How English Sentences Are Structured

Discover the building blocks of the English language in this in-depth examination of word structure. From verbs and adjectives to nouns, we will explore the various components that makeup English vocabulary.

Whether you’re a language enthusiast or a student looking to improve your understanding of English, this article will provide a comprehensive understanding of how English words are constructed.

Table of Contents

How To Start A Sentence

There are several ways to start a sentence, but the most basic method is to begin with a subject, followed by a verb. Here are a few guidelines for starting sentences:

Start with a subject: A subject is the person, place, thing, or idea that the sentence is about. For example, “The dog ran across the street.”
Follow the subject with a verb: A verb is an action word that describes what the subject is doing. For example, “The dog ran across the street.”
Start with a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions are words that connect subordinate clauses to main clauses. For example, “After he finished his homework, he watched TV.”
Using an action verb: A sentence can start with an action verb, which is a word that describes an action. For example, “Running down the street, the dog barked.”
Using an object: A sentence can start with an object, which is the person or thing that is affected by the action in the sentence. For example, “The bone, the dog’s favorite toy, lay on the ground.”
Start with a preposition. Prepositions connect the noun or pronoun to the other words in the sentence. For example, “On Monday, we will have a meeting.”
Begin a sentence with an adverb. Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, they often answer questions like “how” “when” “where”. For example, “Slowly, he walked to the door.”
Start with a dependent clause. A dependent clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb but doesn’t express a complete thought. For example, “If you want to go to the party, you need to ask your parents.”
Start with an interjection. An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses strong feeling, such as surprise or emotion, it’s usually set off by punctuation. For example, “Wow, that’s amazing.”
Using a quote: A sentence can start with a quote, especially in creative writing, or in an essay or report to convey a person’s thoughts or feelings. For example, “John said, ‘I want to go for a walk with you’.”
Using an adverbial phrase: A sentence can start with an adverbial phrase, which describes the manner, time, place, or reason for the action in the sentence. For example, “In the morning, the dog barked.”
Using an independent clause: A sentence can also be started using independent clause that express a complete thought.

It’s worth noting that starting a sentence with a conjunction (words such as ‘and’, ‘but’ or ‘so’) can be considered informal and might be avoided in formal writing. It’s also important to consider the context and the audience of your writing, as different formats and styles may require different ways of starting a sentence.

These are a few examples of ways to start a sentence, but there are many other ways to begin a sentence. The most important thing is to make sure that your sentence is clear, grammatically correct, and easy to understand.

How To Use “The”

“The” is a definite article in English and is used to refer to specific things or people. Here are a few guidelines for using “the” correctly:

Use “the” when referring to a specific noun. For example: “The book I’m reading is really good.”
Use “the” when referring to a noun that is unique. For example: “The sun rises in the east.”
Use “the” when both the speaker and the listener know what object or person is being referred to. For example: “The pencil on the desk is mine.”
Use “the” for superlatives, when you describe something or someone as the most or least of something. For example “He is the tallest person in the room.”
Use “the” with singular and plural nouns when you specify a group or a type of people. For example “The giraffe is a tall animal.” or “The giraffes are tall animals.”
Use “the” with proper nouns, when you specify a name of a place, river, mountain, etc. For example: “The Nile is the longest river in Africa.”

It’s worth mentioning that with certain nouns that are not specific and refer to general groups, the use of “the” is not necessary, or it’s not appropriate. For example, “I like to read books.” (not the books)

It’s also important to note that there are some cases where “the” is optional, it can be used to stress a point or not used at all in case it doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence.

Please also note that, you should pay attention to the context of the sentence, since it determines the use of the definite article, and sometimes it might not be necessary or appropriate.

What Is An Adjective?

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can provide information about the size, shape, age, color, origin, material, or other qualities of the noun or pronoun they modify.

