Examples of comments

The child laughed merrily.

It is a simple, two-member, complete sentence. It is extended by means of an adverbial modifier. The communicative type of the sentence is declarative.

English spring flowers!

It is a simple, one-member, nominal sentence. It is extended by means of an attribute. The communicative type of the sentence is exclamatory.

“Where are you going?” ― “To the library”.

“Where are you going?” is a simple, two-member, complete, extended sentence. The communicative type of the sentence is interrogative. It is a pronominal question.“To the library” is a simple, two-member, elliptical sentence.  The subject and the predicate are omitted. The sentence is extended by means of a predicate complement. The communicative type of the sentence is declarative.

Two thousand passengers were believed to be injured.

“two thousand passengers” is a phrasal subject, expressed by a noun phrase with a numeral.

The British have a remarkable sense of humour.

“The British” is a simple subject expressed by a partially substantivized adjective denoting a group of people.

Your doing this is very strange.

“Your doing this” is a complex subject, expressed by a gerundial predicative construction.

What he expected began.

“What he expected” is a clausal subject.

There is truth in what you say.

“There” is a formal introductory existential subject. It introduces the notional subject “truth”.

It was late autumn.

“It” is a formal impersonal subject used in a sentence describing time.

All children like ice-cream.

“children” is a common countable concrete noun. It is used in the plural. The plural form is built in an irregular way with the help of the inflection -en. “ice-cream” is a common uncountable material noun.

Will you comment on these grammar phenomena?

“phenomena” is a common countable abstract noun. It is used in the plural. The plural form is built in an irregular way. The singular form of the noun is “phenomenon”.

Measles is a very catching disease.

“Measles” is a common uncountable abstract noun. It is an invariable singular noun denoting the name of a disease.

Fifteen years is a long time.

The predicate verb agrees with the subject in the singular as the subject is an expression of a period of time viewed as one whole.

The police are helpless.

The predicate verb agrees with the subject in the plural as the noun “police” is a collective noun of multitude always used with a verb in the plural.

Neither the doctor nor the patients are here.

The predicate verb is used in the plural as there are two homogeneous subjects in the sentence joined by the conjunctions “neither… nor”, so the predicate agrees with the nearest subject.

There comes Tom and the girls.

The predicate verb agrees with the first notional subject after the introductory “there”.

Each and every one of you is good.

A subject containing universal pronouns agrees with the predicate verb in the singular.

I’ve read a very interesting novel.

The indefinite article is used with a countable concrete noun in its classifying function. The article has the meaning of “one of the class”. The noun is premodified by a descriptive attribute.

The whale is in danger of becoming extinct.

The definite article is used with the countable concrete noun “whale” in its generic function. It refers to the whole class of objects of the same kind.

Are we on the right road?

The definite article is used before a countable concrete noun in its specifying function. The specification is provided by the premodifying restrictive attribute “right”.

  Knowledge is   power.

The zero articles are used before uncountable abstract nouns to indicate a generic reference.

I would rather have a whisky.

The indefinite article is used with the countable material noun “whisky” to indicate a portion of the substance.

Lanny has sold them an especially fine Goya.

The indefinite article is used with a proper noun which was converted into a common one to indicate a concrete object, a painting.

She is   daughter of a doctor.

The zero article is used before a countable concrete noun in a predicative position to stress the social position of the person in question.

Many people like Byron’s poems.

“Byron’s” is a dependent specifying genitive case. It denotes authorship.

I don’t like women’s magazines.

“women’s” is a dependent classifying genitive case.

We had a great time at Peter’s last Saturday.

“at Peter’s” is an absolute genitive case. It is used to indicate a place of residence.

She is a pupil of my father’s.

“a pupil of my father’s” is a double genitive denoting “one of my father’s pupils”.

“The Swan Lake” is by far the best ballet we have seen.

“the best” is the superlative degree of the adjective “good”. The superlative degree is formed in the suppletive way. The adjective is premodified by the intensifier “by far”.

My brother is a tall man far younger than myself.

“far younger” is a phrasal postmodifying attribute expressed by an adjectival phrase.  “younger” is the comparative degree of the adjective ‘young’. The comparative degree is formed synthetically, with the help of the suffix – er. The adjective is premodified by the intensifier ‘far’.

There were no signs of his supporting us.

“of his supporting us” is a complex postmodifying attribute. It is expressed by a gerundial predicative construction.

John Galsworthy, the famous English writer, was of a Devonshire family.

“the famous English writer” is a postmodifying detached apposition. It is expressed by a nominal phrase.

It was snowing hard.

“was snowing” is the predicate of the sentence. It is expressed by a pure intransitive verb.

The fish is frying.

“is frying” is the predicate of the sentence expressed by an intransitive ergative verb.

They lived a long life.

“lived” is the predicate of this sentence. It is used here as a monotransitive verb with a cognate object.

I saw her crossing the street.

“saw” is the predicate of the sentence. It is a complex transitive verb here as it is followed by a complex object expressed by an objective predicative participial construction.

At last my dream came true.

