The five basic sentence sentence types

In this lesson we will learn the five basic sentence types:

1. Subject – Verb

The dog barks.

This is the most basic English sentence. Dog is the subject, and barks is the verb.

2. Subject – Verb – Direct Object

The architect desired the building.

A direct object is a noun or pronoun that answers the question “whom” or “what” after the verb. A verb that carries an action onto an object is called a transitive verb. In the example sentence the architect is the subject, designed is the transitive verb, and the building is the direct object. An intransitive verb does not carry onto a verb. In the previous example barks is an intransitive verb.

3. Subject – Verb – Direct Object – Object Complement

We called the store owner incompetent.

With some verbs – like made, name, believe, and judge – the direct object may be proceeded by another word that describes the direct object. This is an object compliment. In the preceding sentence, the subject is we, the verb is called, the store owner is the direct object, and incompetent is the object complement.

4. Subject – Verb – Indirect Object – Direct Object

My brother stole his friend a car.

In some sentences with action verbs, an indirect object identifies who or what receives direct object.

My brother is the subject, stole is the verb, his friend is the indirect object, and a car is the direct object.

5. Subject – Linking Verb – Subject Compliment.

The computer was broken.
My professor is a senator.

This type of sentence requires a linking verb such as be (is, are, was, were, has been, etc.), seem, appear, grow, and many others. These verbs are followed by a subject compliment, which is either a predicate noun or a predicate adjective. A predicate noun renames the subject, and a predicate adjective changes the subject.

In the first example, broken is a predicate adjective. In the second example a senator is a predicate noun.

Those are the five basic sentence structures. Before you move on to the next lesson, make sure you understand them and their components.