Sentence Types, Active-Passive Voice and Direct-Indirect Speech

CHAPTER 2
SENTENCE TYPES, ACTIVE-PASSIVE

VOICE AND DIRECT-INDIRECT
SPEECH
GOALS
1. Recognise and understand the connotation/usage of given grammatical structures in written and
spoken form.
2. Analyse the grammatical structure of sentences, using grammatical terms correctly.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of grammatical structure of sentences contributing to the coherence of
paragraphs and texts.
4. Use grammatical structures meaningfully and accurately in oral and written work.
5. Identify and rectify errors when using grammatical structures.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
♦ Understand the importance of grammar in language learning.
♦ Distinguish between phrase, clause and sentence.
♦ Gain knowledge of types of phrase and clauses.
♦ Recognise components of a sentence.
♦ Identify types of sentences based on functionality and structure.
♦ Understand subject verb agreement and tenses.
♦ Differentiate between active and passive voice.
♦ Learn direct-indirect/reported speech.
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2.2 BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTING
INTRODUCTION
Grammar comprises rules of a language governing the sounds, words, sentences, and other elements, as well
as their combination and interpretation. In a restricted sense, the term refers only to the study of sentence and
word structure (syntax and morphology), excluding vocabulary and pronunciation. The systematic description of
the features of a language is also a grammar. These features are as follows-:
1. Phonetics- Phonetics is the branch of linguistics which deals with the production, transmission, and
reception of speech sounds.
2. Morphology- The study of formation of words (internal construction).
3. Syntax- The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.
4. Semantics- is the branch of linguistics and logic concerned with meaning. The two main areas are
logical semantics, concerned with matters such as sense and reference and presupposition and
implication, and lexical semantics, concerned with the analysis of word meanings and relations
between them.
5. Pragmatics- The branch of linguistics dealing with language in use and the contexts in which it is used.
Grammar is the system/structure of a language governed by rules. However, language development did not
begin with formation of rules. People started communicating through sounds. Gradually words, phrases and
sentences were evolved and language got developed. No language is static. It evolves and changes over time.
Likewise, the set of rules or grammar also undergo a change. Therefore, it can be simply defined as a set of
rules that people follow to interact at a particular time.
Knowledge of grammar of a language is not necessary to speak it. All of us speak a language or multiple
languages without any awareness of its rules and structures. On the other hand, if we want to learn a foreign
language, grammar helps to attain proficiency quickly and efficiently. Familiarity with grammatical rules is an
aid in building proficiency in the written and spoken formats.
PHRASE, CLAUSE AND SENTENCE

Phrase, clause and sentence are the three structural units that create meaning in a language. They
comprise groups of words with meaning. Understanding these basic units is the foundation of learning English
grammar.
Phrase: A phrase is a group of words that does not makes complete sense. It is not a stand-alone unit but
can be used as a part of a sentence. For example-
1. in the kitchen
2. a beautiful dress
3. at five o’clock

3 sSENTENCE TYPES, ACTIVE-PASSIVE VOICE AND DIRECT-INDIRECT SPEECH 2.3
There are several types of phrases :

1. Prepositional phrase: A prepositional phrase is a group of words that begins with a preposition and
is generally followed by a noun or pronoun or anything that acts as a noun, for example, a gerund.
Examples:
• She gave the book to him.
• My car is stuck in the pot hole.
• My mother prepares food for the entire family.
Prepositional phrases are usually used as adjectives or adverbs. If the phrase is being used as an
adjective, it comes after the noun or pronoun it is describing.
• The beautiful fountain is part of the shopping complex. (of is the preposition; shopping
complex is a noun and is the object of the preposition. The phrase describes the word part.)
In a prepositional phrase, the objective case of a pronoun is used.-me, her, him, us, them, whom. You
is the same in the subjective and objective case.
2. Noun phrase: A phrase that does the function of a noun is a noun phrase. Noun phrases are
composed of a noun (or pronoun) and its modifiers. They are used as subjects, objects, or
complements.
• The strange, creaking sounds scared the inmates of the house. (noun phrase as subject)
• Sarita eats a lot of food at lunch. (noun phrase as object)
• The beach is a great place for a picnic. (noun phrase as complement)
3. Verb phrase: A verb phrase consists of a main verb and one or more helping verbs linked
together. They serve as the predicate of a sentence or clause. The verb phrase defines the different
times of the action.
• Shyam has eaten a chocolate.
• Shyam was eating a chocolate.
• Shyam has already eaten a chocolate.
• Shyam must have been eating a chocolate.
The pattern for a verb phrase can be as long as this: auxiliary/modal verb + auxiliary verb +
auxiliary verb + main verb (as in the sentence above)
4. Adjective phrase: A group of word that has an adjective as its head is called adjective phrase. An
adjective phrase can be formed out of an intensifier and adjective.
• Merry is slow and steady.
• The dazzingly beautiful woman walked down the street.
Clause: A group of words which contains a subject (noun phrase) and a verb (verb phrase) is called a
clause. A clause is a stand-alone unit , on its own or may form a part of a sentence.

There are two types of clauses-

Main or Independent clause: A main clause has a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought.
It can stand by itself as a complete sentence.
Examples:
♦ He has a chain of gold.
♦ Reena lives in London.
Subordinate or dependent clause: A subordinate clause also consists of a subject and predicate but does not
make complete sense on its own. It is dependent on the main clause to express a complete thought.
Examples:
♦ He has a chain, which is made of gold.
♦ This is the place where the accident happened.
The words in italics are the subordinate clauses.
Types of dependent clauses:
♦ Noun clause is a dependent clause that functions like a noun; a noun is a person, place, or thing. In
the example sentence:
That it will rain, seems likely.
The subordinate clause, 'that it will rain,' serves as the subject of the sentence. This sentence is
considered a complex sentence because it has both, an independent clause ‘(It) seems likely’ and a
dependent clause, ‘that it will rain.’
♦ Adjective clause is a dependent clause that functions like an adjective; an adjective modifies or
describes a noun. In this sentence:
The star performer at the concert chose dresses, which would look good on her.
The dependent clause which would look good on her functions as an adjective to modify 'dresses.'
♦ Adverb clause is a dependent clause that functions like an adverb; an adverb modifies or describes a
verb, an adjective or another adverb. In the example sentence:
When the food arrived, the children ate everything,
The subordinate clause 'when the food arrived' functions as an adverb to modify 'ate.'
Sentence: A sentence is a group of words that make complete sense to a reader. It expresses a
complete thought. It typically contains a subject and predicate. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a
full stop, question mark or exclamation mark. A finite verb is an essential component of a sentence.
A sentence can be short/brief, or long and complicated. Adding objects, complements, phrases and clauses
makes it structurally and semantically complicated.
Examples:
♦ I like films.

♦ I like horror films.

