V.

Basic Sentence Configurations / Patterns

The constituents which make up a sentence enter certain well-defined grammatical relations,
mainly materialized as relations between the predicate and the NPs placed on its right and on
its left.
NP + P + NP
sub!ect predicate ob!ect
There are three basic types of sentence configurations "copulative, non-copulative
intransitive, and non-copulative transitive#$ they are dictated by the properties of the
%erb.
B.1. Copulative (Predicate) Sentence Configurations are predicated by copulati%e&
link %erbs such as be, seem, appear, turn, become, grow, etc.
Three basic patterns will be mentioned here.
"'# [NP ! [B" # $d%.P.
Jack is tired.
The (ub!ect Noun Phrase "(NP# may be e)pressed by*
+ simple NP* The weather is fine.
+ coordinated NP* Mary & John are clever.
,f the predicati%e is e)pressed by an e%aluati%e ad!ecti%e "e.g. important, necessary,
advisable, recommendable, etc.#, then the (NP is e)pressed by a finite clause introduced by
THAT which includes a %erb in the (ynthetic & +nalytical (ub!uncti%e or in the ,ndicati%e "mainly
in collo-uial .nglish#. The clause occurs after the main %erb in the surface structure "as a result
of e)traposition# and is introduced by the formal sub!ect ,T.
e.g. That !should" know your answer is important. "/eep structure#
t is important that !should" know your answer. ".)traposition and ,T insertion#
,f the predicati%e is e)pressed by an ad!ecti%al phrase such as !un"likely , certain , sure
and the sub!ect is a clause, the same #$traposition & T insertion rules may apply.
e.g. That John will understand is certain.
t is certain that John will understand.
+n e)tra rule may also be applied. This rule is the so-called %ub&ect ' %ub&ect (aising, which
mo%es the sub!ect of the subordinate into the main clause, with the same function.
John is certain to understand.
0hen the (ub!ect of such %erbs is unspecified in the deep structure, in the surface
structure the T insertion rule is obligatory. This happens whene%er sentences refer to weather
conditions, time, natural phenomena, etc.
e.g. t is cold) early.
"1# [NP ! [B" # NP
%he is a student.
,f the predicati%e NP e)presses or suggests an e%aluation "pleasure, necessity, fun, no
good, no use, etc.#, the sub!ect NP is e)pressed by a finite or a non-finite clause$ e$traposition
& T insertion are applied.
e.g. That you should know #nglish nowadays is a necessity.
t is a necessity that you should know #nglish nowadays.
To know such details is of no use.
t is of no use to know such details.
The predicati%e NP may be e)pressed by a clause, be it finite or non-finite.
e.g. The idea is that we would like to talk to her.
His hobby is collecting) to collect stamps.
2oth the sub!ect and the predicati%e NPs may be e)pressed by clauses.
e.g. *hat +d like to know is whether it is break time.
"3# [NP ! [B" # $d%.P. # PNP
He is specialised in ,hemistry.
The P has one more constituent, i.e. a PNP functioning as*
&.'. marked by the prepositions T- ) .-(
e.g. t was /uite surprising to me.
The rule was easy for her.
Prep.'. marked by other prepositions, such as in, of, with, on, etc.
e.g. am aware of your difficulties.
He is specialised in ,hemistry.
They were happy with my acting.
The Prep.4. may be e)pressed by a clause$ the preposition is deleted whene%er the clause
is introduced by 5T6+T7 or is e)pressed by an infiniti%al construction.
e.g. ,8m aware that you ha%e difficulties. "497
They were happy to see me act. "with#
The :erundial ;lause retains the deep structure preposition.
e.g. 0m aware of his having difficulties.
B.(. Non-Copulative &ntransitive (Predicate) Sentence Configurations
These configurations are predicated by meaningful intransiti%es, including the e$istential 1#.
"'# [NP ! [V
e.g. The train has arrived.%he is sleeping.
This configuration optionally includes +d%erbial modifiers of %arious kinds "time, place,
purpose, etc.# e)pressed by NPs, PNPs, +d%Ps or +d%erbial clauses.
e.g. James arrived last night) in the evening..
The dog is barking loudly.
They are working hard in the factory now.
The %erbs seem and happen take a complement clause as sub!ect. The (ub!ect ;lause
usually undergoes e$traposition and may undergo sub&ect2sub&ect raising which lead to
surface structures such as*
e.g. That prices will go down seems.
t seems that prices will go down.
3rices seem to go down.
That Mary was absent happened.
t happened that Mary was absent.
Mary happened to be absent.
(ome sentences are predicated by %erbs that obligatorily take a 5+ set7 sub!ect "< and =#
e.g. The car and the bus collided.
The members of the committee conferred.
0ith weather %erbs, the unspecified deep structure sub!ect is realised in the surface by t
nsertion.
e.g. t rained heavily yesterday.
"1# [NP ! [V # PNP
This configuration contains an obligatory PNP which can function as*
&.'. "add to, hope for, ob&ect to, refer to, etc#
e.g. They submitted to the enemy.
The disease yielded to treatment.
Prep.'. "approve of, insist on, believe in, complain of, hint at, think of, etc#
e.g. The river abounds in fish.
*e decided against a holiday in *ales.
,an rely on you4
The prepositional %erbs which take Prep. 4b!ects allow passi%isation.
e.g. He can be relied on ) upon.
The blue dress was decided on.
+ subgroup of the same %erbs may take a complement clause functioning as Prep.4. The
preposition will be deleted.
e.g. insisted on our coming earlier. insisted that we should come earlier.
"3# [NP ! [V # PNP
1
# PNP
(

