The basic parts of a sentence are the subject, the verb, and the object.

The subject and object can be a pronoun or a noun phrase.

Usually a statement begins with the subject and the verb.

We divide verbs into three kinds: intransitive verbs(vi.), transitive verbs(vt.), and linking verbs(linking v.).

1.An intransitive verb does not take an object. The sentence structure is like this:

S + V —— [The temperature] (drops).

2.A transitive verb takes an object. The verb tells us what the subject does to something else (the object). The sentence structure is like this:

S + V + O —— [The cat] (drinks) .

3.A linking verb links the subject and the adjective phrase or noun phrase that describes it.

A word or a group of words that follows a linking verb is the predicative(P). The sentence structure is like this:

S + V + P —— [The girl] (is) /beautiful/.

4.Some transitive verbs can take two objects, the direct object (DO) and the indirect object(IO).The sentence structure is like this:

S + V + IO + DO —— [Hobo] (brought) {Eddie} .

*We can change the structure S + V + IO + DO with for.

Hobo built Eddie a tent. —— Hobo built a tent for Eddie.

5.The complement can also follow a direct object to rename or describe it. In this case, it is called the object complement(OC). The sentence structure is like this：

S + V + DO + OC —— [Eddie] (is watching) work.

We can add an adverbial to each of the above five main structures. We use an adverbial to show when (adverbial of time), where (adverbial of place) or how (adverbial of manner) an action is done.

Hobo built Eddie a tent with sticks at the beach yesterday.