Five Basic Sentence Types: Types I and II

Lecture 13
English 3318: Studies in English Grammar
Five Basic Sentence Types
Types I and II
Dr. Svetlana Nuernberg

Objectives
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Distinguish among be, intransitive, linking and
transitive verbs
Recognize the five basic sentence types on the
basis of the verb and its complements
Differentiate between adverbial and adjectival
verb complements
Recognize both adverbial and nominal subject
complements
Distinguish among direct object, indirect object
and object complements
Draw phrase structure trees and Reed-Kellogg
diagrams for each of the five sentence types

Binary Structure
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Binary Structure – is a two-part structure of a
sentence
– NP – functioning as a subject
– VP – functioning as a predicate
● can be solely a MVP with its single verb
● can be accompanied by compliment (words, phrases, clauses –
that complete the predicate)
● modifiers (add to or modify the meaning of the verb)
● S NP + VP
S
NP
Our neighbor's pet
VP
is outdoors constantly

Type I – The Intransitive Type
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Consists of a subject followed by a predicate in
which there is only one verb followed by an
optional adverb
Intransitive verb can stand alone in a verb phrase
and function as entire predicate
S 1
= NP + MV int
+ (ADVP)
ADVP
NP
S 1
MVP
VP
Mv int
Fish
swim
A telephone is ringing loudly

Type I
● ADVP PREP
– ADVP – represents a function
– PREP – represents one of the forms that can fulfill that
function
● The bus stops here on Monday S 1
= NP + VP (MVP +
ADVP pl
+ ADVP tm
(PREP+NP)
● ADVP NP
– ADVP - represents a function
– NP – represents one of the forms that can fulfill that
function
● The bus stops here each Monday S 1
= NP + VP (MVP +
ADVP pl
+ NP (DET+NP))
● Hans called three times S 1
= NP + VP (MVP +NP (DET +
NP))

Tests to Identify Type I Sentences
●
Intransitive Verb
1. You can test whether a verb is intransitive by
dividing the predicate into phrases. If all the
phrases except the main verb phrase are optional
adverbial modifiers, then the verb is intransitive
2. If you can substitute a prototypical adverb (like
here, then, or slowly) for the phrase, it is an
adverbial phrase

Types II – The Verb Be Requiring
Adverbs of Time or Place
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Sentence constituents contain a noun phrase subject,
a main verb be (am, is, are, was, were, being been),
and an obligatory adverb phrase
– the main verb be requires an adverbial complement
(outside, yesterday) – refer to the place or time of the
subject eg: The train departs at noon
– the main verb be links the subject with its adverbial
complements – linking (copular) verb
S II
S II
= NP + Mv be
+ ADVP tm/pl
NP
MVP
VP
ADVP tm/pl
Mv be
Her job interviews were yesterday

Type II
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Adverb phrases of place and time include: inside,
upstairs, here, away, nearby, then, now, today,
tomorrow
– Jesse is upstairs
– Her doctor's appointment is tomorrow
Prepositional phrases of time (in the evening) or
place (at the post office) and noun phrases (next
week, Sunday) can function adverbially
– Cheryl's notebook must have been on the desk
– The concert will be next week

Tests for Identifying Type II
Sentences
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Linking Verb Be with Adverbials of Time or Place
1. Is the main verb a form of be? If the answer is
yes, apply the next test
2. Is the form of be followed by an adverbial phrase
that expresses location or time? If the answer is
yes, the sentence is type II

Peripheral Cases – Intransitive Verbs
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We have characterized the prototypical Type I
verbs as intransitive verbs – for which an adverb
modifier is optional
– a number of verbs are like intransitive (are followed by
adverb phrases), however they are not able to stand
alone as the intransitive (they are more like the be
verbs of Type II)
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Cheryl's notebook must have been lying on the desk
Her job interviews took place yesterday
Mary lives in Chicago
– adverbs are not optional – they are obligatory
– they are considered a subclass of intransitives closely
related to the be verbs of Type II