Semua Kalimat dalam bahasa Inggris memiliki subjek dan kata kerja atau verba (sering disebut juga sebagai predikat). Kalimat sederhana (simple sentences) merupakan independent clause (klausa lengkap/bebas) yang setidaknya memiliki satu subjek dan satu verba. Hal ini tidak berarti bahwa kalimat sederhana itu harus pendek. Bisa jadi kalimat sederhana itu merupakan kalimat yang panjang karena tidak mengandung dependent clause (klausa tak-lengkap/terikat), contohnya:
The waitresses are basking in the sun like a herd of skinned seals, their pinky-brown bodies shining with oil.
Subjek = the waitresses
Predikat = are basking
Adverbia = in the sun like a herd of skinned seals, their pinky-brown bodies shining with oil.
Dan biasanya kalimat sederhana bisa memiliki lebih dari satu subjek atau lebih dari satu verba. Perhatikan contoh kalimat sederhana di bawah ini, subjek diberi satu garis bawah, sedangkan verba diberi huruf tebal dan garis bawah.
1 subjek: Smith went to the Hamptons last weekend.
2 subjek: Smith and his brother went to the Hamptons last weekend.
3 subjek: Smith, Davis, and Clarkwent to the Hamptons last weekend.
1 verba: The secretary answered the phone.
2 verba: The secretary answered the phone and wrote a message.
3 verba: The secretaryanswered the phone, wrote a message, and gave it to Mary.
Beberapa contoh kalimat sederhana:
I loved him.
Anne has lost her keys.
Let’s go for a walk.
What are you doing?
Don’t be silly.
All flowers and foodstuffswill be delivered freshly and safelythe following day.
Beberapa kalimat sederhana memiliki struktur yang agak rumit karena adanya penambahan there dalam kalimat.
There were two dogs in the garden.
There is someone at the door.
There must be something wrong.
There were some lambs gamboling in the field.
There must be something worrying her.
Bentuk kata seru, panggilan, sapaan, atau ungkapan juga sering menjadi pelengkap kalimat sederhana Yang Digunakan Dalam ragam percakapan:
George, don’t do that.
Can I help you, madam?
Gosh, that’s amazing!
No, I don’t want any more cake, thank you.
Bahkan bila sebuah kalimat itu diawali dengan kata penghubung atau konjungsi (conjunctions), kalimat itu tetap dikatakan sebagai kalimat sederhana jika memiliki unsur subjek dan predikat dan merupakan klausa lengkap (independent clause). Perhatikan contoh kalimat di bawah ini dan kalimat sederhana yang diberi tanda huruf tebal.
The soldiers had many more adventures after they reached France. But that’s another story.
You boys will have to work very hard if you’re going to pass your exams. And you must start right away.
Berikut ini adalah tujuh pola kalimat yang biasa digunakan pada kalimat sederhana dalam bentuk pernyataan (declarative/statement).
SV
Subject + Verb
Mary yelled.
We all breathe.
The visitors have arrived.
The old man died.
Verba yang digunakan Dalam Pola Kalimat ini adalah intransitive verb.
SVO
Subject + Verb + Object
I sent a book.
That lecture bored me.
The kids have eaten all the sandwiches.
The shop sells computers.
Verba yang digunakan dalam Pola Kalimat Ini adalah transitive verb.
SVC
Subject + Verb + Complement
I am a student.
He is getting angry.
This jacket is nice.
The song became a big hit.
Verba yang Digunakan Dalam Pola Kalimat Ini Adalah linking verb.
SVA
Subject + Verb + Adverbial
The match is tomorrow.
They work carefully.
The meetings are every month.
My friend went to Bali.
Adverbia dalam Pola Kalimat ini bisa berupa adverbial phrases, prepositional phrasesatau noun phrases.
SVOO
Subject + Verb + Object + Object
The girl gave him a book.
She gave the children gifts.
We should give the children presents.
Sarah sent me a text message.
Sarah sent a text message to me.
Ada dua objek dalam pola kalimat sederhana ini, biasanya objek yang pertama berupa indirect object dan objek yang kedua direct object. Tetapi bila direct objectdigunakan mendahului indirect object, maka preposisi to atau for harus ditambahkan setelah direct object.
SVOC
Subject + Verb + Object + Complement
His sister called him a genius.
The project kept everyone very busy.
All the publicity made the song a big hit.
She made me crazy.
SVOA
Subject + Verb + Object + Adverbial
He drinks coffee every day.
I put my mobile in my pocket.
The police got the car out of the river.
I saw him last night.
Catatan
Complement bisa berupa adjectives, nouns, adjective + noun, pronouns, adverbs of place or time, prepositional phrases.
Adverbia tambahan juga bisa disisipkan dalam kalimat sederhana:
Slowly the old people have just left.
The visitors have justarrived.
To my surprise, Sarah actually sent me a text message right away.
