English_Sentence_Builder_Ed_Swick_2009

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT English Sentence Builder Ed Swick New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-159961-0 MHID: 0-07-159961-4 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-159960-3, MHID: 0-07-159960-6. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. 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Contents Introduction v 1 Declarative sentences and word order 2 Interrogative sentences 12 3 Questions and answers 23 4 Imperatives 1 32 5 Coordinating and correlative conjunctions 40 6 Subordinating conjunctions and conjunctive adverbs 7 Pronouns 46 57 8 Prepositions 70 9 Using adjectives 10 Using adverbs 80 91 11 Present and past participles 12 Using infinitives 13 Using gerunds 14 Idioms 103 110 118 126 15 Short responses and interjections 16 Antonyms and contrasts 136 141 iii 17 The passive voice and the subjunctive mood 18 Phrasal verbs 161 19 Letter writing and e-mail 20 Let’s write! 183 Answer key 188 iv Contents 174 150 Introduction Writing skills are usually the most difficult skills to acquire in a language. This is particularly true in a foreign language. The goal of this book is to reduce that difficulty as it guides you through the various types of structures in the English language and illustrates how those structures combine to make sentences. Naturally, in order to acquire writing skills you have to write. Therefore, you will be provided with an abundance of writing exercises. Some will require a small variation in a given sentence. Others will provide you with a series of words that you form into an appropriate sentence. And you will have plenty of opportunity for coming up with original sentences of your own. This development of writing better English sentences moves gradually and with careful explanation from the least complex activity to the most complex. Make changes to given sentences. Combine a series of words as a sentence. Write original sentences. 冎 Writing skills developed In addition to the illustrations of how structures combine to form sentences and to the exercises for practice, an Answer Key is provided at the end of the book. It includes not only the correct answers for the exercises but also sample sentences, with which you can compare your original sentences. Good sentence writing is not an impossible task, but it requires analysis and practice and a willingness to apply concepts and rules consistently. Let this book guide you, and you will discover a new confidence for writing more successfully in English. Have fun and write well! v This page intentionally left blank Declarative sentences and word order ·1· Declarative sentences in English consist of a subject and predicate. The verb in the predicate is conjugated appropriately for the subject and in a specific tense: subject ⴙ predicate Mary  speaks English. Let’s look at some examples that illustrate this. Declarative sentences can have a singular or plural noun as their subject and can be followed by a verb in any tense and by the complement of the sentence. John repairs the car. The boys ran into the forest. Other declarative sentences use a pronoun as their subject, and again the tense of the sentence can vary. She has never been to England. We shall visit them soon. singular-pronoun subject, present-perfect-tense verb plural-pronoun subject, future-tense verb Since English verbs can show an incomplete action or one in progress (he is going) or a completed or habitual action (he goes), when changing tenses, you have to conform to the type of action of the verb. For example: he is going, he was going, he has been going he goes, he went, he has gone The conjugation of English verbs is, with few exceptions, a relatively simple matter, but using the proper tenses of verbs is something else. It is particularly important to understand the tense differences between verbs that describe an action in progress and verbs that describe a completed or habitual action. Incomplete actions Let’s look at some sentences that illustrate the meaning of incomplete actions—or ones in progress—in the present, past, and future tenses. Note that in some cases, it is an interruption of some kind that causes the action to be incomplete. (To the right of the examples are italicized clarifications that will help you fully understand the example sentences.) 1 Present tense He is washing the car. We are building a tree house. He has not finished. The car still has some dirty spots. The tree house is not yet finished. Past tense I was sleeping when he called. The men were working in the mine but suddenly quit. I didn’t finish my nap. His call interrupted my sleep. The work in the mine is unfinished, because the men quit. Future tense He will be playing in a rock band. Sarah will be needing more money. There is no apparent end to his job in the band. There is no apparent end to Sarah’s need for money. Completed actions Compare those examples with the following sentences that illustrate verbs that describe completed or habitual actions: Present tense He washes the car every Sunday. They live in the capital. His habit is to wash the car on Sunday. Their regular place of residence is the capital. Past tense The puppy slept with me every night. I worked in Mexico for five years. The puppy’s habit was to sleep with me. My work for five years was in Mexico. I work elsewhere now. Future tense He will play a hymn for us on the piano. Uncle Bill will arrive today. He is going to play the hymn just once. Uncle Bill will arrive today only once. The perfect tenses conform to the same kinds of meanings. For example: Incomplete action or one in progress He has been washing the car for three hours. I had been sleeping in the den. The men will have been working on it for twenty-four hours by tomorrow. Completed or habitual action They have lived here since June. The pup had never slept so long before. Uncle Bill will have arrived home by the time we get there. 2 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Exercise 1·1 Rewrite the following declarative sentences in the missing tenses. 