Top Tips Grammar: Clauses and Sentences

Main points

*Simple sentences have one clause.
*Clauses usually consist of a noun group as the subject, and a verb group.
*Clauses can also have another noun group as the object or complement.
*Clauses can have an adverbial, also called an adjunct.
*Changing the order of the words in a clause can change its meaning.
*Compound sentences consist of two or more main clauses. Complex sentences always include a subordinate clause, as well as one or more main clauses.

 

a) A simple sentence has one clause, beginning with a noun group called the subject. The subject is the person or thing that the sentence is about. This is followed by a verb group, which tells you what the subject is doing, or describes the subject’s situation.

- I waited.
- The girl screamed.

 

b) The verb group may be followed by another noun group, which is called the object. The object is the person or thing affected by the action or situation.

- He opened the car door.
- She married a young engineer.

After a link verb like ‘be’, ‘become’, ‘feel’, ‘seem’, the verb group may be followed by a noun group or an adjective, called a complement. The complement tells you more about the subject.

- She was a doctor.
- He was angry.

 

c) The verb group, the object, or the complement can be followed by an adverb or a prepositional phrase, called an adverbial. The adverbial tell you more about the action or situation, for example, how, when, or where it happens. Adverbials are also called adjuncts.

- They shouted loudly.
- She won the competition last week.
- He was a policeman in Birmingham.

 

d) The word order of a clause is different the clause is a statement, a question, or a command.

- He speaks English very well. (statement)
- Did she win at the Olympics? (question)
- Stop her. (command)

Note that the subject is omitted in commands, so the verbs comes first.

 

e) A compound sentence has two or more main clauses: that is, clauses which are equally important. You join them with ‘and’, ‘but’, or ‘or’.

- He met Jane at the station and went shopping.
- I wanted to go but I felt too ill.
- You can come now or you can meet us there later.

Note that the order of the two clauses can change the meaning of the sentence.

- He went shopping and met Jane at the station.

If the subject of both clauses is the same, you usually omit the subject in the second clause.

- I wanted to go but felt too ill.

 

f) A complex sentence contains a subordinate clause and at least one main clause. A subordinate clause gives information about a main clause, and is introduced by a conjunction such as ‘because’, ‘if’, ‘that’, or ‘wh’- word. Subordinate clauses can come before, after, or inside the main clause.

- When he stopped, no one said anything.
- If you want, I’ll teach you.
- They were going by car because it was more comfortable.
- I told him that nothing was going to happen to me.
- The car that I drove was a Ford.
- The man who came into the room was small.

 

 

 

 

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Top Tips Abz Ingles: Part A    -    Part B
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See also:

Words related to Failure to Cooperate	Irregular Verbs list
Common Phrasal Verbs	Common Slangs
Common misspellings	Regular vs Irregular Verbs
Common Errors	Frequently confused words
Common Slangs	Lista de Términos Gramaticales
Common Clichés	Common Prepositions

 

No te olvides de compartir esto con tus amigos y compañeros, hagamos de este Blog una comunidad de difusión del Inglés como segundo idioma. Antes de irte deja tu comentario y haz clic en Me Gusta.

Top Tips Grammar: Verbs with other clauses

Main points

+‘Make’ and ‘let’ can be followed by an object and a base form.
+Some verbs of perception can be followed by an object and an ‘-ing’ clause, or an object and a base form.
+‘Have’ and ‘get’ can be followed by an object and a past participle.
+‘Dare’ is followed by a ‘to’- infinitive clause or a base form.

 

a) You can use an object and a base form after ‘make’ to say that one person causes another person to do something, or after ‘let’ to say they allow the to do something.

- My father made me go for the interview.
- Jenny let him talk.

 

b) Some verbs of perception are used with an object and an ‘-ing’ clause if an action is unfinished or continues over a period of time, and with an object and a base form if the action is finished.

feel

hear

see

watch

- He heard a distance voice shouting.
- Dr. Pierre heard her gasp.

You normally use an ‘-ing’ clause after ‘notice’, ‘observe’, ‘smell’, and ‘understand’.

- I could smell Chinese vegetables cooking.
- We can understand them wanting to go.

 

c) You can use an object and a past participle after ‘have’ or ‘get’, when you want to say that someone arranges for something to be done. ‘Have’ is slightly more formal.

- We’ve just had the house decorated.
- We must get the car repaired.

