The construction of sentences in English is very different from Russian. Firstly, the English language has a defined order of words in a sentence; secondly, to construct a sentence, the presence of a subject and predicate is required. Later in the article we will look at examples of sentence construction and some features.
From the article you will learn:
Constructing sentences in English: video
Let's start discussing the rules of constructing sentences in English with a video lesson.
Below you will find example sentences in English and you can check how well you understand the lesson.
Constructing sentences in English: examples
For example, in Russian we say:
This is a wonderful book. This boy is tall.
These sentences are constructed correctly, but they lack a verb that would serve as a predicate. In these sentences the predicate is a compound nominal. Certain linking verbs appear in English: to be and to have. Therefore, these sentences are translated as follows:
It is a wonderful book. This boy is tall.
If we literally translate the resulting sentences into Russian, they will sound like “This is a wonderful book” and “This boy is tall.” In Russian, we don’t say “the boy is big,” we say “the boy is big,” but the word “is” is still implied. If you are constructing a simple English sentence and you do not have a full verb, check whether to be or to have should be omitted.
Fixed word order in English
Now let's talk about word order in English sentences. The Russian offer can be called free. You can build it any way you want and the meaning will not be lost. But in English, rearranging words will lead to a complete change in meaning. Compare:
Masha was eating a pear. - Masha ate the pear.
Masha ate a pear. — A pear ate Masha.
In the second English version, when rearranged, it turns out that the pear ate Masha, and not vice versa. The meaning has changed dramatically. In a declarative sentence, the word order is direct (the subject comes first, followed by the predicate), strictly fixed .
When constructing sentences in English, they first go subject And predicate :
The girl sings. - The girl is singing.
I tell you in the article ““ which parts of speech can serve as the subject in English.
The attribute must always come before the noun:
The beautiful girl sings. — A beautiful girl sings.
Or at the end of the sentence:
The songs were beautiful. — The songs were wonderful.
The addition comes after the grammatical stem:
The beautiful girl sings songs… or The beautiful girl sings sad songs.
A beautiful girl sings songs... or A beautiful girl sings sad songs.
Circumstances in English they can go either at the beginning , or at the end :
In the evening the beautiful girl sings sad songs … or The beautiful girl sings sad songs in the evening.
In the evening, a beautiful girl sings sad songs... or A beautiful girl sings sad songs in the evening.
There is/there are construction
The subject, like the predicate, can be expressed not only in one word, but also in entire phrases.
There are also certain constructions that change the construction of sentences in English. For example, the design there is/there are.
This construction involves the placement of words there is/there are in first place, then the subject and circumstance, which will always come at the end of the sentence.
There is a big pear-tree in my garden. — There is a big pear tree in my garden.
There are tasty fruit on the table. — There are delicious fruits on the table.
We always start translation from the end. Choice there is/there are depends on the number of the first noun that follows the construction.
There is a big plate, many kettles and an apple on the table. — There is a large plate on the table, a lot of teapots and an apple
There are new toys, a small bear and a fork in the box. — The box contains new toys, a small teddy bear and a fork
Imperative mood in English sentences
The imperative mood in English sentences coincides with the infinitive of the verb.
Run! - Run (those)!
Play! - Play!
In this case there is no subject. Such proposals are usually addressed to a second person units And plural numbers.
Show me your book! - Show (those) your book!
Come to visit us today. - Visit us today.
Forbidden form in sentences
The forbidden form is formed by adding the word Don't to the beginning of the sentence.
Don't do that! - Do not do that!
Don't stand up! - Don't get up!
The polite form is formed by adding the word “ please”.
Give me your book, please! - Give me your hand, please!
Mastering any language, including English, begins with learning individual sounds, letters and words. But literally after a few lessons, the next question arises - how to write a sentence in English. For many, this is a whole problem, since a clearly structured English sentence is noticeably different from a free Russian one.
Let's not waste time and start the lesson right away.
As we know from the elementary school Russian language course, the main members of a sentence are the subject (noun - object, person) and the predicate (verb - action). For example, “I am writing.” Further, for specifics and just decoration, various kinds of words are added - definitions, additions, circumstances, and so on: “I write beautifully,” “I write with a pen,” “I write a dictation,” and so on.
Let's try to construct the first sentence in English. For example, we want to say “I am watching TV.”
As you can see, everything is simple - English words are in exactly the same places as Russian ones. This suggests that composing sentences in English is very easy and simple. I agree with you, but only partly. This was too simple an example, and in English there are some nuances that you need to know. Let's figure it out.
