Typical sentence in English differs from Russian in a strict word order. Arbitrary permutations are highly undesirable. Although individual authors change the correct sequence to impress readers and listeners. This applies to fiction writers and park speakers. But ordinary people, even in the home, it is better to avoid deviations from the standards. Especially for those who are just learning a foreign language. First you need to get used to making English sentences, as it should, then, if desired, allow some liberties.

Simple sentences in English

Simplicity denotes the completeness of thought, a single action performed by an actor, including an inspirited person or a whole group of people. Unity in this case is pure grammatical category, regardless of the diverse reality. Simple sentence in english(Simple Sentence) contains a maximum of one subject (Subject) and a predicate (Predicate). Or does not contain explicitly at all, the main members are implied from the previous context. No semicolons, transitions from one thought to another through a comma, and excursions-explanations with the union “what”. The phrase has a clear semantic focus: a narrative, a question, a prompt or an exclamation. This is emphasized by punctuation marks in writing or voice intonation during oral pronunciation.

Simple sentences in english divided into non-common and widespread. Both one and the other are divided into the following types:

• two-part (two-member);
• one-part (one-member).

In two-part, there can be a subject and a predicate together, these are called complete:

– The baby is smiling.

In incomplete, there is only a subject:

– My parents, of course;

or just the predicate:

– Swimming in the sea.

One-part sentence in english is a specific type, where main term cannot be clearly attributed to the subject or predicate . It is expressed as a noun or verbal infinitive. For example: – To stay here? - stay here? Summer! - summer!

Uncommon Offers

Unextended Sentence contains only a grammatical basis - a subject with a predicate, and even then not always completely, as in the above incomplete ones. There are no additions, circumstances and definitions. Example: – I am sleeping. Here the speaker does not specify where and when he sleeps, in what environment.

Common Suggestions

Extended Sentence consists of a base and related minor members:

• definitions (Attributes);
• add-ons (Objects);
• circumstances (Adverbials).

The definition clarifies the subject (subject), describes its features. It is expressed by one or more words related to a variety of parts of speech, most often to adjectives. Is in front of the subject or immediately after it.

– very little child can't eat much.

– Something unusual happened to them.

Definitions break the usual word order slightly, with the subject first, then the predicate, then the secondary members, except in circumstances that can actually occur anywhere.

Additions are either direct or indirect. Direct denotes the object on which the action is performed. Used without prepositions before it. In Russian, it is usually translated in the accusative case.

– We have bought a car .

– You are doing exercises .

Indirect object is translated in dative, instrumental or prepositional. Appears in complicated speech constructions, where, in addition to actor(subject) and the main subject (object), another "third party" is involved. If the indirect object is without the to particle, then it is placed before the direct one, used with it comes after the direct one.

– Professor gave books to the students .

– professor gave them books.

Circumstances determine the time and place, the conditions in which events occur. Usually contain prepositions, although they can be expressed in just one word. Circumstances are included English sentences in different places:

• before the subject In the evening she was reading;
• after additions - He had finished his work at the library ;
• between the auxiliary verb and the main - They have already completed their homework.

In the latter case, as a rule, short adverbs are used.

Personal offers

In Personal Sentence, the subject is a specific person or thing: "I", "my friend", "fast car". Expressed by a pronoun or a noun with definitions.

If the subject is already clear from the previous context, it may be omitted explicitly. All the same, such English sentences are considered personal. For example: - I wrote the letter. Then subscribed it.

Indefinitely personal sentences

Indefinite-personal contains one (singular) or they (plural) as the subject.

- One may not enter this room - you can not enter this room;

- They say, next summer will be wet - they say next summer will be wet.

impersonal proposals

Impersonal sentences in English are composed with the formal subject it, since the subject cannot be completely absent, as happens in Russian.

- It is snowing outdoors - it's snowing outside.

- It becomes dark - it becomes dark.

- It seems - it seems.

Types of sentences in English

Offers are of the following types:

• narrative - end with a dot;
• interrogative - end with a question mark;
• exclamatory - ends with an exclamation point;
• incentive, or imperative - usually also with an exclamation at the end.

Declarative sentences

In a declarative sentence in English, the word order is direct.

Types

• Affirmative.
• Negative.

Affirmative, in fact, have already been considered earlier. In negatives, there should be only one negation, not like in Russian, with a frequently occurring double. The particle not comes after the modal (auxiliary) verb. In everyday conversations, abbreviated forms with continuous pronunciation are widely used: isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't, wouldn't, don't, doesn't, didn't, haven't, hasn't , hadn't, can't, shouldn't.

Examples

- He is a good student - a statement.

- He isn't good student - denial.

With the word "No":

– No rival could win him.

– There is no newspaper on the desk.

