SENTENCE ESSENTIALS

The sentences in this exercise give information about the folktale, “The Little Daughter of the Snow.” They will illustrate the different types of sentences: Simple, Complex, and Compound. Every sentence consists of a Subject + Predicate. The predicate consists of the verb and the rest of the sentence.

In the table below, S + V + O represents a sentence with a transitive verb. You know the verb has an object if you can ask and answer the question whom or what after the verb. Adverbial modifiers indicating time, place, reason, or manner can also follow the object as in this sentence: The elderly couple wanted a child to ease their loneliness. (The infinitive phrase is the modifier. It explains why they wanted a child.)

S + V + M represents a sentence with an intransitive verb followed by an adverbial modifier. You know that a modifier follows the verb if you can ask and answer questions like when, where, why, how, how much, etc. after the verb. However, not all sentences with intransitive verbs are followed by adverbial modifiers.

S + LV + C represents a sentence with a linking verb followed by a complement. The complement completes the meaning of the sentence. It is either an adjective that describes the subject or a noun that is another term or name for the subject as in the sentences, “The man and woman were very old,” or “They were a very old couple.” Study the examples in the chart.

Take the Quiz to see if you can recognize the simple sentence structures listed above by analyzing the verbs. The sentences refer to the story, “The Little Daughter of the Snow.