Sentence Patterns andSubstitution Tables—i

A sentence pattern is a formula showing the units which make up asentence. The formula S x Vb. x D.O., for example, means Subject xVerb x Direct Object, and is exemplified by such sentences as—

The dog chased the cat.

Who stole t ie money ?

A substitution table is an arrangement in columns of units which maybe combined to make sentences. From a table containing five or sixcolumns nnH the same number of horizontal lines, hundreds of sentencesmay be made. They will all be grammatically possible, though they-may not all make sense.

The sentence pattern is a useful guide to the learner, but unless hehas reached the stage at which he is familiar with grammatical termin-ology, the substitution table is probably more valuable. These tablesmay be used in many ways. By making from them large numbers ofsentences, the learner becomes fluent in speech habits. He may alsofind them useful in acquiring a knowledge of syntax. Tables may varyfrom the very simple to the complex.

Here is a simple type:—

Table No. 1

1

IWeYouetc.

2

wantwishhopemeanintendexpectetc.

3

to do hto go thereto leave earlyetc

As a pattern, this would be S x Vb. x to-infinitive, etc.

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Here is another simple type :—

Table No. 2

1

ThisThatItWhich

2

is (not)

3

amyyourhigherTom'sthe teacher'setc.

4

hatpenbookdesketc.

5

(is it?)(isn't it?)

This table, written on the blackboard, copied into the learner'snotebook, or provided in the textbook, provides a model for hundredsof similar sentences. It can be used to illustrate the necessity for somekind of determinative word (as in the third column) before a singularcommon noun.

Table No. 3 illustrates a treatment for material nouns, and may beused to show the use of such expressions as a piece of and a lump of.

Table No. 3

1

ThisThatIt

2

is

3

(made of)

(a piece of)(a bit of)(a lump of)(a sheet of)etc.

4

glasswoodpaperstoneleathersugarfurnitureetc.

Here are two sentence patterns for the verb be.

Pattern 1. S x Vb. (be) x Adv. Complement.

Pattern 2. There x Vb. (be) x S x Adv. Complement.

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The first pattern is illustrated in Table No. 4 below.

Table No. 4

1

The bookThat boxMy hatYour penetc.

The flowersYour pencilsHis thingsThose two boysetc.

2

is

was

are

were

3

on the deskon the floorlinHir the tablenear *h^ doorupstairsin the next roomin the schoolover thereetc.

The second pattern is illustrated in Table No. 5 below.

Table No. 5

1

There is (was)Is (was) there

There are (were)

There are (were) notAre (were) there

2

a

sometwoetc.

anytwoetc.

3

bookboxpenetc.

booksboxespensetc.

4

on the tablein the drawerin my pocketetc.

Teachers will find such tables useful in correction work. If, forexample, a pupil produces the sentence " This is book," he may bereferred to Table No. 2 and his attention drawn to column three. Ifhe produces the sentence "A pen is in my pocket," he may be invitedto compare Tables Nos. 4 and 5, and to note in which of them theindefinite article occurs. Where translation into English is required ofthe learner, it is useful to provide, with each of the sentences to betranslated, an indication of the English pattern, and of the correspond-ing substitution table, into which the English version should fit

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Substitution tables may also be used to provide material for con-version exercises, which are, in the beginning stages, more useful thantranslation. Here are two tables which provide opportunities forconversion exercises, to be done either orally or in writing.

Table No. 6

1

I amHe wasThey areetc.

2

not

1

The ^rilingThe boxThat booketc.

2

iswas

3

too

3

tallstrongcleveretc.

Table No.

4

highheavydifficultetc.

4

enough

7

5

for

6

mehimheretc.

5

to reach itto carry thatto do thisetc.

7

to reachto carryto understandetc.

Here is an example of conversion. The sentence " I was not tallenough to reach i t " is to be converted so that it fits into Table No. 7.The learner, with the table before him, provides the answer: " It wastoo High for me to reach."

Here are two more sentence patterns of a more complex type.