In addition to "No" and "not", nobody, none, no one, nothing, neither (nor), nowhere are used for negation. These words should not be duplicated either.

exclamatory sentences

Exclamative Sentences express strong emotions, are pronounced loudly and clearly.

Types

They can be combined with a question, then at the end there is a question mark before an exclamation mark, and at the beginning one of the characteristic words: What, Where, When, How ...

Examples

– Shut up! - shut your mouth!

– What is this?! - what it is?!

Interrogative sentences

An interrogative sentence in English is characterized by an increase in the timbre of the voice from the beginning to the end.

Types

• General.
• Special.

A general question is asked without the use of question words. First comes auxiliary. A special question begins with the word "who", "what", "where", "when", "how" ...

Examples

– Who is there?

– Do you like roast beef?

Imperative (incentive) sentences

Imperative Sentence is close to exclamatory, but instead of a passive expression of emotions, it encourages active action, more or less politely. The exclamation point may not be at the end, unless it is a sharp command. Since the interlocutor is known, the pronoun You is often omitted, breaking the classic word order .

Types

• Affirmative.
• Negative.

A command aimed at third parties, as well as expressing soft request or an offer of help, it is customary to begin with the verb let. Negative imperative sentences in english always start with the verb do.

Examples

– Listen to me.

– Don't touch me.

- Let him go away.

- Let's play!!

Let's in the last example is an abbreviation for let us. The full form is almost never included in English sentences, except that they want to surprise the interlocutor with royal courtesy.

Outcome

Considering various proposals for English language, it is useful to practice compiling them. Pay special attention to the correct word order. Although in real life there are many exceptions, both common and invented, to make the phrase unusual. For a person who simply wants to talk to foreigners, the most general knowledge of sentences is enough. But a linguistic student needs to learn to accurately define grammatical constructions, to distinguish between complex predicates, circumstances, additions and definitions. Sometimes this requires a lot of work. But having gained experience, it is no longer possible to make a mistake in your speech. A demanding teacher will give a high mark, and foreign acquaintances will be delighted.

» Offers in English

English learners are well aware of the joke: “What will happen if you learn an English-Russian dictionary? - You will know English-Russian» . But, as you know, in every joke, there is only a fraction of a joke, and in reality, no matter how well a person knows only the vocabulary of the language being studied, it will not help him in live communication, because in speech we operate not so much with words as with phenomena. higher order - phrases, or sentences.

In linguistics, a sentence (Sentence) is understood as a harmonious combination of words (and sometimes just one word), created according to certain grammatical rules and distinguished by a single semantic load and intonation completeness.

The sentence as a complex phenomenon at the intersection of the spheres of influence of grammar and vocabulary is represented by a rich variety of species and types, distinguished according to various parameters.

The composition of the proposal

As in Russian, a sentence in English is built at the expense of the grammatical basis ( and ), “overgrown” with secondary members of the sentence. In this regard, we can talk about common, that is, having secondary members, and non-common, that is, consisting of only one grammatical basis, sentences.

As can be seen from the above example, due to the complex verb forms of the predicate grammatical basis does not have to be just two words. Sometimes in English it is even possible that a common sentence is shorter than a non-common one. Compare:

Although, complex tense forms of the predicate usually require use in a more detailed context, so such a sentence is more an exception that occurs in the intuitive context of a dialogue than a rule.

Types of sentences depending on the purpose of the statement

The offer may be:

• a judgment that tells about something, in this case we are dealing with declarative sentence (the Declarative Sentence) :

The declarative sentence is characterized by the semantic completeness of the statement, falling intonation and direct word order, in which the predicate certainly follows the subject.

• a judgment that prompts to some action, thereby expressing a request or order - in this case we are talking about incentive offer (the Imperative Sentence) :

Imperative sentences do not require a subject and usually begin with a predicate expressed by a verb in the imperative mood (the Imperative Mood). At the same time, incentive sentences are often pronounced emotionally, with a descending intonation and are very often exclamatory.

• a judgment that prompts the interlocutor to respond to a specific request for information is interrogative sentence (the Interrogative Sentence) . Most interrogative sentences in English are characterized by inversion- reverse word order, in which the predicate (and more often - the inflected part of the predicate, expressed by the auxiliary verb) precedes the subject. Interrogative sentences are represented in English by five different types of questions, namely:
• general question (The General Question) , which does not contain a question word and requires a Yes/No answer. It begins with an auxiliary verb, followed by the subject and the semantic verb in the required form. The general question is pronounced with rising intonation. Examples:

Do you like traveling?	Do you like traveling?
Is Jane working in the garden?	Jane is gardening?
Have you been to New Zealand?	Have you been to New Zealand?