1. a. Present Past Thomas found the wallet. b. Present perfect c. Past perfect d. Future 2 Present The men are trying to raze the barn. a. Past b. Present perfect c. Past perfect d. Future 3. a. Present b. Past c. Present perfect d. Past perfect Future They will drop by at two P.M. 4. a. Present b. Past Present perfect She has been working here as a counselor. c. Past perfect d. Future 5. Present I have no time. a. Past b. Present perfect c. Past perfect d. Future Declarative sentences and word order 3 Exercise 1·2 Change the following sentences from actions in progress to completed or habitual actions. Add or remove words as needed to make sense. Keep the same tense as the original sentence. EXAMPLE: Bill is still eating his breakfast. Bill eats his breakfast at seven thirty A.M. 1. The attorneys were drawing up the contracts for the merger. 2. I will probably still be cooking when you arrive. 3. The boys will be sleeping in the little room in the attic. 4. I have been hoping for a long time to have a visit from you. 5. They had been sitting on the porch when the storm came up. Follow the same directions, but change from completed or habitual actions to actions in progress. 6. We shall work even harder. 7. They traveled to Greece this year. 8. She cried when he left. 9. Bill and I often play catch in the backyard. 10. I hope the two boys will finally pass the test. Recognizing tense from context With certain verbs, it is the context of the sentence that tells you which tense is implied, because these verbs are identical, except for the third-person singular, in both the present and past tenses. Six such verbs are cut, put, let, set, quit, and read. Let’s look at one of these verbs (cut) and how it is conjugated in the present and past tenses. 4 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Present Past I cut, you cut, he cuts, we cut, you cut, they cut I cut, you cut, he cut, we cut, you cut, they cut As you can clearly see, it is only in the third-person-singular present tense (he cuts) where there is any difference between the present-tense and past-tense conjugations. Therefore, in order to know which tense is being used in a sentence, you must consider the context of the sentence. (Naturally, in the case of the verb read, there is a difference in the pronunciation of the two tenses. It is in their written form where the distinction must be made.) Certain adverbs act as signals that tell whether these verbs are being used in the present or past tense, adverbs such as today, yesterday, and tomorrow. Remember that an English present tense can indicate the future tense; therefore, tomorrow is an appropriate signal for distinguishing the tense of these verbs. For example: Present Past Future He quits working here today. He quit yesterday after only five days on the job. He quits tomorrow after more than thirty years with us. Let’s look at some examples, in which the subject is not a third-person singular. Also keep in mind that other adverbial phrases and expressions can indicate the past or the future; for example: last year or next week. Other verbs in a sentence also signal the tense. Present-tense verb as a tense signal You are careless and always let the dog run away. I get the dishes and set the table. I find the right paragraph and read in a loud voice. Past-tense verb or adverbial expression as a tense signal He quit school when still a teenager. The bread is stale because I cut it two days ago. She opened the book and put on her glasses. When these verbs describe an action in progress or are used with an auxiliary, there is no difficulty in determining the tense of the sentence. For example: They were reading the newspaper. The sun is setting. I won’t let this happen again! past present future Exercise 1·3 In the space provided, write the tense of the sentence: present, past, or future. 1. She lets me borrow her notebook. 2. I read that novel back in high school. 3. The toddler cut his finger again. 4. The explorers set out on another journey last month. 5. She was putting on her dress when she fell. 6. My brother quits a new job every few weeks. Declarative sentences and word order 5 7. No one read the article. 8. The judge put the thief in jail again. 9. Tomorrow I quit for sure! 10. We won’t set foot in this restaurant ever again! There are several other verbs that are identical in the present and past tenses. They are as follows: beat bet burst cast cost hit hurt rid slit shed split spread thrust wet Types of complements The complement of a declarative sentence can be an adjective, an adverb, a prepositional phrase, an object, or a combination of these elements. subject  predicate  adjective/adverb/prepositional phrase/object Consider these examples with an adjective and an adverb: The children were noisy. His eyes blinked rapidly. adjective adverb The following examples illustrate a prepositional phrase and a direct object: Our relatives sat in the garden. I don’t know Mr. Walker. prepositional phrase direct object The following example illustrates a combination of those elements. They approached the house cautiously from the rear. combination of elements Exercise 1·4 Using the verbs provided as cues, write original sentences in the tenses specified. EXAMPLE: buy / present habitual He buys something new every day. 1. apply / present completed or habitual 2. suggest / present in progress or incomplete 6 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 3. annoy / present perfect in progress or incomplete 4. remain / future completed or habitual 5. attempt / past in progress or incomplete 6. trick / present perfect completed or habitual 7. rub / past completed or habitual 8. earn / future in progress or incomplete 9. harvest / past perfect completed or habitual 10. lend / present perfect in progress or incomplete Exercise 1·5 Complete the following sentences twice with the type of complement specified. EXAMPLE: adverb or adverbial phrase The men had to work slowly. The men had to work every day. 1. adverb or adverbial phrase a. Tina wrote him b. Tina wrote him 2. prepositional phrase a. James chatted b. James chatted 3. direct object a. Dad wanted to sell b. Dad wanted to sell Declarative sentences and word order 7 4. direct and indirect object a. Bob sent b. Bob sent 5. adjective a. She was always b. She was always 6. combination of elements a. Mary drove b. Mary drove 7. adverb or adverbial phrase a. She was practicing b. She was practicing 8. prepositional phrase a. I met him b. I met him 9. direct and indirect object a. I will give b. I will give 10. combination of elements a. The soldiers ran b. The soldiers ran Placing emphasized elements first In order to emphasize a specific element (such as an adverb or prepositional phrase) in a declarative sentence, it is possible to place that element ahead of the subject. The positions of the other elements of the sentence (subject, verb, predicate) do not change. emphasized element  subject  predicate  complement Emphasized elements tend to tell when or how often something is done (usually, ordinarily, in the winter, today, during summer vacation). For example: They went to a concert yesterday. He brushes his teeth every morning. The girls play chess in the evening.    