Techniques for judging the components of English sentences

As for the structure of English sentences, you need to lay a good foundation. This is very important. Simply telling you the skills is useless. As long as you understand the basic structure of English, it is actually not that difficult to analyze the components of sentences. I compiled this myself. As long as you can understand this knowledge, the sentence is not difficult to analyze. Many times the subject, object, attributive or adverbial in the sentence is not a word but a sentence, so the whole sentence is very long, but everything The main body of a sentence, no matter how complex it is, is a simple sentence, and it is just an extension of the main body. Therefore, you must first understand each basic component of an English sentence, so that you can easily analyze long and difficult sentences. . The following is what I compiled myself. Please take a good look at it and understand it:

Explanation of English sentence components:

Subject

Used as subject, there are nouns, Pronouns, adjectives, clauses, gerunds, verb infinitives, etc.

1. Nouns as subjects

(1) When the central word of a noun phrase expresses plural nouns such as measurement, distance, amount, time, book title, etc., these can often be combined according to the principle of meaning. Plural nouns are taken as a whole, and predicate verbs are taken in the singular.

Five minutes areenough to do this exercise. Five minutes are enough to do this exercise.

The SelectedPomes of Li Bai was published long ago.

There years has passed. Three years have passed.

(2) If the subject is preceded by more than one... or many a..., even though it is plural in meaning, its predicate verb is still in singular form.

Many a ship has been damaged in the storm. Many a ship has been damaged in the storm.

More than onestudent has seen the film. More than one student has seen the film.

(3) However, after the "more + plural noun + than one" structure, the predicate verb is generally in plural form.

More members than one are against your plan. More than one member is against your plan.

2. Pronouns as subjects

When the relative pronouns who, what, which, etc. are used as subjects in attributive clauses, the number of the predicate verb should be consistent with the number of the antecedent in the sentence.

Some of the energy that is used by man comes from the sun.

Those who wantto go please sign your name here.

3. Nominalized adjectives as subjects

If the subject is represented by the "adj./past participle" structure to represent a certain type of person, the predicate is usually plural. Such words include the brave, the poor, the rich, the blind, the young, the old, the sick, the dead, the deaf, the dump, the oppressed, the injured, the wounded, the unemployed, etc., but there are also a few When the past participle of is used with the definite article to refer to an individual, the singular is used.

The departed (the deceased) was a well-known engineer. The deceased was a well-known engineer.

The blind studyin special school. The blind study in special school.

If an adjective or participle expressing a certain type of person is to express an individual, it must be used with the noun man, person, or the singular number representing a person. an old man, a rich person, the wounded soldier

4. The clause is the subject (subject clause)

The predicate verb of the subject clause introduced by what is usually in the singular and refers to the specific content If the meaning is plural, the predicate verb is generally in plural form.

What we need aredoctors. What we need are doctors.

What the earth does - rotate; what rivers do - run; youth What people do – move forward.

5. Gerund as subject

It’s no use crying over spilled milk.

6. The infinitive of the verb is used as the subject

To forgive is the best virtue of life. To forgive is the best virtue of life.

Predicate

Predicates are roughly divided into simple predicates and compound predicates.

1. A simple predicate consists of a verb or verb phrase.

People’s standards of living are going up steadily. People’s standards of living are going up steadily.

We have long been hoping to visit your county. We have long been hoping to visit your county.

2. Sentences containing compound predicates are composed of modal verbs or some other verbs plus infinitives.

You needn’t have come yourself. You could have sent us a note.

She is expected to be back tomorrow. He is expected to be back tomorrow.

He was often seen working in the fields with the farmers.

Predicatives

Predicatives indicate the identity, status, characteristics, attributes, orientation, location, etc. of the subject. It is placed after the linking verb and forms a special sentence pattern in English - the "subject + department + table" structure.

1. Common linking verbs are classified as follows:

(1) be verb

(2) Express "change": become, get, fall, go, grow, turn, etc. Idiom expression of get: The day is getting longer andlonger. The day is getting longer and longer.

Go mostly refers to a certain state from good to bad, such as gobad/wrong/mad/hard/hungry, etc., but it is not used together with old and ill.

Common phrases for fall: fall asleep/ill/sick

turn is equivalent to turn to be, and can be followed by n./adj., numerals, prepositional phrases, etc. .

(3) keep, stay, stand, remain, last

(4) look like seem, appear

(5) express sensory system Verbs feel, sound, smell, taste, look

(6) Proof is prove, turn out

2. Those that can be used as predicatives include: nouns, adjectives, predicative clauses, Infinitive, gerund, past participle, adverb, prepositional phrase, numeral.

(1) Teaching English as a foreign language has become a big business. Teaching English as a foreign language has become a popular industry.

(2) What you said sounds reasonable/inspiring. What you said sounds reasonable/inspiring.

（3）Your opinionproved right. Your opinion is proved right. Special reminder: add an adjective after proven and do not use passive voice.

(4) Shanghai is no longer what it used to be. Shanghai is no longer what it used to be.

