This pattern consists of a subject See the glossary definition , a monotransitive verb See the glossary definition , and a complement See the glossary definition clause. The complement clause may be a that-clause See the glossary definition , a wh-clause See the glossary definition , an infinitive clause See the glossary definition , or an ing-clause See the glossary definition .

That clauses

• Wesubject knowtransitive verb that the Earth has had at least five major ice ages that clause . (Su 2022)

• Wherever we look, wesubject can seetransitive verb that the seasons are changing that clause . (Doddridge 2022)

• Studiessubject showtransitive verb that rising temperatures are already affecting precipitation, glaciers, weather patterns, tropical cyclone activity and severe storms that clause . (Weatherhead 2021)     (info) That clauses can be quite long.

• Wesubject knowtransitive verb that musical tastes begin to crystallize as early as age 13 or 14 that clause. (McAndrew 2019)

• Thissubject showstransitive verb that babies prefer infant-directed speech to adult-directed speech that clause . (Lam-Cassettari 2019)

Wh-clauses

• No onesubject knowstransitive verb who invented music wh-clause . (Dallman 2022)

• There are a couple of ways wesubject can try to tellcomplex verb phrase how old a dinosaur was when it died wh-clause (how is a wh-word) . (Syme 2019)

• Have yousubject ever wonderedtransitive verb why you feel sleepy wh-clause ? (Chronaki 2019)

• Nobodysubject knowstransitive verb where human evolution will lead wh-clause. (Simons 2021)

• Everyone was then tested to seetransitive verb if they could remember what they had typed wh-clause . (Noreen 2015)

Infinitive clauses

• Theysubject were askedtransitive verb to memorise both listsinfinitive clause. (Noreen 2015)

• Anyonesubject can claimtransitive verb to be a journalist infinitive clause , irrespective of their actual function. (Watson 2023)

• Eat less meat and more vegetables, pulses and grains, and don’t forgettransitive verb to turn off the light when leaving a room or the water when shampooing infinitive clause . (Byskov 2019)

• Remember transitive verb to check on elderly or frail neighbours infinitive clause. (Lopes, Power, and Crabtree 2020)      (info)This is an imperative so there is no subject.

• So instead of avoiding products based on speculation, wesubject needtransitive verb to take a holistic look at our own consumption habits infinitive clause . (Marty et al. 2023)

Ing-clauses

• Other electronssubject just keeptransitive verb running around in the atoms ing-clause . (Abbas 2019)

• First, the woodsubject startstransitive verb getting hotter ing-clause . (Nolan 2019)

• When the baby planet gets massive enough, the force of gravitysubject beginstransitive verb crushing it, making it denser ing-clause ("making it denser" is a result arverbial) . (Laycock 2023)

• In fact, studies have found that by the time we turn 33, most of ussubject have stoppedtransitive verb listening to new music ing-clause. (McAndrew 2019)

• Isubject can remembertransitive verb being a baby ing-clause . (Justice, Conway, and Akhtar 2018)

See more examples in the glossary

Test your understanding of this Subject – Verb – Complement (SVC) pattern Go to the (SVC) exercise page.

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