Yesterday they went to a concert. Every morning he brushes his teeth. In the evening the girls play chess. If a long prepositional phrase is the first element of a sentence, it is common to separate it from the rest of the sentence by a comma. For example: 8 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Without looking back at his parents, John quickened his pace and turned the corner. After hearing the good news, Mary embraced Bill and kissed him. Commas can also be used to separate a highly emphasized adverb from the rest of the sentence: Truthfully, I really never saw the accident happen. Exercise 1·6 Begin each sentence that follows with four different adverbs or prepositional phrases. EXAMPLE: Today she finally felt well again. After a long illness, she finally felt well again. Incredibly, she finally felt well again. Happily, she finally felt well again. 1. a. Granddad arrived soaking wet. b. Granddad arrived soaking wet. c. Granddad arrived soaking wet. d. Granddad arrived soaking wet. 2. a. I spent too much money. b. I spent too much money. c. I spent too much money. d. I spent too much money. 3. a. his son had learned a serious lesson. b. his son had learned a serious lesson. c. his son had learned a serious lesson. d. his son had learned a serious lesson. 4. a. we will go sightseeing in Madrid. b. we will go sightseeing in Madrid. c. we will go sightseeing in Madrid. d. we will go sightseeing in Madrid. 5. a. their village was completely destroyed. b. their village was completely destroyed. c. their village was completely destroyed. d. their village was completely destroyed. Declarative sentences and word order 9 Using negatives Declarative sentences do not have to make positive statements. They can be negated by using any of a variety of negative words: no, not, not any, none, nothing, no one, never, nowhere, or nobody. Let’s look at an example with each of these negative words: I have no time for this now. You are not allowed to smoke here. She does not want any contact with you. None of the contestants knew the answer. I have nothing more to say to you. He spoke to no one about it. They never really expected to win the lottery. There’s nowhere I’d rather live than right here. Nobody saw the burglar enter the house. Except with the verb to be, a form of do is used when negating a verb with not. The object of the verb will be preceded by a form of any. If a form of no is used as the negative, do is not required. Compare the following sentences: I want no money from you. Tom has no time. There is no one here to help me.    I don’t want any money from you. Tom does not have any time. There isn’t anyone here to help me. The forms of no and any are as follows: no no one nobody nowhere nothing not any not anyone not anybody not anywhere not anything A form of no or a form of not any can be used to replace one another. a form of no ⴝ a form of do not ⴙ a form of any I have no money.  I do not have any money. A form of do is used only with the negation of verbs in the present and past tenses. With modal auxiliaries or auxiliaries of the perfect and future tenses, avoid do. She could do no better. The boy has caused no problems. Mr. Cole will accept no excuses.    She couldn’t do any better. The boy hasn’t caused any problems. Mr. Cole won’t accept any excuses. auxiliary with a form of no ⴝ auxiliary with not ⴙ a form of any I will buy no gifts. 10 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder  I will not buy any gifts. Exercise 1·7 Rewrite each sentence with a form of not any. Retain the tense of the original sentence. EXAMPLE: The teacher found no errors. The teacher didn’t find any errors. 1. John could take no one’s advice. 2. I will accept nothing but excellence. 3. There is nowhere for you to hide. 4. Ms. Brooks spoke with nobody about the problem. 5. You should give no one so young that kind of responsibility. 6. That will take no time at all. 7. There is nothing else that I want to say. 8. There was no one for him to turn to. 9. My parents had found no place to spend the night. 10. They will achieve nothing from their efforts. Declarative sentences and word order 11 Interrogative sentences ·2· There are two types of interrogative sentences, and both types ask questions. The first type can be called a yes-no question, because the answer to such a question will begin with the affirmative word yes or the negative word no. Most questions of this type begin with a form of the auxiliary verb do. auxiliary ⴙ subject ⴙ verb ⴙ predicate ⴙ? Do  you  have  the books ? Yes-no questions If the verb in a yes-no question is the verb to be or the verb to have, the question is formed simply by placing the verb before the subject of the sentence. to be/to have ⴙ subject ⴙ predicate ⴙ? Is  she  the new student ? This occurs in any tense. In the case of the perfect tenses or the future tense, it is the auxiliary of the verbs to be and to have that precede the subject. For example: Present Past Present perfect Future Present Past Present perfect Future Is she aware of the problem? Was there enough time to finish the exam? Have you been here before? Will Professor Burns be today’s lecturer again? Have you enough money for the tickets? Had he adequate notice? Has your mother had the operation yet? Will the workers have some time off ? Auxiliaries This kind of question structure, in which the verb precedes the subject, also occurs with numerous auxiliaries, such as the following: 12 be able to can could have must ought to shall/will should would auxiliary ⴙ subject ⴙ verb form ⴙ predicate ⴙ? Should  we  help  them ? Let’s look at some example sentences: Are you able to make out her signature? Have you worked here for very long? Ought she to have said that to her mother? Notice in each example that the sentence contains a second verb. The initial verb is an auxiliary, and it is followed by an infinitive (such as to work) or by an elliptical infinitive, which omits the particle word (to); for example: are you able to make, will you try. With most auxiliaries, it is the tense of the auxiliary that determines the “time” of the action; for example: present (can he speak) and past (could he speak). With the