Sentence Types: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex PDF

Sentence Types: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Simple Sentences - A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb. - It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own. Examples: 1. The baby...

Sentence Types: Simple, Compound, Complex, and Compound-Complex Simple Sentences - A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb. - It expresses a single complete thought that can stand on its own. Examples: 1. The baby cried for food. ^There is a subject and a verb that expresses a complete thought. 2. Professor Maple’s intelligent students completed and turned in their homework. ^ A simple sentence does not necessarily have to be short. It can have adjectives. In this case, there are two verbs “completed” and “turned in.” However, the sentence expresses one complete thought and therefore is a simple sentence. 3. Megan and Ron ate too much and felt sick. ^Although there are two subjects and two verbs, it is still a simple sentence because both verbs share the same subjects and express one complete thought. Compound Sentences - A compound sentence has two independent clauses. An independent clause is a part of a sentence that can stand alone because it contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. - Basically, a compound contains two simple sentences. - These independent clauses are joined by a conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so). Examples: 1. The shoplifter had stolen clothes, so he ran once he saw the police. ^Both sides of the conjunction “so” are complete sentences. “The shoplifter had stolen clothes” can stand alone and so can “he ran once he saw the police.” Therefore, this is a compound sentence. 2. They spoke to him in Spanish, but he responded in English. ^This is also a compound sentence that uses a conjunction to separate two individual clauses. Complex Sentences - A complex sentence is an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses. A dependent clause either lacks a subject or a verb or has both a subject and a verb that does not express a complete thought. - A complex sentence always has a subordinator (as, because, since, after, although, when) or relative pronouns (who, that, which). Examples: 1. After eating lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, Tim went to the gym to exercise. ^ The independent clause is ‘Tim went to the gym to exercise.” The subordinating clause before it is dependent on the main, independent clause. If one were to say “after eating lunch at The Cheesecake Factory,” it would be an incomplete thought. 2. Opinionated women are given disadvantages in societies that privilege male accomplishments.  ^ The subject is “opinionated women” and the verb is “are given.” The first part of the sentence “opinionated women are given disadvantages in societies” is an independent clause that expresses a complete thought. The following “that privilege male accomplishments” is a relative clause that describes which types of societies. 3. The woman who taught Art History 210 was fired for stealing school supplies. ^ The dependent clause in this sentence is “who taught Art History 210” because if removed, the rest of the sentence would stand as an independent clause. “Who taught Art History 210” is an adjective clause that provides necessary details about the subject, woman. Compound-Complex Sentences - A compound-complex sentence has two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. Examples: 1. After the two soccer players lost their game, they joined their other teammates for lunch, and they went to the movies. ^ If we remove the dependent clause “after the two soccer players lost their game,” we have a compound sentence. The dependent clause makes this sentence compound-complex. 2. The man believed in the system, and he knew that justice would prevail after the murderer was sent to jail. Practice: Identify whether the sentences are simple, complex, compound or compound-complex. Please underline dependent clauses where it applies. 1. Vampires Dairies is my favorite television show, but I also love True Blood. 2. The student wiped the white board that was filthy with last week’s notes. 3. The trendy fashion designer released her new line on Wednesday. 4. Trina and Hareem went to a bar in Hollywood to celebrate their anniversary. 5. Wicked Regina cast a spell on the entire city, so the citizens decided to rebel. 6. While waiting for the paint to dry, Angela went to Home Depot, and Martin organized the kitchen appliances. 7. After listening to the Kanye West CD, I have new respect for his music. 8. After the teacher chose groups, John and Sara were selected as partners for a project, yet Sarah did most of the work.  TRANSFORMATION OF SENTENCES (SIMPLE, COMPOUND, COMPLEX SENTENCES) Prof. Anil Keshav Bachate Arts and Commerce College, Khedgaon Simple sentence: A Simple sentence is also called an independent clause. It contains a Subject and a Verb, and it expresses a complete thought. E.g. a) Some students like to study in the morning. b) Mother ordered a birthday cake. Compound sentence: A compound sentence consists of two main clauses of equal importance, joined together with a conjunction. e.g. a) I like coffee and she likes tea. b) I can go to college or study at home. Complex sentence: A complex sentence consists of an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. e.g. a) After the storm hit the town, trees lay broken in the streets. b) I am glad to know that he had succeeded. Conversion of simple sentence into complex sentences a) By expanding a word or a phrase into a noun clause 1. Simple : I was glad to know of his success. Complex : I was glad to know that he had succeeded. 2. Simple : He pleaded ignorance of the law. Complex : He pleaded that he was ignorant of the law. 3. Simple : The report of his failure has surprised us all. Complex : The report that he has failed has surprised us all. b) By expanding a word or a phrase into an adjective clause 1. Simple : A dead man tells no tales. Complex : A man who is dead tells no tales. 2. Simple : The boy with the blue shirt is our Captain. Complex : The boy who is wearing blue shirt is our Captain. 3. Simple : I still remember the joys of my childhood. Complex : I still remember the joys which I experienced in my childhood. c) By expanding a word or a phrase into an adverb clause 1. Simple : He felt sorry on finding out his mistake. (Time) Complex : He felt sorry when he found out his mistake. 2. Simple : Being rich, he can afford this expensive treatment. (Cause/ reason) Complex : As he is rich, he can afford this expensive treatment. 3. Simple : He is too simple minded to see through the game. (Result/ consequence) Complex : He is so simple minded that he can not see through the game. 4. Simple : He is working day and night to improve his prospects. (Purpose) Complex : He is working day and night so that he may improve his prospects. Conversion of complex sentences into simple sentences a) By converting a noun clause into a word or a phrase 1. Complex : I am responsible for what I do. Simple : I am responsible for my actions. 2. Complex : He wanted to know why he had been dismissed. Simple : He wanted to know the reason for his dismissal. b) By converting an adjective clause into a word or a phrase 1. Complex : All that glitters is not gold. Simple : All glittering things are not gold. 2. Complex : He can not forget the losses that he has suffered. Simple : He can not forget the losses suffered by him. c) By converting an adverb clause into a word or a phrase 1. Complex : You may do it when you please. Simple : You may do it at your pleasure. 2. Complex : Because he was ill, he stayed at home. Simple : He stayed at home on account of his illness. Conversion of Simple sentences into Compound sentences a) By using Cumulative Conjunctions like, and, not only…but also, etc. 1. Simple : Taking off his clothes, he jumped into the river. Compound : He took off his clothes and jumped into the river. 2. Simple : In addition to useful advice, he gave me financial help. Compound : He gave me not only a useful advice but also a financial help. b) By using Adversative Conjunctions like, but, still, yet, etc. 1. Simple : In spite of very bad weather, they succeeded in conquering Mt. Everest. Compound : The weather was very bad, still they succeeded in conquering Mt. Everest. 2. Simple : He had every qualification for the post except sincerity. Compound : He had ever qualification for the post, but he was not sincere. c) By using Alternative Conjunctions like, or, otherwise, else, etc. 1. Simple : You must take rich diet to gain weight. Compound : You must take rich diet, or you will not gain weight. 2. Simple : Take another step at the peril of your life. Compound : Don’t take another step, else your life will be at the peril. Conversion of Compound sentences into simple sentences a) By using Prepositional phrase 1. Compound : He is a Russian by birth, but he speaks Hindi like his mother tongue. Simple : In spite of being a Russian by birth, He speaks Hindi like his mother tongue. 