To develop fluency and bring variety in writing style, one must learn sentence structures.

1. Sentences

2. Sentence
• A Sentence is a linguistic unit consisting of one or more words that are grammatically linked, and expresses a
complete thought.
• It can include words grouped, meaningfully to express a statement, question, exclamation, request, and
command or suggestion
• Part of Sentences Subject is a person, place, thing, or idea doing or being something.
• Predicate describes the subject.
Subject Predicate
The lion roared
He writes well
She enjoys going to cinema
The girl is the blue dress arrived late

3. Subjects and predicates
The subject =The noun or pronoun that usually comes before the verb.
The subject tells WHO or WHAT is doing something in the sentence
The Predicate=The verb and all the other words in the sentence.
The PREDICATE tells what the subject is doing
The subject tells who or what is doing something in the sentence
The dog is chasing the cat
Nouns and pronouns can be used as subjects
of a sentence.
Nouns are names of people, places or things

4. Pronouns take the place of nouns.
Pronouns used as Subjects are called Subject Pronouns
Singular Plural
I we
You You
He They
She
It
Two other kinds of words can be used as nouns
They are called Gerunds and Infinitive
Gerunds are made from verbs.
A gerund = Verb + ing
Gerunds are nouns. They can be used as Subjects
Eg..Camping can be dangerous
Cooking is my favorite past time activity
Reading improves your vocabulary

5. • Infinitives are made from verbs
• Infinitives = To +verb
• Infinitives can be used as nouns
• Infinitives can be subjects
Eg..To win is not always possible
To ignore someone is not polite
To fly has been my son’s desire
To graduate is important
Noun and pronouns can be used after the verb
Nouns and pronouns after the action words (verbs ) are called objects
Two kids of objects are called Direct object and indirect objects
The pronouns used as direct object are called Direct pronouns
The direct object is who or what is receiving the action
Eg..John likes Marry
Ravi is eating pizza
The puppy followed us
Object pronouns :
Singular :me ,you ,him ,her ,it
Plural : us ,them ,you

6. Gerunds can be used as direct objects
Eg. Ravi enjoys baking
My children like rollerskating
We enjoyed seeing our friends again
The dog started barking at the stranger
Infinitives can be used as direct objects
Eg ..Mrs Verms plans to bake for the party
Tim loves to sleep with his taddy .
I need to stop at the bank
• The indirect object tells to whom or for whom something is happening
• The indirect object comes before the direct object in the sentence
• Nouns and object pronouns are used as Indirect objects .
John threw David a ball John threw whom a what
John threw David (indirect object) a ball (direct object)

7. The children gave grandmother a present
My sister told me a secret
The office gave Sumit a party .
• If a sentence has an Indirect object, it must have a Direct object
• A sentence can have a Direct object but no Indirect object
• A sentence Cannot have an indirect object without a direct object
Mr.Verma is buying a sweater
Mr.Verma bought his wife(indirect object) a sweater (direct object)
The teacher asked me a question .

8. Sentence Patterns
• Sentences have different PATTERNS
• A PATTERN is a way words are put together in a sentence
• A PATTERN helps you write a good sentence
1.Subject +verb +direct object
I like animals
2.Subject +verb +indirect object +direct object
eg .The teacher gave us a test
3.Subject +verb +adverb
Eg.. The children are playing outside
• We can also put two adverbs together
• The pattern is Subject +verb +adverb +adverb
• The first adverb tells more about the second adverb
• It tells HOW or HOW MUCH or TO WHAT EXTENT
• Sometimes an ADJECTIVE with a NOUN tells WHEN
• This ADJECTIVE WITH A NOUN is called ADVERB PHRASE

9. • Prepositional phrases also tell where ,when or how
• Prepositional phrases can be used as ADVERBS
• Prepositional phrase =Preposition +Noun

10. LINKING VERB
A linking verb connects the subject to the noun or adjective that follows
A linking verb is like a sign between the subject and the noun or adjective
The predicative adjective describes the subject
The predicate noun mean the same thing as the subject or it tells who the subject is
The shirt (subj) looks(linking verb) beautiful (predicative adjective)
My aunt(subj) is (linking verb) a doctor (predicative noun)

11. The dog look mean (Predicative noun)
My sister became an accountant (Predicative adjective )
SENTENCE PATTERNS
S / V /DO /ADV PREP PHRASE /ADV PREP PHRASE
S/ V/DO /ADV PHRASE
S /V / IO /DO /ADV PHRASE
S /V /ADV PREP PHRASE /ADV PHRASE
S/V /DO/ADV PREP PHRASE /ADV PHRASE
S /V /ADV /ADV /ADV PREP PHRASE
S/V /ADV PREP PHRASE /ADV PREP PHRASE

