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Unlock English Sentence Structure with the 5W1H Framework!
The 1988 movie “Rain Man” depicts the story of Charlie (Tom Cruise) and his autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) discovering their brotherhood following the sudden death of their father. Throughout the film, Raymond often insists that he is “an excellent driver.”
The following scene occurs when Raymond and Charlie, who are still unaware that they are brothers, meet. Raymond jumps into the car driven by Charlie’s girlfriend, Susanna, because it is the same car that Raymond’s father once allowed him to drive.
Charlie: Hey, who is this guy? Susanna: He just jumped in the car. Charlie: Yeah well he can jump out. Come on! Raymond: I’m an excellent driver. Charlie: That’s good. Come on! Susanna, why’d you let him get in this car? It’s not a toy. Susanna: He says he drives this car.
The reason we speak or write is to convey thoughts. In a sense, it’s a way to provoke curiosity and then satisfy that curiosity. Indeed, if we define language in this way, this definition itself could be considered a method to speak well and write elegantly. It seems that speakers of English follow the same principle. The primary focus is often on people, or more specifically, on who.
Therefore, when a sentence consists of multiple words, the word concerning people usually appears first. We have referred to this as a single pattern syntax based on the principle of the 5Ws1H or 6 Whys.
S + V + (Who + What) + [Where + Why + How + When]
The simplest way to resolve curiosity about people is by using the incomplete verb form of the “be” to express the structure (subject = complement).
I’m an excellent driver.
Let’s briefly examine sentence components not as parts of speech but by their roles as subject (S), verb (V), object (O), and complement (C). In the five patterns taught in school, complements are divided into subject complements and object complements. Simplifying further, in a sentence, the complement complements the subject or object in the form of <subject = complement> or <object = complement>.
A complement can be an adjective or a noun. However, if an adjective is used, it’s simpler to think of it as having an omitted noun following it. Let’s clarify this.
In the framework of the five English grammatical patterns:
In the 2nd pattern, the structure is subject = subject complement.
In the 5th pattern, the structure is object = object complement.
Let’s return to our single pattern syntax. Suppose someone expresses <subject + verb> using a “be” verb. Hearing or reading this incomplete expression would immediately provoke curiosity about who or what kind of person it is.
TANYA: He was some kind of a man. <TOUCH OF EVIL Universal, 1958>
Looking at the example “He was,” it’s unclear what is being communicated. Thus, grammatically, it’s not a complete sentence. Such verbs require further explanation, which is why they are called incomplete verbs. Since they’re incomplete, they require a complement. Of course, if the subject isn’t a person, it will provoke different kinds of curiosity. For instance, upon hearing “Life is not,” one might imagine it pertains to some object or fact rather than a person. It’s a matter of common sense.
Joe: Well, Life isn’t always what one likes. <Roman Holiday>
The Complete Verb Be
Sometimes the “be” verb is used alone to mean exists, making it a complete verb. In such cases, the “be” verb is not used as “is” but rather means “exists” or “is located at.”
CAROL ANNE FREELING: They are here! (Poltergeist: 1982)
Therefore, “I am here” means “I am here” or “I have arrived.” The “be” verb appearing in expressions like “Here is,” “there is,” is also considered a complete verb.
JUDY GARLAND: There is no place like home. (THE WIZARD OF OZ: 1939)
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