Expanding the Basic Pattern

Activities

  Some word groups listed below contain a subject and predicate and are therefore complete sentences. Others do not and can therefore be considered fragments or parts of sentences. If the word group is a sentence, put an S in the corresponding space. If it is a fragment, put an Fr in the space.

a. __ Beyond the big river.

b. __ Huge waves lapped the prow.

c. __ More than enough money.

d. __ Sitting down together for Sunday breakfast.

e. __ Her wound healed.

f. __ Earlier and earlier each night.

g.__ The sun slipped below the horizon.

h. __ Steeping the neighborhood in shadow i. - Calling us in from our play.

j. __ Our mother was cooking supper.

   The following word groups are all simple sentences. Label the subject, the verb, and the complement by writing the appropriate letter above each.

a. Morning dawned gray and heavy.

b. That basket broke the old record.

c. You are not alone.

d. Storm warnings don't scare me.

e. The students attended the concert.

f. The chimpanzee learned sign language.

g. The new proposal deserves serious consideration.

Writing made up of only such little sentences would quickly grow monotonous and would also sound like it had been written by someone without much language experience. Fortunately, the basic S V/C pattern allows for easy expansion in almost unlimited ways.