I. Clause elements:

The basic elements of a sentence in English consist of:

1. Subject: the person place, thing or idea that is doing or being something. The subject may be a noun, a pronoun, a clause, a to inf or a gerund (V- ing).

2. Verb: explains the action or state of the subject

3. Object: the person or thing affected by the action describe in the verb. The object may be a noun, a pronoun, a “ that” clause, a to-inf or a gerund ( V- ing)

4. Complement: give more information about the subject (subject complement) or the object (an object complement) of the sentence. A complement can be an adjective or a noun.

5. Adverbial phrases:  place, time, manner…

II. Some basic patterns of clauses

1. Pattern 1: S + V (intransitive)

• She is singing.

• They are walking.

2. Pattern 2: S + V (intransitive) + A

-   We are in the classroom.  

• Fish live in fresh water.

• He is at work. 

3. Pattern 3: S + V (linking)+ C

Linking verb: be, remain, get, become, appear, feel, etc.

- The football match was exciting.

-  The company’s products remain competitive.

     4. Pattern 4: S + verb (transitive)+ Object

E.g.:

- The managers are discussing the sales figures.

- We love pop music. 

     5. Pattern 5: Subject + verb + O + A

- She stored the medicine in the cabinet. 

- She puts the books on the table.