Object

Grammatical concepts

Most transitive verbs are followed by a direct object, indicating the object, recipient or consequence of the action. Verbs that can be taken with an object are called transitive verbs (vt.), and verbs that cannot be taken with an object are called intransitive verbs (vi.). There are three basic sentence patterns in English that all contain objects, namely: (1) subject + predicate + object; (2) subject + predicate + object (intermediate) + object (direct); (3) subject + predicate + object + object complement ;

He speaks Japanese. He speaks Japanese.

(The proper noun Japanese is used as the object)

I’m good at swimming. I’m good at swimming. (The gerund swimming is the object of the preposition at)

I don’t know the phone number. I don’t know the phone number. (The noun phrase thephone number is the object)

She doesn’t knowme. He doesn’t know me. (The pronoun me is the object)

I want to know the answer. I want to know the answer. (The infinitive phrase to know the answer is the object)

Do you understand what I mean? Do you get me? (The noun clause what I mean serves as the object)

◆Object usage:

1. Subject + predicate + object sentence pattern

In a complete sentence, If the predicate verb is vt., it must be followed by an object.

He can’t speak Chinese. He can’t speak Chinese. (speak is vt., followed by the object Chinese)

2. Subject + predicate + object (intermediate) + object (direct) sentence pattern

In a complete sentence, if The predicate verb is a verb that expresses the meaning of "giving, paying, telling", etc., and must be followed by two objects. That is, direct object and indirect object, where the direct object is the thing given and told, and the indirect object is the person who receives the thing.

I bought him a birthday gift. I bought him a birthday gift.

△ Common verbs that can be followed by direct objects and indirect objects are: give, send, buy, refuse, tell, ask, teach, write, get, pay, show, cause, etc.

3. Subject + predicate + object complement sentence pattern

In a complete sentence, if the predicate verb is an incomplete transitive verb, it must be followed by an object in addition to the object. complement.

His mother namedhim Tommy. His mother named him Tommy. (name is an incomplete transitive verb, followed by the object him to express incomplete sentence meaning, and must be followed by the object Tommy)

4. It-form object sentence pattern

In a complete sentence , if the predicate verb is an incomplete transitive verb and the following object is a phrase or a clause, when it is followed by the object, it must be used as the formal object, and the phrase or clause as the real object is placed after the object complement.

I think it wrong to tell lies.

It is the formal object, the infinitive phrase to tell lies is the real object, and wrong is the object complement.

Did you make it clear why she didn’t come? Have you figured out why she didn't come?

It is the formal object, the noun clause why she didn’t come is the real object, and clear is the object complement.

△Nouns, participles (-ed, -ing), adjectives and infinitives can use object complement:

(1) Nouns as object complement, We made him Chairman. We chose him Be the chairman.

We consider him an honest boy. We consider him an honest boy.

I think this is a great shame. I think this is a great shame.

(2) Present participle as object complement

I found him glaring at a snake. I found him glaring at a snake.

I’m sorry tohave kept you waiting.

Don’t have the boy crying all the time. Don’t have the boy crying all the time.

(3) Infinitive as guest complement

We’ll invite him to have dinner. We will invite him to have dinner.

I wish you to take me to that place.

In the end I gothim to see my point of view.

5. In a complete sentence, if the predicate verb is an intransitive verb or a linking verb, it cannot be followed by an object, because the meaning of the sentence has been fully expressed. The sun rises in the morning. The sun rises in the morning.

(rise is a completely intransitive verb and cannot be followed by an object. in the morning is a modifier)

◆Object clause:

The object clause can appear after a transitive verb or After the preposition, the clause must use a declarative sentence.

I am interestedin how you did the experiment.

Can you give mesome more examples? Can you give me some more examples?

I’ll take whoever wants to go.

He said that hewas busy. He said that he was busy.

He got angry because of what you had said about him behind his back.

In the object clause followed by the verb do you think/suppose, if it is guided by a special question word, the question word needs to be introduced in front of the entire sentence, and the clause still uses declarative word order .

Do you thinkthat we will win the match? Do you think that we will win the match?

Which team doyou suppose will win the match? Which team doyou suppose will win the match? Contest?

△Omission phenomenon: after verbs such as think, suppose, hope, guess, etc. so and not represent a clause.

I think so. I think so.

I hope so/not. I hope so/not (like this).

I suppose not.

Note: The negative answer to think is generally...don’t think so. Other verbs are directly returned with not.

◆Infinitive and verb -ing form as object

△Add -ing form as object after the following verbs and phrases: avoid, exclude, enjoy, fancy, finish, hate, imagine, like, love, mind, practice, suggest, be busy (in), can't help, give up, put off, thank sb. for, etc.

He is fond ofdancing.

Thank you coming to the concert. Thank you coming to the concert.

Do you like playcards? Do you like playing cards?

I hate lying. I hate lying.

△The meanings are different when verbs such as remember, stop, forget, regret, go on, like, etc. are followed by -ing and to infinitive as the object.

◆Infinitives with question words as objects

After know, wonder, show, teach, tell, ask, learn, they are often followed by how, what, when, where, whether The infinitive introduced by the conjunction is used as the object.

Do you know whatto do next? Do you know what to do next?

I wonder why todo it.

He learned how to make model plane. He learned how to make model plane.

