Unit-I Sentence

What is a sentence?
• Group of words containing a subject and a verb that express a complete sense of a
statement, or a question.
• A written sentence always begins with a capital letter and always ends with a question
mark or an exclamation mark.

Why this knowledge?

• A proper arrangement of words is needed to express our beliefs, thoughts and ideas.
• To communicate easily.

Subject: What or whom the sentence is about.

eg: The cat is sleeping in the box.
• Predicate: part of the sentence, or a clause, that tells what the subject is doing or what the
subject is.
eg: The cat is sleeping in the box.
• How to identify a subject? (remember noun or pronoun)
• How to identify a predicate? (contains a verb in addition to a possible modifier)
eg: He reads.
(Modifier: word, phrase or clause that modifies, that is, gives information about another
word in the same sentence. eg: spicy burger, vegetarian hot-dog)

Object: noun or pronoun that is acted upon by a verb or a preposition. (I caught a fish.)
Direct object
 You can find the direct object by finding the verb and asking the question “what”
or “whom”
eg: Please pass the book. (verb? / what?)
 I don’t have a bank account because I don’t have an identity proof. (verb? /
what?)
 Ally is recovering from a massive heart attack. (phrasal verb/ object)

Indirect object: recipient or beneficiary of the action (usually a person)

• You can find the indirect object by finding the verb and the object and then asking “for or
to whom/what” (the words “for” or “to” will be present)
eg: Give a girl the right shoe and she can conquer the world.
(give right shoes to whom)
eg: Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy.
(show a hero to whom)
 Object of preposition: noun or pronoun govern by a preposition.
– eg: He lives among us/in Berlin.
– I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together.

Types of sentence on the basis of function

Declarative sentence (statement) (to declare)
• Use it to convey a message, facts, ideas
– You are a very good boy.
– I feel lazy today.
– I am teaching right now.
Interrogative sentence: ask question or enquire something. Ends or punctuated with a
question mark (?).
• 3 main types of questions.
– WH-word question
– Choice question
– Yes/no question
– Do you want extra cheese for your pizza?
– What are you doing in the garden?
 – Where do you prefer to go, Greece or Norway?
Exclamatory sentence: expresses strong emotions such as happiness, anger, grief,
sadness (end with signs of punctuation)
– Congratulations, You have cracked the exam!
– Wow, the landscape is scenic!
– She lost her brother in an accident!
Imperative sentence: use to give command, order, instruct, make request or plea. If
imperative sentence express strong emotion then it often ends with a punctuation (!).
– Shut the door, please!
– Shut the door!
– Fill-up the forms using black pen.

Sentence on the basis of function

Simple sentence: have a single independent clause that contains a subject that can
describe a person or thing by which an action is performed/ also has a predicate, a verb
that describes the action of the subject.
• He bought a new pencil.
• Aman is writing a letter.

Compound sentence: made up of two or more independent clause joined by a co-

ordinating conjunction or a semi colon (;)
• He has bought a new car but he comes to the office by a bus.
• Ana typed an email but forgot to sent the email.

Complex sentence: made up of one independent clause and one or more dependent
clauses. In a sentence, these clauses are joined or linked with one another by
subordinating conjunctions like when, after, because etc. and by relative pronouns
like who, which, that, etc.
• After he bought a new car, the boy went on a long drive.
• The boy who is dark and tall and wore a red t-shirt, has gone for a long drive as he
bought a new car.