The place of each member in an English sentence is clearly indicated. Remember that in an affirmative sentence (which ends with a period), the predicate always comes immediately after the subject.
If in Russian we can say both “I’m watching TV” and “I’m watching TV,” then in English there is only one option for wording - “I watch TV.” Any other word order in this sentence will be incorrect.
In most sentences in English (with rare exceptions), the verb (action) follows the noun or personal pronoun.
I see a boy.
I see (some) boy.
A dog has four legs.
(Any) dog has 4 legs.
By the way, now a little about the verb “to have”. If in Russian we are accustomed to using the construction “we have”, “they have”, “The dog (has)”, then in English we use the verb to have (to have) instead.
I have a book - I have a book (I have a book)
you have - you have (you have)
they have - they have (they have)
the dog has - the dog has (a dog has)
Another important point concerns the verb to be - to be.
If in Russian we are used to saying “the sky is blue”, “I am a student”, “they are from Russia”, then in English this will not work. There must be a connection between a noun and its definition. This connection is expressed using the verb to be.
Literally: “the sky is blue”, “I am a student”, “they are from Russia”.
The verb to be changes according to persons, which is why in the previous examples you did not see the word “be”.
I am
You are
She/he/it is
We are
They are
Now you understand that composing a correct sentence in English is not as easy as it seems at first glance.
Greetings, dear reader.
I am sure that if I ask you how the word order in a sentence in English differs from its Russian counterpart, you will not be able to really tell me. Well, maybe some of you. Therefore, today I will organize all your knowledge into shelves, tables and diagrams.
What is the main difference
To make everything clear, just like for children, let’s look at simple examples right away. Everyone starts with this, both adults in various courses and children in 2nd grade.
If in Russian we can do whatever we want with a sentence, then in English this will be difficult. For example:
The cat climbed a tree.
A cat climbed a tree.
But look what happens if we do something similar with the English version:
The cat broke the window. - The cat broke the window.
The window broke the cat. - The cat broke the window.
You see, the difference is significant and, to some extent, comical. And the reason is that in the English language the order of words is fixed, and changes are oh so involuntary!
How to write a proposal correctly
The standard word order for a simple sentence is:
- The subject comes first.
- It is followed by a predicate.
- After this comes the addition.
- And finally, the circumstance.
Let's look at examples:
Mother is a doctor.- Mom is a doctor.
Mother
- this is the subject; the one who performs the main action. It comes first.
Is
- this is a predicate. It always comes after the subject.
Doctor
- this is an addition.
Let's look at some more examples.
I (subject) like (predicate) coffee (addition) in the morning (circumstance). - I love coffee in the morning.
We (subject) do (predicate) the job (addition) well (circumstance). - We do a good job.
We bought a beautiful car last week
. - Last week we bought a beautiful car.
I have a concert tomorrow evening
- Tomorrow evening I have a concert.
What to do with time indicators?- you ask. To which I will answer: they can stand like at first, so at the end offers.
I (subject) drink(predicate) coffee (addition) in the morning (time indicator). - I drink coffee in the morning.
In the morning (time indicator) I (subject) go (predicate) jogging (addition). - In the mornings I go for a run.
To help you remember this rule better, I have a table for you that will help you quickly refresh your knowledge at any time.
What to do with questions
For those who are already in 5th grade, the most common mistake is incorrect formation. (follow the link to find out more about everything)
The word order in a question sentence depends on the type of sentence you are faced with. If the question is general, that is, it requires only a “yes” or “no” answer, then the words will go in the following order:
- Auxiliary verb (for example, Is, Are, Do, Did, Does, Was, Were, Has, Have, Will, etc.).
- Next comes the subject.
- It is followed by the main verb.
- After which all other parts of the sentence are used.
Is (auxiliary) John (subject) a student (addition)? - Is John a student?
Do (auxiliary) you (subject) drink (main verb) water (addition) in the morning (time circumstance)? - Do you drink water in the morning?
Was (auxiliary) he (subject) reading (main verb) a book (addition) last evening (time circumstance)? - Did he read a book last night?
But there are also special questions in the language that require complete answers. The only difference in this case is that a question word also appears before the auxiliary verb ( what, when, who, whom, where, which, whose).
What (question word) were (auxiliary) you (subject) doing (main verb) lastevening (time circumstance)? - What did you do last night?
Who did you call yesterday? - Who did you call yesterday?
When did you see her for the last time? - When was the last time you saw her?
To remember the information much better, here is a diagram for you that I hope will help you master the rule faster.