• special question (The Special Question) , which begins with a question word (except for Who in the meaning of "Who" and What - "What" in the nominative case for the Russian counterpart). After the interrogative word, a structure typical of a general question is repeated, that is, an auxiliary verb, a subject and a semantic verb in the required form. A special question in English is pronounced with a falling intonation. Examples:

• question to the subject (The Subject Question) , starting with the interrogative word Who in the meaning of "Who" and What - "What", performing the function of the subject. This type of question is distinguished by the absence of inversion and its replacement by a direct word order, because after the subject, expressed by an interrogative word, a predicate follows in the form characteristic of an affirmative sentence. That is, a special addition of an auxiliary verb specifically for the formation of an interrogative form (which happens in other types of questions, in particular, for the Present Simple and Past Simple tenses) is not required here. The question to the subject is also pronounced with a descending intonation. Examples:

• alternative question (The Alternative Question) , which in its structure differs from the general question only in the presence of the union "or / or" somewhere in the middle of the sentence, the inability to answer it with "Yes / No" and intonation, which is ascending before the union or and falling after it. Examples:

• separated question (The Disjunctive Question), or a tag question (The Tag Question) , which is a small "tail" added to the usual affirmative or negative sentence. It is always translated into Russian with the phrase "..., isn't it?" or "... isn't it?" and expresses the speaker's doubt about the content of the judgment just said. At the same time, the structure of the “label question” directly depends on the structure of the original sentence to which it is “attached”. Firstly, both parts of such a complex sentence have “reverse polarity”: if the original sentence is affirmative, then the “tail” will be negative, and vice versa, if the original sentence contains a negative, then the disjunctive question will not contain a negative. Secondly, the disjunctive question is built from an auxiliary verb corresponding to the form of time, person and number of the predicate of the original sentence and the subject, repeating the subject of the original sentence, but in the form of a personal pronoun. Examples:

Types of offers depending on the emotional richness

According to the parameter of emotional richness, sentences are divided into exclamatory and non-exclamatory sentences. Exclamatory sentence (The Exclamatory Sentence) designed to convey some emotion (admiration, anger, surprise, etc.) of the speaker to the interlocutor. Exclamatory sentences can be both declarative and interrogative and, especially often, incentive sentences. At the end of such sentences, an exclamation mark is placed, telling the reader that such a sentence must be pronounced with special emotionality and a slight increase in tone, indicating the exclamatory intonation of this statement. Examples:

A non-exclamatory sentence is pronounced more calmly, with a lower tone and even sliding intonation. It indicates a more relaxed attitude of the speaker to the topic of the utterance. Any sentence can become both exclamatory and non-exclamatory, depending on its emotional load and the speaker's intention to express this emotional richness.

Types of sentences depending on the number of grammatical bases

If a sentence contains only one grammatical basis, that is, a subject and a predicate, such a sentence is called simple, for example:

If there are several (at least two) grammatical bases within one sentence, then we are talking about a complex sentence, for example:

Complex sentences, in turn, are divided into compound and complex sentences.

compound sentence (The Compound Sentence) is a combination of two or more relatively independent sentences, independent of each other and connected by a coordinating union or by means of an union-free connection. Unionless proposals provide for the connection of two (or more) simple sentences within a complex one only through intonation, for example:

By the way, compound sentences can also be unionless, which will be discussed in more detail later. Most compound sentences are connected by coordinating conjunctions(The Coordinating Conjunction) presented in the following table:

Union	Union translation	Sample sentence	Translation of the example
connecting unions(copulative associations)
and	and	I told her all my secrets and she told me hers.	I told her all my secrets and she told me hers.
as well as…	as well as	We should trust our friends as well as they should trust us.	We should trust our friends just as they should trust us.
both…, and…	and... and...	Mary intended both to stay a good wife and mother and she dream of being a successful businesswoman.	Mary intended to remain a good wife and mother, and dreamed of becoming a successful businesswoman.
neither…, nor…	no no…	Neither the teacher said me the deadline of this project, nor I myself asked about it.	Neither the teacher told me about the deadline for the project, nor did I ask him about it.
not only…, but also…	not only but…	Not only my friends helped me get ready for the journey, but also my father gave me some useful tips.	Not only did my friends help me prepare for the trip, but my father also gave me some useful advice.
nor	also not...	Peter didn't want to help us, nor we offered him help.	Peter didn't want to help us, nor did we offer to help him.
opposing conjunctions (adversative conjunctions)
and	a	I love her and she doesn't love me.	I love her, but she doesn't love me.
but	but	The teacher was very angry but no one took notice of it.	The teacher was very angry, but no one paid any attention to it.
however	but	That journey cost us a lot of effort, time and money; however it was worth it.	That journey took us a lot of effort, time and money; however, it was worth it.
still	yet	We often have arguments, still we are the best friend s.	WE quarrel often, and yet we are best friends.
whereas	whereas	Jack is rather tall and skinny whereas his brother is short and plump.	Jack is rather tall and thin, while his brother is short and plump.
yet	Nonetheless	It was an ordinary party, yet I enjoyed it.	It was an ordinary party, nevertheless, I liked it.
separating unions (disjunctive conjunctions)
or	or	Put all my things on the right place or I will call the police.	Put all my things back or I'll call the police.
either...or...	or or…	Either we give you a lift home, or we catch a taxi for you.	Either we'll give you a ride home, or we'll catch a taxi for you.

