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- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Here is the basic idea: If the two noun phrases refer to different things, then you know the verb is transitive.* Think back to the sentence, Mary hit the softball.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
The subject, Mary, refers to one thing, while the direct object, the softball, refers to a different thing.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
In technical terms, you could say the two noun phrases have different referents
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Contrast this to a pattern we discussed in a previous Everyday Grammar the BE pattern. We gave an example sentence from Christina Aguilera's song.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
She sings "I am beautiful." In that sentence, the word beautiful, the subject complement, refers to the subject, "I."
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
They refer to the same person - that is, they have the same referent. In English, words that come after a verb often give information about the verb.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Looking at what comes after a verb can really help you figure out the meaning of a verb, even if you do not know it.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Now, think back to the stanza of Amiri Baraka's poem: And now, each night I count the stars. And each night I get the same number.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
And when they will not come to be counted, I count the holes they leave. You can see the transitive verb pattern clearly in this stanza.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Consider the first line: And now, each night I count the stars.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Baraka starts the line with adverbial information,** and then uses the basic transitive verb pattern: How do you know the verb
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
You know it is transitive because the subject, "I," refers to a person, while the direct object, "the stars," refers to something different from a person.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
The second line, like the first line, uses a similar structure:
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
The remaining two lines in the stanza use structures that are more complex than the basic transitive verb pattern.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
However, you can still see that writers can use basic patterns to create beautiful poetry.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part Four
Write your poems in the comments section or on our Facebook page I'm Jill Robbins.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
The new school year is beginning in communities across the United States. Many students are busy at work in their new classes.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
Some are already thinking about all the homework they will face in the weeks to come.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
Teachers also ask students to write book reports and research papers.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
Today on Everyday Grammar we will explore two grammatical structures that you will see often in academic writing. We will show you how to use these structures.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
adjective that-clause This is a common way to express an attitude, opinion or position.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
It is often used when considering an idea, note grammar experts Susan Conrad and Douglas Biber.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
Here is an example: "It is clear that the evidence is inconsistent Here is how you can understand the sentence.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
The subject in our example is the word it. Then comes the verb is.
- Public domaingeneral-american
Academic Writing: Common Sentence Patterns, Part One
After is there is an adjective: the word clear After clear there is a that-clause.
Source badges: Public domain · Creator video · Digital presenter · Reference recording. Literary passages are public domain. Studio notes are not spoken in the audio.