2. Compound : This book is not beautifully printed, but is free from mistakes also. Simple : Besides being beautifully printed, this book is free from mistakes. b) By using Participle 1. Compound : The umpire found the light poor and decided to call off the day’s play. Simple : Finding the light poor, the umpire decided to call off the day’s play. c) By using Infinitive 1. Compound : You must observe austerity, or you will not become morally strong. Simple : You must observe austerity to become morally strong. Conversion of Compound sentences into complex sentences a) Compound sentences with Cumulative conjunctions, and 1. Compound : He wanted to win the prize and worked hard. Complex : He worked hard so that he might win the prize. b) Compound sentences with Adversative conjunctions like but, still, however, nevertheless etc. 1. Compound : Attend you classes regularly, or you will fall short of attendance. Complex : If you do not attend your classes regularly, you will fall short of attendance. c) Compound sentences with Alternative conjunctions like or, otherwise, else, therefore either…or etc. 1. Compound : I can not afford to buy many books, therefore I usually study in the library. Complex : Since I can not afford to buy many books, I usually study in the library. Conversion of Complex sentences into Compound sentences a) By using Cumulative conjunctions, and 1. Complex : Everybody knows that man is mortal. Compound : Man is mortal and this fact everybody knows. 2. Complex : If I am right, I should be supported. Compound : I may be right and in that case I should be supported. b) By using Adversative conjunctions like but, still, however, nevertheless etc. 1. Complex : Although they lost the match, they were not disgraced. Compound : They lost the match, but they were not disgraced. c) By using Alternative conjunctions like or, otherwise, else, either…or etc. 1. Complex : If you don’t surrender your arms immediately, you will be shot dead. Compound : Surrender your arms immediately, or you will be shot dead. Exercise 1. Identify the following sentences, whether Simple, Compound or Complex Sentence 1. All the flights have been cancelled owing to the bad weather. Ans. Simple sentence 2. He had many faults, but he was a good man at heart. Ans. Compound sentence 3. It has been ages since I saw you. Ans. Complex sentence 4. The fact that he is silent proves his guilt. Ans. Simple sentence 5. He finished his work and put away his books. Ans. Compound sentence SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 2. Identify the following sentences, whether Simple, Compound or Complex Sentence 1. Unless he completes the work, he will be punished. 2. He could not win a scholarship due to his carelessness. 3. You must work hard or you will not pass. 4. The fruits in the glass bowl are for the guests. 5. The flowers in the vase have wilted because of the heat. 6. All the flights have been cancelled owing to the bad weather. 7. The fruits in the glass bowl are for the guests. 8. It has been ages since I saw you. 9. The flowers in the vase have wilted because of the heat. 10. When the sun had risen, we resumed our journey. Exercise 3. Change into Simple sentences 1. You must work hard or you will not pass the exam. Ans. You must work hard to pass the exam. 2. The doctor admitted that he was helpless. Ans. The doctor admitted his helplessness. 3. No one likes a man who tells lies. Ans. No one likes a liar. 4. I shall look after her as she stays here.  Ans. I shall look after her during her stay here. 5. The more you earn, the more you should save. Ans. Savings should be in proportion to earnings. SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 4. Change into Simple sentences 1. As the decision has already been taken, it is no point discussing the issues. 2. Most of the poems that Kalidas wrote have been preserved. 3. He has treated me most unjustly, still I have not grumbled. 4. The judge found him guilty and sentenced him to three years’ rigorous imprisonment. 5. The spring was late to arrive and the garden was still wearing a deserted look. 6. He cried as loudly as he could. Exercise 5. Change into Compound sentences 1. He could not win a scholarship due to his carelessness. Ans. He was careless, so he could not win a scholarship. 2. If you do not leave this room, I will compel you to do so. Ans. Leave this room, or I will compel you to do so. 3. Feeling satisfied with his work, the Principal offered a permanent job. Ans. The Principal felt satisfied with his work and offered him a permanent job. 4. The sun having risen, the fog disappeared. Ans. The sun rose and the fog disappeared. 5. You must run very fast to win the race. Ans. You must run very fast, or you will not win the race. SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 6. Change into Compound sentences 1. I am sure that you have done the mischief. 2. When the document was signed, they were all satisfied. 3. He has missed the opportunity was given. 4. I bought the newspaper that I might read the latest news. 5. In spite of being short of funds, we supplied the goods to them. 6. The boy can rest at home. The boy can go to school. 7. Isha called her uncle to ask him for an address. 8. Having finished work for the day, we left the office. 9. Having finished work for the day, we left the office. Exercise 7. Change into Complex sentences 1. India expects everyone to do his duty. Ans. India expects that everyone should do his duty. 2. He rested in a chair near the wall. Ans. He rested in a chair which was lying near the wall. 3. This industry is not likely to flourish. Ans. It is not like that this industry will flourish. 4. Going through the book, he came upon a fine story. Ans. As he was going through the book, he came upon a fine story. 5. He entered the place too noiselessly to be heard. Ans. He entered the place so noiselessly that he could not be heard. SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 8. Change into Complex sentences 1. These books were stolen in my absence. 2. The doctor did his best for the patient, but he could not save him. 3. I press the call bell and a nurse immediately comes in. 4. Nobody is going to hurt you, so don’t be afraid. 5. Entrust me with the work and it will be done efficiently. 6. You must return home before sunset. 7. The squirrels hid the nuts at the usual place. 8. It is my opinion. The room needs to be painted. Exercise 9. Combine each of the following simple sentences into Compound sentences. 1. The clothes were put out in the morning. The clothes are not dry. Ans. The clothes were put out in the morning, still they are not dry. 2. Walking down the road, Ravi looked at the beautiful flowers in the garden. Ans. Ravi walked down the road and looked at the beautiful flowers in the garden. 3. Having finished work for the day, we left the office. Ans. We finished work for the day and left the office. SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 10. Combine each of the following simple sentences into Compound sentences. 1. Kripa will stay in a hotel. Kripa will stay with friends in the city.  2. I rang the bell. Nobody came to the door. 3. Kiran and Rani read the book. They did not like it 4. She works in the office. She manages her household. 5. He does not tell a lie. He does not tolerate a lie. 6. In spite of being new to the place, Priya got everybody to support her cause. 7. It was not dark even at seven in the evening. Exercise 11. Combine each of the following simple sentences into Complex sentences. 1. Amol took me out to lunch. I went to see Amol. Ans. Amol took me out to lunch when I went to see him. 2. The guavas are not sweet. The guavas are large. Ans. Though the guavas are large, they are not sweet. 3. You can not reach the fan. Stand on the stool. Ans. Stand on the stool because you can not reach the fan. SENTENCES FOR PRACTICE Exercise 12. Combine each of the following simple sentences into Complex sentences. 1. It is my opinion. The room needs to be painted. 2. The weather will improve. We shall go for a picnic. 3. Your progress is quite satisfactory. I am happy. 4. He went to various places. He was welcomed everywhere. 5. I could not get my seat reserved. I managed a comfortable journey. Resources: 1. Pal, Rajendra and Suri, Prem Lata, English Grammar and Composition (Sultan Chand and Sons Educational Publishers, New Delhi) reprint 2008. 2. P.C. Wren and H. Martin, High chool English Grammar and Composition (Blackie ELT Books, New Delhi) reprint 2014. 3. Shinde, Balasaheb, Complete English Grammar (Anand Publication, Aurangabad) 2017.  SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT Most native English speakers know the standard verb-subject combinations by ear. Examples of these combinations are he talks, not he talk and she has, not she have. However, if you don’t trust your ear or you find simple sentence formations confusing, just follow these simple rules and you will be ready to write flawless sentences in no time! In the present tense, verbs agree with their subjects in NUMBER (singular/plural) and in PERSON (first, second, or third). The present tense ending –s (or –es) is used on a verb if the subject is THIRD PERSON SINGULAR. Otherwise, the verb takes NO ENDING. SINGULAR PLURAL First Person I love We love Second Person You love you love Third Person He/she/it loves They love If the concept still confuses you, try answering the following questions to understand when to use the –s (or –es) form of a present tense verb. Is the verb’s subject he, she, it or YES Use –s form one? (loves, tries, has) NO Is the subject a singular noun YES Use –s form (such as parent)? NO Is the subject a singular indefinite noun – anybody, anyone, each, YES either, everybody, everyone, Use –s form everything, neither, no one, someone, or something? NO Use the base From Hacker, D. (2006). The Bedford form of the verb handbook (7th ed.). Boston: Bedford/ (love, try, have) St. Martins.  After learning the basic fundamentals of subject-verb agreement, read and understand these special rules and after some practice, forming correct sentences will be easy! 1. Make the verb agree with its subject, not with the word in between High levels of pollution cause damage to the respiratory tract The subject is levels, NOT pollution 2. With subjects joined with or, nor, either…or, or neither… nor, make the verb agree with the part of the subject NEARER to the verb A driver’s license or credit card is required See, the term “driver’s license” was not used in making the verb agree the sentence. Instead it was the term “credit card” Neither the lab assistant nor the students were able to download the information 3. Treat most indefinite pronouns as SINGULAR Anybody Each Everyone Nobody Somebody Anyone Either Everything No one Someone Anything Everybody Neither Nothing Something Everybody who signed up for the snowboarding trip was taking lessons Everyone on the team supports the coach 4. However, a few indefinite nouns such as ALL, ANY, NONE and SOME may be singular or plural DEPENDING on the noun or pronoun they refer to. Some of our luggage was lost None of his advice makes sense 5. Make the verb agree with its subject even when the subject follows the verb There are surprisingly few children in our neighbourhood  There were a social worker and a crew of twenty volunteers at the scene of the accident 6. Words such as athletics, economics, measles and news are usually SINGULAR, despite their plural form Statistics is among the most difficult courses in our program 7. Titles of works, company names, words mentioned as words, and gerund phrases are SINGULAR Lost Cities describes the discoveries of many ancient civilizations Delmonico Brothers specializes in organic produce and additive-free meats. 8. Treat collective nouns (e.g. team, audience, crowd, class, family) as SINGULAR unless the meaning is clearly plural 1. SINGULAR Collective nouns nearly always emphasize a group as a UNIT The class respects the teacher The board of trustees meets in Denver twice a year 2. PLURAL Occasionally, a collective noun is treated as plural to draw attention to the INDIVIDUAL members of the group The class are debating amongst themselves If that is the case, it is better to change it to: The class members are debating amongst themselves Now try answering these exercises to measure how much you learned! EXERCISE 1 Underline the subject (or compound subject) and then identify the verb that agrees with it. Everyone in the telecom focus group (has/have) experienced problems with cell phones 1. Your friendship over the years and your support (has/have) meant a great deal to us. 2. Hamilton Family Center, a shelter for teenage runaways in San Francisco, (offers/offer) a wide variety of services. 3. The main source of income for Trinidad (is/are) oil and pitch. 4. The chances of your being promoted (is/are) excellent. 5. There (was/were) a Pokémon card stuck to the refrigerator. 6. Neither the professor nor his assistants (was/were) able to solve the mystery of the eerie glow in the laboratory. 7. Many hours at the driving range (has/have) led us to design golf balls with GPS locators in them. 8. Discovered in the soil of our city garden (was/were) a button dating from the Civil War dating from the turn of the century. 9. Every year, during the midsummer festival, the smoke of village bonfires (fills/fill) the sky. 10. The story performers (was/were) surrounded by children and adults eager to see magical tales.  EXERCISE 2 Edit the following sentences to eliminate problems with subject-verb agreement and write the edited sentence. If a sentence is correct, write “correct.” Jack’s first days in the infantry was gruelling Jack’s first days in the infantry were gruelling 1. One of the main reasons for elephant poaching are the profits received from selling the ivory tusks. 2. Not until my interview with Dr. Chang were other possibilities opened to me. 3. Batik cloth from Bali, blue and white ceramics from Cambodia, and a bocce ball from Turin has made Hannah’s room the talk of the dorm. 4. The board of directors, ignoring the wishes of the neighbourhood, has voted to allow further development. 5. Measles is a contagious childhood disease. 6. The presence of certain bacteria in our bodies are one of the factors that determines our overall health. 7. Leah is the only one of the many applicants who has the ability to step into this job. 8. Neither the explorer nor his companions was ever seen again. ANSWER KEY- Exercise 1 1. Your friendship over the years and your support (has/have) meant a great deal to us. 2. Hamilton Family Center, a shelter for teenage runaways in San Francisco, (offers/offer) a wide variety of services. 3. The main source of income for Trinidad (is/are) oil and pitch. 4. The chances of your being promoted (is/are) excellent. 5. There (was/were) a Pokémon card stuck to the refrigerator. 6. Neither the professor nor his assistants (was/were) able to solve the mystery of the eerie glow in the laboratory. 7. Many hours at the driving range (has/have) led us to design golf balls with GPS locators in them. 8. Discovered in the soil of our city garden (was/were) a button dating from the Civil War dating from the turn of the century. 9. Every year, during the midsummer festival, the smoke of village bonfires (fills/fill) the sky. 10. The story performers (was/were) surrounded by children and adults eager to see magical tales.  ANSWER KEY- Exercise 2 1. One of the main reasons for elephant poaching is the profits received from selling the ivory tusks. 2. CORRECT 3. Batik cloth from Bali, blue and white ceramics from Cambodia, and a bocce ball from Turin have made Hannah’s rooms the talk of the dorm. 4. CORRECT 5. CORRECT 6. The presence of certain bacteria in our bodies is one of the factors that determine our overall health. 7. CORRECT 8. Neither the explorer nor his companions were ever seen again. Information and exercises from: Hacker, D. (2006). The Bedford handbook (7th ed.). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins.  Tutoring and Testing Center SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT A subject is a noun or pronoun. A verb is the action performed by the subject. Matching Subjects with Verbs Verbs must agree with subjects in number and in person (1st/2nd/3rd). EXAMPLE: The dog drinks his water every day. “Dog” is a singular subject; “drinks” is a singular present tense verb. A common mistake in S-V Agreement is to assume that present tense verbs ending in “s” (ex: drinks, runs, dances) are plural. They are in fact singular. Be careful! Singular Plural The girl dances. The girls dance. (No “s” on end of a plural verb!) The dog drinks. The dogs drink. The boy runs. The boys run. She plays. Mary and Laura play. She plays. They play. Reminder: Singular present tense verbs end in “s” (Ex: The dog walks). Plural present tense verbs do not end in “s,” but plural subjects do (Ex: The dogs walk.). Prepositional Phrases and Why They Matter Look at the sentence below. EXAMPLE: The boxes of cake mix are on the shelf. The verb is “are,” but what is the subject? Is it “boxes” or “cake mix”? In order to figure out the subject, we must eliminate the prepositional phrase which is often times in- between the subject and the verb. A prepositional phrase is a two - to four - word phrase (sometimes more) that begins with a preposition (above, among, at, below, beneath, between, in, of, over, to, under). A verb must agree with its subject, not with the object of a prepositional phrase, which often comes between the subject and the verb. EXAMPLE: The boxes of cake mix are on the shelf. Since “of” is a preposition, we ignore the prepositional phrase “of cake mix.” Therefore, “boxes” is the plural subject, which matches perfectly with the plural verb “are.” Below are some samples of prepositional phrases: Preposition Object of Prepositional Phrase above in the trees the lab among of the flowers the school at on the movies the bridge below over the trees the store beneath to the trees the table under EXAMPLE: The teachers in the classroom is/are very experienced. Since we know that “in” is a preposition, then it makes sense that “in the classroom” is a prepositional phrase. Cross out “in the classroom.” You are left with “The teachers... (is/are) very experienced.” “Teachers” is a plural subject, so it must take the plural verb “are.” However, what if we have an inverted sentence? EXAMPLE: Under the tree is/are several flowers. In this case, the verb must be plural (“are”) because the subject (“flowers”) is plural. Pronouns and Indefinite Pronouns Simple pronouns and their numbers (singular/plural) are as follows: Singular Plural 1st person I dance. We dance 2nd person You dance. You dance. 