Complex sentence(The Complex Sentence) consists of one main, that is, an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses, that is, dependent on the main clause. Subordinate clauses perform the role of a certain member of the sentence for the main one, most often circumstances, and are connected with the main one through subordinating union (The Subordinating Conjunction) or unionless. In this regard, in English there are several types subordinate clauses, namely:

Types of subordinate clauses	Subordinating conjunctions and allied words	Example	Translation
Subject clauses (Subject Clauses)	that (what); if, whether (whether); who (who); what (what, what); which (which); when (when); where (where); how (how); why (why)	Whether you leave or stay can change nothing. Why are you so shy and quiet seems to be very strange to me. What did they tell us yesterday was absolutely true.	Whether you leave or stay won't make a difference. Why you are so shy and quiet seems very strange to me. What they told us yesterday, was absolutely true.
Adverbial clauses of the predicate (predictiveClauses)		This is what I recommend to do. The matter is whether you are ready to workhard for this project.	This is what I recommended you do. The question is, are you willing to work hard for this project.
Adventitious additional (Object Clauses)	match conjunctions and allied words Subject Clauses	I don't know what I have to do. Tom asked me where he could go for the weekend.	I do not know what to do. Tom asked me where he could go for the weekend.
Clauses (AttributiveClauses	who (who); whose (whose); which (which); that (which); where (where); why (why)	The man who lives next door is an architect. Where is the cheese that was in the fridge? That is the reason why I don't like Jim.	The man who lives next door is an architect. Where is the cheese that was in the fridge? That's the reason I don't like Jim.
Adverbial adverbials (Adverbial Clauses)
a)places	where (where); wherever (wherever, wherever)	Put your bag where you want. We will miss you wherever you go.	Put your bag where you want. We will miss you wherever you go.
b) time	when (when); after (after); before (before); until, till (until); while (while); since (since); as soon as (as soon as)	I'll tell Paul about Jane's proposal when I see him. Tom wanted to say Ann something important before he went away.	I'll tell Paul about Jane's proposal when I see him. Tom wanted to tell Ann something important before he left.
c) conditions	if ( if), unless ( if not), in case (that) (in the event that); on condition (that) ( provided that)	If you are free we can go to the park or to the cinema. Mary will study abroad unless she gets a better offer for studying here.	If you're free, we can go to the park or to the cinema. Mary will study abroad unless she gets a better offer to study here.
d) reasons	because (because); as, since (since)	Andy won't join us because he is very stubborn. Sarah wants to take a year off after university as she is going to travel around the world.	Andy won't join us because he's very stubborn. Sarah wants to take a year off from university as she is about to travel around the world.
e) course of action	as (as); that (what); as if, as though (as if)	She speaks English so badly that we hardly understand her. He always wastes so much money as if he was rich.	She speaks English so badly that we can hardly understand her. He always throws away so much money like he's rich.
f) goals	that (to); so that, in order to (in order to), lest (in order not to)	Harry was running slowly so that Megan could keep up with him.	Harry ran slowly so Meghan could catch up with him.
g) consequences	that( what), so( so), so that ( so)	The film was so boring that Tom fell asleep at the cinema.	The movie was so boring that Tom fell asleep in the cinema.
h) concessions	though, although, as ( although); however ( howsoever); whoever( whoever); whatever ( whatever, whatever); even if( even)	We went for a walk though the weather wasn't very good.	We went for a walk, although the weather was not very good.

Please note that in subordinate clauses of time and condition, the future tense cannot be used, so all Future times required by the context are replaced by the corresponding Present times.

Types of Conditional Clauses (Conditionals)

Depending on whether it is a real or unreal condition, as well as whether it refers to the present, past or future, there are several types of conditional clauses in English, namely:

type of conditional sentence	meaning	used verb forms for main and subordinate clauses	example	translation
null (Zero Conditional)	regularity that is always relevant	In the main - Present, in the subordinate - Present	Ifyou don't read books you can stay ignorant.	If you do not read books, you can remain ignorant.
the first (First Conditional)	real, feasible condition in the future, present	In the main - Future, in the subordinate - Present	If Paul asks me, I'll tell him my opinion on this matter.	If Paul asks me, I will tell him my opinion on the matter.
second (Second Conditional)	unrealistic or difficult to fulfill condition in the present or future	In the main - would + Infinitive, in the subordinate - Past	If I were rich I would spend a lot of money on charities.	If I were rich, I would spend a lot of money on charity.
third (ThirdConditional)	unreal condition in the past	In the main - would + Infinitive Perfect, in the subordinate clause - Past Perfect	If I hadn't left my native town I wouldn't have made such a brilliant carreer.	If I didn't leave my native city, I would not have made such a brilliant career.
mixed (mixedConditional)	unreal consequence in the present of the events of the past that did not take place	In the main - would + Infinitive (as in the second type), in the subordinate clause - Past Perfect (as in the third type)	If you hadn't deceived your boss so many times you wouldn't have so much trouble now.	If you hadn't fooled your boss so many times, you wouldn't be in so much trouble right now.