♦ I like horror films which are based on true stories.
♦ I like horror films which are based on true stories and terrify me completely.
All four examples above are sentences.
Subject and predicate are the two primary structures on which a sentence stands. However, it is imperative to
understand all the components of a sentence to grasp the basics of grammar.
The basic parts of a sentence are:
♦ Subject
♦ Predicate
♦ Direct object
♦ Indirect object
♦ Object of the preposition
♦ Verbs
♦ phrases
♦ Complements
Subject: The subject is the person or thing about which something is stated.
Predicate: The predicate is the part of a sentence that tells us something about the subject.
Examples:
♦ My brother works in Dubai.
♦ The train arrived late.
♦ The old woman was walking down the street.
♦ This is my bag.
♦ The weather in Mumbai is hot and humid.
The words in bold indicate a person, place or thing about which/ whom something is being said. They are the
subjects.
The second part of the sentence, which states something about the subject, is the predicate.
Direct object: A direct object is a person or thing that is affected by the action (verb) of the subject. You
could say that the direct object ’receives the action of the verb.’" It follows the verb and answers the question
‘what’.
Examples:
♦ Ram kicked the ball.
♦ The ball hit Sheila.

♦ Ruhi repaired the computer yesterday.

♦ We built a castle on the beach.
♦ I have baked a cake.
The ball, Sheila, computer, castle and cake receive the action from the subject.
The sentence structure is Subject +verb + object.
Indirect Object: An indirect object is a person or thing for whom the action is done.
The indirect object usually comes just before the direct object and can be called the receiver of the direct
object. It directly follows the verb and answers the question ‘whom’.
The sentence structure is Subject +Verb +Indirect Object+ Direct Object.
Examples:
♦ I made Neha pasta for lunch.
♦ We built him a castle on the beach.
♦ Preeti is writing me a letter right now.
♦ I have made my mom a promise.
♦ Ms. Nair teaches us English grammar.
Neha, him, me, my mom, and us are the ones for ‘whom’ something is done. They are the indirect objects.
The Object of the Preposition: The object of a preposition is a noun, noun phrase or pronoun that follows
a preposition and completes its meaning. In contemporary language studies, the object of a preposition is
sometimes described as a prepositional complement.
Example 1:
♦ The dog is looking at ….
This sentence is incomplete. We do not know what the dog is looking at.
The complete sentence is –
♦ The dog is looking at the mouse.
"the mouse" is the object of the preposition "at."
Example 2:
♦ You are going to…..
This sentence is incomplete. We do not know where you are going.
The complete sentence is-
♦ You are going to Kolkata.
"Kolkata" is the object of the preposition "to."
Do not confuse the indirect object with the object of the preposition!

Take a look at the following examples:

1. Lalit gave Rima the pen.
2. Lalit gave the pen to Rima.
In the first sentence, Rima is the indirect object.
In the second sentence, Rima is the object of the preposition ‘to’.
The two sentences have the same meaning but are structurally different.
How can you distinguish between an indirect object and the object of the preposition?
♦ The object of the preposition comes immediately after the preposition.
♦ The indirect object does not come immediately after a preposition.
♦ The indirect object is usually followed by the direct object, whereas the object of the preposition does
not follow this principle.
Verbs: A verb is customarily defined as a part of speech that describes an action or occurrence or indicates
a state of being. In every sentence, the most important word is the verb.
There are various types of verbs, according to their function, in the structure of the sentence.
1. Finite verbs: A finite verb is limited by its subject. It agrees with its subject in number and person.
It also changes according to the tense of the sentence. It forms the main clause.
Examples:
• I am a teacher.
• He is a teacher.
• She goes to school every day.
• They go to school every day.
2. Non – Finite verbs: A non-finite verb is a form of the verb that does not change according to the
person, number or tense of the sentence. It cannot stand alone as the main verb in a sentence. There
are three kinds of non finite verbs-
i. Infinitive: It is a base form of the verb. The word ‘to’ is frequently used in front of infinitive.
E.g.:
to walk, to run
• To err is human.
• Sunita loves to dance.
ii. Participle (past and present): A participle is that form of the verb, which acts as both a
verb and an adjective.
Present participle ends with -ing, whereas the past participle ends with –ed (walked) or past
form of the verb (burnt).
He sat on a broken chair.

We met a girl carrying a bag of fruit.

iii. Gerunds – A gerund is that form of the verb which ends in ‘–ing’, and acts as a noun..
Playing cricket is not allowed here.
I like reading religious texts.
Although both the present participle and the gerund are formed by adding -ing to a
verb, the participle acts as an adjective while the gerund acts as a noun.
3. Auxiliary verbs: These are the helping verbs. The forms of verbs am, is, are ,was, were, has, have,
had, does, do, did , when used with ordinary verbs to make tenses, passive forms, questions and
negatives are called auxiliaries or helping verbs.
Examples:
He is working on a project.
The gate was opened by the postman.
4. Modals: A modal is a verb that combines with another verb to indicate mood or tense. They are used
before ordinary verbs and express meanings such as permissions, possibilities, certainty, and
necessity.
can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will and would are 9 core modals.
Examples:
• I can drive a car. (ability)
• You may come in. (permission)
• We should obey laws. (obligation)
Semi-modals are used to imply a range of possibilities, obligations, necessity, or advice such as ‘need
to, ought to, used to, dare to, etc.’
5. Transitive verbs: A transitive verb is one that performs its action on an object. These verbs always
have direct objects, which means someone or something receives the action of the verb.
Examples:
Meher spoke the truth.
The driver stopped the car.
The donkey kicked the man.
6. Intransitive verbs: It denotes an action that does not pass over to an object. An intransitive verb is
the opposite of a transitive verb in the sense it does not require an object to act upon.
Examples:
• He ran a long distance. (action)
• The baby sleeps twelve hours a day. (state)
• There is a flaw in this design. (being)

COMPLEMENTS
A word or word group that completes the meaning of a subject, an object, or a verb is called a complement.
1. Subject complement: Follows a verb and modifies or refers to the subject. It may be a noun or an
adjective.
• Kamla is pretty. (The adjective pretty is a subject complement; it describes the subject,
Kamla.)
• Ms. Monica Sharma is an English teacher.(The noun phrase English teacher is also a subject
complement; it describes Monica Sharma.)
2. Object complement: Follows and modifies or refers to a direct object.
• I consider Indian television negative. (television is the direct object. Negative describes
television; it is the object complement.)
• The judges elected her Miss Universe, 2016. (Miss Universe is the object complement,
describing the direct object her.)
3. Verb complement: This is a direct or indirect object of a verb. It may be a noun, pronoun, or word or
word group acting as a noun.
• Sushma gave Shaily my chocolate. (Shaily is the indirect object, my chocolate is the direct
object of the verb gave. Both are considered verb complements)
TYPES OF SENTENCES
Sentences are classified according to function and structure.
1. Classification of Sentences according to Function:
There are four types of sentences based on function:
a. Declarative Sentences
b. Imperative Sentences
c. Interrogative Sentences
d. Exclamatory Sentences
a. Declarative sentences: Declarative sentences simply make a statement or express an opinion. In
other words, they make a declaration. These sentences can be positive or negative statements, a
proverb, a universal truth or a suggestion. These sentences end with a full stop (.).
Examples:
• It is raining. (declaration)
• The child is going to school. (simple statement)
• Honesty is the best policy. (universal truth)

• Barking dogs seldom bite. (proverb)

