I. The simple sentence

1. Dusk - of a summer night.

It is a simple extended one-member declarative sentence.

Dusk is the main (principal) part of this sentence. It is expressed by a common noun in the common case.

of a summer night is an attribute to the main part. It is expressed by a prepositional phrase.

2. Stop talking!

It is an imperative exclamatory sentence.

Stop talking is the predicate. It is a compound phasal verbal predicate. It consists of two parts. The first

part is expressed by the phasal verb stop in the imperative mood. It denotes the end of the action.

The second part is expressed by a non-perfect gerund active denoting the action itself.

3. Could’ve been professional.

It is a simple unextended two-member elliptical declarative sentence. The position of the subject is not filled with a word form.

Could’ve been professional is the predicate. It is a mixed type of predicate.

Could is the modal part expressed by the verb can in the subjunctive mood. It denotes a possibility

referring to the past.

have been is a link-verb expressed by a perfect infinitive. It is a link-verb of being.

professional is a predicative expressed by an adjective in the positive degree.

4. Old Jolyon watching from his corner saw his brother’s face change.

It is a simple, extended, two-member sentence.

Jolyon is the subject expressed by a proper noun in the common case.

Old is an attribute to the subject. It is expressed by an adjective in the positive degree.

watching from his corner is an attribute to the subject (or an adverbial modifier of time) expressed by a

participial phrase with participle I as headword.

saw is the predicate. It is a simple verbal predicate expressed by the verb to see in the past indefinite

active.

his brother’s face change is a complex object expressed by an objective with the infinitive construction; it

consists of a nominal phrase (his brother’s face) and a non-perfect infinitive.

Note:

Verbal and non-verbal complexes are to be treated as one indivisible part of the sentence.

5. Is the weather not likely to change?

It is a simple unextended two-member interrogative sentence.

the weather is the subject expressed by a common noun. in the common case.

Is not likely to change is the predicate. It is a compound verbal predicate of double orientation. It consists

of two parts.

Is not likely is the first part. It denotes the estimate of the speaker of, or his attitude to, the situation

described in the sentence. It is expressed by a phrase with a modal meaning.

to change is the second part. It denotes the action itself and is expressed by a non-perfect infinitive.

6. The whole house being made of wood, it looked good.

It is a simple extended two-member declarative sentence.

it is the subject expressed by a personal pronoun of the 3rd person singular.

looked good is the predicate. It is a compound nominal predicate, consisting of a link verb and a

predicative.

looked is a link verb expressed by the past indefinite of the link verb to look, which is a link verb of being

in a state.

the whole house being made of wood is an adverbial modifier of reason expressed by a nominative

absolute participial construction.

7. I found my life dull.

It is a simple extended two-member declarative sentence.

I is the subject expressed by a personal pronoun of the 1st person singular.

found is a simple verbal predicate expressed by the past indefinite of the verb to find.

my life dull is a predicative complex (or a complex object) expressed by an objective non-verbal

construction (or by an object + objective predicative).