Structuring a sentence

Structuring sentences

Verbs Transitive and Intransitive verbsSimple TensesPerfect TensesContinuous TensesPhrasal verbs

NounsIdentifying noun phrasesPluralsAdjectivesIdentifying adjectivesArticlesIdentifying when to use an article

index

Words are grouped together according to the functions they perform in a sentence. There are ten parts of speech in English. Nouns (or pronouns) and verbs are essential to the structure of a sentence, but it's the other parts of speech, including adjecives, adverbs, conjunctions and prepositions, that make a sentence interesting.

beach.

local

the

to

straight

we

so

early,

arrived

went

Amy

friend

My

Structuring sentences

hand.

's

Emily

from

bread

of

piece

snatched

down

flock

afternoon

Nouns are often known as "naming" words. Every sentence must include at least a noun or a pronoun. Most nouns can be either singular or plural, and can be divided into two main groups: common and proper nouns.

birds

the

of

and

when

was ruined

swooped

's

goat

The

Nouns

1.

staying singular

info

irregular plural nouns

words ending in...

info

info

info

replace -fe with v then add -es

-fe

replace -f with -v then add -es

-f

replace y with i and add -es

-y

add -es

-s, -x, -z, -sh, -ch, -ss

The word plural reders to the form a noun takes when more than one thing is being mentioned. Most nouns have distinctive singular and plural forms

Plurals

1.

common noun

prepositional phrase

noun phrase

noun phrase

noun phrase

in the field

hungry

hungry

The

The

is named Billy.

is named Billy.

is named Billy.

The

goat

goat

goat

goat

A noun phrase is made up of a noun and any words that are modifying that noun. These modifying words are usully articles such as the or a, determiners such as my, this, or most, adjectives such as happy or hungry, or prepositional phrases such as in the field. Noun phrases perform exactly the same role as common nouns in a sentence.

Identifying noun phrases

1.

Singular Pluralhoof hoofs or hooves dwarf dwarfs or dwarves mango mangos or mangoes buffalo buffalo or buffaloes index indices or indexes focus focuses or foci

Singular Pluralecho echoes hero heroes potato potatoes tomato tomatoes

Singular Pluralchild children woman women person people man men foot feet tooth teeth goose geese mouse mice ox oxen

Singular Pluralsheep sheep deer deer moose moose series series scissors scissors

Singular Pluralanalysis analyses appendix appendices crisis crises

Singular Pluralquiz quizzes

Singular Pluralbelief beliefs chief chiefs cliff cliffs roof roofs

irregular plural nouns

Plurals

1.

knowledge

livestock

weather

evidence

information

education

furniture

Collective nouns such as flock or crowd have plural forms, but usually appear in the singular. Some nouns do not have a plural form at all, even though they usually represent multiple things. Furniture, for example, is a singular word, but it may encompass a table, a chair, a sofa and a wardrobe.

staying singular

Plurals

1.

and

A noun by itself does not offer much information. If a man wanted to buy a shirt in a shop, he would need to narrow down what he was looking for by descriptive words like thin or silky. These words are adjectives.

ravenous.

felt

he

because

meal

Chinese

ate

blue, green and white

painter

day-old

his

took off

overalls

weary

The

Adjectives

2.

painter

weary

painter

decidedly

painter

hungry

painter

weary

This is not an adjective:the sentence does not make sense

decidedly

hungry,

Adverbs such as very and extremely can be used to exaggerate the state of a subject. These adverbs are sometimes confused with adjectives. A simple way of checking whether a word is an adjective or an adverb is to break down the sentence, pairing each descriptive word in turn with the noun to see if the resulting phrase makes sense.

Identifying adjectives

2.

The zero article is used for the concept of bread in general .

The definite article can be used for a specific piece of bread .

bread

the bread

one bread two breads

This noun cannot be counted .

bread

an elephant

the elephant

one elephant two elephants

This noun can be counted so the definite or indefinite article can be used.

elephant

If a singular noun can be counted, this noun will require an article - definite or indefinite. For example, "I saw elephant today" does not make sense. Some nouns, such as happiness, information, bread, do not have a plural form, and therefore cannot be counted. These nouns can be used without an article (zero article) or with the definite article. They never take the indefinite article.

Identifying when to use an article

3.

the deer

some nuts

The nuts are being trhown.

the deer

indirect object

object

The deer is receiveing the direct object

the action

The subject, a noun is performing the action

threw

The racoon

verb

subject

the action

The direct object - the tree - is being climbed by the subject, the racoon.

the action

The subject, a noun is performing the action

the three

climbed

The racoon

object

verb

subject

A verb is the most important word in a sentence; without it the sentence would not make any sense. Verbs describe what a person or thing is doing or being.

Verbs

4.

INTRANSITIVE VERBS

The verb makes sense without an object.

destroyed

The train

verb

subject

TRANSITIVE VERBS

the action

The object answers the question "What did the fire destroy?"

the forest

destroyed

A fire

object

verb

subject

Action verbs can be divided into two types - transitive and intransitive.

Verbs

4.

CLOSE-UP

Simple Tenses Timeline

+ info

+ info

+ info

FUTURE

I shall cry/ you will cry

I smile

PRESENT

I laughed

PAST

the action

Unlike most parts of speech, verbs change their form. These different forms, known as tenses, indicate the timing of an action, which is performed by the first, second or third person.

Simple Tenses

4.

Perfect Tenses Timeline

+ info

+ info

+ info

FUTURE

I will have offended

I have disappeared

PRESENT

I had escaped

PAST

the action

The perfect tenses refer to actions that are completed over a period of time.

Perfect Tenses

4.

Continuous Tenses Timeline

+ info

+ info

+ info

+ info

FUTURE

I will be watching

I am hiding

I have been hiding.The guard had been searching. They will have been following.

PERFECT

PRESENT

I had escaped

PAST

the action

The continuous tenses are used to emphasise that an action is ongoing at a particular point in time.

Continuous Tenses

4.

looking

was

taking

was

me

early

who

A phrasal verb is a compound of a verb and an adverb, a verb and a preposition, or a verb, an adverb and a preposition. Phrasal verbs work like regular verbs but they are mostly used in informal speech.

Daniel

Paul,

forward to

the game.

ran into

We

out

got up

because

for lunch.

Phrasal Verbs

5.

The information necessary for the current presentation was taken from: Vorderman C., Help your kids with English, DK (2013)

Bibliography