• She should not shout at elders. (negative)
• My friend is a good actor. (opinion)
b. Imperative sentences: Sentences that express an instruction, order, command, advice, request,
proposal or a suggestion are called imperative sentences. They can end with a full stop (.) or
exclamation (!), depending on the imperative mood.
Examples:
• Please listen to me. (request)
• Get lost. (command)
• Let us go for a long drive. (suggestion)
• Make sure you pack your warm clothes. (advice)
• Please get out of the room! (command)
• Preheat the oven. (instruction)
c. Interrogative Sentences: Sentences that ask a question are interrogative sentences. Usually ‘wh’
words are used to frame questions, e.g. which, what, when, where, who, why, whom, how. A verb
always follows a question word while framing a question sentence. They end with a question mark (?).
Examples:
• What is your name?
• Where do you live?
• Can you help me solve the puzzle?
• Why did you shout?
• Do you know where Sita lives?
d. Exclamatory Sentences: Sentences that express strong feelings or emotions such as joy, sorrow,
regret, surprise, wonder etc., are called exclamatory sentences. They end with an exclamation mark
(!).
Examples:
• What a beautiful piece of art! (wonder)
• Hurray! We won the match. (joy)
• Alas! The pet died. (sorrow)
• Oh my god! When did you come? (surprise)
• What a shame! (regret)
2. Classification of Sentences according to Structure:
a. Simple sentences

b. Compound sentences
c. Complex sentences
d. Complex Compound sentences
Simple Sentences: A simple sentence structure consists of only one subject and one predicate. It
has just one finite verb. In other words, it consists of a single main clause. It expresses a single
complete thought that can stand on its own.
• I walk.
This two-word simple sentence has one main clause that consists of the subject ‘I’ and a
verb (the predicate) ‘walk’ that expresses a complete thought.
• Shyamalee ran after her little brother.
This simple sentence has one main clause.
The subject is ‘Shymalee’, and the predicate, ‘ran after her little brother. The predicate is
a verb phrase that consists of more than one word.
• In great anger, the man shouted and yelled at his lazy son.
This simple sentence has one main clause with a single subject, ‘man’, and single
predicate, ‘shouted and yelled at his lazy son’.
This predicate has two verbs, known as a compound verb: shouted and yelled.
Note: This compound verb should not be confused with a compound sentence. ‘In great
anger’ and ‘At his lazy son’ are prepositional phrases.
Compound Sentences: A compound sentence is composed of two or more main/independent
clauses. It does not have a dependent clause. The clauses are connected by a coordinating
conjunction, a comma, a semicolon and even a colon.
Basically, a compound sentence contains two simple sentences.
(Coordinating conjunctions such as for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so, connect grammatically
similar elements-two nouns, two verbs, two modifiers, two independent clauses).
Correlative conjunctions work in pairs to join words and groups of words of equal weight in a
sentence. There are many different pairs of correlative conjunctions: either...or, not only...but (also),
neither...nor, both...and, whether...or, just as...so, no sooner...than, rather...than.)
Examples:
• The robber tried to escape but the police caught him.
• Both sides of the conjunction “but” are complete sentences. “The robber tried to escape” can
stand alone and so can “the police caught him.” Therefore, this is a compound sentence.
• I will decide what I must do; you are requested not to interfere.
• The law has been passed: from 1 July, all businesses will have to comply with GST
norms.

• The fire raged on for days; consequently, the whole forest was destroyed
• The night came on, the rain fell heavily and we all got very wet.
Complex Sentences: A Complex sentence has one main clause and one or more Dependent
clauses (also called subordinate clauses).
The subordinating conjunction performs two important functions within a sentence.
First, demonstrate the importance of the independent clause and second, provide a link between two
ideas in the same sentence by indicating a time, place, or cause and therefore affecting the
relationship between the clauses.
The subordinating conjunctions include the following:
Indicating Time: after, before, since, when, whenever, while, until, as, once, as long as.
Indicating Place: where, wherever.
Indicating Manner: as if, as though, how.
Indicating Reason: because, since, so that, why, in order that, now that, as, so.
Indicating Condition: if, unless, until, in case (that), provided that, only if/ if only, that
Indicating Concession: although, though, even though, while, whereas, rather than.
Examples:
• The boy ran away when he saw the lion.(one main clause+ one subordinate clause)
• When he saw the bear, he climbed the nearest tree, because he was terrified. (one main clause+ two
subordinate clauses)
• I think that you should ask him personally, if it is convenient for him, before you call on him.( one main
clause+ three subordinate clauses)
In complex sentences, subordinate clauses function within the sentence as adjectives, adverbs, or
nouns.
Complex compound sentences: A sentence with two or more independent clauses plus one or more
dependent clauses is called compound-complex or complex-compound.
In the following examples independent clauses have been underlined.
• He smiled brightly and laughed delightedly, when he saw his new bicycle.
• Although I like to watch movies, I haven't been able to see any lately, and there haven’t been any
interesting ones released recently.
• The door of the room was open as I crossed the hall and I saw the most beautiful arrangement of
flowers.
• I usually use a wooden spoon, whenever I cook in nonstick ware, but sometimes I prefer to use my
plastic spatula.

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT
Subject-verb agreement is the correspondence of a verb withits subject in person (first, second, or third)
and number (singular or plural). It is also known as subject-verb concord.
The principle of subject-verb agreement applies to finite verbs in the present tense and, in a limited way, to the
past forms of the verb to be (was and were).
Rules to remember:
1. Basic Rule: Subject and verb must agree in number. This is the cornerstone rule that forms the
background of the concept.
The lion roars when he is angry.
The lions roar when they are angry.
2. Subordinate clauses that come between the subject and verb do not affect their agreement.
The dog, who is chewing on my jeans, is usually very good.
3. A prepositional phrase cannot contain the subject of the sentence. Do not be confused when a
prepositional phrase (a phrase that begins with of, in, between, and so on) comes between the subject
and the verb. In such cases, the object of the preposition appears to be the subject of the sentence
when in reality it is not.
Prepositional phrases between the subject and verb usually do not affect agreement.
• The colours of the rainbow are beautiful.
• Food between the teeth results in decay.
• Water in the fuel lines causes an engine to stall.
4. When sentences start with "there" or "here," the subject will always be placed after the verb. Some
care needs to be taken to identify each part correctly.
• There is a problem with the balance sheet.
• Here are the papers you requested.
5. Subject does not always comes before verbs in questions. Make sure you accurately identify the
subject before deciding on the proper verb form to use.
Where are the pieces of this puzzle?
6. If two subjects are joined by ’and’, they typically require a plural verb form.
• The cow and the pig are jumping over the moon.
• My friend and his mother are in town.
7. The verb is singular if the two subjects separated by ‘and’ refer to the same person or thing as
a whole.
Red beans and rice is my mom's favorite dish.

