The Simple Sentence

Main Parts:

The Subjec t is usually expressed by a substantive or a pronoun. (he: sae:de, Ohthere sae:de)

The Predicate: simple verbal, expressed by the form of one verb or in some cases analytical: Ne con ic noht singan. Hwaethre thu: canst singan (But thou canst sing) Hwaeat sceal ic singan? A nominal predicate is always compound: He: waes swy:the spe:dig man.

Secondary parts:

The object: can be expressed by substantives or pronouns in the accusative, dative or genitive case. There are 2 objects: direct and indirect. Direct object with so called transitive verbs is expressed by a substantive in the accusative case: saegdon sum ha:lig spell (told some holy story). There may 2 objects, the indirect object, unlike the direct, is in the dative case: sin¯ me: hwxDwu¯u

The Attribute: (addjective, pronoun or numeral or by a substantive in the genitive case), or by a phrase: preposition + substantive: he: waes swy:the spedig man

The Apposition: is found in many OE texts (King Alfred)

The Adverbial Modifier may be expressed either by an adverb or by a phrase “preposition + substantive”.: Tha: e:ode he: ha:m. (then he went home)

The Direct Address: can be represented by a single word or a phrase Cedmon, sing me: hwaethwugu. Sunu mi:n, hlyste mi:nre la:re (my son, listen to my teaching)

Paranthesis are not frequent in OE texts. They are represnted either by adverbs or by phrases” preposition + substantive”: hwaethre thu: meaht singan. (however, thou canst sing.)

Word Order:

Subject and Predicate:

Declarative sentences: 1) If the sentence opens an adverbial modifier, it is the predicate that usually comes first, the subject following: tha: ongan he: so:na singan (then began he soon to sing).2) normally the subject comes first: Ohthere saede…

Interrogative sentences: the predicate comes first: Hwaet sceal ic singan?

The main parts form, as it were, a kind of frame, which encloses the secondary parts.

There are sentences introduced by ‘hit’ and ‘thae:r:, the prototypes of ‘formal it and” the phrase: there is.

Negation: the number of negative words in a sentence is not limited The most common particle is NE which was placed before the verb and often accompanied by other negative words, mostly na:ht or no:ht. They reinforced the meaning of negation. Ne con ic no:ht singan. Ne could be attached to some verbs, pronouns and adverbs to form single words: he: ne mohte na:n thing gese:on (he could not see anything (na:n form ne + a:n= not one. Hence modern: none, never, neither