3rd person He/she/it dances They dance. Robert dances. Robert and Linda dance. Singular indefinite pronouns take the singular verb. EXAMPLE: Everyone in the class supports the teacher. “Everyone” is a singular subject. “In the class” is the prepositional phrase. “Supports” is the singular present tense verb (notice the “s” on the end). Other singular indefinite pronouns are anybody, anyone, anything, each, either, every, everybody, everyone, everything, neither, nobody, no one, somebody, someone, something. EXAMPLE: Every man, woman, and child was/were given a book. (“was”) Each student is/are required to pass the final exam. (“is”) Since “Every” and “Each” are both indefinite pronouns, they take singular verbs. Indefinite pronouns such as few, many, and several are plural and take plural verbs. EXAMPLE: Both of my dogs has/have collars. (“have”) Several of my friends is/are sick. (“are”) Since “Both” and “Several” are plural indefinite pronouns, they take the plural verbs “have” and “are.” Special Cases If a sentence has two subjects connected by or/nor, either/or, or neither/nor, the verb must agree with the second subject (the subject closer to the verb). EXAMPLE: Neither the dogs nor the cat is going outside. The singular subject “cat” matches the singular verb “is.” If we flip the sentence, the verb will change. EXAMPLE: Neither the cat nor the dogs are going outside. “Dogs” is a plural subject that takes the plural verb “are.” However, if a sentence begins with “neither” or “either” without the “or/nor” combination, the verb is singular. EXAMPLE: Neither of the two stores is open. Either store is fine with me.  Subject-Verb Agreement Practice Exercises 1. Everyone (has/have) done his or her homework. 2. Each of the students (is/are) responsible for doing his or her work. 3. Either my father or my brothers (is/are) going to sell the car. 4. Neither my sisters nor my mother (is/are) going to sell the house. 5. The samples on the tray in the lab (need/needs) testing. 6. Mary and John usually (plays/play) together. 7. Both of the dogs (has/have) collars. 8. Neither the dogs nor the cat (is/are) very hungry. 9. Either the girls or the boy (walk/walks) in the evening. 10. Either the boy or the girls (walk/walks) in the evening. 11. At the end of the fall (comes/come) the hard tests. 12. The slaughter of animals for their fur (has/have) caused controversy. 13. The student, as well as his teacher, (was/were) going on the field trip. 14. The hard tests (comes/come) at the end of the fall. 15. Both of my roommates (has/have) decided to live in the dorms. Subject-Verb Agreement Answers 1. Everyone has done his or her homework. 2. Each of the students is responsible for doing his or her work. 3. Either my father or my brothers are going to sell the car. 4. Neither my sisters nor my mother is going to sell the house. 5. The samples on the tray in the lab need testing. 6. Mary and John usually play together. 7. Both of the dogs have collars. 8. Neither the dogs nor the cat is very hungry. 9. Either the girls or the boy walks in the evening. 10. Either the boy or the girls walk in the evening. 11. At the end of the fall come the hard tests. 12. The slaughter of animals for their fur has caused controversy. 13. The student, as well as his teacher, was going on the field trip. 14. The hard tests come at the end of the fall. 15. Both of my roommates have decided to live in the dorms.  Synonyms and Antonyms for Competitive Exams S.No. Words Synonyms Antonyms 1. Acumen Awareness, brilliance Stupidity, Ignorance 2. Adhere Comply, observe Condemn, disjoin 3. Abolish Abrogate, annual Setup Establish 4. Abash Disconcert, rattle Uphold, Discompose 5. Abound Flourish, proliferate Deficient, Destitute 6. Abate Moderate, decrease Aggravate 7. Abject Despicable, servile Commendable, Praiseworthy 8. Abjure Forsake, renounce Approve, Sanction 9. Abortive Vain, unproductive Productive 10. Absolve Pardon, forgive Compel, Accuse 11. Accord Agreement, harmony Discord 12. Acrimony Harshness, bitterness Courtesy, Benevolence 13. Adamant Stubborn, inflexible Flexible, Soft 14. Adherent Follower, disciple Rival, Adversary 15. Adjunct Joined, Added Separated, Subtracted 16. Admonish Counsel, reprove Approve, Applaud 17. Adversity Misfortune, calamity Prosperity, Fortune 18. Alien Foreigner, outsider Native, Resident 19. Allay Pacify, soothe Aggravate, Excite 20. Alleviate Abate, relieve Aggravate, Enhance 21. Allure Entice, fascinate Repulse Repel 22. Ascend Climb Escalate Descend, Decline 23. Amplify Augment, deepen Lessen, Contract 24. Arraign Incriminate, indict Exculpate, Pardon 25. Audacity Boldness, Courage Mildness, Cowardice 26. Authentic Accurate, credible Fictitious, unreal 27. Awkward Rude, blundering Adroit, clever 28. Axiom Adage, truism Absurdity, Blunder 29. Baffle Astound, Faze Facilitate, Clarify 30. Bewitching Alluring, charming Repulsive, Repugnant 31. Bleak Grim, Austere Bright, Pleasant 32. Brittle Breakable, crisp Tough, Enduring 33. Bustle Commotion, Tumult Slowness, Quiet 34. Barbarous Frustrate, perplex Civilized 35. Baroque Florid, gilt Plain, unadorned 36. Barren Desolate, Sterile Damp, Fertile 37. Barrier Barricade, Obstacle Link, Assistance 38. Base Vulgar, Coarse Summit, Noble 39. Batty Insane, silly Sane 40. Bawdy Erotic, Coarse Decent, Moral 41. Befogged Becloud, Dim Clear headed, Uncloud 42. Benevolent Benign, Generous Malevolent, Miserly 43. Benign Favorable, friendly Malignant, Cruel 44. Bind Predicament Release 45. Bleak Austere, Blank Bright, Cheerful 46. Blunt Dull, Insensitive Keen, Sharp 47. Boisterous Clamorous, rowdy Placid, Calm 48. Bold Adventurous Timid 49. Busy Active, Engaged Idle, Lazy 50. Calculating Canny, Devious Artless, honest 51. Calamity adversity, misfortune Fortune 52. Callous obdurate, unfeeling Compassionate, Tender 53. Calumny defamation, aspersion Commendation, Praise 54. Capable competent, able Incompetent, Inept 55. Captivate Charm, fascinate Disillusion offend 56. Captivity imprisonment, confinement Freedom, Liberty 57. Cease terminate, desist Begin, Originate 58. Chaste virtuous, pure Sullied, Lustful 59. Chastise punish, admonish Cheer, encourage 60. Compassion kindness, sympathy Cruelty, Barbarity 61. Comprise include, contain Reject, lack 62. Concede yield, permit Deny, reject 63. Concur approve, agree Differ, disagree 64. Consent agree, permit Object Disagree 65. Consequence effect, outcome Origin, Start 66. Consolidate solidify, strengthen Separate, Weaken 67. Conspicuous prominent, obvious Concealed, hidden 68. Contempt scorn, disregard Regard, Praise 69. Contradict deny, oppose Approve, Confirm 70. Contrary dissimilar, conflicting Similar, Alike 71. Calm Harmonious, unruffled Stormy, turbulent 72. Callous Insensitive, indurated Kind, merciful 73. Camouflage Cloak, disguise Reveal 74. Candid Blunt, bluff Evasive 75. Captivate Beguile, bewitch Repel 76. Carnal Earthly, fleshly Spiritual 77. Catholic Generic, liberal Narrow- minded 78. Celebrated Acclaimed, lionized Unknown, Inglorious 79. Cement Plaster, mortar Disintegrate 80. Censure Rebuke, reprimand Praise, Acceptance 81. Cheap Competitive, Inexpensive Dear, unreasonable 82. Clandestine Covert, fruitive Open, Legal 83. Classic Simple, Typical Romantic, Unusual 84. Coarse Bawdy, Boorish Fine, Chaste 85. Comic Clown, Jester Tragic, tragedian 86. Compact Bunched, thick Loose, Diffuse 87. Compress Abbreviate, Shrink Amplify, Expand 88. Conceit Egotism, Immodesty Modesty 89. Concord Agreement, accord Discord 90. Condemn Castigate, Chide Approve, Praise 91. Confident Bold, Undaunted Diffident, cowardly 92. Consolidate Centralize, Fortify Weaken 93. Courtesy Generosity, Reverence Disdain, Rudeness 94. Creation Formation, foundation Destruction 95. Cunning Acute, Smart Nave, Coarse 96. Decay Collapse, decompose Flourish, Progress 97. Deceit deception, artifice Veracity, Sincerity 98. Decipher interpret, reveal Misinterpret, distort 99. Defile contaminate, pollute Purify, sanctity 100. Defray spend, pay Disclaim, Repudiate 101. Deliberate cautious, intentional Rash, Sudden 102. Demolish Ruin, devastate Repair, construct 103. Deprive despoil, divest Restore, Renew 104. Deride mock, taunt Inspire, Encourage 105. Disdain detest, despise Approve, praise 106. Dissuade Remonstrate, Counsel Insite, Persuade 107. Denounce Blame, boycott Defend 108. Dense Opaque, piled Sparse, brainy 109. Derogatory Sarcastic, critical Laudatory, appreciative 110. Despair Depression, misery Contentment, Hope 111. Destructive Catastrophic, pernicious