Sentences

1. Declarative Sentences

These sentences make a statement or express an idea.

• Structure: Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)
  • Examples:
    • She writes a letter.
    • They are going to the park.
    • The book is on the table.

2. Interrogative Sentences

These sentences ask a question.

a. Yes/No Questions

• Structure: Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)?
  • Examples:
    • Is she coming?
    • Do you like pizza?
    • Will they attend the meeting?

b. WH-Questions

• Structure: WH-word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)?
  • Examples:
    • What are you doing?
    • Where is the library?
    • Why did she leave early?

c. Tag Questions

• Structure: Declarative Sentence + Tag?
  • Examples:
    • You’re coming, aren’t you?
    • He doesn’t eat meat, does he?

3. Imperative Sentences

These sentences give commands, requests, or advice.

• Structure: Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)
  • Examples:
    • Close the door.
    • Please help me with this.
    • Don’t talk during the lecture.

4. Exclamatory Sentences

These sentences express strong emotion or excitement.

• Structure: What/How + Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)!
  • Examples:
    • What a beautiful day it is!
    • How amazing this place is!

5. Conditional Sentences

These sentences describe hypothetical or real conditions.

a. Zero Conditional (Facts or Universal Truths)

• Structure: If + Present Simple, Present Simple
  • Example: If you heat water, it boils.

b. First Conditional (Possible Future Condition)

• Structure: If + Present Simple, Future Simple
  • Example: If it rains, we will stay indoors.

c. Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future Condition)

• Structure: If + Past Simple, Would + Base Verb
  • Example: If I were rich, I would travel the world.

d. Third Conditional (Unreal Past Condition)

• Structure: If + Past Perfect, Would Have + Past Participle
  • Example: If I had studied, I would have passed the exam.

e. Mixed Conditional (Combining Past and Present/Future)

• Structure: If + Past Perfect, Would + Base Verb
  • Example: If I had taken the job, I would be happier now.

6. Simple Sentences

Contain one independent clause.

• Structure: Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)
  • Example: The cat sleeps.

7. Compound Sentences

Contain two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.

• Structure: Independent Clause + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause
  • Examples:
    • I went to the store, and I bought some bread.
    • She is tired, but she will finish her work.

8. Complex Sentences

Contain one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.

• Structure: Independent Clause + Subordinating Conjunction + Dependent Clause
  • Examples:
    • I stayed home because it was raining.
    • Although he was tired, he kept working.

9. Compound-Complex Sentences

Contain two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

• Structure: (Independent Clause + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause) + Dependent Clause
  • Examples:
    • She went to the store, and she bought vegetables because she wanted to cook dinner.
    • Although it was late, he went for a walk, and he enjoyed the fresh air.

10. Passive Sentences

These sentences emphasize the object rather than the subject.

• Structure: Object + Auxiliary Verb + Past Participle (+ by Subject)
  • Examples:
    • The cake was baked by Mary.
    • The letter is being written.

11. Inverted Sentences

In these sentences, the verb precedes the subject (often for emphasis or questions).

• Structure: Verb + Subject (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)
  • Examples:
    • Never have I seen such beauty.
    • Here comes the train.

12. Cleft Sentences

Used to emphasize a part of the sentence.

a. It-Cleft

• Structure: It + Be + Emphasized Part + Relative Clause
  • Example: It was John who broke the vase.

b. What-Cleft

• Structure: What + Clause + Be + Emphasized Part
  • Example: What I need is a cup of coffee.

 there are four main types of sentence structures, each categorized by the number and type of clauses they contain.

1. Simple Sentence

A simple sentence contains one independent clause and expresses a complete thought. It has a subject and a predicate.

• Structure: Subject + Verb (+ Object/Complement/Modifiers)
• Characteristics:
  • No dependent clauses
  • Can include compound subjects or predicates
• Examples:
  • The dog barked.
  • She sings beautifully.
  • Tom and Jerry went to the park and played.

2. Compound Sentence

A compound sentence contains two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, a semicolon, or a conjunctive adverb.

• Structure: Independent Clause + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause
• Coordinating Conjunctions: FANBOYS (For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So)
• Characteristics:
  • No dependent clauses
  • Each clause can stand alone as a separate sentence
• Examples:
  • I wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining.
  • She studied for her exam; she passed with flying colors.
  • You can watch a movie, or you can read a book.

3. Complex Sentence

A complex sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent (subordinate) clause. The dependent clause cannot stand alone and relies on the independent clause to form a complete thought.

