SENTENCES

There are 4 types of sentences in English:

- Statements (they supply information)
- Questions (they ask for information)
- Exclamations (these express emotions)
- Commands-imperatives- (Used to give orders)

Sentences are also classified as follows:

- Simple sentence (has one finite verb)
- Compound sentence (has 2 or more finite verbs and can be made up of 2 or more simple
sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction)
- Complex sentence (contains one main clause and 1 or more subordinate clauses. They are
joined by subordinating conjunctions)

A sentence may be divided into a subject and a predicate

a) Subject – the subject reflects who or what we are talking about
b) The predicate – the rest of the sentence

e.g.) Anne built the sandcastle.

Clauses

1) the main clause

- the main idea of the sentence

- can stand alone and still makes sense

2) subordinate clause
- always contains a verb but cannot stand alone

- it depends on the main clause for its meaning

- a comma often separates a main clause from a subordinate clause

Punctuation
Full stops (.)

 Indicates the end of a sentence

Commas (,)

 Used to separate words or phrases in a list

 Used to separate clauses
 Can be used for additional information

Semi-colon (;)

 Joins 2 main clauses (acts as a conjunction)

 Indicates opposite ideas

Colon (:)

 Introduces a quotation
 Indicates a list or an explanation is following

Question mark?

 Used at the end of a question

Exclamation mark!

 Used to indicate an exclamation

Quotation marks (inverted commas)

 Used to indicate direct speech

 Used to quote someone else's direct words

Parenthesis (brackets)

 Used to indicate additional information

Hyphen(-)

 Used to form compound words

 Used to link words on separate lines

Dash(—)

 Used to give additional information

Ellipsis(...)
  The three dots indicate that sentence is incomplete

Italics

 Used to highlight or emphasize certain words

Apostrophe (‘)

 Indicates contraction or shows possession

Parts of Speech

VANCAPPI

1) Verbs
- Doing words
2) Adverb
- Modifies (tells you about the verb)
3) Noun
- Naming word

Common noun, proper noun, collective noun, abstract noun

4) Conjunction
- Words used to join sentences
5) Adjective
- Modifies (describes the noun)
6) Preposition
- Words that relate 2 places or phrases to one another
7) Pronoun
- Stands in place of the noun

Personal – refer to people / possessive – indicate ownership/ reflexive- reflect to the noun e.g.) herself,
himself / interrogative – ask questions

8) Interjection
- an abrupt remark, especially as an aside or interruption.
Degrees of Comparison
There are 3 degrees of comparison:

- Positive (refers to one thing)

- Comparative (compares 2 things)
- Superlative (compares more than 2 things)

E.g.) positive -> comparative -> superlative

flat -> flatter-> flattest

Clean -> cleaner -> cleanest

Verbs
Finite verbs

- A finite verb can stand on its own and does not need an auxiliary verb
- A finite verb must have a subject, number and tense.

The infinitive

- When a verb is preceded by the word ‘to’ it is known as the infinitive

- To play, to sleep, to clean

Auxiliary verbs

- An auxiliary verb is a helping verb that describes the existing verb

- It always precedes the verb
- e.g.) she has done her homework. (has =auxiliary verb)

Transitive and intransitive verbs

- A verb that is followed by a direct object is known as a transitive verb

e.g.) I wrote a letter to the editor.

- Intransitive verbs are verbs that are not followed by a direct object

e.g.) I wrote to the editor of the newspaper.

Adverbs
 Adverbs are words that describe the verb

Types of adverbs

- Manner (How)
- Place ( where)
- Time (when)
- Degree (to what extent)
- Frequency (how often)

Concord (subject verb agreement)

 Basically, the subject and verb must agree in number and tense

Conjunctions
1) Coordinating conjunctions

For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS)

2) Subordinating conjunctions

Although, unless etc.......

Figures of speech
Simile – direct comparison using like or as

Metaphor – comparison without the use of like or as

Personification – giving human qualities to inanimate objects

Alliteration – repetition of consonant sounds

Assonance – the repetition of vowel sounds

Onomatopoeia - words that imitate real life sounds e.g.) crash, bang

Oxymoron – places 2 seemingly contradictory words next to each other

Irony – implies the opposite of what is said

Sarcasm – like irony but used to insult or humiliate

Satire – sharp wit used to highlight human or social shortcomings

Hyperbole – over exaggeration

Pun – clever play on words usually with a double meaning