8. If one of the words ’each’, ’every’, or ’no’ comes before the subject, the verb is singular.
No smoking or drinking is allowed.
Every child has right to education.
9. If the subjects are both singular and are connected by the words ’or’ ’nor’, ’neither/nor’
’either/or’, or ’not only/but also’, the verb is singular.
Either Jessica or Christian is to blame for the accident.
10. The only time the object of the preposition decides plural or singular verb forms is when noun and
pronoun subjects like ’some’, ’half’, ’none’, ’more’, or ’al’" are followed by a prepositional phrase. Then
the object of the preposition determines the form of the verb.
• All of the chicken is gone.
• All of the chickens are gone.
Some of the books were missing.
All of the cookies were eaten.
11. The singular verb form is usually reserved for units of measurement of distance, periods of
time, sum of money, quantity etc.
• Four quarts of oil was required to get the car running.
• Three miles is too far to walk.
• Ten dollars is a high price to pay.
12. If the subjects are both plural and are connected by the words ’or’, ’nor’, ’neither/nor’, ’either/or’, or ’not
only/but also’, the verb is plural.
• Not only dogs but cats are also available at the animal shelter.
• Neither Riya nor Siya is available.
13. If one subject is singular and the other is plural, and the words are connected by the words ‘or’, ‘nor’
’neither/nor’, ‘either/or’ or ‘not only/but also’ use the verb form of the subject that is nearest the
verb.
• Either the bears or the lion has escaped from the zoo.
• Neither the lion nor the bears have escaped from the zoo.
14. Indefinite pronouns typically take singular verbs (with some exceptions).
• Everybody wants to be loved.
• Is anyone home?
15. The exceptions to the above rule include the pronouns ‘few’, ‘many’, ‘several’, ‘both’, ‘all’ " and
‘some’ These always take the plural form.
• Few were left alive after the flood.
• Many children are coming to Rohan’s birthday party.

16. If two infinitives are separated by ‘and’, they take the plural form of the verb.
To walk and to chew gum require great skill.
17. When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular form of the verb. However,
when they are linked by ’and’, they take the plural form.
• Standing in the water was a bad idea.
• Swimming in the ocean and playing drums are my hobbies.
18. A collective noun, such as ‘team’ or ‘staff ’ can be either singular or plural depending upon the rest of
the sentence. Typically, they take the singular form, as the collective noun is treated as a cohesive
single unit.
• The herd of cows is stampeding.
• The committee unanimously has taken the decision.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
Complete the editing exercise below. Several (but not all) of the following sentences contain errors in subject-
verb agreement. When you spot an error, correct it. If a sentence is free of errors, identify it as correct.
1. Music soothe me.
2. John bake brownies every Christmas.
3. Diana and Shrutiis arguing again.
4. Avantika never takes the bus to work.
5. The people who own that house has no insurance.
6. One of these mechanics have a set of jumper cables.
7. Richard and his brother is mending the wings of butterflies.
8. Both of my essays is brilliant.
9. The pulses emitted by a neutron star recurs at precise intervals.
10. One of my aunts dances at the Rainbow Cafe.
11. Mr. Bates and his friends has gone to the concert.
12. Both of my daughters are professional doctors.
13. Every one of the workers receive the same benefits.
14. There is two rodents in my bathroom.
15. This box of toys belong in the attic.

ANSWERS
Here are the answers below, with the corrected words in bold.
1. Music soothes me.
2. John bakes brownies every Halloween.
3. Diana and Shruti are arguing again.
4. Correct
5. The people who own that house have no insurance.
6. One of these mechanics has a set of jumper cables.
7. Richard and his brother are mending the wings of butterflies.
8. Both of my essays are brilliant.
9. The pulses emitted by a neutron star recur at precise intervals.
10. Correct
11. Mr. Bates and his friends have gone to the concert.
12. Correct
13. Every one of the workers receives the same benefits.
14. There are two rodents in my bathroom.
15. This box of toys belongs in the attic.
TENSES
Grammar tenses refer to the state of the verb. The state, or tense, of the verb explains the time of the action.
The present tense is used to describe things that are happening right now, or things that are continuous.
The past is used to describe things that have already happened (e.g., earlier in the day, yesterday, last week,
three years ago).
The future tense describes things that have yet to happen (e.g., later, tomorrow, next week, next year, three
years from now).
Example:
♦ I dance. (Present)
♦ I danced. (Past)
♦ I will dance. (Future)

There are in total 12 tenses.

Let us study the following table to understand the structure and meaning of sentences in each type of
tense.
Simple Present Simple Past Simple Future
I read nearly every day. Last night, I read an entire novel. I will read as much as I can this
year.
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous
I am reading Premchand at the I was reading William Wordsworth I will be reading the book, Ikigai
moment. last night. soon.
Present Perfect Past Perfect Future Perfect
I have read so many books I I had read at least 100 books by the I will have read at least 500 books
cannot keep count. time I was twelve. by the end of the year.
Present Perfect Continuous Past Perfect Continuous Future Perfect Continuous
I have been reading since I was I had been reading for at least a year I will have been reading for at
four years old. before my sister learned to read. least two hours before dinner
tonight.
Past Present Future

Simple I ate chocolate yesterday. I eat chocolate everyday. I will eat chocolate
tomorrow.
To indicate past habits or an To express habits or To indicate an action,
action already completed. general truth. condition or circumstance
which has not taken
Can be used with or without
place yet.
adverbs of time.
Continuous I was eating the chocolate. I am eating the I will be eating the
chocolate. chocolate.
To indicate what will be
To indicate uncompleted
going on at some time in
action of the past To indicate action going
the future.
on at the time of
(with or without time reference)
speaking.
To indicate planned
To indicate persistent habits of
To indicate temporary future.
the past.
action which may not be
happening at the time of
speaking.

Perfect I had eaten the chocolate. I have eaten the I will have eaten the
chocolate. chocolate.
To indicate a completed action To indicate past action To indicate an action that
of the past that happened which is not defined by a will be complete before
before another event took time of occurrence. another event takes
place. place.
To indicate an action
which started in the past
and has continued up
until now.
Perfect continuous I had been eating the I have been eating the I will have been eating
chocolate. chocolate. the chocolate.
To indicate an action in the To indicate an action To indicate an action that
past that began before a which started at some will have happened for
certain point in the past and point in the past and may some time and will not be
continued up until that time. or may not be complete. complete yet at a certain
point in the future.
ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE

Voice or form of a verb indicates the relation between the participants in a narrated event (subject, object) and
the event itself. It shows whether the subject of a sentence is doing the action, or having the action done to it.
1) Active Voice
A verb is said to be in active voice when its form shows that the subject is performing the action,
that is, it is the doer of the action.
Sentences in the active voice have a strong, direct, and clear tone. It is preferable to use the active
voice whenever possible for clarity, conciseness, and for conveying the message more
effectively. Passive voice sentences often use more words, can be vague, and can lead to a tangle of
prepositional phrases.
Examples:
• Rohit wrote a story on the wall. (subject: Rohit; object: wall)
• Sanya sang a song. (subject: Sanya; object: song)
• Radha hit the boy. (subject: Radha; object: boy)
• Amit read the letter. (subject: Amit; object: letter)
• Have you done anything about a room? (subject: you; object: room)
• We have booked a room for you in the Grand hotel. (subject: We; object: room)

2) Passive Voice
A verb is said to be in passive voice when its form shows that the subject is acted on by the verb,
which means subject is the receiver of the action.
Though active voice is the preferred mode of communication, there are sometimes good reasons to
use the passive voice.
• To emphasise the action rather than the actor
The GST bill was passed in the parliament.
• To keep the subject and focus consistent throughout a passage
A new experimental liver transplant operation was performed successfully yesterday.
• The speaker is being discreet by not naming the person/persons responsible for any
deed/ action.
The message has been misinterpreted.
• To describe a condition in which the actor is unknown or unimportant
The public buildings were damaged in the riots.
• To create an authoritative tone
Entry into the restricted area is forbidden.
• In most newspaper headlines as the news/ action is more important than the doer.
Nagapada destroyed by cyclone fury.
Examples:
• A story was written on the wall by Rohit.
• A song was sung by Sanya.
• The boy was hit by Radha.
• The letter was read by Amit.
• Company targets are set every year.
• The factory was set up in 1985.
• Production targets were met by the workforce. (The focus is on the production targets, but at
the same time we mention who they were met by ,without emphasising it.)
Rules for changing active into passive:
a) Change of subject and object: The object of the active voice becomes the subject of the passive
voice and the subject becomes object of the passive voice.
Basic structure of the sentence
Active voice: Subject + Verb + Object
Passive Voice: Object + Verb +Subject