The proposed description of subordinate clauses is rather schematic and requires more detailed coverage in a separate article.

Sentence – this is a separate statement that has intonational and semantic completeness. A sentence is a word or group of words, organized according to the rules of grammar, that carries a specific message, question, exclamation, or call to action.

• It's raining. - It's raining.
• go outside! - Get outside!
• What are you doing? - What are you doing?

Offers English, as in Russian, depending on how many grammatical bases (combinations of subject and predicate) in the sentence, are divided into simple and complex sentences.

• Simple sentences
• There is my house.- This is my home.
• I have to go to the university.- I have to go to the university.

• Complex sentences
• There is the house where my family lives. This is the house where my family lives.
• I have to go to the university now but I will come back soon. I have to go to the university now, but I will be back soon.

simple sentence(simple sentence) is a sentence that contains only one grammatical basis(one combination of subject and predicate).

• Kate likes dogs. Kate loves dogs.
• We go jogging every Sunday. We go jogging every Sunday.
• They didn't go to school last year. They didn't go to school last year.

Simple sentences for the purpose of the statement

All simple sentences, depending on the purpose of the utterance, can be narrative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory.

Declarative sentences

Declarative sentence(declarative sentence) - a sentence that communicates a certain fact or information in affirmative or negative form. The intonation of such a sentence is mainly descending, direct word order is used (subject before the predicate).

• My name is Paul. - My name is Paul.
• Kate is good at cooking. Kate cooks well.

• I don't like honey. - I don't like honey.
• George hasn't finished his work yet. George has not finished his work yet.

In English, usually There can only be one negative in a sentence, in contrast to the Russian language, where there can be a double negation (the use of particles together not, nor negative pronouns, adverbs, etc.).

• I know nothing.- I do not know anything.
• I don't know anything.- I do not know anything.

• We met no one yesterday. We didn't meet anyone yesterday.
• We didn't meet anyone yesterday. We didn't meet anyone yesterday.

Twice no in English it can be used to further strengthen the negation, but this is not common.

• I ain't got no money.- I don't have any money.
• We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control.“We don't need any education, we don't need any thought control.

Interrogative sentences

Imperative sentences

imperative sentence(imperative sentence) - a sentence that encourages the interlocutor to act, that is, it expresses an order, request, command, invitation, etc. These sentences often omit the subject. you(you, you), since it is clear from the context, the verb is used only in the infinitive form without a particle to.

• Watch this!– Look at this!
• Listen to me.- Listen to me.
• Go and buy some bread, please.- Go buy some bread, please.

Sometimes in imperative sentences the pronoun you is not omitted in order to emotionally highlight and reinforce an order or command.

• You sleep now.- You're going to bed now.
• We will rest and you drive. We will rest and you will drive the car.
• I will go to the shop and you stay at home.- I'm going to the store, and you stay at home.

In order to form negative imperative sentence(prohibition or request), the auxiliary verb is always used do in the negative form, even with a verb to be.

• Don't give me orders!- Don't order me!
• Don't touch it, please.- Don't touch it, please.

• Don't be so silly!- Don't be so stupid!
• Oh come on don't be mad.“Oh come on, don’t be mad.

To form an order, a command directed at third parties, the verb is used to let(permit). To let also used to offer help or when asking for permission to do something.

• Let her go.- Let her go. (Let her go.)
• Let him do whatever he wants. Let him do whatever he wants.
• Let the children play with our dog. Let the children play with our dog.

• Let me help you.- Let me help you.
• Let us do this.- Let us do it.

The form let's(short for let us) is used to suggest joint action. In this meaning full form let us practically not used.

• Let's go for a walk!- Let's go for a walk!
• Let's play football outside. Let's play football outside.
• Let's invite Paul and Janice to the party. Let's invite Paul and Janice to the party.

exclamatory sentences

exclamatory sentence(exclamatory sentence) - a sentence that expresses certain emotions or feelings. Often such sentences begin with the words what and how, and end exclamation point.

AT exclamatory sentences only direct word order is used. However, often a sentence can only consist of one or two words.

