Structural classification of the sentence

SENTENCE

SIMPLE COMPOSITE

one –member two-member complex compound

nominal verbal complete incomplete

1. The sentence is a minimal unit of communication. The simple sentence consists only of one subject-predicate unit while the composite sentence can have more than one.

e.g. Fortune favours the brave. (one subject-predicate unit)

As Philip was drinking his coffee, he opened his morning newspaper. (two subject-predicate units)

2. Simple sentences can be

a) unextended with only one subject and one predicate,

e.g. Mary smiled.

b) extended with secondary members of the sentence,

e.g. Mary smiled at him happily.

3. One-member sentences can be

a) nominal,

e.g. Silence. Midnight. (unextended)

English spring flowers! (extended)

b) verbal, (beginning either with an infinitive or with a gerund)

e.g. To behave like this at his age!

Speaking to me in this tone!

4. Two-member sentences can be

a) complete, with both principal members of the sentence being present,

e.g. It looks like rain. It is nice to see you.

b) incomplete, when one or more words in the principal positions are omitted,

e.g. Looks like rain.(= It looks like rain.)

Nice to see you. (= It’s nice to see you.)

5. The compound sentence consists of two or more main clauses connected with each other. A clause is a part of a sentence, which has a subject and a predicate of its own. Clauses may be connected

a) syndetically (with conjunctions or connectives),

e.g. John was doing well at school and his mother was proud of him.

b) asyndetically, (without any conjunctions or connectives),

e.g. The days became longer, the nights grew shorter.

6. The complex sentence consists of a main (principal) clause and one or more subordinate clauses, which can be joined either syndetically or asyndetically,

e.g. Call me (main clause) when you come (subordinate clause). I see (main clause) you have lost your key. (subordinate clause)

*TASK 5. Match the given sentences with their descriptions a-i.

1. She lived in London last year.	a) complex incomplete;
2. He is lonely.	b) simple unextended;
3. A sultry night.	c) simple incomplete;
4. To think of that!	d) simple extended;
5. Dave came home and Della gave him his dinner.	e) verbal extended;
6. Happy?	f) composite compound;
7. See what I mean?	g) composite complex joined asyndetically;
8. Jack was sure Lily would understand him.	h) composite complex joined syndetically;
9. Hard words break no bones but they break hearts.	i) simple nominal extended;
10. The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.	j) composite, complex, joined syndetically, the main clause is incomplete
11. There is many a slip between the cup and the lip.
12. Take care of the pence and the pounds will take care of themselves.
13. If you cannot have the best, make the best of what you have.
14. There isn’t a single cloud in the sky.
15. Is it cold?

*TASK 6. Define the structure of the given sentences.

1. We found Chris in the garden.

2. Agreed? – Yes, all settled.

3. An old park.

4. You never know what you can do till you try.

5. The bell has gone and the lesson is beginning.

6. Hardly had he come home when the telephone rang.

7. I don’t know who he is.

8. This is the man I told you about.

9. To laugh at me like that!

10. When the cat is away, the mice will play.

11. That evening we all enjoyed ourselves.

12. You call me or I’ll call you?

13. Snow. Stars. Wilderness.

14. Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.

15. All people smile in the same language.

COMMUNICATIVE TYPES OF SENTENCES

From the point of view of their role in the process of communication all sentences can be divided into 4 communicative types:

Declarative:

affirmative, e.g. Jane enjoys swimming

negative e.g. Ted isn’t interested in computers.

Interrogative:

general, e.g. Has he really done this job?

special, e.g. When did he finish doing this job?

disjunctive, e.g. He has finished this job, hasn’t he?

alternative, e.g. Shall we meet on Thursday or on Friday?

negative-interrogative, e.g. Haven’t you heard about her success?

Imperative (requests and commands):

affirmative, e.g. Do it now. Let her do this work tomorrow.

negative, e.g. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. Don’t let him cheat at the exams.

Exclamatory/ exclamations:

e.g. What a surprise! How nice to see you again!

Notes:

1. General questions opening with “Will you …?/Would….?» may be considered as commands or requests according to their communicative role,

e.g. Will you help me? Would you do it for me?

2. Negative-interrogative sentences can sometimes be regarded as exclamations,

e.g. Isn’t he clever! = Разве он не умен?

3. Disjunctive questions may have different patterns:

a) positive statement + negative tag + positive answer

e.g. You knew that before, didn’t you? - Yes, I did.

Ted can do it without our help, can’t he? – Yes, he can

b) negative statement + positive tag + negative answer

e.g. You didn’t know that before, did you? - No, I didn’t.

Ted can’t do it without our help, can he? – No, he can’t.

c) if the person who asks the question, does not expect any answer, the tag agrees with the statement,

e.g. You knew it before, did you?

You didn’t know it before, didn’t you?

4. Note the difference in Russian/Ukrainian translations of replies to disjunctive questions:

а) Питер любит читать, не так ли? – Да, любит. (Пітер любить читати, чи не так? – Так, любить.) = Peter likes reading, doesn’t he? – Yes, he does.

b) Питер любит читать, не так ли? – Нет, не любит. (Пітер любить читати, чи не так? – Ні, не любить.) = Peter likes reading, doesn’t he? – No, he doesn’t.

c) Питер не любит читать, не так ли? - Да, не любит. ( Пітер не любить читати, чи не так? - Так, не любить) = Peter doesn’t like reading, does he? – No, he doesn’t.

d) Питер не любит читать, не так ли? – Нет, любит. ( Пітер не любить читати, чи не так? - Ні, любить) = Peter doesn’t like reading, does he? – But he does./ Yes, he does.

