Parts of the sentence

Sentence Structure

Parts of the Sentence

The Subject
is the principal part of the sentence.
is grammatically not dependent on the other parts of the sentence.
can denote a living being, a lifeless thing, an idea, or a phenomenon.
may be expressed by a single word or a group of words: 1) a (pro)noun, a substantivized adjective or participle II
She (Jennie) is very beautiful.
The wounded were taken good care of.
2) a numeral (cardinal or ordinal), an infinitive, an infinitive phrase or construction, an ing-form
The first is his number in races.
To know everything is to know nothing.
Seeing is believing.

The principal parts

It as the subject of the sentence
A notional subject
represents a living being or a thing
The personal ‘It’
The demonstrative ‘It’
A formal subject
performs purely a grammatical function
The impersonal ‘It’
The introductory (anticipatory) ‘It’
The emphatic ‘It’

It as a notional subject of the sentence
The personal ‘It’
- stands for a definite thing or some abstract idea previously mentioned
This is a famous picture. It was painted by John Constable.
2) The demonstrative ‘It’
- points out some person or a thing expressed by a predicative noun
It is John.
- refers to the thought contained in a previous statement

It as a formal subject of the sentence
The impersonal ‘It’ is used to denote:
a natural phenomenon (to talk about the weather):
It’s rainy today.
time & distance:
It’s a long way from here.
a description of a place:
It was calm and beautiful up in the mountains.
to introduce an action:
It’s going to take five hours to get there.
to comment on a fact:
It was surprising that a few people came to the show.

It as a formal subject of the sentence
The introductory (anticipatory) ‘It’ introduces the real subject.
It is no use lying to me. I know the truth.
It’s impossible to find him.

PRACTICE
Transform the following sentences:
His brother brought me that letter an hour ago.
Tom saw Jane in the park yesterday.
We couldn’t get in touch with them until we found their new address.

It as a formal subject of the sentence
The emphatic ‘It’ is used for emphasis when we want to intensify the idea expressed by any part of the sentence.
1) I met his sister in he park.
→It was I who/that met his sister in he park.
→It was his sister whom/that I met in he park.
→It was in the park that I met his sister.
2) I told him the news after he had returned from London.
It was after he had returned from London that I told him the news.
3) She didn’t learn the truth until she returned home.
It was not until she returned home that she learned the truth.
4) We didn’t receive a letter from them until May.
It was not until May that we received a letter from them.

PRACTICE
Translate the following sentences into Russian:
Именно он хотел, чтобы она стала актрисой.
Именно ей они были обязаны за все.
Только после того, как Джейн вернулась из Бристоля, она обнаружила пропажу.
Только спустя 10 лет мы наконец-то встретились с ними снова.
Домой они вернулись только в июне.
Мы повстречались именно в Мадриде.
Да пойми же ты, в той машине я видел именно Тома; я не могу ошибаться.

The formal subject There
to say that something exists;
to mention the presence of smth.;
to say that smth. has happened or will happen;
with modal verbs to express possibility or probability;
with the verbs ‘to seem’, ‘to appear’;
to explain a problem.
! In the construction ‘There + be’ the predicate usu. agrees in number with the word that immediately follows it

Other types of formal subjects
‘One’ as the subject is used when we think about the doer of the action in general, any person or people (including the speaker)
One should be careful when crossing the street.
One must always keep his word.
‘They’ as the subject is used when we think about people in general (not including the speaker); usu. followed by the verb ‘to say’
They say wonders sometimes happen.

PRACTICE
Translate the following sentences into Russian:
В нашей квартире много мебели.
Именно он заставил меня поверить в себя.
В гостях хорошо, а дома лучше.
Пора идти спать! Завтра нам предстоит сдавать самый сложный экзамен.
Сейчас почти 17.00. через 2 часа мы будем в Риме.
Нет розы без шипов.
Говорят, что наши возможности безграничны.
Только после того, как мама легла спать, мы смогли наконец-то начать подготовку к ее дню рождения.
Никогда не знаешь, что он вытворит в этот раз.
Знакомьтесь, это Майкл, он работает инженером в нашей компании.
Это недалеко отсюда. Странно, что за все время, что вы здесь бродите, вы не обнаружили этот дом.
Мы не могли связаться с ними, пока не узнали их новый адрес.
Похоже, что мы так никогда так и не узнаем правду.

The Predicate
informs us of what is happening to the Subject.
may express an action, state, quality of the person, thing or phenomenon.
is grammatically dependent on the Subject – agrees with it in person & number.
contains a finite verb which may express tense, mood, voice, aspect, etc.

The principal parts

The Simple Verbal Predicate
consists of only a notional verb (in any tense, aspect, voice or mood form)
I have been waiting for you foe half an hour.
Did she tell him the truth?
can also be expressed by phraseological units and set phrases treated as verb equivalents:

The Simple Nominal* Predicate
is expressed by a noun, or an adjective, or a verbal.
It doesn’t contain a link-verb, as it shows the incompatibility of the idea expressed by the subject and that expressed by the predicate.
Me a liar!
She spying!

The Compound Nominal Predicate
consists of a link-verb & a predicative
The leaves are turning yellow.
You look pale.
He became a painter.

The Compound Verbal Predicate
consists of a finite form & a verbal or an adjective.

The Compound Verbal Predicate
modal verbs & phrases (can, may, must, have to, be to, shall, should, will, would, ought to, need, dare, be going to, be (cap)able, be willing, be anxious, be bound, be obliged, etc.):
You should have done it.
Mary is going to have a baby.
verbs of
1) seeming and appearing (seem, appear):
Jack seemed to have heard the news.
For a moment she appeared to be hesitating.
2) unexpected occurrence (happen, turn out, chance, prove):
They happened to meet in the park.
some verbs of position & motion:
John sat reading a book.
Jill is out shopping.
phasal verbs of beginning, repetition, duration & cessation:
Fiona started attending lectures on Monday.
He gave up smoking.
When a child, she used to ride a bicycle every day in the nearest park.

PRACTICE
Find the predicate and characterize it:
The meeting will begin at 7p.m.
She began crying.
John didn’t pay attention to the people around him.
It suddenly grew dark.
On hearing these words her face turned pale.
She can’t be sleeping now.
Mr. Atkinson is dining at the moment.
He never takes part in talk-shows.
I am to speak last at the meeting.
When a child, I used to ride my bicycle all days long.
You’re not allowed to come in.
I’ve just told you that.
She was the first to start speaking.
I’m willing to have a talk with him!
I’m not going to wake him up, he’s just fallen asleep.

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

Subject-Predicate Agreement

PRACTICE
Replace the infinitives in brackets by the correct form of the verb:
The quickest means of travel (to be) by plane.
The majority of doctors (to agree) that smoking is extremely harmful to health.
There (to be) plenty of room for everyone inside.
Everybody (to say) the Swiss police (to be) great at finding people.
A number of students in the class (to be) dying to know where you have been.
Mumps (to be) an infectious illness in which the glands swell.
(To have) everyone brought their exercise-books?
It (to be) my parents who helped me all that time.
The number of mistakes in your test (to make) my hair stand on end.
Our dad and grandpa (to be) decorated for his outstanding bravery in the Great War.
Which of these books (to be) yours?
The economics of the scheme (to need) to be looked at very carefully.
Many a famous politician (to take) part in this talk-show.
The company (to have) now been successfully established for ten years.
Jennie as well as her friends (not to know) how to pass that exam because she didn't attend any lecture.