Creative, Constructive 112. Docile Pliable, pliant Headstrong, obstinate 113. Dwarf Diminutive, Petite Huge, Giant 114. Eager Keen, acquisitive Indifferent, apathetic 115. Eclipse Diminution, Dimming Shine, eclipse 116. Eccentric strange, abnormal Natural, Conventional 117. Ecstasy delight, exultation Despair, Calamity 118. Efface destroy, obliterate Retain, Maintain 119. Eloquence expression, fluency Halting, Stammering 120. Encumbrance hindrance, obstacle Incentive, stimulant 121. Endeavour undertake, aspire Cease, quit 122. Enormous colossal, mammoth Diminutive, negligible 123. Epitome precise, example Increment, expansion 124. Equivocal uncertain, hazy Obvious, lucid 125. Eradicate destroy, exterminate Secure, plant 126. Fabricate construct, produce Destroy, Dismantle 127. Fallacy delusion, mistake Veracity, Truth 128. Falter stumble, demur Persist, Endure 129. Fanatical narrow-minded, biased Liberal, Tolerant 130. Feeble weak, frail Strong, Robust 131. Ferocious cruel, fierce Gentle, Sympathetic 132. Feud strife, quarrel Harmony, fraternity 133. Fluctuate deflect, vacillate Stabilize, resolve 134. Forsake desert, renounce Hold, maintain 135. Fragile weak, infirm Enduring, Tough 136. Frantic violent, agitated Subdued, gentle 137. Frivolous petty, worthless Solemn, significant 138. Frugality economy, providence Lavishness, extravagance 139. Gather Converge, huddle Disperse, Dissemble 140. Gloom obscurity, darkness Delight, mirth 141. Glut stuff, satiate Starve, abstain 142. Gorgeous magnificent, dazzling Dull, unpretentious 143. Gracious courteous, beneficent Rude, Unforgiving 144. Grisly disgusting, atrocious Pleasing, attractive 145. Grudge hatred, aversion Benevolence, Affection 146. Guile cunning, deceit Honesty, frankness 147. Generosity Altruism, bounty Stinginess, greed 148. Genuine Absolute, Factual Spurious 149. Gloomy Bleak, cloudy Gay, Bright 150. Glory Dignity, renown Shame, Disgrace 151. Hamper retard, prevent Promote, facilitate 152. Hapless unfortunate, ill-fated Fortunate, Lucky 153. Harass irritate, molest Assist, comfort 154. Haughty arrogant, pompous Humble, Submissive 155. Hazard Peril, danger Conviction, security 156. Heretic non-conformist, secularist Conformable, religious 157. Hideous frightful, shocking Attractive, alluring 158. Hamstrung Cripple Debilitate Strengthen, Encourage 159. Harmony Conformity, Amicability Discord, discord 160. Hasty Abrupt, Impetuous Leisurely, Cautious 161. Honor Adoration, Reverence Denunciation, Shame 162. Humble Meek, Timid Proud, Assertive 163. Humility Resignation, Fawning Boldness, Pride 164. Hypocrisy Deception, Pharisaism Sincerity, frankness 165. Impenitent Uncontrite, Obdurate Repentant 166. Impulsive Flaky, Impetuous Cautious, Deliberate 167. Indifferent Equitable, Haughty Partial, Biased 168. Indigent Destitute, Impoverished Rich, Affluent 169. Infernal Damned, Accursed Heavenly, 170. Insipid Tedious, Prosaic Pleasing, appetizing 171. Interesting Enchanting, Riveting Dull, Uninteresting 172. Immaculate unsullied, spotless Defiled, Tarnished 173. Immense huge, enormous Puny, Insignificant 174. Immerse submerge, involve Emerge, uncover 175. Imminent impending, brewing Distant, Receding 176. Immunity prerogative, privilege Blame, Censure 177. Impair diminish, deteriorate Restore, Revive 178. Impartial just, unbiased Prejudiced, Biased 179. Impediment hurdle, obstruction Assistant, Concurrence 180. Impious irreligious, unholy Pious, Devout 181. Impute attribute, ascribe Exculpate, support 182. Inclination disposition, affection Indifference, Disinclination 183. Incompetent inefficient, unskilled Dexterous, Skilled 184. Incongruous inappropriate, absurd Compatible, harmonious 185. Inevitable unavoidable, ascertained Unlikely, Doubtful 186. Infringe violate, encroach Comply, Concur 187. Ingenuous undisguised, naive Wily, Craftly 188. Insinuate allude, hint Conceal, Camouflage 189. Insipid tasteless, vapid Delicious, luscious 190. Insolvent indigent, destitute Wealthy, solvent 191. Instill inculcate, inject Eradicate, extract 192. Intricate tangled, complicated Regulated, Orderly 193. Intrigue scheme, conspiracy Candor, Sincerity 194. Intrinsic genuine, fundamental Extraneous, incidental 195. Invective accusation, censure Approval, acclamation 196. Invincible unconquerable, impregnable Effeminate, languid 197. Irrepressible irresistible, unconfined Composed, hesitant 198. Immaculate Exquisite, Impeccable Defiled, Tarnished 199. Jaded tired, exhausted Renewed, recreated 200. Jejune dull, boring Interesting, exciting 201. Jovial frolicsome, cheerful Solemn, morose 202. Jubilant rejoicing, triumphant Melancholy, depressing 203. Judicious thoughtful, prudent Irrational, foolish 204. Just honest, impartial Unequal, unfair 205. Justify defend, exculpate Impute, arraign 206. Juvenile young, tender Dotage, antiquated 207. Keen sharp, poignant Vapid, insipid 208. Kindred relation, species Unrelated, dissimilar 209. Knave dishonest, scoundrel Paragon, innocent 210. Knell death knell, last blow Reconstruction, rediscovery 211. Knotty complicated difficult Simple, manageable 212. Lavish abundant, excessive Scarce, deficient 213. Lax slack, careless Firm, reliable 214. Lenient compassionate, merciful Cruel, severe 215. Liable accountable, bound Unaccountable, apt to 216. Liberal magnanimous, generous Stingy, malicious 217. Linger loiter, prolong Hasten, quicken 218. Lucid sound, rational Obscure, hidden 219. Lunacy delusion, insanity Normalcy, sanity 220. Lure attract, entice Repel, dissuade 221. Luscious palatable, delicious Unsavory, tart 222. Luxuriant profuse, abundant Scanty, meagre 223. Languid Sluggish, apathetic Energetic, spirited 224. Malice Vengefulness, grudge Goodwill, Kindness 225. Mandatory Imperative, requisite Optional 226. Masculine Gallant, strapping Feminine, meek 227. Merit Stature, Asset Demerit, dishonor 228. Miraculous marvelous, extraordinary Ordinary, trivial 229. Mitigate alleviate, relieve Augment enhance 230. Modest humble, courteous Arrogant, pompous 231. Molest harass, tease Console, soothe 232. Mollify appease, assuage Irritate, infuriate 233. Momentous notable, eventful Trivial, insignificant 234. Monotonous irksome, tedious Varied, pleasant 235. Morbid Nasty, Macabre Healthy, Cheerful 236. Munificent liberal, hospitable Frugal, penurious 237. Murky dusky, dreary Bright, shining 238. Mutinous recalcitrant, insurgent Submissive, faithful 239. Mutual joint, identical Separate, distinct 240. Niggardly miser, covetous Generous, profuse 241. Nimble prompt, brisk Sluggish, languid 242. Nonchalant indifferent, negligent Attentive, considerate 243. Novice tyro, beginner Veteran, ingenious 244. Noxious baneful, injurious Healing, profitable 245. Nullify cancel, annual Confirm, Uphold 246. Notion Conceit, Apprehension Reality, Concrete 247. Numerous profuse, various Scarce, deficient 248. Obstruct impede, prevent Hasten, encourage 249. Obliging Complaisant, Willing Mulish, Obstinate 250. Obscure Arcane, Vague Prominent 251. Obstinate Stubborn, Adamant Pliable, flexible 252. Obtain Access, Inherit Forfeit 253. Obvious Evident, apparent Obscure, ambiguous 254. Odious Malevolent, obnoxious Engaging, fascinating 255. Offensive Abhorrent, obnoxious Engaging, fascinating 256. Occult latent, ambiguous Intelligible, transparent 257. Offspring descendant, sibling Ancestor, forefather 258. Ominous Menacing, Foreboding Auspicious 259. Opaque obscure, shady Transparent, bright 260. Optimist Idealist Pessimist 261. Oracular cryptic, vague Lucid, distinct 262. Ordain Order, impose Revoke abolish 263. Ornamental decorative, adorned Unseemly, plain 264. Outbreak eruption, insurrection Compliance, subjection 265. Outrage offence, maltreatment Praise, favour 266. Pacify Appease, Chasten Irritate, worsen 267. Persuade Cajole, Impress Dissuade, halt 268. Perturbed Flustered, anxious Calm 269. Propagate Inseminate, fecundate Suppress, deplete 270. Progress Pace, Betterment Retrogress, worsening 271. Prompt Precise, Punctual Slow, Negligent 272. Prudence Vigilance, Discretion Indiscretion 273. Pamper Flatter, indulge Deny, disparage 274. Paramount foremost, eminent Trivial, inferior 275. Peerless matchless, unrivalled Mediocre, commonplace 276. Peevish perverse, sullen Suave, amiable 277. Pertness flippancy, impudence Modesty, diffidence 278. Perverse petulant, obstinate Complacent, docile 279. Placid tranquil, calm Turbulent, hostile 280. Pompous haughty, arrogant Unpretentious, humble 281. Precarious doubtful, insecure Assured 282. Predicament plight, dilemma Resolution, confidence 283. Quack Impostor, deceiver Upright, unfeigned 284. Quaint Queer, strange Familiar, usual 285. Quarantine seclude, screen Befriend, socialize 286. Quell subdue, reduce Exacerbate, agitate 288. Quibble equivocate, prevaricate Unfeign, plain 289. Raid Incursion, Foray Retreat, release 290. Rapidity Quickness, Velocity Inertia, languidity 291. Reason Acumen, Bounds Folly, Speculation 292. Rebellious Restless, attacking Submissive, Compliant 293. Rectify Amend, Remedy Falsify, Worsen 294. Reluctant Cautious, Averse anxious, Eager 295. Restrain Detain, Confine Incite 