Well, my dears, the only thing I have left to tell you is exercises and even more English. Only with constant practice and constant improvement of the language can you achieve good results. After all, we are still at the very beginning of the journey, which can become your starting point into the wonderful world of English speech.
I am sure that many of you would be interested in receiving even more useful information and topics for taking next steps. That's why I created a subscription to my blog's newsletter, where I share the most relevant and useful information. Subscribe and improve day by day.
Until we meet again, my dears.
Dima behaved well yesterday.
Yesterday Dima behaved well.
Dima behaved well yesterday.
Dima behaved well yesterday.
Dima behaved well yesterday.
Dima behaved well yesterday.
No matter how we say these sentences and in what order we put the words in them, their meaning will not change. With this example we want to show the difference between the construction of Russian and English sentences. After all, it is in the latter that such variations are impossible. This is due to the fact that the English language lacks endings, and in order not to lose the meaning that the speaker wants to convey, English philologists have established rules for composing sentences in English. They are quite clear and require strict adherence.
Let's consider the features of constructing affirmative sentences.
We have two spelling options. The first option looks like this:
subject-predicate-object-adverbial
She doesn’t bake herself as a rule. Her boyfriend does it for her.
(She doesn't do the baking herself. Her boyfriend does)
He likes this book very much.
(He really likes this book.)
They will bring this book tomorrow.
(They will bring this book tomorrow)
The second option is written like this:
adverbial-subject-predicate-object
As a rule she doesn’t bake herself. Her boyfriend does it for her.
(She usually doesn't do the baking herself. Her boyfriend does.)
Yesterday Kevin met his classmates at the airport.
(Yesterday Kevin met his classmates at the airport.)
If we talk about interrogative sentences, it is worth noting that they also have characteristic writing features.
In our article we will learn how general and special questions are composed.
More about interrogative sentences:
Interrogative sentences in English
We construct a general question according to this scheme:
verb-subject- addition-adverbial
Will she be at the restaurant after 2?
(Will she be at the restaurant after two?)
Did you bring that book to the library?
(Did you bring that book to the library?)
As a rule, we put “question-word” as the first word in interrogative sentences ( who, whom, where, why, what, which, when, whose, how, how much).
In second place we put the auxiliary verb ( am, is, are, does, did, do, will, shall, would, have, has, can, could, must, may, might, ought, need, should.) It is followed by the subject, semantic verb, and other words.
How do you feel today?
(How do you feel today?)
How much sugar does she take in her coffee?
(How much sugar does she add to her coffee?)
Here we have given the basic schemes for constructing sentences in English. But, there are some exceptions to the rules and deviations from the given schemes. We invite you to learn about all these features at our school and receive detailed information on this topic.
More significant success in constructing sentences in English will bring you the desire to think in English, and not just translate sentences from Russian. Watching films or your favorite English TV series without translation and with subtitles will also be useful. Firstly, it will bring not only the opportunity to learn, but also spend time with pleasure. Secondly, visual memory will consolidate the textual accompaniment of the film, and you can always rewind the film and read unfamiliar phrases or words. The usefulness of American TV series also lies in the fact that they use a significant amount of slang sentences, exclamations and modern sayings, which, of course, you will need for everyday speech.
Our dear students, the entire Native English School team congratulates you on the upcoming Easter, wishes you sincerity from those around you, bright smiles, success in your work, peace in your family and in your heart! See you! =)
And now we will look at the basics of composing simple sentences to express past, present and future tenses using examples.
Construction of sentences in the Simple group
Affirmative sentences
Let's start with the Present Simple. All affirmative sentences are constructed according to the following scheme:
- “I” in this example is the subject. It should not be confused with the complement, since the subject performs the action, and the action is performed on the complement. Moreover, in Russian the order of words is not important to us, because it is already clear who is performing the action. We can freely say: “I eat the cake.” But in English you won’t be able to construct a sentence like this, since the one who performs the action must come first, otherwise they will simply laugh at you when you say: “The cake is eating me.” Even in the passive voice, such a phrase will sound very strange.
- In second place should be the predicate, which expresses the action itself. In the Russian language, there are often sentences with an incomplete grammatical basis, where there is no subject or predicate, or both are absent. In the latter case, we are dealing with an impersonal sentence: “It’s dark.” In English there must always be a subject and a predicate. So, if there is no verb in a Russian sentence, then it will definitely appear in English. Let's take, for example, a one-part sentence in which there is no predicate: “The telephone is on the table.” To translate it correctly, we will need to use the verb “to be”, which will connect the subject with the predicate. As a result, the phrase will literally be translated as: “The phone is on the table.”
