CHAPTER 4: SENTENCES

Aims of Chapter 4

•Students can identify what a sentence is.

•Students can identify different types of
sentences by structure and function.
•Students can form grammatically correct
sentences to effectively communicate
with others.
 Individual work
1. What is a sentence?
2. What are different types of sentences?
 I. Definition
A sentence
• is a group of words beginning with a capital
letter & ending with a (.), (?) , (!).
• forms a complete idea.
• makes a statement.
• asks a question.
• makes a request.
 I. Definition
For example:
The old man sighed.
I don’t understand what you’re telling me.
A cry of horror went up from the crowd.
What shall we do now?
Have you got any change?
Get out of my way!
 II. Types of sentences
1. Simple, compound, complex, &
compound-complex sentences
2. Positive & negative sentences
3. Interrogative sentences & Question tags
4. Active & passive sentences
1. Simple, compound, complex, &
compound-complex sentences
 Individual work

What are simple, compound, complex, &

compound-complex sentences? Give
examples.
 1.1. Simple sentence
A simple sentence includes one finite clause with no co-
ordination or subordination of clauses.
For example:
1. Mary is opening the letter. (one S+ one P)
2. All flowers and foodstuffs will be delivered freshly the
following day. (compound subject)
3. You must start right away.
4. There must be something worrying her.
5. Can I help you, madam?
6. Gosh, that’s amazing!
 1.2. Compound sentence

A compound sentence is a sentence that consists of two or

more co-ordinate clauses.
For example:
1. You can go and I will stay.
2. Either she goes or I do.
3. He looked at her, scratched his head and laughed.
4. He came in, he looked at us, he left again. (no
conjunction)
 1.3. Complex sentence
A complex sentence is a sentence that consists of one
main clause and one or more subordinate clauses.
For example:
1. I’ll tell you when I get home.
2. He said that he had finished what he was doing.
3. Being aware of the dangers ahead, he took a
different route.
4. I did it because I love you and (because) we need
the money. (conjunction added)
 1.4. Compound-Complex sentence
A compound-complex sentence consists of two or more
main clauses and at least one subordinate clause.
For example:
1. I’ll go with her and show her that there are no
monsters under her bed.
2. Come if you can and I’ll meet you there.
2. Positive & negative sentences
 2.1. Positive sentence
A positive sentence is a sentence that doesn’t
include a negative word, such as not (n’t),
never, no, nobody, nowhere, nothing, none,
nor or neither.
For example:
I’ll go with her.
Come if you can and I’ll meet you there.
 2.2. Negative sentence
A negative sentence is a sentence that has a negative
word in it, such as not (n’t), never, no, nobody,
nowhere, nothing, none, nor or neither.
For example:
1. I don’t like curry.
2. Please don’t go.
3. I’ve never been to India.
 2.2. Negative sentence
Position of Negative Adverbs
• Aux V + negative Adv + Lexical V
We have never been to India.
I have not been sleeping well lately.
• Do/does/ did + not + lexical V
He does not know what he’s doing.
 2.2. Negative sentence
Position of Negative Adverbs
• The verb Be is both an Auxiliary and a lexical verb.
1. She isn’t coming. (Aux)
2. She isn’t ready yet. (linking verb)
• The verb Have, Dare, Need may be treated as Aux
or as lexical verb.
1. I don’t have any money.
2. I haven’t got any money.
3. Interrogative sentences and Question tags
 3.1. Interrogative sentence
• An interrogative sentence is a sentence that asks a
question.
• There are 3 types of questions:
➢ Wh-questions
• Who was that at the door?
➢ Yes/no questions
• Have you ever been to Italy?
→Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
➢ Alternative questions
• Do you want to stay here or come with us?
 3.2. Question tag

A tag question is a short question form used at the end of a

sentence to ask for confirmation that the listener agrees with
what has been said or that what has been said is true.
1. It was a great party, wasn’t it?
2. That’s not really true, is it?
 3.2. Question tag

After a positive statement, the question tag is usually negative

and visa versa.
1. You are coming with us, aren’t you?
2. You can’t speak Japanese, can you?
 3.2. Question tag
The verb in the question tag mirrors the verb in the main
part of the sentence.
1. We should have gone to visit your aunt,
shouldn’t we?
2. She likes Beethoven’s music, doesn’t she?
3. I am silly, aren’t I?
4. I don’t think she is coming, is she?
4. Active and Passive Sentences
 4.1. Active sentence
• A sentence with a verb in the active voice is an active
sentence.
• The verb is said to be in the active voice if the subject of
a transitive verb is the person or thing that performs the
action of the verb.
For example:
1. She broke the vase.
2. A fox killed all my hens.
 4.2. Passive sentence
• A sentence with a verb in the passive voice is a
passive sentence.
• The verb is said to be in the passive voice if the
subject of a transitive verb is the person or thing that
receives the action of the verb.
For example:
1. The vase was broken by Sam.
2. All my hens was killed by a fox.
 4.3. Transformation of Active and Passive
Sentences
• A passive verb is formed with the auxiliary verb be and
the past participle of a lexical verb.
They planted the tree in the garden. → Was planted
• The direct object of the verb in the active sentence →
Subject of the corresponding verb in the passive
• The subject in the active sentence → the complement of
the preposition by in the passive
The tree was planted in the garden by them.
EXERCISES
Thank you!