You also use ‘have’ and ‘get’ with an object and a past participle to say that something happens to someone, especially if it is unpleasant.

- She had her purse stolen.
- He got his car broken into at the weekend.

 

d) You use ‘have’ followed by an object and an ‘-ing’ clause, or an object and a past participle, when you want to say that someone causes something to happen, either intentionally or unintentionally.

- Alan had me looking for that book all day.
- He had me utterly confused.

 

e) You use ‘want’ and ‘would like’ with an object and a past participle to indicate that you want something to be done.

- I want the work finished by January 1st.
- How would you like your hair cut, sir?

 

f) ‘Dare’ can be followed by a ‘to’- infinitive clause or a base form in negative or interrogative sentences:

*when there is an auxiliary or modal in front of ‘dare’.

- He did not dare to walk to the village.
- What bank would dare offer such terms?

*when you use the form ‘dares’ or ‘dared’ (but not ‘dares not’ or ‘dared not’)

- No one dares disturb him.
- No other manager dared to compete.

 

You must use a base form in:

*negative or interrogative sentences without an auxiliary or modal before ‘dare’.

- I daren’t ring Javier again.
- Nobody dare disturb him.
- Dare she go in?

*negative sentences with ‘dares not’ or ‘dared not’.

- He dares not risk it.
- Sonny dared not disobey.

Note that the phrase ‘how dare you’ is always followed by a base form.

- How dare you speak to me like that?

‘Dare’ is rarely used in affirmative sentences.

 

 

 

 

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Top Tips Abz Ingles: Part A    -    Part B
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See also:

Words related to Failure to Cooperate	Irregular Verbs list
Common Phrasal Verbs	Common Slangs
Common misspellings	Regular vs Irregular Verbs
Common Errors	Frequently confused words
Common Slangs	Lista de Términos Gramaticales
Common Clichés	Common Prepositions

 

No te olvides de compartir esto con tus amigos y compañeros, hagamos de este Blog una comunidad de difusión del Inglés como segundo idioma. Antes de irte deja tu comentario y haz clic en Me Gusta.

Top Tips Grammar: Defining relative clauses

Main points

+ You use defining relative clauses to say exactly which person or thing you are talking about.
+ Defining relative clauses are usually introduced by a relative pronoun such as ‘that’, ‘which’, ‘whom’, or ‘whose’.
+ A defining relative clause comes immediately after noun, and needs a main clause to make a complete sentence.

 

a) You use defining relative clauses to give information that helps to identify the person or thing you are talking about.

- The man who you met yesterday was my brother.
- The car which crashed into me belonged to Paul.

When you are talking about people, you use ‘that’ or ‘who’ in the relative clause.

- He was the man that bought my house.
- You are the only person here who knows me.

When you are talking about things, you use ‘that’ or ‘which’ in the relative clause.

- There was ice cream that Mum had made herself.
- I will tell you the first thing which I can remember.

 

b) ‘That’, ‘who’, or ‘which’ can be:
*the subject of the verb in the relative clause.

- The thing that really surprised me was his attitude.
- The woman who lives next door is very friendly.
- The car which caused the accident drove off.

*the object of the verb in the relative clause.

- The thing that I really liked about it was its size.
- The woman who you met yesterday lives next door.
- The car which I wanted to buy was not for sale.

In formal English, ‘whom’ is used instead of ‘who’ as the object of the verb in the relative clause.

- She was a woman whom I greatly resected.

 

c) You can leave out ‘that’, ‘who’, or ‘which’ when they are the object of the verb in the relative clause.

- The woman you met yesterday lives next door.
- The car I wanted to buy was not for sale.
- The thing I really liked about it was its size.

Remember that you cannot leave out ‘that’, ‘who’, or ‘which’ when they are the subject of the verb in the relative clause. For example, you say

‘The woman who lives next door is very friendly’.

You don’t say

‘The woman lives next door is very friendly’.

 

d) A relative pronoun in a relative clause can be the object of a preposition. Usually the preposition goes at the end of the clause.

- I wanted to do the job which I’d been training for.
- The house that we lived in was huge.

You can often omit a relative pronoun that is the object of a preposition.

- Angela was the only person I could talk to.
- She’s the girl I sang the song for.

The preposition always goes in front of ‘whom’, and in front of ‘which’ in formal English.

- These are the people to whom Catherine was referring.
- He was asking questions to which there were no answers.

