REVIEW OF BASIC SENTENCE PATTERNS

1. S-IV Pattern. The simplest word order in English is the S-IV pattern. S stands for subject and
IV for intransitive verb. (Intransitive verb means a verb that does not need an object to
complete the action.)

Traditions exist.

S IV

2. S-TV-O Pattern. S stands for subject, TV for transitive verb and O for direct object.
(Transitive verb needs an object to complete the action or to complete its meaning. )

The Chinese had oral traditions.

S TV O

3. S-LV-C Pattern. S is for subject, LV for linking verb, and C for subjective complement.
(Linking verb connects the subject and the object in such a way that the two will be similar or
the same. Subjective complement adds meaning to the subject. )

The legends seem interesting.

S LV C

4. S-TV-IO-DO. S is for subject, TV for transitive verb, IO for indirect object, and DO for direct
object. (An indirect object is the object of the omitted prepositions to or for and is located
between the TV and the DO. )

5. S-TV-O-OC. S stands for subject, TV for transitive verb, O for direct object, and OC for
objective complement. (The OC may be a noun or an adjective.)

Reinforcement Activities:

1. Mencius lived after Confucius.

2. The Chinese call Mencius a great political philosopher.
3. Lao Tzu gave the chines people a religion.
4. Taoism believes that evil is a form of goodness.
5. Lao Tzu considered humility the highest virtue.

Reading Comprehension and Sentence Construction

Read the following selections and answer the questions that follow using the indicated
sentence patterns in your answer.
 China, the Red Dragon

1. China is our nearest neighbor in East Asia. The name China was originally Chin. The country
is huge; it has the worlds largest population and the third largest in area. Only Russia and
Canada have more territory. China calls herself the Red Dragon because in Chinese tradition
and art, the dragon is the ancient symbol of power, fertility, and well-being. Red to the Chinese
is also the color of good luck.

2. China consists of China proper, Mongolia, Manchuria, and Sinkiang. Since the country is so
large, the climate is varied and the crops produced by the people are of a wonderful variety.
Northern China has cold winters and Southern China has very hot summers. In most places, the
soil is fertile and the people cultivate rice, corn, wheat, millet, barley, soybeans, and peanuts.
The country is also rich in natural resources, such as different minerals.

3. China has two large rivers: the Yangtze, the longest river in all Asia, and the Hwang Ho. The
latter is called the Yellow River because of the peculiar yellowish color of its water. It is also
called Chinas Sorrow because when the rains fall, the river overflows its banks and inundates
the plains, causing very destructive yearly floods. Many human lives are lost, and properties in
a vast scale are destroyed.

4. The capital of China is Beijing. Other large cities are Tientsin, the biggest seaport in North
China; Shanghai, the largest city; and Canton, the trading center of South China. China has the
largest population in the world; the Chinese are estimated to constitute about one-fifth of
humankind.

Paragraphs 1 and 2

1. What was China called in olden times? (SLVC)

2. What is Chinas geographical position in relation to us? (SLVC)
3. What is the largest country in the world? (SLVC)
4. What crops do the Chinese cultivate? (STVO)
5. In what part of China does rice grow? (SIV)
6. What are the four divisions of China? (SLVC)

Paragraphs 3 and 4

7. What is the longest river in Asia? (SLVC)

8. What do the Chinese call the Yellow River? (STVOOC)
9. What happens to this river when the rains fall? (STVO)
10. What does this river destroy? (STVO)
11. What is the capital of China? (SLVC)
12. What is the population of China? (SLVC)