Clause Pattern: Subject – Verb – Direct Object (SVO_d )

This pattern consists of a subject See the glossary definition , a monotransitive verb See the glossary definition , and a direct object See the glossary definition .

• Thissubject is very deep and will needtransitive verb medical treatmentdirect object. (Larkin 2020)

• Solar panels on this roofsubject createtransitive verb energydirect object. (Abbas 2019)

• They travel at high speeds, so theysubject can really damagetransitive verb spacecraftdirect object in a collision. (O’Neill 2023)

• Wesubject have pollutedtransitive verb air and waterdirect object, strewntransitive verb plastic and other trashdirect object on land and in oceans and rivers, and destroyedtransitive verb habitats for plants and animalsdirect object. (Denning 2022)

• Sulfur gasessubject can createtransitive verb acidic fogdirect object, which we call “vog,” for “volcanic fog.” (Johnson 2022)

• Itsubject can changetransitive verb their heart rate and blood pressuredirect object. (Temple 2020)

• When firessubject burntransitive verb plants direct object theysubject are doingtransitive verb exactly the same thing our bodies dodirect object when wesubject eattransitive verb plants direct object : theysubject are releasingtransitive verb the energy stored in the plant direct object. (Archibald 2021)

Many verbs can be both transitive and intransitive. Such verbs are known as ergative verbs See the glossary definition .

• How does educationsubject increasetransitive verb labour productivity?direct object (Teal 2016) (SVO pattern: verb is transitive)

• It’s clear that temperaturessubject will increaseintransitive verb and precipitation will change. (Weatherhead 2021) (SV pattern: verb is intransitive)

• Wesubject would writetransitive verb a songdirect object and just have to remember it. (Noreen 2015) (SVO pattern: verb is transitive)

• Yousubject writetransitive verb differently for your friends, your parents and your teacher. (Britt-Smith 2021) (SVA pattern: verb is intransitive)

Test your understanding of this Subject – Verb – Direct Object (SVO_d ) pattern Go to the (SVO_d) exercise page.