Flashcards on English Grammar: Morphology and Syntax

English Grammar: Morphology and Syntax Explained for Students

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Which sentence pattern is exemplified by "The soup tasted delicious"?

S–LV–C (Subject–Linking Verb–Complement): 'soup' is subject, 'tasted' is a linking verb, 'delicious' is a subject complement.

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Syntax: Sentence Patterns & English Grammar

34 cards

Card 1

Question: Which sentence pattern is exemplified by "The soup tasted delicious"?

Answer: S–LV–C (Subject–Linking Verb–Complement): 'soup' is subject, 'tasted' is a linking verb, 'delicious' is a subject complement.

Card 2

Question: What sentence pattern does "The board considered the proposal unrealistic" follow?

Answer: S–TV–DO–OC (Subject–Transitive Verb–Direct Object–Object Complement): 'the proposal' = DO, 'unrealistic' = object complement.

Card 3

Question: In "They named the puppy Charlie," which element is the object complement and which is the direct object?

Answer: Direct object = 'the puppy'; object complement = 'Charlie' (renames the direct object).

Card 4

Question: Which sentence contains an indirect object but does not contain an object complement: "They named the puppy Charlie," "She offered the visitors some r

Answer: She offered the visitors some refreshments. (Pattern S–TV–IO–DO: 'the visitors' = indirect object; no object complement.)

Card 5

Question: Why is classifying "The proposal remained controversial despite the committee's recommendation." as S–TV–DO incorrect?

Answer: Because 'remained' is a linking verb (LV) followed by a subject complement 'controversial', so the correct pattern is S–LV–C, not S–TV–DO.

Card 6

Question: How should the sentence "The engineer gave the interns detailed instructions" be analyzed regarding objects?

Answer: It contains both an indirect object ('the interns') and a direct object ('detailed instructions'): S–TV–IO–DO.

Card 7

Question: Which sentence pattern is shown by "The students completed the assignment" versus "The soup tasted delicious"?

Answer: 'The students completed the assignment' = S–TV–DO. 'The soup tasted delicious' = S–LV–C.

Card 8

Question: What is an object complement?

Answer: An object complement renames or describes the direct object.

Card 9

Question: Which sentence pattern distinction is illustrated by: I. The audience remained silent. II. The audience found the performance disappointing.

Answer: I follows S–LV–C (linking verb + subject complement). II follows S–TV–DO–OC (transitive verb + direct object + object complement describing the DO).

Card 10

Question: Give an example that disproves the claim "every sentence containing a linking verb follows the same sentence pattern."

Answer: 'The children are playing outside.' — This contains a verb 'are' as an auxiliary in a progressive action (not a linking usage), showing linking-verb f