5. Disjunctive questions with the modal verb ‘to have to’ and with set expressions with the verb ‘to have’ are formed with auxiliary verbs ‘do, does, did’, e.g.

You have to get up very early, don’t you? (modal verb)

She has to cook for the family, doesn’t she? (modal verb)

He usually has a shower in the evening, doesn’t he? (set expression with the verb ‘to have’)

6. Exclamatory sentences can be formed in the following ways:

a) how + adjective or adverb + direct order of words, e.g.

How intelligent this professor is!

How interesting his lectures are!

How carefully he chooses words when he speaks!

2. what + a/an + (adjective) + singular countable noun + direct order of words, e.g.

What a beautiful rose!

What an amazing story he is telling to the children!

What a talented student she is!

2. what + (adjective) + uncountable or plural noun + direct order of words, e.g.

What nasty weather we are having today!

What beautiful flowers your mother grows in her garden!

What tender love they show to each other!

2. so + adjective or adverb, e.g.

The child is so clever!

He skated so artistically!

2. such + a /an + (adjective), e.g.

That was such a hot day!

He is such a hard-working student!

2. such + (adjective) + uncountable or plural noun, e.g.

Della always has such great plans!

Uncle Delbert gave me such helpful advice!

*TASK 7. Match the given sentences with the communicative types.

1. What a pretty dress!	a) declarative affirmative
2. Where did you get this book?	b) declarative negative
3. Are you coming with me?	c) interrogative general
4. Jane was glad to see him.	d) interrogative special
5. Aren’t you happy?	e) interrogative alternative
6. It’s not right.	f) interrogative disjunctive
7. Stop quarrelling!	g) negative-interrogative
8. Will it be lunch or dinner?	h) imperative affirmative
9. Let him go there alone.	i) imperative negative
10. Don’t let her see it.	j) exclamatory
11. He didn’t do it, did he?
12. Will you do it for me?
13. Have you seen Jane yet?
14. Let’s cook dinner together.
15. Isn’t he a smart boy?

*TASK 8. Fill in the gaps below with what (a/an) or how.

1. _______ expensive bracelet her husband gave her for her birthday!

2. How clever of Derek to pass all his exams!

3. What a brilliant speaker James is!

4. How warm it is tonight!

5. What a wonderful taste in painting your sister has!

6. What an outstanding ballet they have staged!

7. How kind of you to congratulate me on my birthday!

8. How thoughtful of you was to bring these books!

9. What a terrible mistake it was to take Sally to the mountains with us!

10. What strange people we saw at the Stewarts’ yesterday!

11. What sad news!

12. How impolite of Jim to forget his father’s jubilee!

13. What a busy day I’ve had today!

14. How efficient Doctor Blacksmith is!

15. How happy Sam was to win the race!

**TASK 9. Paraphrase the sentences given below using the prompts. Follow the example.

Example. How lazy your younger brother is! (such) - Your younger brother is such a lazy boy!

1. What a melodious song! (so)

2. Look How clumsy the puppy is! (such)

3. What a funny joke Jim has just told! (so)

4. I was so silly to forget to buy some bread! (How)

5. What an awful bully this boy is! (such)

6. How long the meeting was! (What)

7. I feel so lonely! (How)

8. How hungry I am! (so)

9. What an affectionate mother Mrs. Gold is! (such)

10. Their maths lessons are so boring! (How)

11. How tasteless this dish is! (What)

12. How exciting yesterday’s football match was! (such)

13. The atmosphere at Jane’s party was so fantastic! (How)

14. Ferrari is such a fast car! (What)

15. How pretty your new umbrella is! (such)

***TASK 10. Translate into English.

1. Папа очень голоден после работы, не так ли? – Нет, он поел в столовой только в три часа дня.

2. Ваша сестра не говорит на французском языке. не так ли? – Да, не говорит. Но она знает немецкий и голландский.

3. Китти не знала ответа на вопрос учителя, да? – Нет знала, она просто не услышала вопроса.

4. Мы не должны опаздывать на занятия, не так ли? – Да, не должны.

5. Вы собираетесь на пикник в воскресенье, да? – Нет, не собираемся, мы оба будем заняты все выходные.

6. В понедельник две пары английского и лекция по Истории Украины, не так ли? – Нет, у нас лекция по зарубежной литературе.

7. Тебе придется работать всю ночь, чтобы подготовиться к завтрашним занятиям, да? – Нет, не придется, я сделал уже половину домашнего задания.

8. Твои родители не поедут в Грецию этим летом, да? – Да, не поедут, в этом году у них будет отпуск зимой.

9. Мэри такая эгоистка, не так ли? – Нет, она всегда помогает своим друзьям.

10. Ты должен был вернуть книги вчера, не так ли? – Да, но я забыл.

11. Не все студенты нашей группы могут перевести этот текст без словаря, не так ли? – Нет, не все.

12. Ты не можешь мне помочь сейчас, не так ли? – Да не могу, подожди минут 10, я скоро освобожусь.

13. Насколько я знаю, ты не любишь печь пироги, да? – Да, не люблю. Я предпочитаю покупать их в кондитерской.

14. Твой брат не любит рано вставать, да? – Нет, любит, он по природе жаворонок.

15. Ты читал этот роман Хемингуэя, не так ли? – Нет, не читал, дай мне его, если он у тебя есть, хорошо?

MEMBERS OF THE SENTENCE

M EMBERS OF THE SENTENCE

P RINCIPAL SECONDARY

S UBJECT PREDICATE object attribute adverbial modifier

apposition

PRINCIPAL MEMBERS OF THE SENTENCE

THE SUBJECT

The subject can be expressed by: