Arabic and English Sentence Patterns: A Comparative Guide

20 | P a g e abbreviations. Definitions are specific to the chart s 44 and are provided for only those terms not discussed elsewhere in the text. = subject of main (independent) clause = subject of subordinate (dependent) clause = verb or verb phrase = modal auxiliary = predicate: noun, adjective, or adverb phrase that follows a linking verb = primary auxiliary = direct object: noun phrase that receives the action of a verb = indirect object: noun phrase that indicates the recipient of a direct object = object complement: word or phrase that describes or renames a direct object = adjective: modifies/describes a noun = adverb/adverbial (incl. prepositional phrase): modifies/describes a verb, adjective, or other adverb = preposition or prepositional phrase = participle = gerund: noun that refers to action = particle (except interrogative): uninflected function word = interrogative particle = conjunction: connects sentence elements = negation = demonstrative: pronoun or adjective that determines location or other quality of a noun phrase = clause marker or subordinator = past tense = present tense = progressive aspect = perfective aspect = infinitive = indicative mood = subjunctive mood = imperative mood = jussive mood = active voice = passive voice = contraction Above the sentence “Didn’t the student study?” you will see . This indicates a primary auxiliary ( did ) in its past-tense form contracted with a negative adverb ( not ), then the subject, then the verb in its infinitive form.