auxiliary have, however, its tense conjugation combined with a past participle (and not an infinitive) identifies the tense as either present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect: Present perfect Past perfect Future perfect has he spoken had he spoken will he have spoken The auxiliaries shall and will identify the future tense and are followed by elliptical infinitives: Shall I get you something for dinner? Will you be staying the night? In declarative sentences, most English speakers use will, although technically, shall should be used with singular and plural pronouns in the first person, and will should be used with the second and third persons. In questions, the rule is applied more strictly: shall with first-person singular and plural, and will with second- and third-persons singular and plural. First Second Third Singular Plural Shall I turn on the TV? Tom, will you help me with this? Will she like this dress? Shall we go to the movies tonight? Boys, will you please stop your arguing? Will they be able to spend some time with us? It is important to be knowledgeable about the other auxiliaries and how they function in the various tenses. Let’s focus on two that can be conjugated like other verbs and form questions by placing the conjugated verb or its auxiliaries before the subject: Present Past Present perfect Future Is she able to stand alone? Was she able to stand alone? Has she been able to stand alone? Will she be able to stand alone? Present Past Present perfect Future Have you a few extra dollars? Had you a few extra dollars? Have you had a few extra dollars? Will you have a few extra dollars? Interrogative sentences 13 Compare to be able to and have with the following auxiliaries and what occurs with them in the various tenses: ◆ Can changes to to be able to Present Past Present perfect Future ◆ Ought to changes to ought to have Present Past Present perfect Future ◆ Ought you to speak so harshly? Ought to is not used in a past-tense question. Ought you to have spoken so harshly? Ought to is not used in a future-tense question. Must changes to have to Present Past Present perfect Future ◆ Can Victor understand the problem? Could Victor understand the problem? Has Victor been able to understand the problem? Will Victor be able to understand the problem? Must he live alone? Did he have to live alone? Has he had to live alone? Will he have to live alone? Should changes to should have Present Past Present perfect Future Should they argue so much? Should is not used in a past-tense question. Should they have argued so much? Should is not used in a future-tense question. Questions with do/did Verbs that are not auxiliaries form questions by beginning them in the present tense with do and in the past tense with did. The use of do/did does not occur in the other tenses. Let’s examine a few cases in point: Present Past Present perfect Future Do you enjoy her classes? Did you enjoy her classes? Have you enjoyed her classes? Will you enjoy her classes? Present Past Present perfect Future Does Thomas visit you often? Did Thomas visit you often? Has Thomas visited you often? Will Thomas visit you often? Since have is an auxiliary, it can be used in questions without do/did. Nevertheless, there is a tendency to add the extra do/did auxiliary both in speech and in writing. Present Past Present perfect Future Do you have a few extra dollars? Did you have a few extra dollars? Have you had a few extra dollars? Will you have a few extra dollars? When using have to (which is much the same as must in meaning), you must use do/did in the present and past tenses. 14 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Present Past Present perfect Future Do they have to work so many hours? Did they have to work so many hours? Have they had to work so many hours? Will they have to work so many hours? The auxiliaries to want to and to like to form their present- and past-tense questions with do/did. For example: Present Past Present perfect Future Does Mom want to go shopping? Did Mom want to go shopping? Has Mom wanted to go shopping? Will Mom want to go shopping? Present Past Present perfect Future Do they like to listen to rap music? Did they like to listen to rap music? Have they liked to listen to rap music? Will they like to listen to rap music? You should be aware that while both to want to and to like to are auxiliary verbs, they are also used as transitive verbs, taking a direct object. When they are used as transitive verbs, the final to is omitted from the verb: to want and to like. Even when used as transitive verbs, they form their present- and past-tense questions with do/did. do/did ⴙ subject ⴙ want/like ⴙ predicate ⴙ? Does  she  like  him ? Present Do you want some help? Past Does she like pizza? Did you want some help? Did she like pizza? Exercise 2·1 Rewrite the following questions in the missing tenses. 1. a. Present b. Past c. Present perfect Future Will you be home for the holidays? 2. a. Present Past Did the arsonist burn down the bank? b. Present perfect c. Future 3. a. Present b. Past Present perfect Have you had to spend a lot of time studying? c. Future Interrogative sentences 15 4. a. Present b. Past Present perfect Have the workers done the job right? c. Future 5. Present Can you really predict the outcome of the election? a. Past b. Present perfect c. Future Exercise 2·2 Write original questions with the following auxiliaries in the tense shown in parentheses. EXAMPLE: can (past) Could you see over the tall hedge? 1. should (present perfect) 2. must (present) 3. want to (future) 4. have to (present) 5. have (future) 6. be able to (present) 7. will (future) 8. ought to (present perfect) 9. would (present) 10. must (present perfect) Exercise 2·3 Using the phrases provided, first form a yes-no question. Then change the question by adding any appropriate auxiliary. EXAMPLE: to walk to work Do you always walk to work? Do you always have to walk to work? 16 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 1. to spend more than a hundred dollars a. b. 2. to arrive in the capital on time a. b. 3. to develop a new method a. b. 4. to remain calm a. b. 5. to consider the danger a. b. 6. to spell accurately a. b. 7. to prepare some lunch a. b. 8. to suggest a solution a. b. 9. to flee the storm a. b. 10. to pretend nothing is wrong a. b. Interrogative sentences 17 Progressive-form questions Just as in a declarative sentence, verbs in a question can be formed in the progressive, which means that they