A sentence is defined as any group of words that contains a finite verb and that makes meaning and is performing a specific function.
Simple Sentence contains only one clause and that clause contains a verb and can stand on its own without depending on any other clause to make it meaningful. For example;
The Simple Sentence is divided into two namely;
A basic simple sentence can be altered, changed or rearranged to form another sentence. For example; they beat the boy all the time
Virtually, all basic simple sentences are active sentences, most basic simple sentences are positive sentences.
Non-Basic Simple Sentence are sentences that have been altered/rearranged or adjusted.
To realize a passive sentence from an active sentence you have to rearrange the sentence. For example:
In example 2 above, “the man” is the subject of the sentence, “slap” is the predicator(verb) “the boy” is the object of the action and “last week” is the adverbial. In its passive form, “the boy” is the subject, “was slapped” is the predicator while “last week” and “the man” are adverbials.
The second sentence in each of the following pairs expresses a denial of the meaning expressed in the first
The first sentence in each pair is a positive or affirmative sentence. The second sentence in each pair is a negative sentence. Notice the structural difference between the two types of sentences. Each of the negative sentences i.e. 1b – 5b has the word “not” within its verbal parts but the word “not” is absence from verbal parts in each of the positive sentences i.e. 1a – 5a. A word like “not” which marks a negative from a positive sentence is called a negator.
Notice the exact position of the negator in the verbal part. It is placed immediately after the auxiliary when there is only one auxiliary and immediately after the first auxiliary when there are two or more. However, consider the following examples:
The second examples are wrong because of the wrong placement of the negator and absence of an auxiliary verb. From these later examples, we can really see the importance of the auxiliary in the formation of negative sentences with not. We can see that though a positive sentence as such may contain no auxiliary whatsoever. It will require at least one auxiliary if it is to be made negative by the insertion of not within its verbal part and it does not matter whether the auxiliary is a passive BE. There are aspectual BE or HAVE, or a modal. The positive sentence just needs an auxiliary after which the negator can be inserted.
How then do we go about using not to negate a positive sentence with a single past or single present verb as the predicator (i.e. where there is no auxiliary at all)? To negate such a positive sentence with not we normally have to find an item which will perform the role of an auxiliary – i.e. come before the “not” and the item that is used for that purpose is the special auxiliary DO. e.g.
“Not” is not the only item that is used to form a negative sentence because there are some basic simple sentences which are not positive but are negative sentences, simply because we already include somewhere in their total structure, a negator other than not e.g.
Another type of negative sentence is when you have a sentence like
It is not only “not” that is used to create a negative sentence. But “not” create a non-basic simple sentence.
These are questions. All questions are alike in that (unlike statements) they are sentences that are primarily used to ask for information and in writing they end with a question mark(?) For example;
WH questions are those beginning with the “WH” word. Like who, what, when, where and they require answers other than yes or no e.g.
Yes or no questions are questions that requires an answer in which yes or no is stated or implied.
We have three main subtypes of YES or NO questions distinguished according to the different ways they are formed from the corresponding statement.
These have the same form as the same form with as the corresponding statement, except that in writing they end with a question mark and in speech, they have arising intonation. e.g.
To form the YES or NO question proper, we move the operator of all the subject at the beginning of the statement so as to give sentence a rising intonation. What is an operator? By operator we mean that the only auxiliary, or the first of two or more auxiliaries in a verb phrase used as the predicator.
The following are examples with tag questions
These are the points to note as regards tag questions
The intonation in which the tag is mentioned or uttered determines the special meaning it carries. There are two main possibilities
(Here the tag genuinely asks for the truth (it asks if the statement is true or false)
WH Questions: it has been pointed out that a WH question is one beginning with a WH word such as who or what when, how and lastly where. These kinds of questions cannot be answered with yes or no. We may note further here that the WH question is usually given a falling intonation. E.g.
Commands: another name for command is imperative sentences. Remember that questions are primarily used to convey information such as: he shut the door.
Commands are sentences primarily used to instruct someone to do (or not to do) something. E.g.
(You have no choice in a command)
We can recognize three main types of commands, each formed in a different way from the corresponding statement. These are
Commands without subject: these are the commonest type of commands in that they are spoken without subject. For example;
Command with subject: for example;
The distinguishing feature is that it is less common. And it is used when you are angry to someone
Command with “let” (respect): the command in this category can usually be formed from positive active statement like
(Let is used to introduce the command)
Negative command: this is by adding the negator for example;
Exclamation: these are sentences that are primarily used for expressing one’s feelings e.g.
Like “wh” questions, each exclamation normally begins with the “wh” word, but note that the only WH word used in exclamation are “what” and “how” e.g.
The English sentence can broadly be categorized in two namely
The non-simple sentence includes
A compound sentence consists of two or more main clauses joined together with the aid of coordinating conjunctions (e.g. and, or)
According to Aremo 2010, these main clauses are actually simple sentences combined coordinatively rather than subordinately. For example,
A compound sentence is formed by combining simple sentences in various ways using coordinators between the simple sentences. These simple sentences are known as source sentences. For example,
The kind of meaning that we intend to express will determine the kind of coordinating or correlating conjunction that we choose to link the source sentences. For instance,
However, a comma may have to be introduced to link source sentences to indicate a pause (or usually before a contrastive conjunction) between an earlier source sentence and the other one for example,
A comma may also have to be introduced to link source sentences where there are more than two source sentences, and to avoid repetition of addictive conjunction as we have in example 4 above.
There is no theoretical limit to the number of name or simple clauses that can be linked in a compound sentence. Although we have to avoid too long sentences to ensure readability and comprehensibility.
Ellipsis and substitution are other aspects of the compound sentence that must be noted, in example 4 above, the subject “she” has been ellipted to avoid repetition into the other clauses because the subjects are identical in the source clauses. Other clause elements can also be ellipted such as the predicator, adverbial or adjuncts, compliments etc.
Pro forms are the items used to replace a lexical item so as to avoid unnecessary repetition in a sentence. For example;
It is important to understand that punctuation especially comma, semicolon and colon could be used in addition to or in place of coordination. For instance,
Compound sentences can also appear in non-basic forms to present various moods such as questions, command or exclamation. Note that most of our examples up till now have been declarative (statement)
