has the same relationship to the object as the subject predicative has to the subject:They call him MaxThey made her famous

ADVERBIALThere are many types of adverbial, but the three most common are:Adverbial of time: He woke up at seven

She plays the piano every dayHe came after the show had startedI’m leaving nowHe left before anyone could stop him

Adverbial of place: They live in LondonThe bus stop is just around the cornerMary was at home last weekI want to go there

Adverbial of manner: He searched the room carefullyShe sings beautifullyHe went slowly up the stairsWe gradually go used to it

To sum up; this is how you analyse – step by step:

Example sentences:1. John has a good friend2. John is a good friend3. John gave his friend money4. John gave money to his friend5. John is at home6. John made his friend happy

- Find the verb- Ask who / what + the verb (and the rest of the sentence): who has (a good friend) / who

made his friend happy to find the subject- Ask the subject + the verb + who / what: John has what / John gave what to find the direct

object. But! This is also how you find subject complement (predicative): John is what So you need to know the difference between object and subject complement (predicative) (subject predicatives describe or identify the subject)

- Ask subject + verb + direct object + to whom: John gave money to whom to find the indirect object (his friend)

- If the object begins with a preposition (to his friend) it is called oblique object. There is no semantic difference between (3) and (4), but sentences with oblique objects may not always have a counterpart with an indirect object: John stole money from his friend (i.e. you can’t say John stole his friend money

- The relationship between object and object complement (predicative) is the same as the one between subject and subject complement (predicative): John made his friend happy S + V + O + OP His friend is happy S + V + SP

- Ask when / where / why / how / how often, much, far … to find the adverbials: John is where

John has a good friendS V DOJohn is a good friendS V SCJohn gave his friend moneyS V IO DOJohn gave money to his friendS V DO OOJohn is at homeS V AJohn made his friend happyS V O OC