Introduction and Types: Sentence Transformation | SSC CGL Tier 2 - Study Material, Online Tests, Previous Year PDF Download

Introduction

A sentence is a group of words that starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), question mark (?) or exclamation mark (!). A sentence contains or implies a predicate and a subject.

• Sentences contain clauses.
• Simple sentences have one clause.
• Compound sentences and complex sentences have two or more clauses.
• Sentences can contain subjects and objects.

The subject in a sentence is generally the person or thing carrying out an action. The object in a sentence is involved in an action but does not carry it out, the object comes after the verb.

For instance, in the sentence "The boy climbed a tree," the addition of an adjective can further elaborate on the subject (the boy), as in "The young boy climbed a tall tree." Similarly, employing an adverb can expound on the manner of climbing the tree, like "The young boy quickly climbed a tall tree," enhancing the sentence by providing the reader or listener with more detailed information.

Enhancement of sentences can occur through the incorporation of additional elements, thereby enriching the expression.

What makes a Complete Sentence

Consider a sentence as akin to a skeleton, with its structure composed of different bones. In a similar manner, sentences are constructed through the arrangement of words, where words serve as the building blocks forming diverse sentence structures. However, merely arranging words in the correct sequence does not guarantee the creation of a meaningful sentence.

Simple Sentences:

• A simple sentence consists of a sole subject and predicate, describing a single idea, thing, or question, containing only one verb within an independent (main) clause.
• The inclusion of adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases to a simple sentence does not alter it into a complex sentence.
• Even when combining multiple nouns with a conjunction or pairing verbs with a conjunction, the structure remains that of a simple sentence.

Compound Sentences:

Compound sentences consist of multiple simple sentences fused together using conjunctions like "and," "or," or "but." They are formed by joining two or more independent clauses through a coordinating conjunction.

For instance:

• "The sun was setting in the west, and the moon was just rising."
• Each clause within a compound sentence has the ability to stand independently as a sentence:
• "The sun was setting in the west. The moon was just rising."

Every clause functions akin to a sentence, possessing both a subject and a verb. The coordinating conjunction resides in the middle of the sentence, linking the two clauses together. Common coordinating conjunctions include "and," "or," and "but."

For example:

• "I walked to the shops, but my husband drove."
• "I might watch the film, or I might visit my friends."
• "My friend enjoyed the film, but she didn't like the actor."

Complex Sentences:

Complex sentences encompass multiple ideas or concepts and contain multiple verbs. They consist of more than one clause, combining an independent clause (which can stand alone) and a dependent (subordinate) clause (that cannot stand by itself).

For instance:

• "The dogs that don't bark are liked by my mother."
• Dependent clauses within complex sentences can be nominal, adverbial, or adjectival in nature.

The Anatomy of a Sentence

The Core: Verb

The verb serves as the backbone of a sentence, exerting significant influence over the rest of the sentence except for the subject. Understanding the patterns following each verb (known as verb patterns) is crucial, such as "to tell [someone] TO DO [something]."

For instance, the verb "to tell" is immediately followed by a person (the indirect object, detailed later), an infinitive with 'to', and potentially an object for the substituted verb DO.

• Verbs also express a state of being. These "BE VERBS" or "LINKING VERBS" encompass words like am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being, became, seem, appear, and at times sensory verbs such as tastes, feels, looks, hears, and smells.

Example:

• "Beer and wine are my favorite drinks." The verb "are" functions as a linking (be) verb.
• Thankfully, there exists a limited range of distinct verb patterns. Verbs delineate either the action (what the subject performs) or state (a truth about the subject).

Examples:

• ACTION: I play football twice a week.
• STATE: I've got a car.

Certain verbs can denote both actions and states, contingent upon the context.
For example, the verb "work":

• ACTION: David's working in the bank.
• STATE: David works in a bank.

Locating the Verb

During sentence analysis, the primary step involves identifying the verb, which denotes and affirms the action or state within the sentence.

Example:

• "Working at the computer all day made David's head ache."
• In this case, "made" serves as the main verb, not "working."

Verbs serve as identifiers for our actions or states:

• eat, sleep, run, jump, study, think, digest, shout, walk, and more.

The Subject

The subject signifies the person or thing that the sentence revolves around. Typically (though not always), it occupies the initial position within a sentence. Usually, the subject comprises a noun phrase (consisting of a noun and accompanying words like adjectives that describe it) followed by a verb.

Locating the Subject

To identify the subject, once you've determined the verb, inquire using a 'wh...?' question about the verb. This approach will reveal the subject(s).

For instance:

• David works hard.
• Asking "Who works hard?" reveals that David does—thus, David is the subject.
• Beer and wine are my favorite drinks.
• Posing the question "What are my favorite drinks?" uncovers that Beer and wine are the subjects.

The subject(s) of a sentence will answer the questions "who or what."

The Predicate

Following the identification of the subject, the rest of the sentence elucidates the actions or attributes related to the subject. This segment of the sentence constitutes the predicate. The predicate consistently encompasses the verb and the subsequent words that follow the verb.

Example:

• Michael Schumaker drove the race car.
• In this sentence, "Michael Schumaker" serves as the subject, while "drove the race car" forms the predicate.

More Advanced Terminology

The Object

Certain verbs in sentences are associated with an object, typically a noun or pronoun. This object represents the person or thing affected by the action conveyed in the verb. Objects are of two types: direct and indirect. The direct object pertains to the person or thing directly impacted by the action of the verb.

Example:

• "He opened the door." Here, the door serves as the direct object, being the entity affected by the verb "to open."
• The indirect object, on the other hand, refers to the recipient of the direct object.

Example:

• "I gave him the book." In this instance, "him" is the indirect object, benefiting from the action.

Transitive / Intransitive Verbs

Verbs devoid of an object are labeled as intransitive. Some verbs exclusively function as intransitive (e.g., disagree). Moreover, they cannot be used in the Passive Voice, such as smile, fall, come, and go.

Example:

• David disagreed. (intransitive)
• Verbs that necessitate an object are termed transitive verbs, like eat, drive, and give.

Example:

• David gave her a present.
• Certain verbs can act as either transitive or intransitive, such as "sing."

Example:

• Taylor Swift sings. (intransitive)
• Taylor Swift sings pop songs. (transitive)

Adverbials

An 'adverbial' or 'adverbial phrase' parallels the role of an adverb in a sentence, offering additional information about the action conveyed by the verb.

Examples:

The first indicates the frequency of the action:

• I sometimes have trouble with adverbs.
• He spoke very quietly.
• I've read that book three times.
• She's gone to the bank.

The second elucidates how the action was performed (quietly), while the third indicates the frequency of the action (three). The fourth example is slightly different, as the adverbial (gone to the bank) is more or less mandated by the verb (has).

Complement

A complement is utilized with verbs like be, seem, look, etc., furnishing further information about the subject or, in certain structures, about the object. Complements give additional insights about the subject (subject complement) or, in some cases, about the object (object complement) within the sentence.

Subject complements customarily follow specific verbs:

Examples:

• He is Spanish.
• She became an engineer.
• That man looks like John.

Object complements trail the direct object of the verb:

Examples:

• They painted the house red.
• She called him an idiot!
• I saw her standing there.

Complements often encompass an adjective or noun phrase but can also constitute a participle phrase, as observed in the last example. Distinguishing whether a phrase is a complement or an adverbial can at times be ambiguous.