- In third place, the secondary members of the sentence are lined up according to a certain rule: first comes the direct object (answers the question “who?”, “what?”, “who?”), then the indirect object (answers the same questions, but with the prepositions “with whom?” ?”, “to whom?”, etc.). This rule is not always observed and is not strict.
As in Russian, English verbs are modified depending on the person. The main changes occur in the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), where the suffix “s” or “es” is added to the predicate. As a result, we get the sentence: “He goes to school.”
Negative sentences
In addition to affirmation, there is also negation, the diagram of which looks like this:
In this scheme, all the same components are found, except for the linking verb “do” and the particle “not”, which is equivalent to the negative particle “not” in Russian. What is an auxiliary verb and why is it needed? Unlike the Russian language, where we simply put the particle “not” before the verb, in English there must be an auxiliary verb before the particle “not”. It is different for each tense, and in the case of the Present Simple it will be in the form of either “do” or “does” depending on the number and person of the subject. Example: “She does not go to school.”
Interrogative sentences
So, we have considered the affirmation, the negation, and we are left with a question, the formation of which also requires an auxiliary verb:
So, we have discussed with you the basic principles of constructing various types of sentences in Present Simple. Past Simple and Future Simple are constructed in a similar way, the main differences will be in the form of the auxiliary verb.
Constructing sentences in the Future Simple
Statement
The scheme for constructing a statement in the simple future tense (Future Simple) is as follows:
The auxiliary verb will indicates that the action takes place in the future tense, and the phrase will be translated as: “I will go to school.”
Negation
Negation is constructed using the already familiar particle “not” and the auxiliary verb “will”.
Question
Any question begins with an auxiliary verb, so when constructing a question we simply put will in first place.
Past Simple
Statement
When constructing a statement in the past tense of the Simple group, there is a small peculiarity: the suffix “ed” is added to the verb.
I specifically omitted the example with school because it uses an irregular verb. Most verbs form the simple past tense by adding the suffix “ed” to the stem (cook - cooked), but there are about 470 verbs, according to the Oxford Dictionary, that form the past tense according to their own canons. Our verb “go” also falls into their number, which will change its form to “went”: “I went to school.”
Negation
Negation in the simple past tense is constructed similarly to the Present Simple, with the only difference being that the form of the auxiliary verb “do” takes on the past form “did”.
Question
The question is also constructed by analogy with the Present Simple. We only change the form of the auxiliary verb to the past.
So we studied the construction of sentences in the entire Simple group. The main thing is to remember the patterns for all three types (affirmation, negation and question), not to forget how the word forms of verbs in the 3rd person singular change, and to memorize the main irregular verbs in order to achieve automaticity in speech.
Construction of sentences in the Continuous group
In the Continuous group there is always an auxiliary verb “to be”, the change in form of which will tell us when the action occurs: yesterday, now or tomorrow. In this group, the participle I is also always present, similar to the real participle in the Russian language. The participle itself is constructed by adding the suffix “ing” to the verb (go - going).
Statement
Let's not deviate from the structure and consider the formation of time in the Present Continuous.
The forms of the verb “to be” change depending on the person, and here the matter is not limited to changes only in the 3rd person singular. You just need to remember the forms.
In the past tense, the auxiliary verb changes its form to “was” or were” depending on the person and number.
The sentence construction scheme in the Past Continuous will be as follows:
The future tense in this group is formed without any changes, we simply put the future tense verb “will” before the auxiliary “to be”:
Denial and question
The construction of negation and question follows the general scheme for constructing sentences: when negating, we put “not” after the auxiliary verb, and when asking a question, we put the auxiliary verb in first place.
To construct the past form, you need to change the form of the auxiliary verb to “had”.
To build a future form, we additionally put “will”.
Denial and question
Negation and question are constructed in a classical way: the particle not after had (in negation), had in first place (in question).
Denial and question
| Negation | Question |
|---|---|
| I have not been going. | Have I been going to school? |
These sentences are given for the sake of example only; in practice, you are unlikely to find yourself in a situation where you will need to express yourself in the Perfect Continuous. It will be much easier and faster to construct a phrase from the Simple and Continuous groups.
Simplified table of formation of all types of sentences in all tenses
For those who are encountering tenses for the first time, this article may seem a little chaotic, so as a result, I offer you a ready-made table with the formation of sentences in all tenses to make it easier for you to see the whole picture. You can use it as a cheat sheet in the initial stages of studying temporary structures. The table is taken from the Pikabu resource.