• Marvelous! - Wonderful! (also with a touch of sarcasm)
• How wonderful! - How wonderful!
• It's such a beautiful life! - What a beautiful life!
• What a lovely day it is. - What a wonderful day today.

Types of simple sentences by structure

Simple sentences according to their structure (the presence or absence of some members of the proposal) are divided into two-part and one-component, as well as on uncommon and common.

Two-part sentence

Two-member sentence(two-part sentence) - a sentence in which there are both main members of the sentence (subject and predicate), or one of them is omitted, as it is clear from the context or the previous sentence.

• I don't like this book.- I don't like this book.
• We had a lot of fun in Brazil! Swimming in the ocean, drinking cocktails, dancing . We had a lot of fun in Brazil! We swam in the ocean, drank cocktails, danced.

Two-part sentences, in turn, are divided into complete and incomplete. complete sentence (full offer) is a two-part sentence in which there is both a subject and a predicate.

• The baby was smiling to us. The child smiled at us.
• We've bought a lot of candies for you. We bought you a lot of sweets.
• There was a big party at Caroline's place. Caroline had a big party.

Incomplete sentence(incomplete sentence) - a sentence in which one of the main members of the sentence is missing or both of them, as they are clear from the context. Such proposals are often found in colloquial speech, dialogues.

• Who did that? Mark, of course.- Who did it? Of course Mark.
• What did he do? Nothing at all!- What did he do? Nothing at all!
• What were we doing? Just chilling and talking.– What did we do? They just relaxed and talked.

One-part sentence

One-member sentence (one-part sentence) is a special type of sentence in which there is only one main member of the sentence, and it cannot be unambiguously defined as a noun or a predicate. Sometimes these suggestions are called phrase sentences.

One-part sentences can be expressed using a noun or an infinitive of a verb.

• To be or not to be?- To be or not to be?
• To stay here - alone, forgotten by everyone.– To stay here – alone, forgotten by everyone.
• Spring! Birds singing, the sun shining, flowers in blossom.- Spring! The birds are singing, the sun is shining, the flowers are blooming.

Uncommon and Common Suggestions

unextended sentence (non-proprietary proposal) - a sentence in which there are no secondary members of the sentence, but there are only grammatical basis. Uncommon can be both one-part and two-part sentences.

• Spring. - Spring.
• to live! - Live!
• Don't talk!- Do not talk!
• She is sleeping.- She is sleeping.
• Matt is a student. Matt is a student.

extended sentence(common sentence) - a sentence in which there is one or more minor members of the proposal depending on the subject or predicate.

• beautiful spring!- Beautiful spring!
• Don't talk to me now!- Don't talk to me now!
• My little sister is sleeping upstairs. My little sister sleeps upstairs.
• Matt is not really a good student. Matt is not a very good student.

In order not to miss new useful materials,

The construction of sentences in English is a painful topic for many, but this material must be well understood, since the sentence is the basis of written and spoken language.

I will immediately make a reservation that in this article we are considering rules for constructing a standard sentence in English. We will not pay attention to elliptical constructions, exclamations, complex inversions and other types of sentences that differ in their form from the standard one. If you know the "skeleton" of an English sentence, you can easily build any phrase.

• Read about non-standard offers in the article "".

What is an English sentence

Each sentence expresses a complete thought. To make the thought look logical and understandable, it is necessary to use certain members of the sentence. Every English sentence has two obligatory elements: the subject is the main character of the sentence (answers the question “who?”, “What?”), the predicate is what the subject does (answers the question “what to do?”).

Subject can be expressed as (I, you, them, everyone, etc.) or (mom, cat, work, apple, etc.). It usually comes first in a sentence. Predicate is expressed (go, write, think, fall, etc.) and follows the subject, that is, it is in second place in the sentence.

• (Who?) They (what did?) thought. - They thought.
• (Who?) The cat (what is he doing?) is coming. - The cat is going.
• (What?) The apple (what will it do?) will fall. - The apple will fall.

Predicate is the most important part of the sentence. Only the predicate can show what is happening, happened or will happen. English predicate can consist of two elements: the main verb - the "main" verb, which shows what the subject does, and - the verb, which helps to distinguish tenses.

The subject and predicate are the main parts of the sentence. As mentioned above, without them the correct construction of sentences in English is impossible. In addition, there are also secondary members, these include:

• Addition- stands after the predicate and answers any case question, except for questions of the nominative case. Addition is direct and indirect. The direct answers the questions of the accusative case: “whom?”, “What?”; indirect - to all other case questions: “who?”, “what?”, “to whom?”, “what?” etc. As a rule, in a sentence, a direct object comes first, then an indirect one.
  

  I see a girl with him. - I see (who?) girl(with whom?) with him.

  She is reading a book to the children. She is reading (what?) book(to whom?) children.

