2. Definition
• Sentence is a complete unit of meaning.
• A simple sentence consists of one
clause often with a “subject” and a
“predicate”.
• The subject is what the sentence is
about, and the predicate is a comment
about the subject.
• E.g.: The boy washed clothes.
Subject Predicate
He is an English teacher.
Subject Predicate
3. Syntactic features of 5 sentence elements
1. Subject
2. Verb
3. Compliment
4. Object
5. Adverbial
Presenter: Tran Thi Linh
4. element expression position identity
S Noun phrase/
nominal clause
+ before Verb
phrase
+ after operator in
+ number 2 person
+ concord with
Verb phrase
V Verb phrase
( S form)
after S + concord with S
+ intensive
relationship to C/A
C Noun phrase, adj
prep, nominal
clause
+ after verb phrase
+ after clause
+ co-referential
with S, O
O Noun phrase,
nominal clause
+after VP + concord with
S,V,C
+S in passivization
A Adv Prep, A
Clause, NP, Prep P
+ mebile +most optional
+ obligatory in SVA,
SVOA
5. Syntactic Features of Sentence Elements
Seven Sentence Patterns:
• SV: He is sitting.
• SVC: Marry is a nurse.
• SVA: Tom is in the house.
• SVO: I love you.
• SVOC: He made her happy.
• SVOO: He gave me a rose.
• SVOA: He put it on the table.
Presenter: Duong Thanh Mai
7. Agentive Subject
• Animate being instigat-
ing or causing the
happening denoted by
the verb.
• For example:
John opened the door
Agentive Subject
Presenter: Dang Thi Ngoc
Instrumental
Subject
• Inanimate or unwitting
being causing the
happening.
• For example:
The key opened the
door
Instrumental Subject
8. Affected Subject
One being affected by the event
The door opened.
Intransitive verbs: E.g: Jack fell
downIntensive verbs: E.g: The pen is lying on the
table
Presenter: Dang Thi Ngoc
9. Recipient Subject
One that receives the happening
John has a beautiful wife.
This role of subject is found with such verbs as have,
own, possess, benefit (from)…
10. Perceptual verbs See, Hear require a recipient
subject. Verbs Taste, Smell, Feel have both an
agentive meaning and a recipient meaning.
Verbs indicating cognition or emotion may also
require a recipient subject. E.g:
I liked the play (The play gave me pleasure)
11. Locative Subject Temporal Subject
• One that denotes time.
• For example:
Tomorrow is my birthday
= It’s my birthday tomorrow.
• One that denotes location.
• For example:
The bus holds forty people
= Forty people can sit in the bus
12. Eventive Subject
• One that denotes
events
• For example:
The meeting ended
successfully.
Empty “IT” Subject
• One that lacks
semantic content.
• For example:
It is sunny and hot.
13. Semantic roles of OBJECT
DIRECT OBJECT
1. Affected Direct Object
2. Locative Direct Object
3. Effected Direct Object
INDIRECT OBJECT
1. Recipient Indirect Object
2. Affected Indirect Object
14. Affected direct object
A participant which does not cause
the happening denoted by the verb
but is directly involved in some other way
E.g.: Many people criticized John.
Presenter: Vu Thi Thanh Xuan
15. Locative direct object
One that shows location and is often
found after such verbs as turn, leave,
reach, cross, surround, penetrate,
climb ...
E.g.: They climbed the mountain.
16. Effected direct object
1. Object that exists
only by virtue of the
activity indicated by
the verb
E.g.: I am writing a letter.
Bin invented television.
2. Object that repeats
partially or the
whole meaning of
the verb
E.g.: Mary sang a song.
We fought a good fight.
17. Effected direct object
3. Object that takes the form of a
verbal noun following a common
verb of general meaning
E.g.: He did little work that day.
The prisoner made no comment.
Presenter: Vu Thi Thanh Xuan
Have, do, make, take, give, ....
18. Recipient indirect object
An animate participant being passively
implicated by the happening or state
E.g.: My parents gave me some money.
= I was given some money by my parents.
Presenter: Vu Thi Thanh Xuan
19. Affected indirect object
• An animate or inanimate participant that is
affected by the action of the Verb.
• For example:
I gave the ball a kick = I kicked the ball.
affected Oi effected Od affected Od
I paid her a visit = I visited her.
affected Oi effected Od affected Od
Presenter: Vu Thi Thanh Xuan
20. 1. Current attribute
2. Resulting attribute
Presenter: Nguyen Thi Mai
Semantic roles of COMPLEMENT
21. • A current attribute denotes an already
existing characteristic.
E.g.: My father was a teacher.
Subject Complement
We found her attractive.
Object Complement
Presenter: Nguyen Thi Mai
Semantic roles of COMPLEMENT
22. • A resulting attribute denotes a
characteristic that comes about
because of the event reported in the
sentence.
E.g.: He became a teacher in 1965.
Subject Complement
Her new dress made her attractive.
Object Complement
Presenter: Nguyen Thi Mai
Semantic roles of COMPLEMENT
23. Memorable Conclusion
• A simple sentence consists of one clause often
with a “subject” and a “predicate”.
• Syntactic features of 5 sentence elements.
• Semantic functions of simple sentence elements:
Agentive/Instrumental
Affected
Subject Recipient
Locative
Temporal
Eventive
Empty “It”
25. Exercise 1: Indicate whether the underlined
element is:
S agentive S instrumental S affected
S recipient O affected O recipient
O effected O locative C current C resulting
1. The bell rang loudly.
S affected
2. I heard it ring, too.
S recipient
3. You have got brains.
S recipient
4. Use your brains.
Od affected
5. Who owns this hat?
S recipient
6. They left the house empty.
Co resulting
7. We found this house empty.
Co current
8. We laid him on the sofa.
Od affected
26. Exercise 1:
9. We made him some tea.
Oi recipient
10. We have fought a good fight.
Od effected
11. I climbed the hill as light fell short.
Od locative
12. Who is making that noise?
Od effected
13. Has anyone touched the television today?
Od affected
27. Exercise 2: Make 5 sentences
with current/resulting complement.
• Current meaning:
1.He’s a student.
2.He thought John a fool.
3.He looks handsome.
4.It’s hot.
5.I’m feeling good now.
28. Exercise 2: Make 5 sentences
with current/resulting complement.
• Resulting meaning:
1.The leaves turned yellow.
2.He named John a fool.
3.It’s getting hot.
4.I became a teacher.
5.The rose is growing up.
