Viet luan tieng Anh ( Clause structure )

All clauses in English have at least two parts: a noun phrase and a verb phrase: Noun phrase (subject) Verb phrase The children All the people in the bus laughed were watching But most clauses have more than two parts: Noun phrase (subject) Verb phrase The children John All of the girls This soup Mary and the family She laughed wanted are learning tastes were driving put a new bicycle English awful to Madrid the flowers in a vase The first noun phrase is the subject of the sentence: The children laughed. John wanted a new bicycle. All the girls are learning English. She put the flowers in the vase. English clauses always have a subject: His father has just retired. Was a teacher. He was a teacher. I’m waiting for my wife. Is late. She is late. … except for the imperative which is used to give orders: Stop! Go away. … and for "soft imperatives" like invitations and requests: Please come to dinner tomorrow. Play it again please. If we have no other subject we use "there" or "it" as subject. We call this a ‘dummy subject’: There were twenty people at the meeting.. There will be an eclipse of the moon tonight. It’s a lovely day. It’s nearly one o’clock. I have toothache. It hurts a lot