are actions in progress or incomplete. Since the progressive form is composed of a conjugation of to be plus a present participle (is going, was singing), and to be never forms a question with do/did, all questions that have a progressive verb will begin with the verb to be or its auxiliaries. to be ⴙ subject ⴙ present participle (-ing) ⴙ? Are  you  working in the garden ? For example: Present Past Present perfect Future Are you planning on attending the party? Was she sleeping when the storm hit? Have the men been working in the mine again? Will he be preparing for final exams? Be aware that a verb in a do/did question will not require the auxiliary do/did when it is changed to its progressive form. For example: Do you attend a state university? Are you attending a state university? Did the campers sleep in tents? Were the campers sleeping in tents? Exercise 2·4 Change each of the following sentences to a question. Then, in a second question, change the verb to the progressive form. Be sure to retain the tense of the original sentence. EXAMPLE: Bill learned shorthand. Did Bill learn shorthand? Was Bill learning shorthand? 1. A plumber fixed the leaking pipes. a. b. 2. You couldn’t work on that old car. a. b. 3. The judges have spoken about this for a long time. a. b. 18 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 4. Time goes by very fast. a. b. 5. Thunder rolled across the foothills. a. b. 6. You will take a series of exams. a. b. 7. Mr. Kelly has wanted to vacation there. a. b. 8. He’s crazy. a. b. 9. The revelers have had a good time at the celebration. a. b. 10. I should sit nearer to her. a. b. Questions using interrogative words The second kind of question formation is one that begins with an interrogative word: who, what, why, how, which, or when. The rules that appy about the use of do/did in questions apply in the same way with questions that begin with an interrogative word. For example: Can he understand you? Do you like that man? Are you coming to the party? Have you found the books? How can he understand you? Why do you like that man? When are you coming to the party? Where have you found the books? As you can see from these examples, yes-no questions and questions that begin with an interrogative word can be, for the most part, identical. Likewise, the choice of do/did in a question is the same in either type of question. This is possible because the interrogatives illustrated in the four examples are substitutes for adverbs, and since adverbs only modify, changes are not always needed in a question. Interrogative sentences 19 This is not the case, however, with who and what. These two interrogatives are actually pronouns that stand in place of a subject or an object in a sentence. In the following examples, an arrow () points out how a declarative sentence is changed to an interrogative sentence with who or what. For example: Subject Subject Object Object Object Object The man is sick.  Who is sick? A box is needed.  What is needed? They met the woman.  Whom did they meet? She broke the lamp.  What did she break? I spoke with him.  With whom did I speak? The boy sat on it.  On what did the boy sit? In less formal style, who is often substituted for whom. This occurs even in writing, although in formal writing the appropriate use of whom should be applied. Also, the placing of a preposition in front of whom or what is formal in style. In a less formal version, prepositions are placed at the end of the question and would look like this: Who did you speak with? What did the boy sit on? If a possessive of who or what is required, use whose or of what. I spoke with Tom’s father. The color of the book is red. With whose father did you speak? Whose color is red? (The color of what is red?) Exercise 2·5 Use the underlined cue provided to determine which interrogative word applies; then write the appropriate question for the sentence. EXAMPLE: John is a fantastic soccer player. Who is a fantastic soccer player? 1. The attendant closed and locked the gates at seven sharp. 2. They leave for Puerto Rico at the beginning of every February. 3. Life isn’t always easy to understand. 4. Ms. Perez’s two puppies got their shots today. 5. They probably caught the flu from the boy who coughed through the lecture. 6. We plan on getting to the match on the subway. 20 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 7. That big bully threw the ball on the other side of the fence. 8. The girls should come home right after the end of the movie. 9. Andrea has a crush on the blond boy. 10. They know about the change in plans, because they received a fax from him today. Exercise 2·6 Write original sentences with the interrogatives provided. 1. why 2. how 3. whom 4. which 5. when The interrogative how is often combined with other words to form new interrogatives. Just some of these are how much, how many, how often, how old, how long, and how tall. In sentences, they are used like this: How much does that magazine cost? How often do the girls work out? How long did you have to wait to see the doctor? How tall is the center on the basketball team? Exercise 2·7 Form original questions with how by combining it with the cues provided. Then give an appropriate answer to the question. EXAMPLE: many How many players are there on a football team? There are eleven players on a football team. 1. little a. b. Interrogative sentences 21 2. large a. b. 3. frequently a. b. 4. difficult a. b. 5. hot a. b. 6. strong a. b. 7. often a. b. 22 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Questions and answers ·3 · In the previous chapter, you dealt with the types of questions that exist and how they are formed in the various tenses and with various auxiliaries. In this chapter, you will analyze the various elements of sentences to determine what kind of question is required by those elements. Questions about all the information in a sentence For starters, if you ask a question about an entire sentence and are not seeking specific information about a part of that sentence, you will ask a yes-no question. entire sentence  yes-no question Let us assume that you wish to ask about all the information in the following sentence: John is the brother-in-law of the new mayor. The question for this complete sentence is a yes-no question: Is John the brother-in-law of the new mayor? The possible answers are as follows: Yes, John is the brother-in-law of the new mayor. No, John isn’t the brother-in-law of the new mayor. Let’s look at a couple more examples of questions that inquire into all the information in a sentence: The new cruise ship will be one of the largest in the world.  