• Structure:
  • Subordinate Clause + Independent Clause
  • OR
  • Independent Clause + Subordinate Clause
• Subordinating Conjunctions: Because, Although, When, If, While, Since, etc.
• Characteristics:
  • The subordinate clause may act as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
• Examples:
  • Because it was raining, we stayed indoors.
  • I will call you when I get home.
  • She smiled although she was tired.

4. Compound-Complex Sentence

A compound-complex sentence contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

• Structure:
  (Independent Clause + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause) + Dependent Clause
  OR
  (Independent Clause + Dependent Clause) + Coordinating Conjunction + Independent Clause
• Characteristics:
  • Combines elements of compound and complex sentences
  • Requires careful punctuation
• Examples:
  • Although she was tired, she finished her homework, and she went to bed early.
  • We went to the park, but it started raining before we could have a picnic.
  • He didn’t study for the test because he was sick, yet he still managed to pass.

Key Components of Sentence Structure

1. Independent Clause: A group of words that has a subject and predicate and expresses a complete thought.
   • Example: She is reading a book.
2. Dependent Clause: A group of words that has a subject and predicate but does not express a complete thought.
   • Example: Because it is raining.
3. Subject: The person, place, thing, or idea performing the action or being described.
   • Example: John runs every day.
4. Predicate: The part of the sentence that tells what the subject does or what happens to it.
   • Example: John runs every day.

1. Subject

The subject of a sentence is the person, thing, or idea performing the action or being described. It answers the question, “Who or what is the sentence about?”

• Types of Subjects:
  1. Simple Subject: The main word (noun or pronoun) that acts as the subject.
     • Example: The cat is sleeping.
  2. Complete Subject: The simple subject along with its modifiers.
     • Example: The small, fluffy cat is sleeping.
  3. Compound Subject: Two or more subjects joined by a conjunction.
     • Example: Tom and Jerry are playing.

2. Main Verb

The main verb expresses the action, occurrence, or state of being in the sentence. It is the core of the predicate.

• Types of Verbs:
  1. Action Verb: Shows physical or mental action.
     • Example: She runs fast.
  2. Linking Verb: Connects the subject to a subject complement (a word that describes or renames the subject).
     • Example: He is a doctor.
  3. Auxiliary (Helping) Verb: Used with the main verb to show tense, mood, or voice.
     • Example: She is running a marathon.

3. Object

An object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb or is affected by it. There are two main types:

a. Direct Object

• Receives the action of the verb directly. It answers “What?” or “Whom?” after the verb.
  • Example: She wrote a letter.
  • (What did she write? A letter.)

b. Indirect Object

• Tells to whom, for whom, to what, or for what the action is done. It comes before the direct object.
  • Example: She gave him a gift.
  • (To whom did she give the gift? Him.)

4. Complement

A complement is a word or group of words that completes the meaning of a verb. Unlike objects, complements are not directly affected by the action of the verb.

a. Subject Complement

• Follows a linking verb and renames or describes the subject.
  • Predicate Nominative: Renames the subject.
    • Example: She is a teacher.
  • Predicate Adjective: Describes the subject.
    • Example: The sky looks blue.

b. Object Complement

• Renames or describes the direct object.
  • Example: They elected her president.
  • (President renames her.)

5. Modifiers

Modifiers are words, phrases, or clauses that provide additional information about a subject, verb, or object. They answer questions like “Which one?”, “What kind?”, “How?”, “When?”, “Where?”, and “Why?”

a. Adjectives (Modify Nouns)

• Example: She bought a red car.
  • (Red tells us the kind of car.)

b. Adverbs (Modify Verbs, Adjectives, or Other Adverbs)

• Example: He runs quickly.
  • (Quickly tells us how he runs.)

c. Phrases (Groups of words acting as modifiers)

• Example: The book on the table is mine.
  • (On the table modifies book.)

d. Clauses (Dependent clauses acting as modifiers)

• Example: The man who is wearing a hat is my uncle.
  • (Who is wearing a hat modifies man.)

Examples of Sentence Breakdown

1. Simple Sentence: She reads books.
   • Subject: She
   • Main Verb: reads
   • Object: books
2. Sentence with Complement: The soup tastes delicious.
   • Subject: The soup
   • Main Verb: tastes
   • Complement: delicious
3. Sentence with Modifiers: The tall boy ran quickly to the store.
   • Subject: The tall boy (complete subject with modifiers: the tall)
   • Main Verb: ran
   • Modifiers: quickly (modifies the verb ran), to the store (modifies where he ran).