296. Ratify consent, approve Deny, dissent 297. Ravage Destroy, ruin Reconstruct, renovate 298. Redeem Recover, liberate Conserve lose 299. Remnant Residue, piece Entire, whole 300. Remonstrate Censure, protest Agree, loud 301. Remorse Regret, penitence Ruthlessness, obduracy 302. Rescind Annul, abrogate Delegate, permit 303. Resentment Displeasure, wrath Content, Cheer 304. Retract Recant, withdraw Confirm, assert 305. Reverence Respect, esteem Disrespect, affront 306. Rout Vanquish, overthrow Succumb, withdraw 307. Rustic Rural, uncivilized Cultured, Refined 308. Ruthless Remorseless, inhumane Compassionate, lenient 309. Sacred Cherish, Divine Ungodly, Profane 310. Savage Wild, untamed Polished, Civilized 311. Startled Frightened, Shocked Waveringly 312. Steep Course, lofty Flat, gradual 313. Stranger Immigrant, guest Acquaintance, national 314. Sublime Magnificent, eminent Ridiculous 315. Succinct Concise, Terse Lengthy, polite 316. Sympathy Tenderness, harmony Antipathy, Discord 317. System Scheme, Entity Chaos, Disorder 318. Sarcastic Ironical, derisive Courteous, gracious 319. Saucy Impudent, insolent Modest, humble 320. Shrewd Cunning, craftly Simple, imbecile 321. Scanty scarce, insufficient Lavish, multitude 322. Servile Slavish, Docile Aggressive, Dominant 323. Shabby miserable, impoverished Prosperous, thriving 324. Slander defame, malign Applaud, approve 325. Sneer mock, scorn Flatter, praise 326. Solicit entreat, implore Protest oppose 327. Subterfuge Deceit, Stratagem Frankness, Openness 328. Stain blemish, tarnish Honor, purify 329. Spurious Fake, Counterfeit Genuine, Authentic 330. Sporadic intermittent, scattered Incessant, frequent 331. Spry Nimble, Brisk Lethargic, Sluggish 332. Squalid dirty, filthy Tidy, Attractive 333. Successful Propitious, Felicitous Destitute, Untoward 334. Sterile Barren, Impotent Profitable, Potent 335. Stupor lethargy, unconsciousness Sensibility, Consciousness 336. Subsequent consequent, following Preceding, previous 337. Substantial Considerable, solid Tenuous, fragile 338. Subvert Demolish, sabotage Generate, organize 339. Superficial Partial, shallow Profound, discerning 340. Sycophant Parasite, flatterer Devoted, loyal 341. Taboo Prohibit, ban Permit, consent 342. Taciturn Reserved, silent Talkative, extrovert 343. Tedious Wearisome. Irksome Exhilarating, lively 344. Temperate Cool, moderate Boisterous, violent 345. Tenement Apartment, Digs Breakeven, dislodge 346. Tenacious Stubborn, Dodge Docile, non- resinous 347. Throng Assembly, crowd Dispersion, sparsity 348. Timid Diffident, coward Bold, intrepid 349. Tranquil Peaceful, composed Violent, furious 350. Transient Temporal, transitory Lasting, enduring 351. Trenchant Assertive, forceful Feeble, ambiguous 352. Treacherous Dishonest, duplicitous Forthright, reliable 353. Trivial Trifling, insignificant Significant, veteran 354. Tumultuous Violent, riotous Peaceful, harmonious 355. Tyro Beginner, riotous Proficient, veteran 356. Tame Compliant, Subdued Wild, untamed 357. Terse Incisive, Compact Diffuse, Gentle 358. Thick Chunky, massive Thin, attenuated 359. Thrifty Frugal, prudent Extravagant 360. Tranquil Amicable, Calm Agitated, Fierce 361. Transparent Diaphanous Opaque 362. Tremble Vibrate Steady 363. Uncouth Awkward, ungraceful Elegant, Compensate 364. Utterly Completely, entirely Deficiently, incomplete 365. Umbrage Chagrin, offense Sympathy, goodwill 366. Uncouth Boorish, Clownish Elegant, Compensate 367. Urchin Foundling, Orphan Creep, Knave 368. Urge Incite, Implore Abhorrence, Abomination 369. Vain Arrogant, egoistic Modest 370. Vagrant Wander, roaming Steady, settled 371. Valor Bravery, prowess Fear, cowardice 372. Vanity Conceit, pretension Modesty, Humility 373. Venerable Esteemed, honored Unworthy, immature 374. Venom Poison, malevolence Antidote, Benevolent 375. Veteran Ingenious, experienced Novice, tyro 376. Vicious Corrupt, obnoxious Noble, Virtuous 377. Vigilant Cautious, alert Careless, negligent 378. Vivacious Spirited, Energetic Dispirited, Unattractive 379 Vilify Malign, Slur, Defame Cherish, Commend 380. Vouch Confirm, consent Repudiate, prohibit 381. Virtue Ethic, morality Vice, dishonesty 382. Vivid Eloquent, lucid Dull, Dim 383. Waive Relinquish, remove Impose, Clamp 384. Wan Pale, faded Bright, healthy 385. Wane Decline, Dwindle Ameliorate, Rise 386. Wary cautious, circumspect Heedless, negligent 387. Wed marry, combine Divorce, Separate 388. Wicked vicious, immoral Virtuous, Noble 389. Wield Exert, employ Forgo, avoid 390. Wile Trickery, Artifice Naivety, honor 391. Winsome Beautiful, Comely Alluring, Rapturous 392. Wilt wither, perish Revive, bloom 393. Yell shout, shriek Whisper muted 394 Yield surrender abdicate Resist, protest 395. Yearn languish, crave Content, satisfy 396. Yoke connect, harness Liberate, Release 397. Zeal eagerness, fervor Apathy, lethargy 398. Zenith summit, apex Nadir, base 399. Zest delight, enthusiasm Disgust, passive 400. Zig -zag oblique, wayward Straight, unbent Always use the online WYSIWYG HTML Converter to compose the content for your website easily. This is a website that is worth using.  5 TRANSFORMATION OF SENTENCES Transformation of sentences means changing (or converting) the words or form of a sentence without changing its meaning (or sense). Types of Transformation [I] Use ‘No sooner.... than’ [II] Use ‘Not only.... but also’ [III] Remove ‘If / Unless’ [IV] Remove ‘too’ [V] Use ‘Question tag’. [VI] Interrogative to Assertive and vice versa [VII] Exclamatory to Assertive and vice versa [VIII] Affirmative to Negative and vice versa [IX] Imperative to Assertive I. USE ‘NO SOONER ….. THAN’ A sentence which shows two actions which immediately follow one another, c a n be written with the use of ‘ no sooner….than’ eg. As soon as he sensed danger, he fled. Ans. No sooner did he sense danger than he fled. The structure of the sentence is as follows : No sooner +auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + other words (if any) +than + the rest of the sentence. Note : 🡆 If an auxiliary is present in the sentence, use the same. eg. When he w a s presented with the trophy, he started crying. Ans. No sooner wa s he presented with a trophy than he started crying. eg. As soon as they ha d eaten , they went out for a stroll. Ans. No sooner ha d they eaten than they went out for a stroll. 🡆 If an auxiliary is not present in the sentence, use do /does/ did (‘do / does’ for the present tense and ‘did’ for past tense) eg. As soon as the sun rose , they left for the journey. Ans. No sooner d id the sun rise than they left for the journey. S C H O O L SECTION 147 E n g l i s h G ra mma r  MT EDUCARE LTD. eg. As soon a s the bell rings , the children rush into their classrooms. Ans. No sooner does the bell ring than the children rush into their classrooms. EXERCISE : 1. S he said her prayers and visualized the accomplishment of her goals. 2. I looked into the crowd and saw a ma n with a straight back and a rugged face. 3. S he read Anne’s diary and was moved to write to Otto. 4. When the cousins appeared, we excitedly told them about Old Tom. 5. After we were frisked for guns or tranquilizer darts , we were led into the Sanjay Ga ndhi National Park. II. USE ‘NOT ONLY.... BUT ALSO’ When we are mentioning two things (either joined by ‘and’ or ‘as well as’ we can transform the sentence using ‘not only….but also’. e.g. She rinsed the popcorn bowls and took meat out of the freezer. Ans. She not only rinsed the popcorn bowls but also took meat out of the freezer. Note : 🡆 ‘not only’ is used before the first of the two things mentioned and ‘but also’ in place of ‘and /as well as’. 1. When there are two nouns in the subject position. eg. Radha and Seeta are intelligent. Ans. Not only R ad ha but also Seeta is intelligent. 2. When there are two nouns in the object position. eg. He ate a n apple and drank a glass of milk. Ans. H e not only ate an apple but also drank a glass of milk. 3. When there are two actions. eg. He grew silent and seemed to be pondering on the situation. Ans. H e not only grew silent but also seemed to be pondering on the situation. 4. When there are two adjectives. eg. S he had become very noisy and mischievous. Ans. She had become not only very noisy but also mischievous. EXERCISE : 1. Eagles and other large fish eating birds have been treated with respect. 2. The snake suddenly coiled up, raised its neck and viciously struck Dad’s arm. 3. The ba nana helps in regulating blood pressure and lowers the risk of a stroke. 4. You can misuse your lungs as well as use them well. 148 SCHOOL SECTION  MT EDUCARE LTD. E n g l i s h G ra mma r 5. He seated me in a comfortable chair and asked me what he could do for me. III. REMOVE ‘IF / UNLESS’ 1. If + not = unless If you water the plants they will not die. Ans. Unless you water the plants, they will die. 2. If = unless + not If you read, you will learn. Ans. Unless you read you will not learn. 