The Simple Sentence

A simple sentence has the most basic elements that make it a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a completed thought.
 These are the possible structures in a simple sentence:

A. Subject + Verb
The visitors have arrived.
The old man died.
A verb in this structure is called an intransitive verb, e.g. arrive, die, rise, wait.

B. Subject + Verb + Object
The kids have eaten all the sandwiches.
The shop sells computers.
A verb in this structure is called a transitive verb, e.g. eat, sell, take, wear.

C. Subject + Verb + Complement
This jacket is nice.
The song became a big hit.
A verb in this structure is called a linking verb, e.g. be, become, get, look, seem. The complement can be an adjective phrase (nice) or a noun phrase (a big hit).

D. subject + Verb + Adverbial
The match is tomorrow.
we got on the bus.
The meetings are every month.
An adverbial can be an adverb phrase (tomorrow), a prepositional phrase (on the bus) or a noun phrase (every month).

E. Subject + Verb + Object + Object
We should give the children presents.
Sarah sent me a text message.
Here there is a direct object (a text message) and an indirect object (me).

F. Subject + Verb + Object + Complement
The project kept everyone very busy
All the publicity made the song a big hit.
here the complement (a big hit) relates to the object of the clause (the song).

G. Subject + Verb + Object + Adverbial
I put my mobile in my pocket.
The police got the car out of the river.
Here the adverbial (out of the river) relates to the object (the car).

H. We can add an extra adverbials to any of the clause structures.
the visitors have just arrived.
To my surprise, Sarah actually sent me a text message right away.

Source:
http://www2.ivcc.edu/rambo/eng1001/sentences.htm
Oxford learner's pocket Grammar. John Eastwood. 2008. Oxforxd University Press. 


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