Active voice: Ram kicked the ball. (S + V + O)

Passive voice: The ball was kicked by Ram. (O + V + S)
b) Change of verb form: The verb in the active voice is changed into a form of ‘be+ past participle’ of
the verb. (past participle is the third form of the verb)
Active voice: Sita is taking the dog for a walk.
Passive voice: The dog is being taken by Sita for a walk.
Study the following table to understand the changes:
Tense (or Model) + base

Active voice Passive voice
(Structure in passive voice)(PG1)
Simple present throw am thrown
S + Is/am/are + V3 + by +Agent throws is thrown
are thrown
Present continuous am throwing am being thrown
S + is/am/are + being +v3 is throwing is being thrown
+by+agent are throwing are being thrown
Present perfect has thrown has been thrown
S +Has/have+been+v3+by+agent have thrown have been thrown
Simple past Threw was thrown
S + Was/were+v3+by+agent were thrown
Past continuous was throwing was being thrown
S +was/were+being+v3+by+agent were throwing were being thrown
Past perfect had thrown had been thrown
S+had+been+v3+by+agent
Simple future will throw will be thrown
S + will/shall+be+v3+by+agent shall throw shall be thrown
Future continuous will be throwing will be being thrown
S+will/shall+be+being+v3+by+agent shall be throwing shall be being thrown
Future perfect will have thrown will have been thrown
S+will have+been+v3+by+agent shall have thrown shall have been thrown
Can/ may/ must etc. +base can throw can be thrown
S+modal+be+v3+agent must throw must be thrown

c) Change of Pronouns :
The nominative/subjective case is used for the subject of the verb, i.e. the word that denotes
who/what does what the verb says.
The accusative/objective case marks the object of the verb, i.e. the word that receives the action of
the verb (when there is such a receiver).
Active voice: I like T.V programmes with positive content.
Passive voice: T.V. programmes with positive content are liked by me.
Nominative Case Objective Case

I Me
He Him
She Her
You You
They Them
It It
We Us
Who Whom
d) Addition of the word ‘by’: The passive verb is followed by ‘by’+ ‘doer’. If the doer is not known or
irrelevant, it is omitted in the passive voice.
Active voice: Lalita teaches poor children every weekend.
Passive voice: Poor children are taught by Lalita very weekend.
Active voice: Someone broke all the pots.
Passive voice: All the pots were broken. (object not required)
e) When there are two objects in an active voice sentences, there are two possible passive
sentences.
Sentence 1: The farmer gave the cows some hay and oats. (Active Voice)
Sentence 1: The cows were given some hay and oats by the farmer. (Passive voice)
Sentence 2: The farmer gave some hay and oats to the cows. (Active Voice)
Sentence 2: Some hay and oats were given to the cows by the farmer. (Passive voice)
There are two objects in each of the above sentences:
Object 1 = indirect object → the cows
Object 2 = direct object → some hay and oats

f) Changing interrogative sentences into the passive:

1. The primary auxiliary verbs do, does or did do not appear in the passive form. They get
converted to the form of the verb ‘to be’.
Structure:
Active: do/does/did + subject + verb +object?
Passive: is/am/are/was/were + subject+v3+by+agent?
Active: Does Seema like painting?
Passive: Is painting liked by Seema?
Active: Did Seema like painting?
Passive: Was painting liked by Seema?
2. The verbs, has, have, had, will, shall, can, may etc. do not change their position at the
beginning of the sentence when the active voice is changed to the passive voice.
Structure:
Active: has/have/had + subject + v3 +object?
Passive: has/have/had + subject+ been + v3+by+agent?
Active voice: Has he done his homework?
Passive voice: Has his homework been done by him?
Structure:
Active: modal+ subject + verb +object?
Passive: modal + subject+ be+ v3+by+agent?
Active: May Sachin play cricket
Passive: May cricket be played by Sachin?
Active voice: Will Salma eat the mango?
Passive voice: Will the mango be eaten by Salma?
3. The question words when, why, where, how or what do not change their position at the
beginning of the sentence when the active voice is changed into the passive voice.
Note - who changes to by whom and whom into who.
Structure
Active Voice: ‘Wh’ word + auxiliary + subject + verb + object?
Passive Voice: ‘Wh’ word + auxiliary + subject + V-3 + by + agent?
Active voice: What did the leader say to his followers?
Passive voice: What was said by the leader to his followers?

Active voice: Whom did you greet at the party?

Passive voice: Who were greeted by you at the party?
g) Changing Imperative sentences into passive: Imperative sentences are sentences which express
advice, suggestion, request or command.
Examples:
• Close the door.
• Please give me the bottle.
• Pick up the phone.
• We should exercise every day.
These sentences express advice, request or command.
Generally, sentences containing request have the word ‘please’ in it. Such sentences start with
‘You are requested to’ in the passive form.
Please bring me some tea. (Active Voice)
You are requested to bring me some tea. (Passive Voice)
Imperative sentences containing advice start with ‘You are advised to’ in the passive voice.
Do your work on time. (Active Voice)
You are advised to do your work on time. (Passive Voice)
Do not drink and drive. (Active Voice)
You are advised not to drink and drive. (Passive Voice)
Imperative sentences containing command or order generally start with ‘Let’ in the passive
form.
Bring in the culprits. (Active Voice)
Let the culprits be brought in. (Passive Voice)
Cook the food. (Active Voice)
Let the food be cooked. (Passive Voice)
You can change the sentences containing command or order into passive using ‘You are
ordered to’ also.
Imperative sentences containing suggestion are changed into the passive form by adding the
modal verb ‘should’ suggesting correctness and obligation.
Respect elders in the family. (Active Voice)
Elders in the family should be respected. (Passive Voice)
Follow your dreams. (Active Voice)
Your dreams should be followed. (Passive Voice)

h) Modals: Can, could, should etc. do not change when changing active into passive.
• The rich should help the poor. (Active voice)
The poor should be helped by the rich. (Passive voice)
• Students ought to listen to their teacher. (Active voice)
The teacher ought to be listened to by the students. (Passive voice)
i) Only transitive verbs can be changed into passive form, intransitive verbs remain in the active
form only.
Explanation:
Transitive verbs are action verbs that have an object to receive the action.
Example:
I baked a cake. (Active).
A cake was baked by me. (Passive)
Varun hit the ball. (Active)
The ball was hit by Varun. (Passive)
Intransitive verbs are action verbs that do not have an object to receive the action.
Example:
The Sun rises in the east.
Water flows under the bridge.
(No passive voice possible for the above sentences)
2. Passive Voice: Changing Passive to Active Voice
When you change a sentence from passive to active voice, reverse the position of the subject and
object.
You can identify the doer by locating the ‘by the’ phrase.
Appropriate changes in the form of the verb must be made.
At times, the ‘doer’ is not identified in the sentence. In such cases, you have to presume a doer from
the context.
The rules applied to change active voice into passive have to be inverted to change passive
into active voice.
Passive Voice: The book (object on which action is performed; subject in this sentence) is being
read (verb) by most of the class. (subject who performs the action; object in this sentence)
Active Voice: Most of the class (subject) is reading (verb) the book. (object)
Passive Voice: Results (object on which action is performed; subject in this sentence) will be
published (verb) by? in the next journal.