3. Only if = never + unless Monkeys fight only if they are a hundred to one. Ans. Monkeys never fight unless they are a hundred to one. SOLVED EXAMPLES : 1. If you keep fingering it, you'll make your whole chin into one big spot. Ans. U nl e ss you keep fingering it, you'll not ma ke your whole c hin into one big spot. 2. If you are cold, do the sa me thing. Ans. U nl e ss you are cold, don't do the sa me thing. 3. If the temperature is too hig h, plants a nd a nima l s will die. Ans. Unl e ss the temperature is too hig h, plants a nd a nima ls will not die. 4. If you know the answer, you will win. Ans. U nl e ss you know the answer you will not win. 5. They will never work unl e ss they are told. Ans. They will work only if they are told. EXERCISE : 1. If traffic is controlled, accidents will not take place. 2. If you do not take your medicine you will not live. 3. U nl e ss a woman is e duc ated, her family does not benefit. 4. U nl e ss there is quality control, the product will not sell. 5. If the rain fails, the crop will fail. 6. If you study you will pass. 7. U nl e ss he fails, he will not die of sha me. 8. If you do your homework, I will not punish you. IV. REMOVE ‘TOO’ 1. too = also/not only..... but also/as well as/both..... and..... e.g.: He ha s a car a nd a motorcycle too. He ha s a car a s well a s a motorcycle. 2. too = very/extremely e.g.: It is too hot. It is extremely hot. S C H O O L SECTION 149 E n g l i s h G ra mma r  MT EDUCARE LTD. 3. too + adj + infinitive = so + adj + t h at + negation e.g.: The words are too difficult to unde rstand. The words are so difficult that they c a nnot be understood. 4. too + adj + negation + infinitive = so + adj + that e.g.: Her perfume is too strong to not be noticed. Her perfume is so strong that it c a n be easily/surely/ definitely be noticed. SOLVED EXAMPLES : 1. Otto was getting too old to write to her. Ans. Otto was getting so old that he could not write to her. 2. S he was too ha ppy to care. Ans. S he was so ha ppy that she did not care. 3. Raw ma ng o is too sour. Ans. Raw ma ng o is very sour. 4. The saree is too long to not fit anyone. Ans. The saree is so long that it c a n easily fit everyone. 5. The teacher was knowledgeable a nd interesting too. Ans. The teacher was both knowledgeable a nd interesting. EXERCISE : 1. I a m too tired to go to school. 2. We are too thrilled to express it in words. 3. He is too proud. 4. The hoarding is too large to not be noticed. 5. I have opted for Hindi a nd Fr e nc h too. 6. Our portion is too vast to complete. 7. S he was too frightened to r un. 8. C hine se is too difficult to learn quickly. 9. It is too hot in C he nna i. 10. The words are too difficult to sust a in. V. USE ‘QUESTION TAG’ A question tag comes after the statement and is written in the following manner: Statement, auxiliary verb + subject pronoun + ? Auxiliary verb - a helping verb in the sentence Subject pronoun - a pronoun which agrees with the subject in number ( singular or plural ) and person ( 1 st , 2 n d , 3rd ) The rules to form question tags are as follows : 🡆 If the statement is affirmative, the question tag is negative. eg. R ak esh went to the market, didn’t he ? 🡆 If the statement is negative, the question tag is affirmative. eg. The plants did not survive, did they ? 150 SCHOOL SECTION  MT EDUCARE LTD. E n g l i s h G ra mma r 🡆 If the sentence contains an auxiliary verb, use the same to form a question tag. eg. Your sister can teach music, can’t she ? (‘can’ is an auxiliary verb) R ad ha has attended the dance cl asses, hasn’t she ? 🡆 If the sentence does not contain an auxiliary verb, use do/does/did to form a question tag. eg. The little boy broke the window pane, didn’t he ? You work very hard, don’t you ? Hari has a huge house, doesn’t he ? (The above sentences do not contain a n auxiliary verb so we use do /does / did) 🡆 Ifthe verb in the sentence is a form of ‘to be’ (whether as the main verb or auxiliary) use the same verb as an auxiliary to form the question tag. eg. The room is very spacious, isn’t it ? (‘is’ is the only verb) The children were playing in the rain, weren’t they ? (‘were’ is the auxiliary verb) 🡆 Imperative Sentences : eg. If it is an order the question tag is ‘will you?’ If it is a request the question tag is ‘ won’t you?’ 🡆 Some peculiar types : eg. I am angry, aren’t I? Let’s go to the beach, s ha l l we? There were many people on the road, weren’t there ? Everybody has learnt the lesson, haven’t they ? SOLVED EXAMPLES : 1. You like him, don’t you? 2. It isn’t ready yet, is it? 3. They will go home soon, won’t they? 4. He will never give up, will he? 5. You have tea for breakfast, don’t you? 6. But they had no money, did they? 7. Give and receive, won’t you? 8. The house is quiet, isn’t it? 9. I a m of course day dreaming, aren’t I? 10. We should respect our elders, shouldn’t we? EXERCISE : (Add A Question Tag) 1. Yet his voice was pleasant. 2. I believe in constantly raising the bar for myself. 3. Mom and I broke down. 4. We cannot encourage communalism. 5. We have hard work ahead. 6. Stop being stupid. S C H O O L SECTION 151 E n g l i s h G ra mma r  MT EDUCARE LTD. 7. I’d gone to see Knowles. 8. We had reached the crossroad. 9. I’ll never worry about sports again. 10. I have done nothing for her. 11. No wall is too high for us. 12. Nearly everyone enjoys watching birds. Meanining Punctuation Formation Exclamatory Expressing strong ends in (!) What + a / an + adjective + feelings subject + verb ! O R H ow + adjective + subject + verb ! Assertive Declaring, stating ends in a n (.) Subject + verb +........... Interogative Question ends in a n (?) ‘ W h’ word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb....... ? OR Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb....... ? Imperative C omma nd, request ends in a n (.) Verb +....... or advice The subject ‘ you’ is hi dden. VI. INTERCHANGING INTERROGATIVE TO ASSERTIVE SENTENCES AND VICE VERSA. Interrogative to Assertive Rea l Ques t io ns : (answers are expected) While changing these questions to assertive use one of the following : I want to know. / I would like to know. / I wonder. eg. What is your na me ? I would like to know your na me. eg. Do you t hink India will win the game? I wonder if India will win the game. Rhet o rica l Q ue s t io ns : (answers are no t expected) While changing these questions to assertive, change from affirmative to negative : eg. Do you expect to pa ss without studying? Y ou c a nnot expect to pa ss without studying. eg. Is this the way to behave? This is not the way to behave. Assertive to Interrogative Assertive sentences : S ub j e ct + verb +........ Interrogative : ‘Wh’ word + auxiliary verb + subject + ma in verb....... ? O R Auxiliary verb + subject + ma in verb....... ? 152 SCHOOL SECTION  MT EDUCARE LTD. E n g l i s h G ra mma r While changing from assertive to interrogative, use the question tag in the begining. eg. They are very generous. Aren’t they very generous? eg. S a m went home early today. Didn’t S a m go home early today ? SOLVED EXAMPLES : Change the Interrogative sentence to Assertive and vice versa. 1. How did she hide from the Nazis? Ans. I don’t know how she hid from the Nazis. 2. Would he answer me? Ans. I wonder if he would answer me. 3. M a ny of these millions have succeeded. Ans. Haven’t ma ny of these millions succeeded? 4. S he went to the kitchen. Ans. Didn’t she go to the kitchen? 5. M a g gu’s achievements are particularly noteworthy. Ans. Aren’t M a g g u’ s achievements particularly noteworthy? EXERCISE : Change the Interrogative sentence to Assertive and vice versa. 1. What ma de Cowboy a suc c e ss? 2. C oul d I ever talk to h i m of Anne? 3. Were we not sent by A nne to keep her father c ompany? 4. It is a fateful mome nt for us. 5. We t hink of our brothers a nd sisters. VII. INTERCHANGING EXCLAMATORY TO ASSERTIVE SENTENCES AND VICE VERSA. Exclamatory Sentences Assertive Sentences  Expressing strong feelings  Declaring, stating  An exclamatory sentence ends in (!)  An assertive sentence ends in a n (.)  Sentence formation :  Sentence formation : Wha t + a / a n + adjective + subject Subject + verb +........... + verb ! OR How + adjective + subject + verb ! e.g.: What a beautiful house it is ! e.g.: It is a very beautiful house. e.g.: H ow beautiful the house is ! e.g.: The house is very beautiful. e.g.: If only I had studied ! e.g.: I wish I had studied.  Remove the words like very, extremely  A dd wor ds l ike ve r y, e xt r e me l y, add ‘what, how’ certainly Remove (.) and add (!) Remove (!) and add (.) S C H O O L SECTION 153 E n g l i s h G ra mma r  MT EDUCARE LTD. SOLVED EXAMPLES : Change the Exclamatory sentence to Assertive and vice versa. 1. S ome are afraid to ma k e friends. Ans. How afraid some are to ma k e friends! 2. He was pleased with the results. Ans. How pleased he was with the results! 3. What a piece of art it is! Ans. It is wonderful piece of art. 4. If only I were young again! Ans. I wish I were young again. 5. How you have grown! Ans. Y ou have really grown. EXERCISE : Change the Exclamatory sentence to Assertive and vice versa. 1. It is a horrible sight. 2. He leads a most unha ppy life. 3. How stupid of me to forget your name! 4. I wish I ha d studied for the examination. 