12. Verb of being patterns (1, 2, 3) use a form of the verb to be as the main verb in the sentence.
is are was were has been have been had been
Linking verb patterns (4, 5) use one of the linking verbs as the main verb in the sentence. The linking verb is followed by a
noun or adjective functioning as a subjective complement.
smell taste look feel seem become appear grow
Action verb patterns (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) use one of the many action verbs as the main verb in the sentence. The action verb may
be either transitive (take a direct object) or intransitive (not take a direct object).
see jump embrace write imagine buy plummet think etc.
Terms used to identify various parts of each sentence pattern include the following:
NP = noun phrase
This abbreviation refers to a headword noun and its modifiers ("noun phrase") functioning as a subject, direct object,
indirect object, subjective complement, or objective complement.
NP1, NP2, NP3, etc. = designations for different noun phrase functions
Numbers in sequential order are used with each NP to designate its difference from or similarity to other NPs before
and after it.
V-be = verb of being
LV = linking verb
V-int = intransitive verb
V-tr = transitive verb
ADV/TP = adverbial of time or place
ADJ = adjective

13. 1. NP1 + V-be + ADV/TP
The verb of being is followed by an adverb indicating where or when.
The adverbial indicating where or when may be a prepositional phrase.
2. NP1 + V-be + ADJ
The verb of being is followed by an adjective that functions as the subjective complement
The adjectival functioning as the subjective complement may be a prepositional phrase.

14. 3. NP1 + V-be + NP1
The verb of being is followed by a noun that functions as the subjective complement.
4. NP1 + LV + ADJ
The linking verb is followed by an adjective functioning as a subjective complement.
The adjectival functioning as the subjective complement may be a prepositional phrase.

15. 5. NP1 + LV + NP1
The linking verb is followed by a noun functioning as a subjective complement.
NP1 + V-int
The action verb takes no direct object.
Even if the action verb is followed by a prepositional phrase, the verb is still intransitive as long as it does not take a
direct object.

16. 7. NP1 + V-tr + NP2
The action verb is followed by a direct object.
8. NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + NP3
The action verb is followed by an indirect object and then a direct object.
The indirect object and the direct object each receive a new numerical
designation because each is different from the other and both are different from
the subject.
9. NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + ADJ
The action verb is followed by a direct object. The direct object is followed by an adjective functioning as an
objective complement.
The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject
(NP1

17. 10. NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + NP2
The action verb is followed by a direct object. The direct object is followed by a noun functioning as an objective complement
The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject
(NP1). The third NP, the objective complement, receives the same numerical designation as the direct object (NP2) because
it is the same as the direct object (Jacobsen = friend).

18. Transformation of sentences
1.Active to Passive voice
Eg..Mary gave a ring to Joe -----A ring was given to Marry by Joe
2. Transform to the expletive there is / there are
This transformation requires using a sentence with a verb of being as the main verb.
The sentence pattern must be
NP1 + V-be + ADV/TP. A fly is on the wall.
Two dogs were at the park.
To create the transformation,
1. place there at the beginning of the sentence and
2. reverse positions of the subject and verb.
A fly is on the wall ----There is a fly on the wall
Two dogs were at the park ---There were two dogs at the park
3. Transform to cleft
This transformation allows the writer to emphasize a the sentence subject or object.
This transformation may be used with any of the sentence patterns.

19. There are two ways to create this transformation.
Method #1
1. Begin the sentence with It and the appropriate number and tense of the verb of being,
2. focus on either the subject or direct object, and
3. create a second half for the sentence that begins with who, whom, or that.
Eg..The dog ate the bone ---It was the dog that ate the bone
We consider Vivek intelligent ---It is Vivek whom we consider intelligent
The dog ate the bone ---What the dog ate was bone
Do not change verb tense when creating the cleft transformation.
PAST TENSE: The dog ate the bone.
It was the dog who ate the bone.
It was the bone that the dog ate.
What the dog ate was the bone.
PRESENT TENSE: We consider Joe intelligent.
It is Joe whom we consider intelligent.
PAST TENSE: Joe gave Mary a ring.
What Joe gave Mary was a ring.

20. 4. Transform to negative
This transformation may be used with any of the sentence patterns.
To create the negative transformation
A. with a verb of being as the main verb: Add not to the verb.
Example
Jimmy is my dog –Jimmy is not my dog
5. Transform to interrogative with yes-no answer
Jimmy is my dog –Is Jimmy my dog ?
6. Transform to interrogative
Joe is happy –Why is Joe happy ?
Sentences using which or whose to create the interrogative may not require
adding do/does/did or transposing the positions of the subject and verb.
7. Transform to emphasis / emphatic
This transformation may be used
with all sentence patterns except the verb-of-being patterns.
with action or linking verbs that do not have auxiliary verbs
To make the emphatic transformation, place do, does, or did in front of the verb, as tense and
number dictate.
Examples..The dog eats bone –The dog does eat bone

21. 9.Transform to imperative
This transformation creates a command.
It may be used with all sentence patterns.
To make the imperative transformation, replace the sentence subject with you UNDERSTOOD
and change the verb form to its infinitive form without to.
Examples:I am happy –be happy
The dog eats the bone –Eat the bone
10. Transform to exclamatory
This transformation creates a surprise statement.
It may be used with all sentence patterns.
To make the exclamatory transformation,
place what or how at the beginning of the sentence
rearrange words in the sentence as needed
place an exclamation point at the end of the sentence
The dog eats the bone –What a dog eats bone !