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    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition
    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition
    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition
    Ebook394 pages5 hours

    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition

    By Ed Swick

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    About this ebook

    The go-to sentence-building guide now includes a brand-new, fully comprehensive review chapter!

    You’ve learned the fundamentals of English grammar, like spelling, word meanings, and parts of speech. Now it’s time to take the next step and put them all together to communicate complete ideas. Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition guides you through the process of putting the “parts” of English together correctly, from connecting words into clauses to writing original sentences to creating whole paragraphs. You’ll get where you want in no time through Practice Makes Perfect’s systematic, crystal-clear approach to building sentences.

    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition features:

    • Clearl explanations of how to apply grammar to create well-formed sentences
    • Numerous examples of correctly-formed English sentences
    • Lesson reinforcement with copious practice exercises, include multiple choice, sentence-correction, and building new sentences from scratch
    • Answer key, including suggestions for creative exercises

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMcGraw-Hill Education
    Release dateNov 17, 2017
    ISBN9781260019247
    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition

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    Practice Makes Perfect English Sentence Builder, Second Edition - Ed Swick

    well!

       Declarative sentences and word order

    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 + 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.

    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.)

    Completed actions

    Compare those examples with the following sentences that illustrate verbs that describe completed or habitual actions:

    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.

    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 _____________________________________________________________

    6.   a.   Present _____________________________________________________________

    b.   Past _______________________________________________________________

    c.   Present perfect ______________________________________________________

    Past perfect The wealthy couple had traveled the world on their yacht.

    d.   Future _____________________________________________________________

    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.

    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.

    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:

    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:

    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.

    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:

    The tense of these verbs is determined by usage and certain signals included in a sentence. For example:

    Present: Those houses cost more than they did a month ago.

    Past: It hurt for about an hour, but it feels a lot better now.

    Future: Tomorrow morning we hit the road for home.

    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 following examples illustrate a prepositional phrase and a direct object:

    The following example illustrates a combination of those elements.

    Using the verbs provided as cues, write original sentences in the tenses specified.

    1.   apply / present completed or habitual

    2.   suggest / present in progress or incomplete

    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

    Complete the following sentences twice with the type of complement specified.

    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 __________________________________________________

    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:

    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:

    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.

    Although Johnny was a rather short boy, he was chosen as captain of the basketball team.

    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.

    Begin each sentence that follows with four different adverbs or prepositional phrases.

    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.

    6.   a.   _____________________ he finally grew to like the new house and neighborhood.

    b.    _____________________ he finally grew to like the new house and neighborhood.

    c.    _____________________ he finally grew to like the new house and neighborhood.

    d.    _____________________ he finally grew to like the new house and neighborhood.

    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:

    The forms of no and any are as follows:

    A form of no or a form of not any can be used to replace one another.

    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.

    Rewrite each sentence with a form of not any. Retain the tense of the original sentence.

    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 was none left for the little children.

    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.

       Interrogative sentences

    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.

    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 + subject + predicate +?

    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:

    Auxiliaries

    This kind of question structure, in which the verb precedes the subject, also occurs with numerous auxiliaries, such as the following:

    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:

    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.

    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:

    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

       Ought to changes to ought to have

       Must changes to have to

       Should changes to should have

    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:

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