Let’s ask the policeman which way to do. Let’s ask the policeman which way to do.

We have not madeup our mind whether to go or stay here.

◆Verb phrase

A verb plus a preposition or adverb forms a phrase called a verb phrase, which can be used as a transitive verb, followed by an object. Such as look at, look for, wait for, depend on, live on, search for, call on, call at, etc.

Object complement

(1) Concept: When the predicate verb in a sentence is a transitive verb, it must be followed by the object. If there is still another object after the object that can form a logic with it The part about the subject-predicate relationship is called the object complement.

(2) Classification of object complements

1. Nouns as object complements

After the verbs make, name, call, elect, think, consider, etc. .

I think him aclever boy. I think he is an intelligent boy.

At the meeting we elected him monitor. At the meeting, we elected him monitor.

Note: If the noun as object complement is a noun indicating a title, no article is added before the noun.

2. Adjectives serve as object complements (explaining the nature or characteristics of the object), used after verbs such as find, make, keep, cut, paint, drive, leave, etc.

The noise nearly drove me mad.

He painted the door red. He painted the door red.

3. The participle is used as object complement (the verb as object complement forms an active or progressive relationship with the object, using doing, and the passive or completing relationship uses done).

Please keep yourmouth shut! Shut up!

I heard himsinging the song in the classroom.

I heard the songsung by Mr. Wang.

Note: Doing cannot be used as a complement after make.

I raised myvoice in order to make myself heard. I raised my voice in order to make myself heard.

4. Infinitive as object complement

Common verbs include: want, force, encourage, permit, warn, allow, like, etc.

The teacher encouraged me to speak English. The teacher encouraged me to speak English.

He allowed his son to go out.

Note: (1) The infinitive is used as the object after the verbs let, have, make and sensory verbs such as see, look, notice, observe, hear, watch, listen and feel. without to.

My mother made meclean the room.

(2) If the above verb is used in the passive voice, the infinitive without to should be converted into the infinitive with to.

I was made to clean the room by my mother.

(3) The infinitive after help may or may not be used as an object or as an object complement to.

Can you help(to) clean the classroom? Can you help(to) clean the classroom?

Will you come and help me (to) do the experiment?

5. Prepositional phrase as object complement

I found him inhospital. I found him in hospital.

We consider thematter of great importance. I think this matter is very important.

Attributive

(1) Definition: Attributive is a word, phrase or sentence that modifies or limits a noun or pronoun. In Chinese, "... of" is often expressed.

(2) Position: The attributive is usually located before the component of the word being modified. When modifying compound indefinite pronouns composed of some, any, every, and no (somethingelse, nothing important), or when infinitives, participle phrases, clauses or adverbs are used as attributives, they are usually placed after.

(3) Attributive classification:

1. Adjectives as attributives: This is a small but beautiful room. This is a small but beautiful room.

2. Determining words as attributives: Those apples are mine. Those apples are mine.

3. Use pronouns or possessive nouns as attributives: His hat is blue but Tom’s iswhite. His hat is blue, but Tom’s hat is white.

4. Numerals as attributives: I have two eggs. I have two eggs.

5. Nouns as attributives: My mother works in a shoe shop. My mother works in a shoe shop.

6. Prepositional phrases are used as attributives: The girl in red is my sister. The girl in red is my sister.

7. Adverbs as attributives: The building there looks very grand. The building there looks very grand.

8. The infinitive is used as an attributive: He is the first to come to school. He is the first person to come to school.

9. Use participles (phrases) as attributives:

Polluted air and water are harmful to people’s hearth. Polluted air and water are harmful to people’s health.

The man standingnear Mary is our teacher.

10. Clause as attributive:

This is the book (that) you want. This is the book (that) you want.

I will never forget the day when I met Mr. Li. I will never forget the day when I met Mr. Li.

Adverbial

(1) Definition: Adverbial modifies verbs, adjectives, adverbs or whole sentences, explaining the manner, cause and effect, conditions, time, place, concession, direction, degree, purpose, etc. .

(2) The position of the adverbial in the sentence: (1) usually at the end of the sentence, and placed at the beginning of the sentence when emphasized; (2) when modifying an adjective or adverb, placed before the word being modified; (3) ) Adverbials expressing time, place, and purpose are generally placed at both ends of the sentence. When emphasized, they are placed at the beginning of the sentence. Adverbials of place are generally placed before adverbials of time; (4) Expressing uncertain time (such as always, often, never) or degree (still, The adverbial adverb "almost" is usually placed after the verb "be" and before the action verb. If the verb consists of several parts, it is placed after the first verb or modal verb.

(3) Adverbial classification:

1. Adverbs or adverb phrases serve as adverbials. : He works hard. He works hard.

We went climbing a month ago.

2. Adjectives or adjectives serve as adverbials.

They came back,thirsty and hungry.

He stood there, full of anger.

3. Use prepositional phrases as adverbials.

They jumped with joy.

In spite of the heavy rain, they arrived.

4. Use participles (phrases) as adverbials.

Walking in the park, she saw an old friend. When she was walking in the park, she saw an old friend.

Ask many times, Itold him the result. After asking many times, I told him the result.