Active Voice: The researchers (subject) will publish (verb) the results (object) in the next journal.
Passive Voice: A policy of whitewashing and cover-up (object on which action is performed;
subject in this sentence) has been pursued (verb) by the CIA director and his close advisors.
(subject who performs the action; object in this sentence)
Active Voice: The CIA director and his close advisors (subject) have pursued (verb) a policy of
whitewashing and cover-up. (object)
Passive Voice: Mistakes (object on which action is performed; subject in this sentence) were
made (verb) by? Agent is not specified.
Active Voice: We (subject) made (verb) mistakes (object). The agent ‘We’ is made the ‘subject’ of
the sentence.
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

We may report the words of a speaker in two ways-
1. We can quote the actual words spoken by the speaker. This is called Direct Speech.
2. We may report what was said without quoting the speaker’s exact words. This is called Indirect or
Reported Speech.
Use of Direct Speech:
1. To convey the exact words of the speaker.
2. To supplement and clarify the information that is being reported.
3. Eyewitness accounts in news stories.
4. Inserting dialogues in narratives and stories defines characters. It also brings in variety and
inculcates interest in the reading the story/novel/ play. A narrative without dialogues often becomes
dull and boring.
5. In reporting minutes of meetings, the most significant points that have been made must be stated in
direct speech.
6. While reporting speeches, many direct quotes are included to convey the essence of the
speaker’s message.
7. Scripts of plays and films use direct speech.
Use of Indirect/Reported Speech:
1. It is impossible and tiring to convey an entire conversation in direct speech to anyone.
2. To avoid lengthy and confusing documentation.
3. To bring in clarity and precision to the reporting.
4. Most personal/office interactions use reported speech to convey messages/ conversations with
others.

5. Generally, reports of speeches during Annual General Meetings/ other meetings are noted in indirect
speech.
6. Newspaper reports use the indirect speech format most often to report who said what, when and
where.
Examples of direct and indirect speech:
She said, “I am busy tomorrow”. (Direct )
She said that she was busy the next day. (Indirect )
Note the changes in the sentence when direct speech is changed to indirect speech:
1. Notice that in direct speech inverted commas or speech marks are used to mark off the exact words of
the speaker. In indirect speech, we do not use them.
2. The conjunction ‘that’ is used before the indirect statement.
3. The pronoun ‘I’ is changed to ‘she’.
4. The verb ‘am’ is changed to ‘was’.
5. The adverb ‘tomorrow’ is changed to ‘the next day’.
Rules for changing Direct Speech into Indirect speech
Certain rules need to be followed while changing direct to indirect speech. Below is a list of rules for the same:
1. When the reporting or principal verb is in the past tense, all present tenses of the direct words are
changed into the corresponding past tenses.
Note the changes in the table below:
Rule Direct speech Indirect speech
Simple present changes to "I always drink coffee", she She said that she always drank
simple past said. coffee.
Present continuous changes to "I am reading a book", he He explained that he was
past continuous explained. reading a book.
Present perfect changes to past She said, "He has finished his She said that he had finished
perfect work". his work.
Present perfect continuous "I have been to Spain", he told He told me that he had been to
changes to past perfect me. Spain.
continuous
Simple past changes to past "Bill arrived on Saturday", he He said that Bill had arrived on
perfect said. Saturday.
Past perfect remains past "I had just turned out the light," He explained that he had just
perfect he explained. turned out the light.

Past continuous changes to “We were living in Paris", they They told me that they had
past perfect continuous told me. been living in Paris.
Future changes to present "I will be in Geneva on He said that he would be in
conditional Monday", he said. Geneva on Monday.
Future continuous changes to She said, "I'll be using the car She said that she would be
conditional continuous next Friday." using the car next Friday.
Exception:
1. If the reported speech contains a universal fact, or a scientific truth, the tense of the
verb does not change even if the reporting verb is in the past tense.
a. He said, “Honesty is the best policy.” (Direct)
He said that honesty is the best policy. (Indirect)
b. The teacher said, “The earth revolves around the sun.” (Direct)
The teacher said that the earth revolves around the sun. (Indirect)
2. If a statement is still relevant, we can choose whether to keep the original tense or
change it.
Sheila said, “French is easy to learn.” (Direct)
Sheila said that French is / was easy to learn. (Indirect)
3. If the reporting verb is in the present tense, the tenses of the Direct Speech do not
change.
He says, “I like classical music.” (Direct)
He says he likes classical music. (Indirect)
Rohit says, “I watched a movie at night.” (Direct)
Rohit says he watched a movie at night. (Indirect)
2. Words expressing nearness in time or place are generally changed into words expressing
distance.
Study the table to understand the changes.
Direct speech Indirect speech
Here There
Today That day
Yesterday The day before
Tomorrow The next day
Next week The following week
Next month The following month

Now Then
Ago Before
Thus So
Last night The night before
This That
These Those
Come Go
3. The pronouns of the direct speech are generally changed from first person and second person to
the third person in the indirect speech.
a) First person pronouns in the direct speech change according to the subject.
Rahul says, ‘I am going to Thailand’. (Direct)
Rahul says that he is going to Thailand. (Indirect)
Priya says, ‘I will leave soon’. (Direct)
Priya said she will leave soon. (Indirect)
b) Second person pronouns change according to the nouns or pronouns coming after the
reporting verb.
I said to Sachin, “You will have to play cricket”. (Direct)
I said to Sachin that he would have to play cricket. (Indirect)
Teacher said to you, “You are wrong”. (Direct)
Teacher said to you that you were wrong. (Indirect)
c) Third person pronouns of the direct speech in the nominative case, that is, as the subject,
remain unchanged when converted to indirect.
Kapil said to me, ‘‘They will win”. (Direct)
Kapil said to me that they would win. (Indirect)
He said, “They will accompany us to the monastery.” (Direct)
He said that they would accompany them to the monastery. (Indirect)
d) The pronouns of the direct speech are changed, where necessary, so that their relations with
the reporter and the hearer are indicated, rather than the original speaker, are indicated.
He said to me, “I don’t believe you.”
He said to me that he didn’t believe me.
She said to him, “I don’t like you.”
She said to him that she didn’t like him.

I said to him, “I don’t trust you.”

