Teaching Sentence
Patterns:
Why
they’re needed
Oftentimes, when being asked by students, “How can I
improve my English performance [grammarwise]?,” I tend to be very recurrent in
my answer: “Your sentence structures are very inconsistent at times. Why?
Because you are using your native language sentence structures with English
words.”
The language transfer of mother tongue structures is a
common practice when learning a foreign language. And this can stop by having
students stick to the seven sentence patterns English possesses. It is possible
that some sentence patterns in both languages (mother tongue and target
language) overlap, but students are bound to make mistakes in the seven patterns
do not operate properly in their speech production. To better speak, write,
read, and listen, the learning of the seven sentence patterns is a must.
Sentence Pattern #1: N+V(+Adv)
The understanding of how adverbials can be added to the
root structure will definitely help students write and speak much accurately.
I jog.
|
|
I jog in the park.
|
Place
|
I jog in the park every morning.
|
Place + Time
|
I jog in the park quickly every morning.
|
Place + Manner + Time
|
I jog in the park quickly every morning to stay fit.
|
Place + Manner + Time + Reason
|
Sentence Pattern #2: N+V+N
Comprehending why nouns can take a DO (direct object)
position in a sentence is also crucial for a better use of the fours skills.
Take a look at the following sample sentences.
N (subject)
|
Verbal Form
|
N (DO)
|
Our
municipality
|
is
(now) building
|
new
sidewalks around the community
|
China
and India
|
export
|
many
kinds of tea.
|
The
audience
|
didn’t
like
|
the
presentation.
|
Toyota
|
will
launch
|
a
new car model next year.
|
Andre
Vermulen
|
presented
|
an
interesting topic (on our last teacher’s conference).
|
Sentence Pattern #3: N+LV+N
In this third pattern, the learner must comprehend that
the linking verb establishes a relationship between two nominal (head nouns).
This is done so to build a connection between the two nouns that refer to the
same place, object, or person. The second noun in the structure becomes a
subject complement (SC).
N
|
Linking Verb
|
N (SC)
|
Alice
|
is
|
a
wonderful nurse.
|
I
|
want
to become
|
a
Hebrew teacher.
|
The
National Theater
|
has
remained
|
an
architectural jewel.
|
Willy
|
will
(eventually) be
|
a
psychologist.
|
Become
|
a
professional.
|
Sentence Pattern #4: N+LV+Adj
In this fourth pattern, the adjective or adjectival at the end of the structure serves as a subject complement, too. This adjectival modifies the head noun in subject position.
N
|
Linking Verb
|
N (SC)
|
It
|
feels
|
silky.
|
The
soup
|
tasted
|
good.
|
The
tramp
|
grew
|
tired
of walking.
|
The
guests
|
appear
|
happy
(at the party).
|
That
bug
|
looks
|
big.
|
Sentence Pattern #5: N+V+N+N
No all languages place indirect objects (IO) in the same way. Here's important to understand how this sequence of IO and DO go in the English sentence to avoid mistakes. In addition, comprehending the structure transformation in English can allow students understand and use the language better.
N
|
V
|
N(IO)
|
N(DO)
|
Tan
|
brought
|
his
mother
|
a
nice gift.
|
Transformation: Tan
brought a nice gift for his mother.
|
|||
I
|
will
send
|
you
|
the
data.
|
Transformation: I
will send the data to you.
|
|||
Luis
|
(always)
buys
|
his
kids
|
pastries.
|
Transformation: Luis
always buys pastries for his kids.
|
|||
The
teacher
|
assigned
|
her
students
|
homework.
|
Transformation: The
teacher assigned homework for her students.
|
|||
Chris
|
owes
|
me
|
a
big favor.
|
Transformation: Chris
owes a big favor to me.
|
|||
Beware:
CORRECT: Yesterday,
our professor explained the sentence patterns to us.
WRONG: Yesterday,
our professor explained us the sentence patterns.
Sentence Pattern #6: N+V+Nx(DO)+Nx(OC)
Fully comprehending this pattern can facilitate learners
to phrase and voice opinions correctly. Needless to mention that this structure
is used for more than opinions since both nouns (DO and OC) refer to the same
person, animal, object, or place.
N
|
V
|
Nx (DO)
|
Nx (OC)
|
The
president
|
will
appoint
|
Taylor
|
ambassador.
|
The
audience
|
consider
|
the
lecturer
|
a
bore.
|
FARC
|
kept
|
the
journalists
|
prisoners
(for a year).
|
The
parents
|
christen
|
their
baby
|
Casimiro
|
The
class
|
have
labeled
|
Nils
|
a
hero.
|
Sentence Pattern #7: N+V+N(DO)+Adj(OC)
This other sentence structure is also useful to phrase
and voice opinions. However, the important feature of this pattern is that the
adjective modifies the direct object, providing a quality to this noun.
N
|
V
|
Nx (DO)
|
Nx (OC)
|
The
rough sea
|
made
|
the
women
|
seasick.
|
Mom
|
slammed
|
the
door
|
closed.
|
I
|
prefer
|
my
beef
|
rare.
|
Lucas
|
considers
|
Uma
|
intelligent.
|
Dad
|
washed
|
the
walls
|
clean.
|
The difference in word order in sentence structures or
patterns is a key component in language learning. We, no doubt, can find
similarities and differences in the way we phrase and voice thoughts and
emotions. But what remains wrong is the transfer of sentence patterns from one’s
mother tongue into English.
Learning the patterns guarantees not only being
understood better but also comprehending others more accurately. The proper use
of these seven patterns will assist learners in their reading, writing,
speaking, and listening at a higher level making their learning easy and
meaningful.
ETo
fully develop and comprehend this teaching issue, it’s advisable to research
and expand these areas:
1
|
Practices for
sentence patterns
|
2
|
Sentence
Patterns in ELT
|
3
|
Grammar
Teaching and the 7 Sentence Patterns
|
4
|
Communicative
Use of Sentence Patterns
|
5
|
Sentence
Patterns in Writing and Speaking Lessons
|
Professor
Jonathan Acuña-Solano
ELT
Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
Curricular
Developer at CCCN
Senior
ELT Professor at Universidad Latina
Freelance ELT Consultant four OUP
in Central America
For
further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso – Twitter
Other blogs and sites I often write for my students at
the university are:
Flores Mora, B. et al (2002) Basis English Syntax. San José: Editorial de la Unversidad de Costa Rica
Also available at google scholar. Click here.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
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