Pattern 3 : S x Advb. of Frequency x Vb. x I.O. x D.O.(exemplified by " He often offers me advice ").

Pattern 4 : S x Vb. x I.O. x D.O. x Advb. of Frequency of thetype " every mbrning " or " on Sundays," or Advb. of Past or FutureTime (exemplified by " He offered me some advice yesterday ") .

These are clumsy patterns, and for learners the substitution table ismuch better. Table No. 8 illustrates them both.

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Table No. 8

1

IYouSheWeTheyPeopleMr.X.etc.

2

neverhardly everseldomrarelysometimesoftengenerallyusuallyalwaysetc.

3

give(s)teU(s)show(s)offer(s)etc.

gavetoldofferedshowedetc.

shall

will

givetelloffershowetc.

4

himfhwnUSmeetc.

5

onesomehelpadviceanythingetc.

6

every day (morning,afternoon, etc.)

on Sundays (Mondays,etc.)

last week (month, etc.)yesterday (yesterday

morning, afternoon,etc.)

two (three, etc.) days(weeks, etc.) ago

on Monday (Tuesday,eu.) .

on June 1st (.etc.)

next week (month, etc.)tomorrow (tomorrow

morning, afternoon,etc.)

in three (four, etc) day's(weeks, etc.) time

Here are spedmen sentences derived from th\* table :—

I never give him any.

She seldom tells us anything.

She offers us help every morning.

They gave her some last week.

I shall offer him one on Tuesday.

The table shows dearly the pre-verbal position of such adverbs offrequency as often, sometimes, always. It shows the end-position of suchphrases as every day, on Sundays, and the adverbials of past and futuretime.

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The substitution table need not be restricted to sentences containingverbs. Here is a pattern, and a table of examples, for a verbless type ofexclamation.

Pattern 5 : Advb. x mth x Noun or Pronoun.

Table No. 9

1

OfFAwayDownUpetc.

2

with

3

his head 1him !the traitors Ithe loyalists 1your suspicions !etc.

The next table illustrates a means of guidance in the arrangement ofadjectives before nouns. Rules are, in such cases, difficult to formulateclearly and simply. Tables do provide useful evidence.

Table No. 10

1

A veryA rather \Rather a /Quite a \A quite /A simply tooA mostWhatAn imrn^rjsHy

An exceedingly

2

large«mnll

useful

frightfulvaluabledreadfullongattractive

3

round

oblong

triangular

4

greenpink

purple

yellowbrowngreen

5

ailkgold^nntr<!tinleatherCape Colony

6

cabbageface

box

dressing-gownwatchshoesbeltstamp

Until we come to learn a foreign language, or to teach our ownlanguage to foreigners, we usually fail to realize the problems thatconfront the learner. It is frequently the simplest and most commonwords, structural words in most cases, that are most erratic in behaviour.Consider, for example, those short adverbs which so frequently enter

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into combination with verbs to convey concepts usually expressed inother languages by a single word. English is particularly rich in them.

Table No. 11 below is designed to illustrate their varying positions.

Table No. 11

1

TurnHe tookThe boy putSendBlowSwitchWhen can you pay

He tookWe turnedShe threw

I can't makeYou must payThe enemy blew

2

the water (it)bis bat (it)bis clothes (them)the rnnn (him)that balloon (it)the wireless (it)the money (it)

offoff (on)away

outbackup

3

on (off)offonawayupon (off)back?

his coatthe water

/everything that wasI left

what he meansevery penny I lent youall the bridges

Here we have illustrated the alternative positions of the adverbwhen the Direct Object is a noun or clause, and the single, final positionof the adverb when the Direct Object is a personal pronoun (as shownby the parenthetical entries in the upper half of column 2).

Three aids have been illustrated: (1) the sentence pattern orformula, (2) the substitution table, and (3) the collection of examples,not designed for substitution, but arranged in columns. Each has itsvalue and use.

In future issues notes will be supplied on the most frequently occurr-ing sentence patterns in English. They will be illustrated with tablessimilar to those used with this introductory article, and suggestions willbe made for their use in classroom work.

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