Sentence Syntax · Writing skills

Sentence Formula – Part 6

Make sentences with gerundial phrase.

want to speak fluent English? Train yourself more in framing sentences. This may not sound acceptable, but once you train yourself to frame flawless sentences, you can slowly achieve your fluency. 

For those who find it difficult, these formulas come in handy. You have to just remember the formulas and apply words in those places and speak. This is the 6th formula which we are going to see, and will be of great help to middle schoolers. 

After each grammar topic is taken, you should train more by framing sentences on that particular topic. As almost all grammar topics are interconnected, moving on to the next one without learning the first one, may lead to a confusion or improper understanding of the language. 

So, the teacher should ensure that this is done, i.e., enough practice is given through worksheets or activities and make the child understand the grammar concept and then move on to another.  

Formula 6:

It + be + (no use)etc + gerundial phrase.

We are going to start our sentence with an “It”, followed by ‘be verb’ and then a gerundial phrase.

Example:

It was fun talking to you.

Start your sentence with ‘It’, 

was – refers to the event that happened in the past tense. 

Adding “ing” to the verb makes it a gerund.

Here, its – talking

Gerundial phrase – talking to you.

Talking to you is a phrase. Since it has a gerund in it, it is a Gerundial phrase.

[[- A phrase is a group of words that has no subject or predicate.

– A phrase can either have a noun or a verb but not both. 

– A phrase cannot stand on its own.]]

Sentence Syntax · Writing skills

Sentence Formula – Part 5

Make sentence with an adjective and 'to' infinitive.

Alphabets form words, words form sentences, sentences are linked with linking words forming compound and complex sentences. Sentences form paragraphs and paragraphs form essays. 

As we have already discussed a lot of how important framing sentences in a child’s education while learning a language. If the child doesn’t learn it correctly in the primary and middle school level, he/she may find it extremely difficult in high school, college, interviews and in his/her job environment. He/ she may stammer a lot as the child did not master the basic skill of forming sentences. 

Let’s jump into formula No.5 without any delay.   

Sentence Formula 5:

It + be + adjective + 'to' infinitive.

This formula no. 5 is looking similar to Formula No.2. Let’s do a comparison.

Formula 2 is:

Subject verb Adjective ‘to’ infinitive.

In formula 2, we start the sentence with a subject like Sara, book, carpet, cat, dog, pen, table etc. 

Example: This book is difficult to solve.

Subject: This book.

Be verb: is – used when the subject is singular and the event happens in the present tense.

Adjective: difficult. (Adjectives are describing nouns).

‘to’ infinitive: to solve. (When ‘to’ is followed by a verb, it is called a ‘to’ infinitive.

In formula 5, we are starting the sentence with “It”, followed by the “be verbs” (am, is was were, are), then an adjective and conclude with a “to” infinitive.

Start the sentence with 

It is (for events that happens in present tense), 

It was (for events that happens in past tense), 

It will be (for events that happens in future tense) or 

It may be (to speak of something which you are not sure of).

Adjective to be used are:

easy, difficult, hard, bad, cruel, impossible, possible. 

Worksheet

Sentence Syntax · Writing skills

Sentence Formula – Part 4

Sentence formula -4

Make sentences

Make sentences with adjectives expressing emotion or desire.

A child excels in English or in any language he/she learns, once she masters the skill of framing sentences with the grammar topic or any new vocabulary word the child learns. But sometimes, a few students who are new to the language find it difficult to do so even after n times of practice. For them, they can try these formulas and just apply words and easily make sentences. They have to just remember the skeleton of the formula. 

Now we are going to have a look on Formula No. 4.

Sentence Formula 4:

Adjectives expressing emotion or desire.

Subject + verb + adjective + 'to' infinitive.

This formula looks familiar for those who have been going through all the formulas so far. 

Yes, it’s same as our formula no.2. The difference is that we were framing sentences with adjectives like, impossible, hard, easy, pleasant in formula no. 2. 

But, here we are going to practice with adjectives that express emotions or desire. The formula is the same. 

I want to differentiate it and show to have a clear idea, and so 2 different posts. 

What are the adjectives that express emotions or desire? 

Fear, scared, afraid, happy, sad, angry, patient, anxious, eager etc.

Example: He was desperate to go there. (DESIRE).

Subject: He

Be verb: was (Event happens in past tense, he refers to one person so singular)

desperate: adjective expressing desire.

‘to’ infinitive: to go (to followed by a verb is called ‘to’ infinitive).

conclude as – to go there/to go to the party etc. 

Worksheet

Sentence Syntax · Writing skills

Sentence Formula – Part 1

Sentence part 1:

How to start the sentence with 'there'?

All living organisms communicate with each other in their own ways including birds, animals etc. Humans communicate through languages. We are having various languages according to the region we live in. 

There are a set of rules to be followed to speak or write a particular language. In order to speak or write that language we have to master that language and practice it a lot to master it. 

For that purpose schools and colleges have been created to impart and expand our learning abilities for us to be successful in future. Only if we know a particular language we can further keep on learning and  understand what is being taught in colleges and universities. So at school level itself we should master the language. This helps us a lot in facing seminars, projects, assignments, group discussions, even simple examinations etc. 

There should be a proper correlation between what we think and what we speak or present.  Or else it would be total disaster. To avoid these let’s learn from basic. 

This sentence formula one is useful for primary students and beginners to help frame sentences at ease. Hope its helpful for teachers. I have attaches a pdf worksheet too, as practice makes a man perfect.

Our sentence formula 1 is:

There + be verb + Subject.

First let’s see what ‘be’ verbs are: 

am, is was, were, are.

am

is

was

were

are

Used when the subject is "I", i.e., when I talk about myself.

Used when the subject is singular and when the event happens in the present tense.

Used when the subject is singular and when the event happens in the past tense.

Used when the subject is plural and when the event happens in the past tense.

Used when the subject is plural and when the event happens in the present tense.

There + be verb + Subject.

This formula is beginners and primary students who are introduced to be verbs. It helps them frame sentences with be verbs. The teacher can use this formula for students who find it difficult to frame sentences or for all students indeed to form proper sentences.  

Like, how we learn formulas in Math and tables which we remember for a lifetime (which is because of repetition), we can adopt this in our English too for those who find it difficult to learn the language. Even if they forget while speaking they can just recall the formula and frame accordingly. 

In this formula, we start our sentence with “There”, followed by the be verbs and then a subject.

As given in the table above, the be verbs are applied according to the subject whether its singular or plural and whether the event happens in the past, present or future tense. 

So always remember while speaking or writing look for the SUBJECT and the TENSE and write accordingly.

For example, 

In the first sentence in the picture, 

“There is a bottle near my table”.

Bottle – singular. 

Event – present tense.

So, we use “is”.

Similarly examine for the other 4 sentences in the picture above. 

Start your sentence with ‘there’, use be verbs according to your sentence(depending on whether the event happens in past or present tense and whether the subject is singular or plural). Refer the table above.

 

Worksheet with answers