My Big Fat Grammar Project

To the Teacher:Welcome to “My Big Fat Grammar Project.” The BFGP takes

students through the patterns of sentences in the English language. As you’ll see, each of the patterns is explained and expanded. The patterns are also diagrammed. Your job is to present ONE pattern at a time. The student’s job is to create a book, booklet, binder, or poster that demonstrates understanding of each pattern. They do this by composing 3 sentences for each of the patterns. To make the BFGP interesting, attractive, and fun, they should choose a theme, the quirkier the better (giraffes, earthworms, ice cream). The BFGP is a work of art: Each sentence should take up a full page (or sizable portion of a poster) and be illustrated with either original drawings, cut-outs from magazines, or clip art.

The patterns are shown on the next screen.

To the Teacher:We have three action verb patterns:

1. The intransitive verb pattern: Noun + verb2. The transitive verb pattern: Noun + verb + noun (direct object)3. The complex transitive pattern: Noun + Noun (indirect object) + verb + direct object

And we have thee linking verb patterns:1. Noun + BE + Subject complement (The subject complement can be adverbial information, adjectival information, or nominal information)

2. Noun + OTHER LINKING VERB + Subject complement (same as above, except that some “other linking verbs” do not need a

subject complement, ex: Sometiimes, sneakers smell. Fear not! All of this will be explained and illustrated in the screens that follow.

NB: This is a simplified version of sentence pattern taxonomy, representing only the most common patterns. I usedthe BFGB for ninth grade students, but it can be used just as well with other levels.

To the Teacher:Do the math: The student ends up with 12 sentences, each

carefully written, illustrated, categorized, analyzed, and diagrammed, on a particular theme.

Twelve sentences may not seem like a lot, but once students understand the major sentence patterns of English, they are ready to hang all kinds of information on sturdy frames.

The terminology for the BFGP: sentence, subject, predicate, slots, noun, verb; direct object, indirect object, transitive verb, complex transitive verb, intransitive verb; linking verb, helping verb, passive voice, progressive action, subject complement, adverbial, adjectival, nominal

Fear not! All of this will be explained and illustrated in the screens that follow.

NB: This is a simplified version of sentence pattern taxonomy, representing only the most common patterns. I usedthe BFGB for ninth grade students, but it can be used just as well with other levels.

The Action Verb Patterns

• Intransitives• Transitives

Noun + VerbThe Intransitive Verb

Pattern

Katherine laughed.

This sentence has two slots: Subject + Verb

An intransitive verb is an action verb that allows for completeness,

needing no other words in the sentence.

Katherine Laughed.

This sentence has two required slots.

Subject Verb

An intransitive verb is an action verb that allows for completeness,

needing no other words in the sentence.

Katherine Laughed.

This sentence has two required slots.

Subject Verb

Queen

thethethe

circus

Elephants

five purplethe

movies.

atlaughs is laughing

has laughed

was laughing

will laugh

Make 3 Sentences in the Noun + Verb

Pattern

Noun + Verb + NounTransitive Verb +

Direct Object

Everybody loves Raymond

Subj.

This sentence has three slots: Subject + Verb + Direct Object

Verb (transtive) Direct ObjectSubj.

Noun + Verb + NounTransitive Verb + Direct Object

Everybody loves Raymond.

Raymond.

This sentence has three slots: Subject + Verb + Direct Object

Direct ObjectSubj. Verb

(transtive)

Loves whom

or what?

Everybody loves

TransitivesTransitive verbs take direct objects. Direct objects answer “whom” or

“what” to the (action) verbs.

Make 3 Sentences in the Noun + Verb + Noun (direct object)

Pattern

TransitivesComplex transitive verbs take

objects as well as direct objects.

indirect

Indirect objects answer “to whom,” “for whom,” “to what,” “for what” to the direct object.

Verb (transtive) DirectSubj.

Sentences having indirect objects:

Claudia gave Ramon an eyebrow stud.

Claudia gave stud

Ramon

indirect object

Object

aneyebrow

Verb (transtive) Direct ObjectSubj.

Sentences having indirect objects:

Verbs about giving and verbs about showing like to take indirect objects.

Indirect Object

I am sending

you

money.

Make 3 Sentences in the Noun + Noun (indrect

object) Verb+ Noun (direct object) Pattern

Let’s learn about BE:

ISAMAREWASWEREBEBEINGBEEN

Now, we come to the LINKING VERB patterns:

Three Uses of BE:• As a main verb, to express

existence:

My teacher is a werewolf.

Three Uses of BE:• As a helping verb, to expressprogressive action:

My teacher was turning into a werewolf.

Three Uses of BE:• As a helping verb,to form the

passive voice:

Many students were attacked at night.

Pattern : BE + nominalA nominal is a word or group of words that does the

work of a noun (a noun and its modifiers). A nominal may be a single word, a phrase, or a clause. You can tell where a nominal begins and ends by replacing it with a pronoun. Whatever words the pronoun “eats up” would be one nominal. (Another test is to use the word “something” to replace a nominal.)

A ferret is a type of weasel.

A ferret is a type of weasel.

is

(Something) is (something). (Something) = (something).Subject item = Subject complement itemSame referents on both sides of the verb

This clause has three slots.

ferret

A

type

ofweasel

a

Pattern: BE + Adjectival

BE + a subject complement that is an adjectival

An adjectival is to an adjective what a nominal is to a noun: a single word, a phrase, or a clause that does the work of an adjective, ie. to answer Which one? What kind? or How many?

Pattern : BE + AdjectivalA ferret is furry.

A ferret is furry.

furry.

Note that this clause can be expressed in the form of a phrase: the furry ferret.

NP (noun phrase)Subject

BE verb singular present tense

Adjectival Subj. Complement

This sentence has three slots.

ferret

A

is

A ferret is furry and funny.

Note that this clause can be expressed in the form of a phrase: the furry ferret.

NP (noun phrase)Subject

BE verb singular present tense

Adjectival Subj. Complement

This sentence has three slots.

isferret

a

an

d

furry

funny

The BE PatternsBE + Adverbial Information

BE + Adverbial (An adverbial is to an adverb what an adjectival

is to an adjective and what a nominal is to a noun, ie. a single word, phrase, or clause that answers the questions that adverbs answer: after linking verbs, adverbials usually answer

where? or when?)

A ferret is in the garage.

A ferret is in the garage.

is

(Something) is (somewhere).(Something) is (happening at some time).

This clause has three slots.

ferret

A

in

garage

the

My birthday was yesterday.

was

(Something) is (somewhere).(Something) is (happening at some time).

This clause has three slots.

yesterday

birthday

my

Make 3 Sentences in BE Patterns

THE OTHER LINKING VERB PATTERNS

Sense verbs:Look, sound, smell,

taste, feel

Seem, become, grow…

Pattern: Linking Verb + Adjective

Linking Verb + Predicate Adjective

This ice cream tastes delicious.

This ice cream tastes delicious.

tastes delicious

This sentence has three slots.

Note: In a Pattern 4 sentence, the subject complement Is an adjective, not an adverb. Hence: I feel bad (not badly).

NPSubj

Subject complement

Predicate Adj.

ice cream

This (linking) verb

Linking Verb + Noun Pattern :

Linking Verb + Noun

She became a famous doctor..

She became

Subj.

Subject complementPredicate noun.

(linking) verb

doctor.

a

famous

Make 3 Sentencesin Other Linking Verb Patterns