Everyday Grammar - VOA Learning English Studying Sentence Patterns to Improve Your Writing, Part One - January 02, 2025
Jan 2, 2025
They explore how common sentence patterns shape writing, using Hemingway lines and song lyrics as vivid examples. Listeners hear clear contrasts between subject–be–complement and subject–be–adverbial structures. The hosts show how writers repeat patterns for effect and give a short homework to practice identifying patterns.
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Hemingway Passage Demonstrates Patterns
- Jill Robbins uses Ernest Hemingway's short passage from A Clean, Well-Lighted Place to illustrate sentence patterns.
- The passage contains short declarative sentences like "This is a clean and pleasant café."
Patterns Cover Most English Sentences
- Studying common sentence patterns gives a larger, practical view beyond parts of speech and improves writing and test performance.
- Martha Colm reports about 95% of English sentences fit basic patterns, making pattern study highly useful.
Basic Sentence Equals Subject Plus Predicate
- Most English sentences have a subject noun phrase plus a predicate verb phrase as their basic structure.
- Jill Robbins analyzes Christina Aguilera's line "I am beautiful" to show subject I and predicate am beautiful with adjective as subject complement.