Will the new cruise ship be one of the largest in the world?  Yes, the new cruise ship will be one of the largest in the world. or No, the new cruise ship won’t be one of the largest in the world. My daughter had a baby last month.  Did your daughter have a baby last month?  Yes, my daughter had a baby last month. or No, my daughter didn’t have a baby last month. 23 Exercise 3·1 Write a yes-no question for each of the following statements. Retain the tense of the original statement. Then answer each question once with yes and once with no. Following the no response, provide an original positive response. EXAMPLE: She spoke with him yesterday. Did she speak with him yesterday? Yes, she spoke with him yesterday. No, she didn’t speak with him yesterday. She spoke with him today. 1. The conductor of the orchestra studied music in New York. a. b. c. 2. The discovery of the New World changed the world forever. a. b. c. 3. There are numerous species of birds of prey in this region. a. b. c. 4. The hatchlings suffered during the cold weather. a. b. c. 5. My cousin in Cleveland won the lottery. a. b. c. 6. The performance is supposed to start at eight P.M. a. b. c. 24 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 7. The operation was a total success. a. b. c. 8. Mr. Keller’s niece has great artistic ability. a. b. c. 9. Outdoor concerts are given on Mondays and Fridays. a. b. c. 10. The toddler fell asleep on the floor. a. b. c. Questions about specific parts of a sentence When you seek information about only a portion of a sentence, you should not use a yes-no question. Instead, an interrogative word is used that identifies the part of the sentence about which you are inquiring. question about a specific part of a sentence  interrogative word Take note that nearly every element in a sentence can be the object of a question posed by an interrogative word. Let’s look at how many questions can be derived from the following single sentence: Andrew Jackson came to fame after his victory at the battle of New Orleans. Here are some possible questions: Who came to fame after his victory at the battle of New Orleans? What happened to Andrew Jackson after his victory at the battle of New Orleans? When did Andrew Jackson come to fame? Why did Andrew Jackson come to fame? In what city did Andrew Jackson come to fame after his victory there? At what battle did Andrew Jackson come to fame? After what event did Andrew Jackson come to fame? Questions and answers 25 And of course, a yes-no question can be asked about the information in the entire sentence: Did Andrew Jackson come to fame after his victory at the battle of New Orleans? Placing prepositions in an interrogative phrase When you ask a question about the information in a prepositional phrase, the preposition must be included in the question. Its position in the question varies and is dependent on the tone of the question: is it formal or informal? In writing, the formal form tends to be preferred. Let’s look at some prepositional phrases and how they are formed in questions: Prepositional phrase Interrogative It was hidden in a box. In what was it hidden? What was it hidden in? formal informal The letters were from him. From whom were the letters? Who were the letters from? formal informal They spoke about the war. About what did they speak? What did they speak about? formal informal The dog waits for the boy. For whom does the dog wait? Who does the dog wait for? formal informal When a prepositional phrase indicates a location or a destination, the interrogative where can usually replace a preposition and an interrogative. For example: Prepositional phrase Interrogative They hid in the barn. In what did they hide? What did they hide in? Where did they hide? The cat slept under the sofa. Under what did the cat sleep? What did the cat sleep under? Where did the cat sleep? I traveled to Venice. To what city did you travel? What city did you travel to? Where did you travel? It is most common to use where in questions that inquire into location or destination, but a preposition and an interrogative can be used if you want to be precise or specific. If someone is returning from a place, where and from are used to form the question. He just got back from Iraq. Mom returned from the store. 26 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Where did he just get back from? Where did Mom return from? Exercise 3·2 Write a separate question for each of the underlined elements in the following sentences. EXAMPLE: The old house was covered in vines. What was covered in vines? In what was the old house covered? 1. The men from the home office arrived in time for the dedication. a. b. c. 2. The old bull became enraged and charged the unsuspecting visitors. a. b. c. 3. In the winter of 2008, several tourists lost their way in a dangerous blizzard. a. b. c. 4. The defendant was berated mercilessly by the angry judge. a. b. c. 5. The eager hunter bought some shells before heading out to the duck blind. a. b. c. Questions and answers 27 Exercise 3·3 Combine each set of words into an appropriate sentence. Then ask a question about two elements in that sentence. EXAMPLE: toys / lie / middle / floor The child’s toys were lying in the middle of the floor. Whose toys were lying in the middle of the floor? Where were the child’s toys lying? 1. woman / think / about / problems / with / neighbors a. b. c. 2. I / jump / river / swim / opposite shore a. b. c. 3. no one / suspect / men / crimes / another state a. b. c. 4. children / songs / dances / delight / guests a. b. c. 5. nocturnal animal / prey / rabbit / mouse a. b. c. 28 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder Exercise 3·4 Answer each of the following questions with a sentence containing an appropriate prepositional phrase or adverb. 1. On what day of the week is the new restaurant closed? 2. The price of what is going to be more than a hundred dollars? 3. What was the treasure buried in? 4. With whom did Ms. Burns have that horrible argument? 5. What time do you want to leave for the game? 6. About what was the lecturer speaking? 