Here are some examples of adjectives:

Big
Round
Old
Blue
Chinese
Wooden
Soft

In each of these examples, the adjective is modifying a noun. For example, in the sentence “I have a big dog,” the adjective “big” is modifying the noun “dog.” In the sentence “She wore a blue dress,” the adjective “blue” is modifying the noun “dress.”

What Is A Verb?

A verb is a word that expresses an action or a state of being. Verbs are a crucial part of a sentence and often come after the subject of the sentence.

Here are some examples of verbs:

Run
Eat
Sleep
Think
Be
Have
Do

In each of these examples, the verb is expressing an action or a state of being. For example, in the sentence “I am running,” the verb “running” is expressing an action. In the sentence “She is happy,” the verb “is” is expressing a state of being.

What Is A Proper Noun?

A proper noun is a specific name that is used to identify a particular person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are always capitalized because they refer to specific, one-of-a-kind entities.

Here are some examples of proper nouns:

John
Mary
Canada
Paris
The Great Wall of China
Coca-Cola
Wednesday

In each of these examples, the noun is being used to identify a specific person, place, or thing. For example, “John” is the specific name of a person, “Canada” is the specific name of a country, and “The Great Wall of China” is the specific name of a place. Proper nouns are always capitalized because they refer to specific, unique entities.

What Is A Pronoun?

A pronoun is a word that is used in place of a noun or a noun phrase. Pronouns are used to avoid repeating the same noun or noun phrase over and over again.

Here are some examples of pronouns:

I
You
He
She
It
We
They

In each of these examples, the pronoun is standing in for a noun or noun phrase. For example, in the sentence “I went to the store,” the pronoun “I” is standing in for the speaker. In the sentence “She gave the book to him,” the pronoun “she” is standing in for a specific person, and the pronoun “him” is standing in for another person.

What Is A Conjunction?

A conjunction is a word that is used to connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. Conjunctions can be used to show a variety of relationships, such as cause and effect, contrast, or addition.

Here are some examples of conjunctions:

In each of these examples, the conjunction is being used to connect two or more words, phrases, or clauses. Here are some examples of sentences that use conjunctions:

“I’m hungry, but I don’t want to cook.” (The conjunction “but” is being used to show contrast between two clauses.)

“She has a cat and a dog.” (The conjunction “and” is being used to show addition between two nouns.)

“You can have pizza or burgers for dinner.” (The conjunction “or” is being used to present a choice between two options.)

“I will go to the store, for I need milk.” (The conjunction “for” is being used to show cause and effect between two clauses.)

Conjunctions are an important part of grammar because they help to create clear, concise sentences that are easy to understand.

A suffix is a word ending that is added to the end of a word to change its meaning or function. Suffixes can be used to form nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

What Is A Suffix?

Here are some examples of suffixes:

-er (as in “teacher”)
-ness (as in “happiness”)
-ly (as in “quickly”)
-ment (as in “movement”)
-less (as in “hopeless”)

In each of these examples, the suffix is being added to the end of a word to change its meaning or function. For example, when the suffix “-er” is added to the end of the verb “teach,” it creates the noun “teacher.” When the suffix “-ness” is added to the end of the adjective “happy,” it creates the noun “happiness.” When the suffix “-ly” is added to the end of the adjective “quick,” it creates the adverb “quickly.” Suffixes are an important part of grammar because they can help to change the tense, voice, or function of a word.

What Is A Preposition?

A preposition is a word that is used to show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Prepositions are usually placed before a noun or pronoun and are followed by a noun or pronoun called the object of the preposition. Prepositions can show location, time, direction, and other relationships.

Here are some examples of prepositions:

In
On
At
To
For
With
By
From

In each of these examples, the preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence “I am sitting on the couch,” the preposition “on” is followed by the noun “couch.” In the sentence “She is going to the store,” the preposition “to” is followed by the noun “store.”

What Is A Subordinate Conjunction?

