Whasup Pwips! S-V-DO, S-V-IO-DO, and S-V-DO-OC are three of our sentence patterns. Let’s take a closer look at the components of each one.

1. S-V-DO

This sentence pattern consists of a subject, verb, and direct object.

• Direct Object: a noun phrase that is the target of the verb

Example:

Jackie Chan flawlessly performed a flip-kick.

In order to help you determine the DO (which is the target noun phrase of the verb) ask “who?” or “what?” of the verb. In this sentence you could ask “Jackie Chan performed what?”, and the answer is “a flip-kick”.

2.   S-V-IO-DO

The components of this sentence pattern are Subject, Verb, Indirect Object, and Direct Object. The IO and DO are two separate noun phrases. The IO is the recipient of the DO. In most cases, the IO is a human recipient.

Example:

Jackie Chan gave the villain a knuckle sandwich.

In this sentence, we identify the DO by finding the target of the verb “gave” which is the noun phrase “a knuckle sandwich”. We find the IO by locating the recipient of that knuckle sandwich, which is the second noun phrase “the villain”.

3.   S-V-DO-OC

The components of this sentence pattern are Subject, Verb, Direct Object, and Object Complement. An Object Complement (OC) is usually a noun phrase, but it can also occur as an adjectival phrase. An OC complements the DO. (Remember that a complement is an element that “completes” or extends the sense of another element in a construction.)

Example 1:

My little brother named Jackie Chan the greatest martial artist.

The DO is “Jackie Chan” and the OC that complements that DO is the noun phrase “the greatest martial artist”.

Example 2:

The rigorous training made Jackie Chan strong.

In this sentence the DO is once again “Jackie Chan”, but the OC is the AdjPhr “strong” that complements “Jackie Chan”.