“came” is a predicate. It is expressed by a copular verb followed by the subject complement “true”.

I once stayed at this hotel.

“stayed” is the predicate of the sentence. It is expressed by a pure intransitive verb followed by an obligatory adverbial predicate complement.

They built a new house for us.

“a new house” is a direct phrasal object expressed by a nominal phrase. “For us” is an indirect beneficiary object expressed by a prepositional phrase with a pronoun. The objects are used after a ditransitive verb.

She remembered meeting her last year.

“meeting her” is a direct phrasal object expressed by a gerundial phrase. It follows a monotransitive verb.

I want to have my photo taken.

“my photo taken” is a complex object expressed by an objective predicative with Participle II construction. It is used after a complex transitive verb.

I don’t know what else I can do.

“what else I can do” is a clausal object.

He insisted on my telling the truth. 

“on my telling” is an prepositional complex object expressed by a gerundial predicative construction. It is used after a complex transitive verb.

She is a nurse.

“a nurse” is a subject complement expressed by a noun. It is used after a copular verb.

The soldiers found the village destroyed.

“destroyed” is an object complement expressed by Participle II. Together with the direct object “the village” it makes a complex object used after a complex transitive verb.

John married Susan last year.

“Susan” is a predicate complement expressed by a noun. It follows a monotransitive verb.

Now I think we can have a rest.

“a rest” is a predicate complement expressed by a noun. It is used with the delexical verb “have”.

John lives in London.

“in London” is a phrasal non-detached adverbial. It is obligatory as it follows a durative verb and fulfills the function of a predicate complement.

Despite his smile, the man was difficult to deal with.

“Despite his smile” is a phrasal detached optional adverbial modifier of concession, an adjunct.

It being late, he left the garden.

“It being late” is a complex detached optional adverbial modifier of reason, an adjunct. It is expressed by a nominative absolute construction with Participle I. 

Oh, that the storm were over!

The verb “to be” is used in a non-perfect form of Subjunctive II in a simple exclamatory sentence beginning with “Oh, that…”

I wish I hadn’t got into this mess.

The verb “to get” is used in a perfect form of Subjunctive II in a complex sentence in a subordinate object clause after the verb “to wish” in the principal clause to express regret.

I would never forgive myself if I profited by his generosity.

The verb “to forgive” is used in a non-perfect form of the Conditional mood in the principal clause of a complex sentence with a subordinate clause of unreal condition. In the conditional clause the verb “to profit” is used in a non-perfect form of Subjunctive II.

Confound your ideas!

The verb “to confound” is used in the form of Subjunctive I in a simple sentence in a formulaic expression with the meaning of a wish.

He suggested that I should come for her.

The verb “to come” is used in a non-perfect form of the Suppositional mood in a complex sentence in a subordinate object clause after the expression of modality in the main clause.

Whatever the reason be, the fact remains.

The verb “to be” is used in the form of Subjunctive I in a complex sentence in a subordinate clause of concession.

You can join us at the station, or we can wait for you at home.

This is a compound sentence consisting of two clauses which are joined syndetically with the help of the conjunction “or”. The type of relationship between the clauses is disjunctive coordination.

The buss stopped, the automatic door sprang open, a lady got in.

It is a compound sentence consisting of three coordinate clauses which are joined asyndetically. The type of the relationship between the clauses is copulative coordination.

The question is whether he has signed the contract.

This is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses. “The question is” is the principal clause, “whether he has singed the contract” is a subordinate predicative/ complement clause which is joined to the principal clause syndetically with the help of the conjunction “whether”.

What is done cannot be undone.

It is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses. “cannot be undone” is the principal clause, “What is done” is a subordinate subject clause which is joined to the principal clause syndetically with the help of the conjunctive pronoun “what”.

Everything that he did that day seemed to take a lot of time.

It is a complex sentence with two clauses. “Everything…seemed to take a lot of time” is the principal clause, “that he did that day” is a subordinate relative defining classifying clause which is joined to the principal clause syndetically by means of the relative pronoun “that”.

She acted as if she were mad.

This is a complex sentence consisting of two clauses. “She acted” is the principal clause, “as if she were mad” is a subordinate adverbial clause of comparison which is joined to the principal clause syndetically with the help of the conjunction “as if”.

Had he gone to her aid, he would only have got himself caught.

Word order is inverted in this clause. It is a case of grammatical inversion in a subordinate clause of condition introduced asyndetically. The operator “had” is placed before the subject.

“Be quick!” said Pat.

Word order is inverted here. It is a case of communicative inversion in a clause indicating whose words are given as direct speech. The verb is placed before the subject, so it’s a subject-verb type of inversion.

I like this melodical sound very much. – So do I.

Word order is inverted in this sentence. It is communicative inversion used in a sentence beginning with “so” showing that the remark applies equally to someone else. It is a subject-verb inversion.

 Never has she spoken with so much confidence.

Word order is inverted in this sentence. The function of inversion is emphatic, the sentence begins with the negative adverb “never”. The auxiliary “has” is placed before the subject.