Free English Sentence Analyzer — Parse Grammar and Structure Online
Decode any English sentence — see subject, predicate, tense, parts of speech, and the grammar patterns it uses. Each word in your result links to the ESLBuzz dictionary for definitions, IPA, and CEFR level.
Analyze Any English Sentence
Common English Sentence Patterns
Most English sentences follow one of a small number of structural patterns. Understanding them makes parsing — and writing — much easier.
Subject + Verb + Object
The most common English pattern. A subject performs an action on a direct object — used with transitive verbs.
- "I drink coffee."
- "She loves music."
When to use: Use with transitive verbs that take a direct object (eat, like, write, build).
Subject + Verb + Object + Adverbial
A subject acts on an object, then an adverbial phrase tells when, where, or how.
- "She put the book on the shelf."
- "I drink coffee in the morning."
When to use: Use to add time, place, or manner information to a transitive action.
Subject + Verb + Adverbial
A subject acts, followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase. There is no direct object.
- "He runs fast."
- "The train arrives at noon."
When to use: Use with intransitive verbs that need extra information (run, sleep, live, arrive).
Subject + Verb + Complement
A linking verb (be, seem, become) joins the subject to a complement that describes it.
- "She is happy."
- "He became a teacher."
When to use: Use with linking verbs to describe a state, identity, or quality.
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
A ditransitive verb takes both an indirect object (recipient) and a direct object (thing).
- "I gave her a gift."
- "He told me the story."
When to use: Use with ditransitive verbs (give, send, tell, show, offer, lend).
Subject + Verb + to-infinitive
A subject and verb followed by an infinitive phrase (to + verb).
- "I want to learn English."
- "They decided to leave early."
When to use: Use with verbs like want, like, hope, decide, need, agree, plan, expect.
Subject + Verb + that-clause
A subject and verb followed by a clause introduced by "that".
- "She said that she was tired."
- "I think that we should go."
When to use: Use with reporting verbs (say, think, believe, hope, know, agree).
Subject + Verb
Simplest pattern: a subject and an intransitive verb with no object or complement.
- "Birds sing."
- "The baby smiled."
When to use: Use with intransitive verbs that do not need an object (sing, smile, sleep, arrive).
How to Improve English Sentence Structure
Five concrete habits make English sentences clearer and more natural. Apply them when you draft, then re-run the analyzer to see the difference.
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Vary sentence length
Mix short, punchy sentences with longer ones. A run of identical-length sentences feels mechanical to readers and signals weak rhythm to graders.
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Prefer active voice
Active voice ("The team finished the report") is clearer and shorter than passive ("The report was finished by the team"). Use passive only when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
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Place modifiers near what they modify
Adverbs and adjective phrases should sit beside the word they describe. Misplaced modifiers are a top cause of ambiguous sentences in ESL writing.
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Use parallel structure in lists
Items joined by "and", "or", or "but" should share grammatical form: all gerunds, all noun phrases, all infinitives. Parallel lists read smoothly and pass schema validators.
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Avoid run-ons and fragments
A run-on jams two complete thoughts together without a connector. A fragment is missing a subject or verb. Both confuse readers — break run-ons with a period or conjunction, and complete fragments with the missing part.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sentence Analysis
How do I analyze an English sentence?
Type or paste a sentence and click Analyze. The tool returns the subject, predicate, tense, a word-by-word grammar breakdown linked to the dictionary, and the grammar patterns the sentence uses.
What is sentence structure in English?
Sentence structure describes how words are arranged. Common English patterns are S+V (subject + verb), S+V+O (subject + verb + object), S+V+C (subject + verb + complement), and S+V+O+A (subject + verb + object + adverbial).
What are the parts of an English sentence?
A sentence has a subject (who or what does the action), a predicate built around a verb (the action), and often objects, complements, or adverbials that complete the meaning.
How can I tell if a sentence is grammatically correct?
Check three things: subject-verb agreement, consistent tense across the sentence, and that the sentence is a complete thought rather than a fragment or run-on. The analyzer flags the tense and pattern so you can spot mistakes faster.
What are the most common sentence patterns in English?
The five most common patterns are S+V, S+V+O, S+V+C, S+V+O+A and S+V+to-infinitive. These cover the majority of everyday English sentences.