Structure of Sentences

Introduction

As a banker, we interact and communicate with internal and external stakeholders.

While we communicate, we need to ensure we use the right grammatical words
which form the right sentences to make meaningful phrases and share ideas.

In this module, we will learn to make the right sentences, tenses, and voices for the appropriate pitch to express
comprehensive thought.

2
Learning Objectives

At the completion of this unit, you will be able to:

• Outline the sentence type.

• Explain the forms of tense.

• Apply the appropriate type of voice to structure the sentences

3
Structure of Sentences
Sentences
A sentence is a basic grammatical unit. It contains a group of words and expresses a complete thought. A sentence consists of a subject and
a predicate.
A subject is what the sentence is about, the topic of the sentence.
A predicate is what is said about the subject.
Example: Ankita and Mona speak in English when they are working.
Ankita and Mona – Subject; (predicate- Speak (Verb) in English when they are working)

Types of Sentences
→ Simple sentences
A simple sentence has the utmost basic elements that make a sentence: a subject, a verb, and a complete thought.
Example:
• Ram waited for the bus. Ram -Subject, Waited – Verb.
• I looked for Ram and Sita at the bus station. I -Subject, looked – Verb.

4
Structure of Sentences
Types of Sentences – Contd.
→ Compound Sentences
A compound sentence refers to a sentence made of two independent clauses connected with a coordinating conjunction. Coordinating
conjunctions are FOR, AND, NOR, BUT, OR, YET, and SO.
Example:
• Ram waited for the bus, but the bus was late.
• Ram and Sita arrived at the bus station before noon, and they left on the bus before I arrived.
• arrived – Verb.

→ Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is made up of independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses connected to it. The Examples of the
dependent clause: because Ram and Sita arrived at the bus station before noon; while he waited at the train station
Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as a sentence, but they can be added to an independent clause to form a complex sentence.

Example:

• I did not see them at the station because Ram and Sita arrived at the bus station before noon.

5
Structure of Sentences
Patterns of Sentences
1. Subject -Verb pattern (S-V)
Two birds were flying. (Subject-birds, Verb-flying)

2. Subject- Verb-Object pattern (S-V-O)

The girl raced the dog (Subject- Girl, Verb-raced, Object-dog)

3. Subject-Verb-Adverb pattern (S-V-AD)

The door closed slowly. (Subject-door, Verb-closed, Adverb-slowly)

4. Subject-Verb-Adjective pattern (S-V-ADJ)

Lunch looks delicious. (Subject-Lunch, Verb-Looks, Adjective- delicious)

5. Subject-Verb-Noun pattern (S-V-N)

Ram is walking on the treadmill. (Ram- Subject, Verb-Walking, Noun- Treadmill)

6
Structure of Sentences
Tenses and Voices in Sentences
Tense - A tense is a form of the verb that allows you to express time. The tense of the verb tells us if it’s past, present, or future events. The
three types of tense: Past, Present, and Future tense.
• Past Tense - It is used to describe an activity or event that occurred in the past. Example: We met the customer last week.
• Present Tense – It is used to describe an activity or event that is currently going on or currently exists. Example: Sriram drives a taxi.
• Future Tense - It is used to describe an activity or event that is not yet happened and is expected to happen in the future. Example: They
will be reaching the venue soon.
Apart from these tenses, there are subtypes of tenses
Tense Present Past Future
Simple I help my customer every day. I helped my customer yesterday. I will help my customer tomorrow.

I am helping my customer while I was helping my customer when he I will be helping my customer next month
Continuous
he fixes up his business issues. had difficulties in business. when he moves.
I have helped my customer too I had helped my customer clear all his I will have helped my customer a hundred
Perfect
much this week. doubts before I opened the account. times by the end of the month.
Perfect I have been helping my customer I had been helping my customer for a I will have been helping my customer for
Continuous since I moved in. year before he finally thanked me. a year next month.

7
Structure of Sentences
Tenses and Voices in Sentences
Voice
Voice is used to describe whether the verb is active or passive. In other words, when the subject of the verb is doing the action
of the verb, the verb is said to be active.
When the subject in the verb is being acted upon, the verb is said to be passive voice.

Example:
• Active Voice: The banker explains the terms and conditions well.
• Passive Voice: The terms and conditions were explained very well by the banker.

8
How do you apply?
In the passage given below, identify the forms of sentence and voice of underlined words:
In an experiment conducted by Thomas A Wehr in the 1990s, people were deprived of artificial light for long
periods. In the beginning, Dr. Wehr observed that the subjects slept through the night, but eventually, they began
waking up after midnight. They lay awake for a couple of hours and then drifted back to sleep. It seemed that their
bodies had adapted to prefer a two-part sleep schedule just like that of their ancestors. Though it isn’t considered
normal to sleep in two phases today, this research suggests that it is natural.

Solution:

Were deprived Passive voice

observed, Slept, Began, Lay drifted, seemed Simple past

Had adapted Past perfect

Isn’t Considered Passive voice

Suggest, is Simple present

9
Check Your Understanding

1. Identify the active and passive voice from the below statement:

A. Somebody stole a customer’s debit card yesterday.

B. Customer’s debit card was stolen yesterday.

Correct Answer is: Somebody Stole a customer’s debit card yesterday – Active Voice. Customer’s debit card was stolen yesterday –
Passive Voice.

10
Check Your Understanding

2. Identify the types of sentences from the statements given below:

A. Mr. Aman is writing an email to the bank

B. Mr. Aman wrote an email but forgot to send it.
C. After speaking to me, Mr. Aman wrote an email to the bank.

Correct Answer is: Mr. Aman is writing an email to the bank – Simple. Mr. Aman wrote an email but forgot to send it – Compound. After
speaking to me, Mr. Aman wrote an email to the bank – Complex.

11
Summary
In this session, we have discussed on:

1. Sentence can be structured with the help of subject, verb, and object.

2. Forms of the sentence helps us to frame sentences with the help of dependent and independent clause.

3. Tense helps us to express ourselves based on actions or events.

4. Voice makes us understand whether the action is active or passive.

12
Disclaimer

This material is protected by copyright under the Copyright Act 1957 and Copyright Rules, 1958,
including any amendments from time to time (“The Act”) and is solely for the educational
purposes of the Manipal Academy of Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (“the Academy of
BFSI”), a unit of Manipal Global Education Services Private Limited (MaGE) under licence.

You may not sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of this course pack/material to
any other person other than to be used only by registered learners duly enrolled for the respective
training programs offered by the Academy of BFSI.

This publication is prohibited from any reproduction, storage in a retrieval system or

communication in any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or likewise, is
subject to copyright under the Act. Where provided to you in electronic format, you may only print
from it for your own private study and research. Failure to comply with the terms of this warning
may expose you to legal action for copyright infringement and/or disciplinary action by MaGE.

13