 

e) You use ‘whose’ in relative clauses to indicate who something belongs to or relates to. You normally use ‘whose’ for people, not for things.

- A child whose mother had left him was crying loudly.
- We have only told the people whose work is relevant to this project.

 

f) You can use ‘when’, ‘where’, and ‘why’ in defining relative clauses after certain nouns. You use ‘when’ after ‘time’ or time words such as ‘day’ or ‘year’. You use ‘where’ after ‘place’ or place words such as ‘room’ or ‘street’. You use ‘why’ after ‘reason’.

- There had been a time when she hated all men.
- This is the year when profits should increase.
- He showed me the place where they work.
- That was the room where I did my homework.
- There are several reasons why we can’t do that.

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------
Top Tips Abz Ingles: Part A    -    Part B
---------------------------------------------

 

See also:

Words related to Failure to Cooperate	Irregular Verbs list
Common Phrasal Verbs	Common Slangs
Common misspellings	Regular vs Irregular Verbs
Common Errors	Frequently confused words
Common Slangs	Lista de Términos Gramaticales
Common Clichés	Common Prepositions

 

No te olvides de compartir esto con tus amigos y compañeros, hagamos de este Blog una comunidad de difusión del Inglés como segundo idioma. Antes de irte deja tu comentario y haz clic en Me Gusta.

Top Tips Grammar: Non-defining clauses

Main points

*You use non-defining relative clauses to give extra information about the person or thing you are talking about.
*Non-defining relative clause must be introduced by a relative pronoun such as ‘which’, ‘who’, ‘whom’, or ‘whose’.
* A non-defining relative clause comes immediately after a noun and needs a main clause to make a complete sentence.

 

a) You use non-defining relative clauses to give extra information about the person or thing you are talking about. The information is not needed to identify that person or thing.

- Professor Marvin, who was always early, was there already.

‘Who was always early’ gives extra information about Professor Marvin. This is a non-defining clause. Because it is not needed to identify the person you are talking about. We already know that you are talking about Professor Marvin.
Note that in written English, a non-defining relative clause is usually separated from the main clause by a comma, or by two commas.

- I went to the cinema with Mary, who I think you met.
- British Rail, which has launched an enquiry, said one coach was badly damaged.

 

b) You always start a non-defining relative clause with a relative pronoun. When you are talking about people, you use ‘who’. ‘Who’ can be the subject or object of a non-defining relative clause.

- Heath Robinson, who died in 1944, was a graphic artist and cartoonist.
- I was in the same group as Janice, who I like a lot.

In formal English, ‘whom’ is sometimes used instead of ‘who’ as the object of a non-defining relative clause.

- She was engaged to a sailor, whom she had met at Dartmouth.

 

c) When you are talking about things, you use ‘which’ as the subject or object of a non-defining relative clause.

- I am teaching at the Selly Oak centre, which is just over the road.
- He was a man of considerable inherited wealth, which he ultimately spent on his experiments.

Remember that you don’t normally use ‘that’ in non-defining relative clauses.

 

d) You can also use anon-defining relative clause beginning with ‘which’ to say something about the whole situation described in a main clause.

- I never met Brando again, which was a pity.
- She was a little tense, which was understandable.
- Small computers need only small amount of power, which means that they will run on small batteries.

 

e) When you are talking about a group of people or things and then want to say something about only some of them, you can use one of the following expressions:

many of which	none of which	one of which	some of which
many of whom	none of whom	one of whom	some of whom

- They were all friends, many of whom had known each other for years.
- He talked about several very interesting people, some of whom he was still in contact with.

 

f) You can use ‘when’ and ‘where’ in non-defining relative clauses after expressions of time or place.

- This happened in 1957, when I was still a baby.
- She has just come back from a holiday in Crete, where Alex and I went last year.

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------
Top Tips Abz Ingles: Part A    -    Part B
---------------------------------------------

 

See also:

Words related to Failure to Cooperate	Irregular Verbs list
Common Phrasal Verbs	Common Slangs
Common misspellings	Regular vs Irregular Verbs
Common Errors	Frequently confused words
Common Slangs	Lista de Términos Gramaticales
Common Clichés	Common Prepositions

 

No te olvides de compartir esto con tus amigos y compañeros, hagamos de este Blog una comunidad de difusión del Inglés como segundo idioma. Antes de irte deja tu comentario y haz clic en Me Gusta.