7. Where do you want to go on vacation next year? 8. Who can you rely on in times like this? 9. When do you plan on leaving for work? 10. Whose house did the children have to live at? Questions and answers 29 Exercise 3·5 Using the word or phrase provided, write a declarative sentence. Then ask a question that can be answered with the cue word or phrase. EXAMPLE: at night The boys rarely went out at night. When did the boys rarely go out? 1. recently a. b. 2. during summer vacation a. b. 3. to New England a. b. 4. in the Colorado Rockies a. b. 5. near Lake Michigan a. b. 6. Mr. Newman’s a. b. 7. seldom a. b. 8. as tall as a tree a. b. 9. while visiting Canada a. b. 30 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 10. extremely beautiful a. b. Exercise 3·6 Answer the following questions in any appropriate way. Include the cue word or phrase provided in parentheses. EXAMPLE: Who left for work at seven A.M.? (older) My older brother left for work at seven A.M. as usual. 1. When can you have this project completed? (schedule) 2. Is there really any difference between their two plans? (at the very least) 3. Whose dissertation was rejected? (incompetent) 4. What is the length of the course for this year’s marathon? (obstacles) 5. During what war did the Battle of the Bulge take place? (unexpected) 6. What became of the young woman who wrote this beautiful letter? (in a terrible storm) 7. Why does the boss always contradict me? (perfect) 8. Where should we go for lunch today? (in the mood) 9. Why don’t you believe me? (lies and half-truths) 10. Have you been involved with this person for a long time? (trust) Questions and answers 31 Imperatives ·4· Imperatives, or commands, are as important in good sentence writing as any other grammatical element. It is essential to differentiate among the various types of imperatives in order to use them appropriately and effectively. You as the subject of an imperative Most imperatives are made to the second-person singular or plural (you), although the pronoun is not stated. imperative form of a verb  predicate  command Certain gruff or impolite-sounding imperatives cannot be used in every situation. Some of these are said in a casual manner, while others are said in anger or out of belligerence. For example: Shut up! Be quiet! Don’t ever do that again! Hurry up! Shut your mouth! Let go! Get out! Don’t ever say that again! Stop it! Leave me alone! Give me that! Beat it! The exclamation point Most imperatives of this nature are punctuated with an exclamation point, but imperatives can also be punctuated with a period. An exclamation point in writing is a signal that the imperative is stated with great emphasis. For example: Stand up! Stand up. emphatic, perhaps angry in tone milder but still casual and a bit gruff in tone Other short imperatives can be written with an exclamation point when they are pleas or urgent requests. For example: Have a heart! Stand back! Don’t joke about that! Don’t excite the dog! 32 Be patient! Keep moving! Hold on tight! Make some room for me! Exercise 4·1 Respond to each incident described with a gruff or angry imperative. 1. Someone approaches you menacingly and says, “I’m going to get you.” 2. Someone has unlocked your diary and is reading through it. 3. Someone continues to refuse to leave your home. 4. Someone is acting foolishly and is teasing you. 5. Someone is packing a suitcase slowly although the hour of departure is near. 6. Someone is pestering you and making you annoyed. Follow the same directions, but respond with a plea or an urgent request. 7. A child is leaning down to pet a vicious dog. 8. You’re riding fast on a motorcycle and you tell your passenger to be careful. 9. You are thirsty and would like a soft drink. 10. You feel that someone should be kinder. Please Most imperatives are usually said with a certain amount of courtesy. The inclusion of please softens the tone of the command. Certainly, please wait here sounds nicer than wait here. Therefore, it is wise to include the word please in most commands. However, its position in a sentence and the addition or lack of a comma can change the general meaning of the sentence significantly. If an imperative begins with please, it has the same meaning as when it ends with please. please ⴙ imperative verb ⴙ predicate Please  lend  me a dollar. imperative verb ⴙ predicate ⴙ please Lend  me a dollar , please. Imperatives 33 If please is written at the end of an imperative, as in the example just shown, it is preceded by a comma. Here are more examples: Please sign here. Please fill out this form. Please fasten your seat belts. Sign here, please. Fill out this form, please. Fasten your seat belts, please. A comma placed after an initial please changes the courteous meaning to one that suggests impatience or exasperation. In speech, the word please would be followed by a pause before the imperative is given. In writing, the pause is indicated by a comma. Courteous Impatient Please keep back from the fire. Please don’t feed the animals. Please move along quickly. Please, keep back from the fire. Please, don’t feed the animals. Please, move along quickly. If the imperative is meant to show impatience or exasperation, it can be punctuated with an exclamation point: Please, control your temper! Exercise 4·2 Using the cue word provided, write an imperative sentence twice, beginning it once with please and ending it once with please. EXAMPLE: stay Please stay in your room. Stay in your room, please. 1. enjoy a. b. 2. find a. b. 3. remember a. b. 4. choose a. b. 5. explain a. b. 34 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 6. remain a. b. 7. pretend a. b. 8. join a. b. 9. follow a. b. 10. hurry a. b. Let’s and let While most imperatives are said to the second-person-singular or second-person-plural pronoun you, some can include the person giving the command. Imperatives of this type begin with the contraction let’s (let us) and are followed by an infinitive phrase. Infinitive phrases that follow let’s omit the particle word to. Let’s conveys that the person giving the command will participate in the action of the command; for example, Let’s listen to some music. In this sentence, the speaker suggests that you listen to some music, and the speaker will join you in that activity. Let’s is the contraction of let us, but the uncontracted form is used less often. let’s ⴙ infinitive phrase Let’s  go home. Here are a few more examples: Let’s take a look at that scratch on your arm. Let’s work on a new way of blocking unwanted e-mails. Let’s see what’s on today’s agenda. If the verb let is used without the contraction of us (let’s), it still is an imperative, but it has a different meaning. In this case, the person giving the command is suggesting that “you” allow someone or something to perform an action. The structure consists of let followed by a direct object and an infinitive phrase with the particle word to omitted. let ⴙ direct object ⴙ infinitive phrase Let  them  sleep until ten. Imperatives 35 For example: Let John help you with the project. Let me know whether you need more time for the job. Let the problem just go away. Let the soldiers find some shade and get a little rest. Exercise 4·3 Rewrite the following sentences as an imperative with let’s. Then, after adding an appropriate direct object, rewrite the imperative with let. EXAMPLE: You drove Maria to the bus station. Let’s drive Maria to the bus station. Let Henry drive Maria to the bus station. 