INFORMATION IN THE ENGLISH SENTENCE

Five sentence patterns in English syntax:

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PATTERN……….EXAMPLE………………FORMULA

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1) There is A. - There is a lover on my floor. - Exp + = + NP

[one bit of information: A exists]

2) A is B, - John is a lover. NP + = + NP

Mary is lovable. NP + = + Adj

[three bits of information: A exists, B exists, and a relationship of equivalence

between A and B exists]

3) A is-done Mary is loved. NP + Vp

[two bits of information: A exists and something is done in relation to A]

4) A does-something John procrastinates. NP + Vi

[two bits of information: A exists and A performs some activity]

5) A does B John loves Mary. NP + Vt + NP

[five bits of information: A exists, B exists, A performs some activity,

B and A are related by that activity, and something is done in relation

to B]

COORDINATION:

Any element in any of these patterns may be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, etc.,

i.e., compounded by reason of a coordinating conjunction or placed in a

parallel series of two or more units. The coordinating conjunctions are:

AND OR/NOR BUT YET FOR (with main clauses only).

SUBORDINATION (five levels):

1) subordinate clause subordinating conj + any sentence pattern

[after, as, before, while, if, when, although, since, though, as if,

whenever, because, as though, until... + John loves Mary]

2) participial phrase sentence pattern with its subject deleted

present + V-ing (John) loving Mary

past + V-ed (Mary) loved by John

3) phrase in apposition noun phrase nominalization of any pattern

Mary's lover

4) prepositional phrase prep + nominalization of any pattern

(John) in love with Mary

5) adjective, adverb lovable (Mary)

loving (John)