A subordinate conjunction is a conjunction that connects a subordinate clause to a main clause in a sentence. A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence, but it can be combined with a main clause to form a complete sentence. Subordinate conjunctions are used to indicate the relationship between the subordinate clause and the main clause and to indicate the reason, purpose, or time of the action in the main clause.

Here are some examples of subordinate conjunctions and how they are used:

“After” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the time when something happened or will happen. Example: “After I finish my homework, I will watch TV.”
“Although” – This subordinate conjunction is used to introduce a contrast or exception to the main clause. Example: “Although it is raining outside, I will still go for a walk.”
“As” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the manner in which something happened or the time when something happened. Example: “As she was walking home, she saw a rainbow in the sky.”
“Because” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the reason for something. Example: “I am going to the store because I need to buy milk.”
“Before” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the time when something happened or will happen. Example: “Before I go to bed, I always brush my teeth.”
“If” – This subordinate conjunction is used to introduce a condition. Example: “If it is sunny tomorrow, we will go to the beach.”
“Since” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the reason for something or the time when something happened. Example: “Since I finished my homework early, I can watch TV now.”
“Though” – This subordinate conjunction is used to introduce a contrast or exception to the main clause. Example: “Though it is raining outside, I will still go for a walk.”
“Until” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the time when something will happen. Example: “I will stay at home until it stops raining.”
“When” – This subordinate conjunction is used to indicate the time when something happened or will happen. Example: “When I finish my homework, I will watch TV.”

Subordinate conjunctions are an important part of grammar and syntax, as they help to connect clauses and indicate the relationship between them. They are used to add detail, clarity, and depth to sentences and to create more complex and nuanced statements.

How To Use ‘Sic’

“Sic” is a Latin word that means “thus” or “so,” and it is used in written text to indicate that a quoted passage contains a spelling, grammar or fact error that appeared in the original source and the author or editor would like to report it as it was. Here are a few guidelines for using “sic” correctly:

Use “sic” in brackets immediately following the quoted error. For example, “He is the best [sic] candidate.”
Use “sic” when quoting text that contains an error. It indicates that the error is not your own but appears in the original source, and that you are reporting it as it is.
Use “sic” when quoting text that contains language or usage that may be considered non-standard, offensive or outdated, but it was in the original source.
Use “sic” sparingly and judiciously, as overusing it can create the impression of being overly critical or pedantic.
It’s important to note that “sic” is not used to indicate typos, formatting errors or errors that occur in the process of transcribing or citing a passage.
In academic writing, sic is mostly used when you quote directly a source, but it’s also useful to know that it can also be used in other types of writing.

Using “sic” correctly and effectively can help to show that you are aware of and engaged with the original source material, while being transparent and honest about any errors that may be present. It’s important to use it sparingly and judiciously as overusing it can create the impression of being overly critical or pedantic.

It’s mainly used in academic or formal writing and it’s a good practice to be aware of it, but it might not be used in all types of writing.

How To Write P.S.

“P.S.” is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase “post scriptum,” which means “after writing.” It is often used at the end of a letter or email to add additional information or comments that were not included in the main body of the text. Here’s how to use “P.S.” correctly:

Write “P.S.” at the end of the letter or email, below the signature line.

Include any additional information or comments that you want to share after you have finished writing the main body of the letter or email.

Be sure to keep your P.S. brief and to the point. It should be used for supplementary or minor points that don’t warrant to be included in the main body of the text.

Make sure that the P.S. is aligned with the main body of the letter and it’s easy to read.

If you need to add more than one postscript, it’s common to use P.S.1, P.S.2 and so on, or use P.P.S. (Post post scriptum) as the second post script.

Avoid using P.S. for important information, it should only be for additional or supplementary information.

Use the same format and font as the main body of the letter or email.

Using a P.S. is an optional way to add more information to a letter or email, but it’s a good way to ensure that your recipient reads the information as it will be at the end of the message and easy to spot.