1. You spent about two hundred dollars. a. b. 2. You were talking to Jim on the phone. a. b. 3. You should send them another e-mail. a. b. 4. You report the burglary to the police. a. b. 5. You have repaired the rickety steps. a. b. 6. You tried to signal the boat struggling in the swift current. a. b. 7. You will send for the paramedics. a. b. 8. You drove to the edge of the cliff. a. b. 36 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 9. You have to put up a privacy fence. a. b. 10. You solve the difficult equation. a. b. How about Another version of an imperative appears in the form of a question. It begins with the phrase how about and is followed by a gerund and its complement. This kind of imperative sounds more like a suggestion than a command, and since it is in the form of a question, it gives the impression that it is no command at all. Also, it includes the command giver in the action. Let’s peruse some examples: How about going to the movies tonight? How about having dinner at the Bella Luna Café? How about giving me a hand with this heavy chest? Why don’t you Yet another version of an imperative also appears in the form of a question. It begins with why don’t you and is followed by an infinitive phrase. Unlike imperatives with how about, this imperative does not include the command giver in the action of the verb. Why don’t you go out and play for a while? Why don’t you get dressed and come down for breakfast? Why don’t you think about what you just said? If you change the pronoun you to we in this imperative, the command giver is now included in the action of the verb. For example: Why don’t we try to get along a little better? Why don’t we set a trap for that pesky raccoon? Why don’t we take a little trip downtown and do some shopping? Exercise 4·4 Using each infinitive phrase provided, form three imperative sentences: one with how about, one with why don’t you, and one with why don’t we. EXAMPLE: to speak to him about it How about speaking to him about it? Why don’t you speak to him about it? Why don’t we speak to him about it? Imperatives 37 1. to sit down under a shady tree a. b. c. 2. to come to an understanding about this matter a. b. c. 3. to let them work it out for themselves a. b. c. 4. to grant her permission to take the trip a. b. c. 5. to sing a song for Grandma a. b. c. 6. to refrain from using such language a. b. c. 7. to fertilize the fields with dung a. b. c. 8. to open a business on State Street a. b. c. 38 Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder 9. to register to vote in the next election a. b. c. 10. to try to behave a little better a. b. c. Exercise 4·5 Using the cues provided, write original imperative sentences. 1. please 2. let’s 3. let 4. Please, . . . ! 5. how about 6. why don’t you 7. spend more time 8. work out 9. Please keep . . . 10. why don’t Imperatives 39 Coordinating and correlative conjunctions ·5 · Conjunctions are used to combine words, phrases, or clauses. The two major types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions and correlative conjunctions. word  conjunction  word phrase  conjunction  phrase clause  conjunction  clause Coordinating conjunctions Coordinating conjunctions are some of the most commonly used conjunctions. They include and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet. The conjunctions and and or can be used to connect words, phrases, and clauses. For example: John and Mary became engaged last night. Working in a factory and working in a mine are both hard work. Uncle Jake is snoozing on the couch, and Aunt Sue is working in the kitchen. Do you want a hot dog or a hamburger? Did they go fishing or hiking out in the forest? We could take a trip to Canada, or we could save more money and go to Europe. The other coordinating conjunctions are used primarily to combine clauses, and those clauses are separated by a comma. Let’s look at some examples: You say you love me, but you never hold me anymore. She doesn’t believe in me, nor does she understand my goals for myself. Yes, I committed the crime, for there was no other way out for me. We’re out of money, so we’ve come to you for a loan. I want you to go on this trip, yet I worry that you’re really not old enough. In some cases, it is possible to make the second clause “elliptical”—that is, omit a portion of the clause that is understood. This can occur if the subjects of the two clauses are identical. For example: We could take a trip to Canada or save more money and go to Europe. You say you love me but never hold me anymore. She doesn’t believe in me nor understand my goals for myself. I want you to go on the trip yet worry that you’re really not old enough. When the second clause is elliptical, the comma separating the two clauses is usually omitted. In certain cases, a comma can be used to avoid confusion. 40 Exercise 5·1 With the conjunction provided in parentheses, use the set of cue words to form two clauses of a sentence. Use the same subject in the two clauses. Then rewrite the sentence with the second clause in its elliptical form. EXAMPLE: (and) look for / treasure / hidden / cabin / hope / become / rich We were looking for a treasure hidden in the old cabin, and we were hoping to become rich from the discovery. We were looking for a treasure hidden in the old cabin and hoping to become rich from the discovery. 1. (and) during vacation / spend / seashore / snorkeling / beautiful fish a. b. 2. (but) attend / reception / candidate / become ill / stay home a. b. 3. (or) stay / city / travel / Mexico / visit / relatives a. b. 4. (nor) care for / ideas / about / trust / judgment / about a. b. 5. (and) tell lies / about / ruin / friendship / with a. b. 6. (yet) give / opportunity / work / concern / lack skill / maturity a. b. Coordinating and correlative conjunctions 41