STRUCTURAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE

The sentence is a minimal unit of communication. The simple sentence consists only of one subject-predicate unit while the composite sentence can have more than one, compare:

· Fortune favours the brave. (one subject-predicate unit)

· As Philip was drinking his coffee, he opened his morning newspaper. (two subject-predicate units)

2.  Simple sentences can be

a) unextended with only one subject and one predicate, e.g. 

Larry frowned. He was hungry.

b) extended with secondary members of the sentence, e.g. 

Larry frowned angrily. He was very hungry.

3.  One-member sentences can be

a) nominal, e.g.

· The stars. (unextended)  

· The mystic shadow water. The wonder and glory of all this. (extended)

       b) verbal, (beginning either with an infinitive or with a gerund), e.g.

· To behave like this at his age! 

· Speaking to me in this tone!

4. Two-member sentences can be

       a) complete, with both principal members of the sentence being present, e.g.

       It looks like rain. It is nice to see you.

b) incomplete, when one or more words in the principal positions are omitted, e.g. 

· Looks like rain. (= It looks like rain.) 

· Nice to see you. (= It’s nice to see you.)

Schematically all this information can be presented like this:

simple sentence

one-member                                                                                            two-member

nominal     verbal                                complete                                       incomplete

extended   unextended           extended   unextended extended   unextended

 

TASK 2. Decide what is wrong with the statements below.

1. The sentence is a minimal unit of communication which consists of several subject-predicate units.

2. Extended simple sentences have only one subject and one predicate without secondary members of the sentence.

3. One-member sentences are divided into nominal sentences like ‘Smirking at me like that!’ and verbal sentences like ‘Wilderness. Silence. Stars.’

4. One-member sentences can be complete and incomplete.

5. Two-member complete sentences have one or more words in the principal positions omitted.

TASK 3.  Match the given sentences with their descriptions.

	Sentence		Description
1	Ninety days.	a	simple two-member incomplete extended
2	You are making a fool of yourself.	b	simple two-member incomplete unextended
3	It's getting dark.	c	simple two-member complete extended
4	Gets kind of scary writing mysteries all alone at night.	d	simple two-member complete unextended
5	Everybody agreed with this statement.	e	simple one-member nominal unextended
6	It was snowing.	f	simple one-member nominal extended
7	A humdrum, everyday life.	g	simple one-member verbal extended
8	Quite sure of it.
9	Coming to university in such an outfit!
10	Not the least idea.
11	Sultry summer night.
12	This happened morning after morning.
13	Such nice boys!
14	To believe in ghosts nowadays!
15	Morning. Sunshine. Happiness.

TASK 4. Make up your own sentences which would answer the following definitions:

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