The English simple sentences can be described in views of constituents that form the sentences.
Traditional grammars described the English sentences consisting of two parts: S = Subject - Predicate
Or, a sentence can be seen as comprising of FIVE elements which are Subject, Verb, Object, Complement and Adverbial. (NB: these are element functions in a sentence.)
S = S V O C A
Different grammarians have different points of view in presenting sentences into patterns. The most common and current view point describes the structure of English sentences into seven sentence patterns
(1) SVA S V A
Mary is in the house
(2) SVC S V C
Mary is kind
a nurse
(3) SVO S V O.d
Somebody caught the ball
(4) SVOA S V O.d A I put the plate on the table
(5) SVOC S V O.d C.o We have proved him wrong
a fool
(6) SVOO S V O.i O.d She gives me expensive presents
(7) SV S V
The child laughed (Quirk & Greenbaum 1973:167)
With the appearance of I.C grammar and P.S grammar, the structure of English sentences is described under a system of P.S rules, in which the sentence structure starts from
S NP + VP
(see Phrase Structure rules)
Depending on the degree or valency of the Verb and/or Predicate of a sentence, the noun phrases (NPs) have been classified in terms of the role they play in that sentence. Below are the thematic roles common in current linguistics descriptions assigned to NPs.
1. Thematic Role Agent
The agent is a mind-possessor who acts, usually intentionally. Ex: Nhung has sent a thousand letters to her boyfriend.
In an active voice sentence, the agent is typically the subject. A useful test for the agent role is to see whether the noun phrase can follow the verb order with its original verb following it in its active infinitive form, as in this sentence:
Nhung’s boyfriend ordered her (Nhung) to send a thousand letters to him (her boyfriend). 2. Thematic Role Instrument
The instrument is the thing with which the action is done. The NP argument Penicillin is the instrument in the following example:
Ex: Penicillin killed the gram-positive bacteria.
In an active voice clause, the instrument is typically either the object of with or the clause subject.
Ex: They opened the safe with an electronic device. 3. Thematic Role Theme
The role of theme is the hardest to pin down. The broad definition of the role theme covers three somewhat different classes of theme.
• The first corresponds to a narrow definition. It is the role of the often inert entity, which is in a certain state or position or is changing its state or position:
The girders were rusting. The ball rolled down the slope.
Cavour rolled the ball down the slope.
The news would have shocked that community.
Unable to move or act
• The second is the role assigned to clauses.
For Charlotte to outdo Branwell would shock that community.
Patrick believed that Emily had the greatest talent.
• The third class is that of affected mind-possessing entities. … the term patient is sometimes used instead of the broader term theme. Patients undergo the action or process specified by their predicate and are affected by it.
A wealthy hunter killed the Bengal tiger.
In this grammar we have found it convenient pedagogically to use the term theme to cover all three classes. The three classes of themes have much in common when compared to the
other roles. Moreover, it becomes too easy to confuse the patient role with the next role to be described, that of experiencer. In an active voice sentence, the theme is typically the subject of the verb be or the direct object of a verb.
4. Thematic Role Experiencer
The experiencer is the one who experiences a mental state or process such as thinking,
knowing, believing, understanding, seeing, hearing, fearing, hoping, being surprised, etc.
The trooper hoped for a promotion.
Montaigne's words inspired the young poet.
They will see a huge bronze gate between two pillars.
Note that the experiencer in the first and third sentences occupies the subject slot; in the second, it occupies the object slot. In an active voice sentence, the experiencer is typically the subject.
5. Thematic Roles Source and Goal
The term source refers to the location from which someone or something originates and the term goal to the location that serves or should serve as the destination.
The delegates left Mexico City (source) for Buenos Aires (goal).
The government (agent) took over a billion dollars (theme) from the poor (source).
In an active voice sentence, the goal is typically the indirect object or the object of to, and the source is typically the object of from.
6. Thematic Role Benefactive
The benefactive is the role of the individual for whose benefit some action is undertaken: The chef baked Jessica a cherry pie.
The benefactive noun phrase is often introduced with the preposition for: The chef baked a cherry pie for Jessica.
In an active voice sentence, the benefactive is typically the indirect object or the object of for. 7. Thematic Roles for Nonargument Noun Phrases
Noun phrases which are not arguments of predicates also have thematic roles. What can be said about, the roles of the boldface noun phrases in the following sentences?
The doctor's car was a Mercedes.
A truce will be declared for two weeks.
Last year the government divided the huge estates among the peasants.
They have the thematic roles of location and time.
Prepositions are similar semantically to predicates. Like many predicates they take object arguments, but unlike those predicates, they take no subject arguments. The relation of the verb approach to the hut in the first example phrase following is very like the relation of the preposition to to the hut in the second:
approach the hut to the hut
In both cases, the hut is the goal argument.
(R. A. Jacobs 1995: 23-26) Questions:
1. Describe the grammatical structures of the following sentences in terms of … a) traditional grammar, b) phrase structure grammar.
- The headmaster put Geogre into the second class. - His annoyance did not last long.
- Those young students are really excellent inventors. - He threw himself from his horse.
- She proved herself a good student. - The company is in a bit of a mess.
- I remember the reasonableness of my father. - The police laid the bodies by the side of the road. - Could you call me a porter, please?
- I think that your new position demands sensitive judgments. - The best thing would be to tell everybody.
- The players felt better after they had a 15 minute rest.
CHAPTER 8
THE GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES OF THE
ENGLISH SENTENCES