PNP
1
can function as*
&.'.
e.g. shall talk to him about this matter. ",.4. Prep.4.#
Prep.'.
e.g. have /uarrelled with him about it. "Prep.4. Prep.4.#
[PNP
(
can only function as a Prep.'.
B.). Non-Copulative *ransitive (Predicate) Sentence Configurations
These configurations are predicated by transiti%e %erbs.
"'# [NP ! [V # NP
The NP following the %erb functions as a /4. This is the configuration specific to
monotransiti%es "admire, catch, complete, achieve, hit, hear, kill, raise, use, etc#
e.g. 3eter broke the cup.
know the answer.
love all my students.
hate indifferent people.
The passi%e transformation is possible in most of the cases, e)cept for some relational
%erbs "have, owe, resemble, lack, cost#.
e.g. 5A car is owned by me. 5The cat is had by Jack.
,n case the (ub!ect NP is co-referential with the /.4. NP, the latter is replaced by refle)i%e
pronouns.
e.g. Mary cut Mary, Mary cut herself.
0ith some %erbs, the ob!ect can be deleted.
e.g. %he was reading a book. %he was reading.
The /.4. may also be e)pressed by a T6+T ;lause, an ,nfiniti%al ;lause or, sometimes, a
:erundial ;lause.
e.g. know that you en&oy it.
They like to read thrillers.
The knife needs sharpening.
,ndirect >uestions& interrogati%es may also function as /.4.
e.g. %he didn0t know who the man was.
+d%Ps, NPs or PNPs functioning as ad%erbials may occur optionally in such constructions.
e.g. He reads books very /uickly.
ate ten oranges last night.
%he is peeling potatoes in the living room.
"1# [NP ! [V # NP # PNP (Prepositions+ TO / FOR)
The NP following the functions as a /4 while the PNP functions as an ,4. This configuration is
specific to ditransiti%es. The ,4 e)presses either the beneficiary of the %erb e%ent "buy, find,
make, order, cook, keep, prepare, etc#, the recipient "give, offer, hand, lend, promise, grant,
pass, rent, fetch, forward, show, send, tell, etc# or both "read, write, sing, do, play, leave, etc#
e.g. He showed the town to his friends.
offered some flowers to the girl.
bought a fur coat for 6ate.
?ost of these %erbs allow the following transformations*
*,e -ative *ransfor.ation, i.e. the mo%ement of the ,.4. in front of the /.4. and the
deletion of the dati%e prepositional marker.
e.g. He offered some flowers to the girl. He offered the girl some flowers.
0ith %erbs such as answer, ask, teach, allow, deny, refuse, etc the dati%e transformation is
obligatory.
e.g. 3aul asked me some weird /uestions.
teach you grammar.
answered John all his /uestions.
Passivisation, which results in 1 configurations*
e.g. %ome flowers were offered to the girl. "The /4 is mo%ed to sub!ect position#
The girl was offered some flowers. "The ,4 is mo%ed to sub!ect position#
0ith some %erbs, %arious types of subordinate clauses may occur as /.4., and the ,.4. is
often deleted.
e.g. %he promised !me" that she would not do it again.
7ou should e$plain !to me" where you have been.
"3# [NP ! [V # NP # PNP
The NP functions as a /4, while the PNP functions as a Prep.4 "assure smb of, congratulate
smb on, prevent smb from, rob smb of, etc#.
e.g. He blamed all his problems on his lack of education.
They accused her of theft.
He reminded me of my promise.
Passi%isation is possible with the /.4. mo%ed to the position of the sub!ect. The Prep.4. is
retained "i.e. kept in the structure#
e.g. was reminded of my promise.
%he was accused of theft.
;omplement ;lauses may occur as Prep.4. The preposition is deleted in the case of
,nfiniti%al ;lauses @ T6+T-;lauses and retained for gerundial constructions.
e.g. He reminded me that had promised him something.) to leave earlier.) of having
promised him something.
"A# [NP ! [V # NP # PNP / $dv.P.
,t is a configuration which implies that with %erbs such as put, lay, set, pose, etc a /4 NP is
followed by a C'/P01S'23 PNP or +d%P functioning as an ad%erbial of place & direction.
e.g. %he laid the book on the desk.
He put the knife down.
The ad%erbial must be retained if passi%isation is applied.
e.g. The book was laid on the desk.