I said to him that I didn’t trust him.
I said to you, “I don’t have anything for you.”
I said to you that I didn’t have anything for you.
3. Changes in Modals in indirect speech
Rule Direct speech Indirect speech
Can changes into could He said, “I can drive a car”. He said he could drive a car.
May changes into might He said, "I may buy a computer". He said that he might buy a
computer.
Must changes into had He said, "I must work hard". He said that he had to work
to hard.
Modals like would, should, ought to, and might do not change during the conversion.
Examples:
They said, "We would apply for a visa". (Direct)
They said that they would apply for a visa. (Indirect)
He said, "I could run faster". (Direct)
He said that he could run faster. (Indirect)
He said, "I should avail the opportunity. (Direct)
He said that he should avail the opportunity. (Indirect)
He said to me, "You ought to wait for him". (Direct)
He said to me that I ought to wait for him. (Indirect)
4. Changes for imperative sentences from direct to indirect:
a) In reporting commands, advice, suggestions and requests, the indirect speech begins with a
verb expressing the sentiment indicated in the sentence, e.g. order, request etc.
b) The verb is followed by the personal object and the ‘to’ infinitive.
a) For negative imperative sentences, don’t or do not are substituted by ‘not to’.
b) For Imperative sentences starting with ‘let’ and expressing a proposal or suggestion, ‘said’
should be changed to ‘proposed to’ or ‘suggested to’
Examples:
The master said to the servant, “Finish the work at once”. (Direct)
The master ordered the servant to finish the work at once.(Indirect)
The teacher said to the student, “Please study properly”. (Direct)

The teacher requested the student to study properly. (Indirect)

Father said to his son, “Work hard for success in life”. (Direct)
Father advised his son to work hard for success in life. (Indirect)
5. Changes for interrogative sentences from direct to indirect:
a) ‘Said to’ changes to ‘asked’ ‘demanded’ or ‘enquired’, depending on the nature of the
sentence.
b) When the question in the reported speech begins with helping verbs like am, is, are, was,
were, do, does etc. the reporting verb is followed by ‘if’ or ‘whether’.
c) If the sentence is start with integrative pronoun or adjective and interrogative adverb, like
what, whom, where, why, how, which, etc. the same word is used to introduce the question
in the indirect speech. In other words, the question word becomes the joining word
instead of that, if or whether.
d) The interrogative sentence is converted in assertive sentence, for that we place subject
before the verb and the question mark (?) is replaced with full Stop (.).
e) In all Interrogative sentences, if Reporting Verb is 'say/say to, says/says to, will say/will say to
or said/said to', in Indirect Speech also it will be changed to 'ask, asks, will ask or asked'.
Examples:
Sania asked, ‘Are you coming with them?” (Direct)
Sania asked if I was coming with them. (Indirect)
“Have you anything to say on behalf of the accused?” said the judge to the lawyer. (Direct)
The judge enquired of the lawyer if he had anything to say on behalf of the accused.
(Indirect)
He said to me, “What are you doing?” (Direct)
He asked me what I was doing. (Indirect)
The gentleman said, “Where is the market?” (Direct)
The gentleman asked where the market was. (Indirect)
6. Changes for exclamatory sentences from direct to indirect:
a) Exclamatory sentences change into assertive sentences.
b) Interjections are removed.
c) Exclamation marks change into full stops.
d) ‘Wh’ words like what and when change into adjectives.
e) Changes also depend on the mood of the sentence. Refer to the table below.

Mood in Direct Speech Verb in Indirect speech

sorrow in reported speech exclaimed with sorrow/grief/exclaimed sorrowfully
or cried out
happiness in reported speech exclaimed with joy/ delight/ exclaimed joyfully
surprise in reported speech exclaimed with surprise/ wonder/ astonishment
The reporter said, “Alas! Many lives have been lost due to tsunami”. (Direct)
The reporter exclaimed sadly that many lives had been lost due to tsunami. (Indirect)
The grandmother said, “May you meet with success wherever you go”. (Direct)
The grandmother blessed her grandson that he should meet with success wherever he goes. (Indirect)
The foreigner said, “What a man Obama is!”. (Direct)
The foreigner exclaimed in wonder that Obama was a great man. (Indirect)
7. ‘Said’ is changed to ‘wish’ in case of greetings like good morning, good afternoon, good evening.
He said to me, “good morning”. (Direct)
He wished me good morning. (Indirect)
8. ‘May’ or ‘May God’……..’ kind of blessings change into wished or prayed.
She said to her friend, “May God grant you success in your examination”. (Direct)
She prayed that God might grant her friend success in her examination. (Indirect)
Rules for changing indirect to direct speech
To change from Indirect to Direct Speech, the rules of the Direct Speech are applied in the reverse order.
♦ Use the reporting verb, ’ say’ or ‘said to’ in its correct tense.
♦ Remove the conjunctions ‘that, to, if or whether etc’ wherever necessary.
♦ Insert quotation marks, question mark, exclamation and full stop, wherever necessary.
♦ Put a comma before the statement.
♦ Write the first word of the statement with capital letter.
♦ Change the past tense into present tense wherever the reporting verb is in the past tense.
♦ Convert the past perfect either into past tense or present perfect as required.
♦ Change the pronouns as per the context of the sentence.
He asked me what I was doing. (Indirect)
He said to me, “What are you doing?” (Direct)
He asked if that was his pen. (Indirect)
He said, “Is this your pen?” (Direct)

Rama ordered Arjun to go away. (Indirect)

Rama said to Arjun, “Go away”. (Direct)
He requested him to open the door for him. (Indirect)
He said to him, “Please, open the door for me”. (Direct)
He said to me that I was/am his best friend. (Indirect)
He said to me, “You are my best friend”. (Direct)
Seema said to her father that she would like to become a doctor. (Indirect)
Seema said to her father, “I would like to become a doctor.” (Direct)
PRACTICE EXERCISES
1. Classify the following sentences as Simple, Compound, Complex, or Compound-Complex.
a. We decided to go fishing and camping out at the lake.
b. This summer our vacation should be both exciting and restful.
c. After the tornado hit, my house was completed destroyed.
d. Since we had only one plate, we had to take turns to eat our dinner.
e. Lata and Suman cooked and served people through the day.
f. I wanted to go to the market today, but the thunderstorm prevented me from doing so.
g. The boys have completed the job as promised, so we should give them credit and pay them
accordingly.
h. The earlier mobile phones were bulky; the latest models, which are sleek, have many more
features.
i. Taxation without representation was a common complaint two hundred years ago.
j. Snowboarding looks like fun, but it requires a lot of practice which is boring and dangerous.
k. Before I was born, my mother worked as a receptionist.
l. Go to the store and get some milk, as I must have your cake baked in time for the party.
m. Don’t tell me you can’t find your backpack!
n. When you were renovating, did you hire contractors or did you do the work yourself.
o. Mr. Jones has a lot of books, he is well informed about current events.
2. State which of the following are compound and which are complex sentences. In every sentence,
identify the dependent and independent clauses.
a. The flash floods wiped out the town but luckily, there were no casualties.
b. He swam across the channel in five hours and set a new record with his achievement.

c. If you cannot do this job, I will ask someone else to do it for me.
d. He said that he was so unwell that he could not even get up from his bed.
e. A man who serves his fellow human beings personally is more virtuous than a man who only
donates money for a noble cause.
f. The soldiers were asked to carry out the orders which their commander had given them.
g. It is a stitch in time that saves nine.
h. Neither is the architecture of the house appealing nor is the interior of the house done well.
i. He will come when it suits him.
j. Anil not only did his own work, but also helped others complete theirs.
3. Change the following sentences to indirect speech.
a. He says, “Kashmir is the heaven on earth.”
b. The Shopkeeper says, “Prices are shooting up alarmingly.”
c. She said, “Nobody can solve the problem.”
d. Antony said, “Martin has gone home.”
e. She said, “I shall be taking a test.”
f. The man said, “Is your father at home?”
g. The clerk asked his manager, “Shall I email this letter again, Sir?”
h. She said, “Will you tell me what it means, David?”
i. She said to me, “How have you done this sum?
j. The policeman said to the stranger, “Who are you?”
4. Rewrite the following sentences in passive voice
a. Sue changed the flat tyre.
b. We are going to watch a movie tonight.
c. I ran the obstacle course in record time.
d. The crew paved the entire stretch of highway.
e. Mom read the novel in one day.
f. The critic wrote a scathing review.
g. I will clean the house every Saturday.
h. The staff is required to watch a safety video every year.
i. She faxed her application for a new job.
j. Tom painted the entire house.

