Sentence Structure: S+V+C Video Lecture | Learn and Master: Business Writing - Communication

in order to understand these rules and
guidelines in our toolbox we've got to
understand some basics about sentence
structure this could be very complex but
we're going to reduce it down to a three
part simple process first we're going to
talk about our subjects and identify our
subjects and what rules and guidelines
help us have powerful subjects then
we're going to talk about our verbs and
we're going to identify how do we write
clear strong active verbs that convey
powerful action in the sentence and then
to simplify the rest we're simply going
to lump all the other elements into the
carrot category that we'll call
complements so in other words our
sentences are divided into subject verb
and complement and all of our rules will
fall into that into one of those three
categories now when you're looking at a
sentence let me put up a basic sentence
and teach you how we first approach
identifying the subject the verb and the
complement
so remember step one to figuring out
these rules and guidelines is to
identify the subject the verb and the
complements the first thing that you
look for when you're analyzing your
sentence is the verb you want to look
for that first and you're going to
underline it twice now if you'll do this
in your editing in your writing in in
whatever you're analyzing within your
sentence field underline as you go and
we're going to have you circle roon how
do you draw arrows really at this my new
level it's going to help you be able to
better understand all of these rules and
guidelines so we're going to underline
twice the verb and then you ask yourself
okay what's happening well something's
getting bought the next question to
identify the subject is who's doing this
thing that's happening so in other words
who's doing the buying well clearly it's
John I'm going to underline my subject
once so John is my subject bought is the
verb and to simplify we're simply going
to say everything else is complimentary
everything else is the complement now
let me point something out I might have
two main subjects or I might have two
main verbs in the sentence again first
step identify your main subject and
identify your main verb so let me add in
a compound main subject
so in this sentence I have two main
subjects I'm going to underline that
main both main subjects Jane and John
and still have my main verb and still
have all the complementary information
within the sentence we might add in a
secondary main verb
so now the sentence I've underlined both
of my main subjects and both of my main
verbs and I'll put that the squiggly
line under all of the complementary
information in the sentence now I'm
ready to begin analyzing the sentence
now the second point that I want to make
about identifying main subjects and main
verbs is that sometimes we'll have a
secondary subject and a secondary verb
looking at secondary subjects and
secondary verbs and distinguishing those
from main subjects and main verbs is
really important when we begin to look
at punctuation agreement and reference
and other elements of rules and
guidelines in our toolbox so let me go
ahead and add a secondary subject in a
secondary verb for this sentence
now my main subjects my main verb so my
main sub chain and John and my main
verbs bought delivered didn't change but
I've added in I've added in a
subordinate aboard innate in clause here
after their manager issued the request
and what I want to point out because I
don't want you to get confused when you
go off here's a subject here's a noun
must be a subject that's not how we want
to think because this subject is in a
subordinating clause it's not a
standalone sentence this is a secondary
subject and a secondary verb that's why
I dot underlined this secondary subject
once and the secondary verb twice now
being able to look at a sentence and
underline and identify the main subject
and the main verb and any secondary
subjects and secondary verbs puts us in
a perfect position to start using our
tools in our toolbox and to start using
punctuation and using all of the
agreement and reference and other rules
that we're going to give you in a way
that will help you clarify your writing