5. He was indeed amazing. VIII. INTERCHANGING AFFIRMATIVE TO NEGATIVE SENTENCES AND VICE VERSA. To make negative use :- no, not, neither, nor, never, nothing, none Affirmative Negative Prefix (un, im, dis, etc.) impossible, unfortunate, disagree, unable. not possible, not fortunate, does not agree, not able (cannot) S he is uncomfortable. S he is not comfortable. It is impossible that he is dead. It is not possible that he is dead. He is unable to talk. He is not able (cannot) to talk. Suffix (less) careless, clueless, fearless, does not care, has no clue, does not fear, Sugarless, childless. with no sugar He is totally fearless of the outcome. He does not fear the outcome. S he is clueless about the proceeding. S he ha s no clue about the proceedings. Use of certain words avoid, refrain from, abstain from not Y ou shoul d refrain from spending too You should not spend too muc h money muc h money during recession. during recession. Avoid making silly mistakes. Do not make silly mistakes. Opposite words +Negative love, refuse, doubtful does not hate, did not accept, not sure He refused the order. He did not accept the order. I a m doubtful of the outcome. I a m not sure of the outcome. 154 SCHOOL SECTION  MT EDUCARE LTD. E n g l i s h G ra mma r Affirmative Negative only, everyone no one but (person), nothing but (thing), nowhere but (place), [but can be replaced by except] I will marry only you. I will marry no one except you. This is the only thing I want. I want nothing but this thing. Everyone knows Mother Theresa. There is not one who does not know Mother Theresa. always never fails to be, does not fail to S R K movies always entertain. S R K movies never fail to entertain. He manages to get awards for every movie He does not fail to get awards for every he makes. movie he makes. prohibited/ forbidden from + ing, not allowed not permitted forbidden + infinitive S t u d e n t s are forbidden from copying Students are not allowed to copy during during the exam. the exam. S he was forbidden to meet him. S he was not allowed to meet him. EXERCISE : Change the affirmative sentences to negative sentences and vice versa. 1. Vassa lost interest in everything in life. 2. The correspondence continued. 3. Shivaji was the best king that ever ruled over Maharashtra. 4. He is sometimes sad. 5. Da d would stand close by. 6. The king sent word to the prince not to waste gold on getting him back. 7. Only a rich ma n can afford suc h luxury. 8. He ha d no passport, no money and was not allowed to move out. 9. It is the only thing that can save the city. 10. Nobody was absent. IX. INTERCHANGING IMPERATIVE TO ASSERTIVE SENTENCES AND VICE VERSA. Imperative to Assertive Imperative sentences : Verb +........ (The subject is ‘you’ a nd it is hidden) Assertive : S ub j e c t + verb +........ eg. Avoid eating j unk food. Ans. Y ou shoul d avoid eating j unk food. Note : use a modal auxiliary according to the context of the sentence. ( suggestion - should, compulsion - must ) S C H O O L SECTION 155 E n g l i s h G ra mma r  MT EDUCARE LTD. SOLVED EXAMPLES : Change the Imperative sentence to Assertive and vice versa. 1. Don’t lose your c a l m if your friends’s opinions differ from yours. Ans. Y ou shoul d not /There is no need to lose your c a l m if your friend’s opinions differ from yours. 2. Tell your friends what you like a b out them. Ans. Y ou shoul d tell your friends what you like a b out them. 3. Never put money a nd important doc uments in your c he c ked -in luggage. Ans. Y ou shoul d never put money a nd important doc uments in your checked- in luggage. 4. M a u the star never set. Ans. I wish / hope the star never sets. 5. Allow your friends to be themselves. Ans. Y ou shoul d not let yourself be use d by your friends. EXERCISE : Change the Imperative sentence to Assertive and vice versa. 1. Accept your friends a s they are. 2. To test your out capacity, take a deep breath a nd open the mout h wide. 3. No hiding my c hin today. 4. Don’t keep fingering the sopt on your face. 5. Keep bags in between, rather t ha n besides your feet. 6. Ge t a thorough medical c he c k -u p before you set out on a long trip. 7. Ope n schools a nd monasteries for the people. 8. Allow your friends to be themselves. 9. Don’t spe a k what shoul d not be shared. 10. Don’t let yourself be use d by your friends. MIS. EXERCISE : 1. But they had no money. (Make Affirmative) 2. How to nourish friendship? (Make Assertive) 3. My lack of vision is my strength. (Add Question Tag) 4. He always answered. (Make Negative) 5. His voice was pleasant. (Make Exclamatory) 6. What a beautiful piece ! (Make Assertive) 7. Academic institutions in India are less t ha n sold on the idea of inclusive education. (Make Negative) 8. Mom's condition took a turn for the worse. My performance is also taking a turn for the worse. (Use Not onl y… but also) 9. What a feeling! (Make Assertive) 10. This one was probably for his mom. (Make Negative) 11. I'm trying to help. (Add Question tag) 12. If I don't thank a n Indian and die, I will never attain peace after death. (Use Unless) 13. We have often been unworthy followers of his. (Make Interrogative) 14. Isn't there a court order against this? (Make Assertive) 15. They shared their clothes and toys. (Use Not only…but also) 16. As soon as she got home, Keryn hurried to her. (Use No sooner…..than)  156 SCHOOL SECTION TRANSFORMATION OF SENTENCES (SIMPLE, COMPLEX, COMPOUND) Exercise A. Transform the following simple sentences into complex or compound sentences. 1. Knocking at the gate, he demanded admission. 2. Blinded by a dust storm, they lost their way. 3. Deceived by his friends, he lost all hope. 4. Driven by hunger, he stole a piece of bread. 5. Overwhelmed with grief, the poor widow killed herself. 6. The sea being smooth, we went for a sail. 7. Weather permitting, the match will be held tomorrow afternoon. Answers 1. He knocked at the gate and demanded admission. 2. As they were blinded by a dust storm, they lost their way. 3. As he was deceived by his friends, he lost all hope. 4. Because he was driven by hunger, he stole a piece of bread. 5. As she was overwhelmed with grief, the poor widow killed herself. 6. Because the sea was smooth, we went for a sail. 7. If weather permits, the match will be held tomorrow afternoon. B. Transform the following simple sentences into complex sentences: 1. Alex could not go to school due to his mother’s illness. Complex: Alex could not go to school because his mother was ill. Or, Alex could not go to school since his mother was ill. 2. Murphy knows Mr. Rashid. Complex: Murphy knows who Mr. Rashid is. 3. I prayed for your job. Complex: I prayed so that you could get the job. 1 4. He admitted his guilt. Complex: He admitted that he was guilty. 5. He is too weak to carry this heavy bag. Complex: He is so weak that he cannot carry that heavy bag. 6. He is working relentlessly to finish the work. Complex: He is relentlessly working so that he can finish the work. 7. He was born in the year of liberation war. Complex: He was born when it was the year of liberation war. 8. In spite of being a good student, he could not do well on the exam. Complex: Although he is a good student, he could not do well on the exam. 9. Despite being sick, Robin went to school. Complex: Though Robin was sick, he went to school. 10. He is too weak to continue walking. Complex: He is so weak that he cannot walk. 11. They are too strong to lose. Complex: They are so strong that they cannot lose. C. Transform the following complex sentences into simple sentences: 1. I know that he is an honest guy. Simple: I know him to be an honest guy. 2. We could not figure out what he said. Simple: We could not figure out the meaning of his words. 3. I believe that God exists. Simple: I believe in God’s existence. 4. Those that are helpless deserve our pity. Simple: The helpless deserve our pity. 2 5. The statue that is made of marble was bought from Jaipur. Simple: The marble statue was bought from Jaipur. 6. We saw trees that were laden with fruits. Simple: We saw trees laden with fruits. 7. They took shelter under a tree because they were driven by the rain. Simple: Driven by the rain, they took shelter under a tree. 8. He lost all hope because he was deceived by his own friends. Simple: Deceived by his own friends, he lost all hope. D. Transform the following complex sentences into compound sentences. 1. Walk carefully lest you should fall. 2. Although she is rich, she is not happy. 3. As soon as we heard the gunshot, we rushed to the spot. 4. If you are honest, you need not fear anybody. 5. I called for John who came at once. 6. Though he is brave, he is careless. 7. You will pass if you work hard. 8. He could not catch the train because he was late. 9. If you cannot obey me you have to quit. Answers 1. Walk carefully or you will fall. 2. She is rich but she is not happy. 3. We heard the gunshot and rushed to the spot. 4. Be honest and fear nobody. 5. I called for John and he came at once. 6. He is brave but careless. 7. Word hard and you will pass. 8. He was late and could not catch the train. 9. Obey me or quit. 3 4