• Definition- stands next to the subject or object and describes its properties, that is, answers the question “which?”, “Whose?”.
  

  I see a beautiful girl with him. - I see (what?) beautiful girl with him.

  my red cat lies on the window. - (Whose?) My(which?) ginger the cat lies on the window.

• Circumstance- can be at the beginning or at the end of the sentence, says “where?”, “When?”, “How?”, “Why?” some action has taken place.
  

  My red cat lies on the window. - My red cat lies (where?) on the window.

  Yesterday I saw her with him. - (When?) Yesterday I saw her with him.

  He behaved differently. - He behaved (how?) differently.

Rules for constructing sentences in English

There are two main word orders in English: direct and reverse. Direct is used in affirmative and negative sentences, reverse - in questions.

The English sentence differs from the Russian one in word order. In Russian it is free:

• Mom washed the frame.
• Mom washed the frame.
• Mom washed the frame.

As you can see, from the change in the places of the terms - mothers and frames - the meaning of the sentence has not changed. And in English, all three sentences will be translated as follows:

• mother was washing the frame.

This is because English sentences have a fixed word order. English words cannot "jump" from place to place, as the Russians do. The English language is strict and conservative, like the English themselves, it does not like change. Therefore, each type of proposal has its own unbreakable patterns.

Word order in affirmation and negation in English

The direct word order in an English sentence is as follows: the subject comes first, the predicate comes second, and the object comes third. In some cases, circumstance may come first. In an English sentence, the main verb may have an auxiliary verb. But, as you already know, the auxiliary verb is part of the predicate, so even with it the word order remains direct.

Word order in an affirmative sentence
Circumstance		Predicate	Addition (possibly with a definition)	Circumstance
Yesterday	I	learned	English words. English words.	--
--	My little sister My little sister	will visit will visit	me	three days. after three days.

Word order in a negative English sentence is also direct. To show negation, we use the particle not, which corresponds to the Russian particle "not". Also, in a negative sentence there is always an auxiliary verb, because it is adjacent to it not, adjoin the main verb not can not.

Word order in a negative sentence
Circumstance	Subject (possibly with definition)	Auxiliary verb + not	Main verb	Complement (possibly with a definition)	Circumstance
Yesterday	I	did not	learn	English words. English words.	--
--	My little sister My little sister	will not	visit will visit	me	three days. after three days.

Word order in a question in English

In a Russian question and statement, the word order can be the same. Only by the intonation of the speaker do we understand that we have been asked a question. In English, a statement and a question look different:

• They live in the city. - They live in the city.
• Do they live in the city? - Do they live in the city?

The English interrogative sentence has a reverse word order. This means that the subject and verb are reversed. But the English language does not like to go far from the direct order, so only part of the predicate, the auxiliary verb, is put in the first place, and the main verb still comes after the subject. Another feature is that in the question the circumstance is not put in the first place.

Word order in an interrogative sentence
Auxiliary	Subject (possibly with definition)	Main verb	Addition (possibly with a definition)	Circumstance
Did	I	learn	English words? English words?	--
Will	my little sister My little sister	visit will visit	me	three days? after three days?

Short Answers

AT oral speech, as a rule, we answer the question briefly. For example, to the question "Do they work in the office?" we will answer “Yes” or “No” rather than repeating the whole phrase: “Yes, they work in the office / No, they do not work in the office.” We manage with a short answer, and such an answer is understandable to the interlocutor.

The English also use short answers. But in English you can't just say Yes/no, such an answer will seem rude and unfriendly. An English short answer must also contain a subject and an auxiliary verb. The subject and auxiliary verb remain those that were in the question, for example:

If the question contains a pronoun you(you, you), so the question is addressed to you. Therefore, you need to answer it on your own behalf, and not on behalf of you:

And now we offer to watch the video from the teacher Minoo. It will tell you about the word order in an English sentence. And at the end of the article, you will find a table with all the proposal schemes that you can download, and a test.

(*.pdf, 200 Kb)

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Test

Word order in English: rules for constructing sentences

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Sentences in English may have a completely different word order than in Russian. At the same time, during the translation, it is worth adhering to certain rules, for example, if in Russian we see first the main part of the sentence, and then the subject, then in English it may be different. Consider different English sentences with translation in order to clearly see how sentences should be translated from one language to another.

• grandmother has come! => Grandma is here!
• Daddy has arrived! => Dad has arrived!
• My friends have come too late => My friends have come too late.
• You are having very good time => You are having a great time.

Take a close look at these offers. You will notice that they are different quantity words. The first two are uncommon, the second two are common.

Non-common ones are those in which only the main (main) members of the sentence are present, namely, the predicate and the subject. As for the common ones, there are also other (minor) members. They are circumstances, definitions, additions, etc.

