Sentence Construction

Sentence Construction

Simple Sentence

1. Simple Sentence

It must have at least one object and one verb

a. Subject + Verb : To show what happened in the story

• He slept (in the room)

• She smiles (at me)

• It died (yesterday)

• I will go (to langkawi)

• You were whopping (there)

• We have arrived (at the jetty)

• They are playing (football)

b. Subject + Verb + Object : To show action done on someone/ something else

• He thanked me

• She praises him

• It is looking at her

• I scolded them

• You make coffee

• We will read books

• They eat durians

c)   Subject + was / were + ing : To show what was happening in the story (past continuous tense)

• I was reading

• He was playing

• She was fishing

• It was sleeping

• You were playing

• We were fishing

• They were sleeping

d)   Subject + was / were + what : To describe people, things, place or time

• He was happy

• She was worried

• It was hungry

• I was surprised

• You were angry

• We were cold

• They were young

2. Compound Sentence

A compound sentence is a sentence with 2 simple sentences joined by a conjunctionThe conjunctions are as follows : for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Tips : The first letter of each conjunction when put together forms the word 'FANBOYS'.

Subject + Verb + Object + Conjunction + Subject + Verb + Object

• You can take a bus or you can take a taxi.

• Ali played football and Maria went shopping

• Ali played football but Maria played netball

3. Complex sentence

A complex sentence is a sentence or a phrase joined by one or more single sentences. A complex sentence always has a connecter such as because, since, after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such as that, who or which.

Subject + Verb + Object + Connectors + Subject + Verb + Object

• He handed in his homework that he had completed yesterday.

• Teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.

• They stopped studying before Maria left them.