k. The Corporation’s sales and Service organisation covers the country.

l. We enclose payment together with our order.
m. The customer should receive the delivery by Friday.
n. They may have notified him before the invoice arrived.
o. FCS are only marketing their new dental equipment in Europe.
p. We would reduce costs if we used less paper.
5. Rewrite the following sentences in the active voice.
a. The captain of the Indian cricket team was cheered by the crowd.
b. His painting has been praised by the critics.
c. The horse is being purchased by the farmer.
d. The new tax reforms will be implemented from July.
e. Food from roadside vendors should not be eaten.
f. By whom has this building been vandalized?
g. What was eaten by you for lunch?
h. The entire district was destroyed by the cyclone.
i. He will be given a ticket for over speeding by the police officer.
j. The forest was going to be cut down for the new hydroelectric project.
k. They will be welcomed by the reception committee.
l. Where was the ferocious man-eating tiger shot dead?
m. The man who saved the child from the burning house was being cheered by the crowd of
onlookers.
n. The place where he lived had been converted into a hotel by the trustees.
o. The first fax machines were installed in 1958.
p. The systems can easily be operated by ordinary office staff.
q. The new software can be mastered easily in a couple of days.
r. Software for head count is provided by SASTRA.
s. Thapa cannot be stopped by injury.
t. Seven movie goers were booked in city for disrespecting national anthem.
6. Listen to speeches of famous personalities, comments, and suggestions by the top industrialists of the
country. Try to change it into reported speech. This exercise will not only add value but also helps
students practice the topic in discussion.

ANSWER KEY
Q.1.
a. Simple
b. Simple
c. Simple
d. Complex
e. Simple
f. Compound
g. Compound
h. Compound-Complex
i. Compound-Complex
j. Compound-Complex
k. Complex
l. Compound-Complex
m. Complex
n. Compound-Complex
o. Compound
Q.2.
a. Compound Sentence Independent Clause-1 :The flash floods wiped out the town, Independent Clause-
2: luckily there were no casualties.
b. Compound sentence -Independent clause 1- He swam across the channel in five hours - Independent
clause 2- (he) set a new record with his achievement.
c. Complex sentence - dependent clause --If you cannot do this job, independent clause-I will ask
someone else to do it for me.
d. Complex sentence - independent clause -He said that he was so unwell –dependent clause-that he
could not even get up from his bed.
e. Complex sentence - independent clause- A man who serves his fellow human beings personally is
more virtuous-dependent clause than a man who only donates money for a noble cause.
f. Complex sentence - independent clause -The soldiers were asked to carry out the orders dependent
clause- which their commander had given them.
g. Complex sentence -independent clause- It is a stitch in time –dependent clause-that saves nine.

h. Compound sentence -independent clause - Neither is the architecture of the house appealing –
independent clause-nor is the interior of the house done well.
i. Complex sentence - independent clause- He will come – dependent clause-when it suits him.
j. Compound sentence - independent clause Anil did his own work,-independent clause- (he) helped
others complete theirs.
Q.3.
a. He says that Kashmir is heaven on earth.
b. The shopkeeper says that prices are shooting up.
c. She said that nobody could solve the problem.
d. Anthony said that Martin had gone home.
e. She said that she would be taking a test.
f. The man asked me if my father was home.
g. The asked his manager if he should email that letter again.
h. She enquired/asked of David if he would tell her what it meant.
i. She asked me how I had done the sum.
j. The policeman asked the stranger who he was.
Q.4.
a. The flat tyre was changed by Sue.
b. A movie is going to be watched by us tonight.
c. The obstacle course was run by me in record time.
d. The entire stretch of the highway was paved by the crew.
e. The novel was read by mom in one day.
f. A scathing review was written by the critic.
g. The house will be cleaned by me every Saturday.
h. A safety video is required to be watched by the staff every year.
i. Her application for a new job was faxed by her.
j. The entire house was painted by Tom.
k. The country is covered by the corporation’s sales and service organisation.
l. Payment is enclosed together with our order by us.
m. The delivery should be received by the customer by Friday.
n. He may have been notified by them before the invoice arrived.
o. Their new dental equipment is only being marketed by FCS in Europe.
p. Costs would be reduced by us if we use less paper.

Q.5.
a. The crowd cheered the captain of the Indian cricket team.
b. The critics have praised his painting.
c. The farmer is purchasing the horse.
d. The government will implement the new tax reforms by July.
e. We should not eat food from toad side vendors.
f. Who has vandalised this building?
g. What did you eat for lunch?
h. The cyclone destroyed the entire district.
i. The police officer will give him a ticket for over speeding.
j. They were going to cut down the forest for the new hydroelectric project.
k. The reception committee will welcome them.
l. Where did the hunter shoot down the ferocious man eating tiger?
m. The crowd was cheering the man who saved the child from the burning house.
n. The trustees had converted the place where he lived into a hotel.
o. They installed the first fax machines in 1958.
p. Ordinary office staff can easily operate the systems.
q. People can easily master the new software in a couple of days.
r. SASTRA provides software for head count.
s. Injury cannot stop Thapa.
t. The police booked seven movie goers in the city for disrespecting the national anthem.

Sentence Types, Active-Passive Voice and Direct-Indirect Speech

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Sentence Types, Active-Passive Voice and Direct-Indirect Speech

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CHAPTER 2

SENTENCE TYPES, ACTIVE-PASSIVE

♦ Distinguish between phrase, clause and sentence.

♦ Gain knowledge of types of phrase and clauses.

♦ Recognise components of a sentence.

♦ Identify types of sentences based on functionality and structure.

♦ Understand subject verb agreement and tenses.

♦ Differentiate between active and passive voice.

♦ Learn direct-indirect/reported speech.

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PHRASE, CLAUSE AND SENTENCE

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There are several types of phrases :

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There are two types of clauses-

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♦ I like horror films.

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♦ Ruhi repaired the computer yesterday.

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Take a look at the following examples:

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We met a girl carrying a bag of fruit.

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© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

• Barking dogs seldom bite. (proverb)

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© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

There are in total 12 tenses.

Past Present Future

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ACTIVE PASSIVE VOICE

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Active voice: Ram kicked the ball. (S + V + O)

Tense (or Model) + base

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Nominative Case Objective Case

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f) Changing interrogative sentences into the passive:

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Active voice: Whom did you greet at the party?

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© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

DIRECT AND INDIRECT SPEECH

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© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

I said to him, “I don’t trust you.”

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The teacher requested the student to study properly. (Indirect)

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Mood in Direct Speech Verb in Indirect speech

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Rama ordered Arjun to go away. (Indirect)

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© The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India