Simple Sentences
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Jessica MarieSimple Sentences
Uploaded by
Jessica MarieSimple Sentences
A simple sentence contains a single subject and predicate. It describes only one thing, idea or
question, and has only one verb - it contains only an independent (main) clause.
Any independent clause can stand alone as a sentence. It has a subject and a verb and expresses a
complete thought.
For example:
*.Jill reads.
Even the addition of adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases to a simple sentence does not
change it into a complex sentence.
For example:
*.The brown dog with the red collar always barks loudly.
Even if you join several nouns with a conjunction, or several verbs with a conjunction, it remains a
simple sentence.
For example:
*.The dog barked and growled loudly.
Compound Sentences
Compound sentences are made up of two or more simple sentences combined using a conjunction
such asand,ororbut. They are made up of more than one independent clause joined together with a
co-ordinating conjunction.
For example:
"The sun was setting in the west and the moon was just rising."
Each clause can stand alone as a sentence.
For example:
"The sun was setting in the west. The moon was just rising."
Every clause is like a sentence with a subject and a verb. A coordinating conjunction goes in the
middle of the sentence, it is the word that joins the two clauses together, the most common are (and,
or, but)
For example:
*.I walked to the shops,butmy husband drove.
*.I might watch the film,orI might visit my friends.
*.My friend enjoyed the film,butshe didn't like the actor.
Complex Sentences
Complex sentences describe more than one thing or idea and have more than one verb in them.
They are made up of more than one clause, an independent clause (that can stand by itself) and a
dependent (subordinate) clause (which cannot stand by itself).
For example:
"My mother likes dogs that don't bark."
Dependent clauses can be nominal, adverbialor adjectival.
English Grammar Series ,1st Day
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****MODULE-1******
THE SENTENCE
Grammar is what you say. Grammar is how you put words together to fashion a thought. And
thoughts are expressed, either in speech or writing, for the purpose of communicating an idea to a
listener or a reader.
So grammar is quite simply the architecture of ideas as expressed in words.
A sentence is a group of words or combination of words which coveys complete sense.
Kinds of Sentences
1. Assertive or declarative sentence Those which make sentences. Statements are the sentences
that state or declare something. They are also called Assertive or Declarative sentences.
Ex: The earth moves around the sun (Affirmative).
I will not go there (Negative).
2. Interrogative sentence - A sentence that asks a question is called Interrogative sentence.
Ex: Why is she late today?
Who has not finished the work?
3. Imperative sentence---A sentence which express commands, request or a desire is called an
Imperative sentence.
Ex: Lend me some money, please.
Go to the market at once.
4. Exclamatory sentence---A sentence which express strong or sudden feelings is called an
Exclamatory sentence.
Ex: What a beautiful building!
How hot it is!
5. Optative sentence---A sentence which wish, prayer or blessings is called an Optative sentence.
Ex: May you live long!
He prayed that God might bless me.
Parts of the Sentence
1. Subject
2. Predicate
1. SUBJECTThe subject is the person, place, thing or idea about whom or which something is
being said.
2. PREDICATE--- Whatever is said about the subject is called predicate.
Subject : Kites , We, Lions
Predicate: fly,slept, cooked and roar
Note- Here subjects are noun or pronoun and predicates are verb. But they have other parts too.
In a Declerative sentence---The milkman brings milk.
Here milkman is the subject and brings milk is the predicate.
In an Interrogative sentence---Has anyone seen Harry ?
Here anyone is the subject and Has seen Harry ? is the predicate.
In an Imperative sentence---You keep off the grass.
Here You is the subject and Keep off the grass is the predicate.
In an Exclamation sentence---How brittle this coal seems!
Here This coal is the subject and seems how brittle ! is the predicate.
In an Optative sentence---He prayed that God might bless me.
Here He is the subject and prayed that God might bless me is the predicate.
Analysing a sentence into subject and predicate
Three points must be kept in mind in the division and analysis of the sentence.
1) The word-order is not necessarily a guide to the division of the sentence. The normal order, first
subject and then predicate may be altered for purposes of emphasis.
Ex-- Never home came she.
Here she is the subject and never came home is the predicate.
The subject has been placed not first , but last , in the sentence.
2) It is advisable to reconstruct in our minds sentences in the form of questions and commands into
the normal order of a statement-sentence before deciding on the subject and the predicate .
Ex---What are you doing? You are doing what?
Here you is the subject and are doing what is the predicate
3) See all words in the sentence are attached to the part, the subject or the predicate , to which they
naturally belong. Consider two sentences:
a) The dog curled up before the fire.
Here The dog is the subject and curled up before the fire is the predicate.
But suppose the sentence reads:
b) The dog exhausted after his long chase, curled up before the fire.
Does exhausted after his long chase tell us about dog or does it tell about the curling up ? It
describes dog, therefore it belongs to the subject. Does before the fire tell us about the dog or the
curling up? It says where the do curled , therefore it belongs to the predicate.
I hope this module will help you with your English Language preparation. We will come back soon
with our next module and after each module there will be an Exercise based on the modules.
Thanks and Regards
Sachin Verma
Ref-Gradeup
Do You Remember !! Basic Grammar Rules
1. A sentence needs to express a complete thought.
2. Use a Comma to Connect Two Ideas As One
3. A singular subject needs a singular predicate.
4. Clauses, like any sentence, have a subject and predicate.
5. Never Split Infinitives Example: to sit quickly, say, to quickly sit.
6. Never end sentences with a preposition.
7. If a group of words does not have a subject and predicate, it is a phrase.
8. Always use pronoun while a subject agreement
9. You need an apostrophe to shoe possession (Franks) and for contractions( dont for do not)
10. If they can stand alone and make a complete thought, then they are independent and called
sentences.
11. If they do not express a complete thought, they are called "dependent clauses." An example of a
dependent clause, which is not a sentence, is when i finish my work.
