Sentence Patterns & Word Order

Welcome to Sentence Patterns & Word Order!

Have you ever tried to build a Lego set without the instructions? You might have all the right pieces, but if you put them in the wrong places, the finished toy won't look right! Writing English is the same. Words are our "bricks," and Sentence Patterns are our instructions. In this chapter, we will learn how to arrange words so our ideas are clear and easy to understand.

1. The Basic Building Blocks

To make a proper sentence, we usually need two main parts:

• The Subject (S): The person, animal, or thing the sentence is about (the "Who" or "What").
• The Verb (V): The action or state of being (the "Doing" or "Is" word).

Quick Review: Every sentence must start with a Capital Letter and end with a punctuation mark like a Full Stop (.), Question Mark (?), or Exclamation Mark (!).

2. Common Sentence Patterns for P6

In Primary 6, we use several different patterns to share our thoughts. Let's look at the most common ones:

Pattern A: Subject + Verb (S + V)

This is the simplest pattern. It tells us that someone or something did an action.
Example: The baby (S) slept (V).
Example: Birds (S) fly (V).

Pattern B: Subject + Verb + Object (S + V + O)

The object is the thing that receives the action.
Example: I (S) ate (V) an apple (O).
Example: Peter (S) kicked (V) the ball (O).

Pattern C: Subject + Verb + Description (Complement)

We use the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were) to describe the subject.
Example: She (S) is (V) happy (Description).
Example: They (S) were (V) students (Noun).

Pattern D: Giving and Sending (S + V + Indirect Object + Direct Object)

When we give something to someone, we have two objects. The Direct Object is the thing being given. The Indirect Object is the person receiving it.
Example: My mom (S) gave (V) me (Indirect O) a present (Direct O).
Example: I (S) sent (V) Susan (Indirect O) an email (Direct O).

Key Takeaway:

If you put the person before the thing, you don't need the word "to." If the thing comes first, you usually need "to" (e.g., gave a present to me).

3. Using "It" and "There"

Sometimes we start sentences with It, There, or This to point things out or talk about the weather and time.

• There is/are: Use this to say something exists.
  Example: There is a pen on the desk.
• It is: Use this for time, weather, or dates.
  Example: It is rainy today.
• This is: Use this to point to something near you.
  Example: This is my new school bag.

4. Passive Construction (Special Focus)

Sometimes, the "action" is more important than the person doing it. We use the Passive Voice here. We use \( \text{be} + \text{Past Participle} \).

Don't worry if this seems tricky! Just remember it's used when we don't know who did the action, or it doesn't matter.
Example: The window was broken. (We don't know who broke it!)
Example: The computer was stolen.

5. Word Order: Putting Adverbs in the Right Place

Adverbs tell us how often or how we do things. Their position in a sentence is very important!

Adverbs of Frequency (How often)

Words like always, often, sometimes, seldom, never usually go before the main verb, but after the "be" verb.
Example: I always eat breakfast. (Before main verb "eat")
Example: He is often late. (After "be" verb "is")

Adverbs of Manner (How)

Words like carefully, quickly, happily usually go at the end of the sentence.
Example: She finished her homework carefully.

6. Punctuation & Capitalization

Sentence patterns aren't complete without the right "clothes" (punctuation)!

• Capital Letters: Use them for the start of sentences, the word "I," names (Peter), places (Hong Kong), festivals (Easter), and months (May).
• Commas (,): Use them to separate items in a list or to take a small breath in a long sentence.
  Example: I bought apples, pears, and oranges.
• Colons (:): In P6, we use these to introduce a list or in play scripts.
  Example: Mom: Please clean your room.
• Quotation Marks (" "): Use these when someone is speaking directly.
  Example: "I am hungry," said Tom.

Did you know? We only use quotation marks for what people actually say. We don't use them if we are just describing a feeling!

7. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Forgetting the 's' in S+V:
Incorrect: The cat sleep on the mat.
Correct: The cat sleeps on the mat. (Singular subject needs an 's' on the present tense verb!)

2. Wrong Word Order with "Too":
"Too" (meaning "also") usually goes at the end.
Correct: I like ice cream too.

3. Mixing up "There" and "It":
Incorrect: Is a dog in the garden.
Correct: There is a dog in the garden.

Quick Tip: If you are stuck, try to find the Verb (the action) first. Once you have the action, ask "Who did it?" to find the Subject, and "To what?" to find the Object!

Note: For more information on describing things, see the chapter on "Noun Phrases: quantities, units & collective nouns."