Sentence Patterns IV and V The Linking Verb

Sentence Patterns IV and V The Linking Verb Patterns

Sentence Pattern IV IV— n V-lnk ADJ This is similar to what pattern? V— n NP NP 1 V-lnk NP 1 This is similar to what pattern?

Linking Verbs are: All verbs other than be completed by a subject complement – n A subject complement is… an adjectival or a noun phrase that describes, characterizes, or identifies the subject.

Pattern IV: The linking verbs of the senses are often pattern IV. n n Taste, smell, feel, sound, and look often link an adjective to the subject. Other verbs that may be included in this list are seem, appear, become, get, prove, remain, and turn.

Pattern IV: The ADJ in the third slot is a subject complement. It describes the NP in the first slot. Sometimes prepositional phrases can function as adjectives.

Pattern IV Examples: The dinner smells good. n “good” describes “the dinner” Max looks sick. n “sick” describes “Max”

More Pattern IV Examples: The lacrosse team seems out of shape. n n “out of shape” describes “the lacrosse team” We could say, “The lacrosse team seems talented. ” Since “talented” is an adjective, so is the phrase “out of shape; ” we call it an adjectival – or an adjectival prepositional phrase.

Pattern V: Very few linking verbs fit this pattern; Most of them take only adjectivals as subject complements. n n Become and remain are the two most common. Seem may also take a noun phrase rather than its usual adjectival on rare occasions.

Pattern V An NP fills the subject complement slot following the linking verb in this sentence. Both NPs have the same referent.

Pattern V Sometimes the NP in the first slot is just a name, and the NP in the third slot is a group of words. Don’t be fooled: the NPs don’t need to be the same number of words. Since prepositional phrases can only function as adjectives or adverbs, you know that a prep phrase standing alone cannot be a subject complement.

Pattern V Examples: The boy became a man. n n “A man” is an NP. “The boy” and “a man” have the same referent – they refer to the same person. “A man” doesn’t describe “the boy; ” that would be adjectival.

Pattern V Examples: Sue remained my friend after her move. n n “My friend after her move” is an NP followed by an adverbial prepositional phrase* that modifies the verb, “remained. ” *We will discuss these optional slots later. “Sue” and “my friend” have the same referent – they refer to the same person. “My friend” doesn’t describe “Sue; ” that would be adjectival.

Pattern V Examples: The lacrosse team became champions. n “Champions” is an NP referring to “the lacrosse team. ” Joe seemed a smart man. n n “A smart man” is an NP renaming “Joe. ” * It would be more common to say, “Joe seemed like a smart man. ” In that case, “like a smart man” is an adjectival prepositional phrase, so that sentence is a pattern IV sentence.

Homework Complete Sentence Patterns IV & V Worksheet. Be sure to follow directions. .