Examples of translation of simple sentences (common and non-common):

• mother says. => Mom says.
• Children are playing. => Children play.
• Grandfather has done. => Grandpa did.
• Mary is her best friend. => Mary is her best friend.
• The girl is enjoying the sunshine. => Girl enjoy sunlight(warmth).
• The boy is smiling to her. => The boy smiles at her.

Features of translation when there is no subject

If we talk about simple sentences, then it is important to remember that they are divided into several types. Categories need to be known in order to correctly translate sentences. For example, in personal sentences that denote a pronounced person or thing, the subject may be absent, but this does not mean that it does not need to be translated:

• My mother will come in a minute. => My mother will come in a minute (subject present).
• She looks at the window. stands up. Sits down. Again stands up. She doesn't know what to do. => She looks out the window. Stands up. Sits down. He gets up again. She doesn't know what to do.

The example shows that the word she is not in all sentences, but, nevertheless, it is implied there. You don't need to use the word "she" in every sentence. She gets up. She sits down. She gets up again. It is not right. Enough to translate she once, and then it is clear from the meaning that the word in the sentence should be.

Features of translation from one and they

When we talk about indefinite personal sentences, then the subject expresses something indefinite (an object or a person). In order to convey this something (indefinite) in English, for translation we use one and they:

• One can study English only if he wants to. => A person can only learn English if he wants to (you can't force a person to do something).
• One can bake a cake only if he knows how to do it. => A person can bake a cake only if he knows how to do it.
• One can become a policeman only if he is a brave one. => Only those who are brave can become a policeman.
• They say the summer will be hot. => They say the summer will be hot.
• They say the meeting will be very interesting. => They say that the meeting will be very interesting.

The examples clearly show that when translating into Russian, we omit some words that are present in English. For example, they. Yes, we write They say, and not just say, but translate without they: they say rather than they say. A similar situation with the word One. In our examples One translates as man and cop, but the translation is not limited to these words. Everything depends on the context.

Features of the translation of impersonal sentences

An interesting situation with the translation lies ahead in impersonal sentences. The peculiarity of such proposals is that they do not have an active person. How to translate them into Russian? Without a subject.

Here are some examples:

• It is snowing. => It's snowing.
• It is sunshining. => The sun is shining.
• It is cold. => It's cold.
• It becomes dark very early. => It gets evening very early.

In English impersonal sentences we use it, which is not translated in Russian. We omit this part of the sentence.

More sentences with translation into Russian:

• It seems that you have seen this man before. => It seems that you have already seen this person before.
• It is known that these guys are very talented. => Know that these guys are very talented.
• It becomes deeper and deeper step by step. => Step by step it gets deeper and deeper.

Note! English sentences cannot be translated word for word. They need to be translated comprehensively. For example, in last sentence first we translate step by step, and then - It becomes deeper and deeper, although in the sentence everything is the other way around. You can, of course, translate Getting Deeper Step by Step, but Step by Step Getting Deeper sounds better.

Features of the translation of compound sentences

Such proposals must coordinating conjunctions. neither .. .nor, as well as, not only ... but also, but, etc. Such sentences, consisting of two or three parts, are also separated by commas. It is easier both for perception and for translation.

On a note! Simple sentences in compound sentences should be pronounced with a falling intonation.

• A cold wind was blowing and a snowstorm began. => A cold wind was blowing, and a snowstorm began.

In this sentence, the coordinating element is and, but the sentence is compound, not simple. The fact is that both sentences (simple, part of the complex) have a predicate and a subject. If we took, for example, It was cool and windy, then it is clear that this is a simple sentence, because It was applies to cool, and to windy.

But in the proposal A cold wind was blowing and a snowstorm began we see two separate full sentences - 1) A cold wind was blowing, and 2) a snowstorm began.

Here are some more examples:

• The metal is made up of irregularly shaped grains, and these tiny grains are the bundling blocks of the metal. => Metal consists of grains irregular shape, and these smallest grains are the building mass of the metal.
• I wanted to buy a baby Chihuahua so I started to save my money. => I wanted to buy a chihuahua puppy, and so I started saving money.
• His dog has won many prizes, but she doesn't know many tricks. => His dog has won many awards, but she doesn't know a lot of tricks.
• I will be glad to help you; I love to cook. => I'll be glad to help you; I like to cook.

Note! Compound sentences can be translated without conjunctions. A good example is the last sentence.

In addition to compound sentences, sentences are also complex, and they, in turn, also have their own subspecies. That's another topic for that. We will consider it in our other articles.

Summing up

When we study English sentences with translation from Russian into English, it is better to start training with simple ones, and then take on complex ones. If you learn how to correctly translate easy sentences, then you will learn how to competently cope with complex ones. In the latter case, you will need to learn the coordinating conjunctions that are connecting between sentences. Exercise regularly and improve your skills. Good luck!

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