Learning to write sentences in English. How to write a sentence correctly in English. Indirect additions and circumstances

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The construction of sentences in English is a painful topic for many, but this material must be learned well, since the sentence is the basis of writing and speaking.

I will immediately make a reservation that in this article we are considering rules for constructing a standard sentence in English... We will not pay attention to elliptical constructions, exclamations, complex inversions and other types of sentences that differ in their form from the standard one. If you know the "skeleton" of an English sentence, you can easily build any phrase.

Read about non-standard offers in the article "".

What does an English sentence consist of?

Each sentence expresses a complete thought. To make the thought look logical and understandable, you must use certain members of the sentence. Each English sentence has two required elements: the subject is the main character of the sentence (answers the question "who?", "What?"), The predicate is what the subject does (answers the question "what to do?").

Subject can be expressed (me, you, them, everything, etc.) or (mom, cat, work, apple, etc.). As a rule, it comes first in a sentence. Predicate is expressed (go, write, think, fall, etc.) and follow the subject, that is, it is in second place in the sentence.

(Who?) They (what did they do?) Thought. - They thought.
(Who?) The cat (what is he doing?) Is coming. - The cat is going.
(What?) The apple (what will it do?) Will fall. - The apple will fall.

Predicate- this is the most important member of the proposal. Only the predicate can show what is happening, happened or will happen. An English predicate can be made up of two elements: a main verb, a “main” verb that shows what the subject does, and a verb that helps distinguish tenses.

Subject and predicate are the main members of the sentence. As mentioned above, without them, the correct construction of sentences in English is impossible. In addition, there are also minor members, these include:

Addition- stands after the predicate and answers any case question, except for the nominative case. Addition can be direct and indirect. Direct answers to the questions of the accusative case: "who?", "What?"; indirectly - to all other case questions: "who?", "what?", "who?", "why?" and so on. As a rule, in a sentence, a direct addition follows first, then an indirect one.
I see a girl with him... - I see (who?) girl(with whom?) with him.

She is reading a book to the children... - She reads (what?) the book(to whom?) children.
Definition- stands next to the subject or object and describes its properties, that is, it answers the question "what?", "Whose?"
I see a beautiful girl with him. - I see (what?) beautiful girl with him.

My red cat lies on the window. - (Whose?) My(which?) ginger the cat lies on the window.
Circumstance- can be at the beginning or at the end of a sentence, informs "where?", "When?", "How?", "Why?" there was some action.
My red cat lies on the window... - My ginger cat lies (where?) on the window.

Yesterday I saw her with him. - (When?) Yesterday I saw her with him.

He behaved differently... - He behaved (how?) differently.

Rules for constructing sentences in English

There are two main word orders in English: forward and backward. The direct is used in affirmative and negative sentences, the reverse is used in questions.

An English sentence differs from a Russian one in word order. In Russian it is free:

Mom washed the frame.
Mom washed the frame.
Mom washed the frame.

As you can see, the meaning of the sentence has not changed from the change in the places of the terms - mother and frame. And into English, all three sentences will be translated as follows:

Mother was washing the frame.

This is because the English sentence has a fixed word order. English words cannot "jump" from place to place, as Russians do. The English language is strict and conservative, like the English themselves, it does not like change. Therefore, each type of sentence has its own indestructible patterns.

Word order in affirmation and negation in English

The direct word order in an English sentence is as follows: in the first place is the subject, in the second - the predicate, in the third - the complement. In some cases, the circumstance may come first. In an English sentence, an auxiliary verb may appear in the main verb. But, as you already know, the auxiliary verb is part of the predicate, so even with it, the word order remains direct.

Word order in an affirmative sentence
Circumstance		Predicate	Addition (possibly with definition)	Circumstance
Yesterday	I	learned	English words. English words.	--
--	My little sister My little sister	will visit will visit	me	in three days. after three days.

The word order in negative English sentences is also direct. To show negation, we use the particle not, which corresponds to the Russian particle "not". Also, in a negative sentence there is always an auxiliary verb, because it is with it that not, adjoin the main verb not can not.

Word order in negative sentences
Circumstance	Subject (possibly with definition)	Auxiliary verb + not	Main verb	Supplement (possibly with definition)	Circumstance
Yesterday	I	did not	learn	English words. English words.	--
--	My little sister My little sister	will not	visit will visit	me	in three days. after three days.

Word order in the question in English

In the Russian question and statement, the word order may be the same. It is only by the intonation of the speaker that we understand that we have been asked a question. In English, the statement and the question look different:

They live in the city. - They live in the city.
Do they live in the city? - Do they live in the city?

For an English interrogative sentence, the reverse word order is characteristic. This means that the subject and the predicate are swapped. But the English language does not like to go far from the direct order, therefore only part of the predicate is put in the first place - the auxiliary verb, and the main verb still comes after the subject. Another feature is that the question does not put circumstance in the first place.

Word order in an interrogative sentence
Auxiliary	Subject (possibly with definition)	Main verb	Addition (possibly with definition)	Circumstance
Did	I	learn	English words? English words?	--
Will	my little sister My little sister	visit will visit	me	in three days? after three days?

Short Answers

In oral speech, as a rule, we answer the question briefly. For example, to the question "Do they work in the office?" we will answer “Yes” or “No” rather than repeating the entire phrase: “Yes, they work in the office / No, they do not work in the office”. We get by with a short answer, and such an answer is clear to the interlocutor.

The English also use short answers. But in English you can't just say Yes/No., such an answer will seem rude and unfriendly. The English short answer must also contain a subject and an auxiliary verb. The subject and auxiliaries remain those in the question, for example:

If there is a pronoun in the question you(you, you), then the question is directed to you. Therefore, you need to answer it on your own behalf, and not on behalf of you:

And now we suggest watching a video from the teacher Minoo... She will tell you about word order in an English sentence. And at the end of the article you will find a table with all the proposal schemes, which you can download, and a test.

(* .pdf, 200 Kb)

Test

Word order in English: rules for constructing sentences

Word order in an English sentence is, on the one hand, not a difficult topic, because the basic rules are simple, on the other - inexhaustible, because the nuances are endless. In this article, we will not try to grasp the immensity, but consider the basic rules, principles of constructing a sentence in English.

What does a sentence consist of in English

Word order in the subordinate clause (in a complex clause)

In subordinate clauses, the word order is simple - the same as in the affirmative,

I know where you live. - I know where you live.
I don’t know where you live. “I don’t know where you live.
Do you know where I live? - Do you know where I live?

For clarity, I will present the proposals in the form of a table:

A common mistake is that in the part of the sentence starting with conjunctions (in this case, these are conjunctions) who, why, when, where words rearranged, as in an interrogative sentence.

Not properly: I don’t know why did she call me.
Right: I don’t know why she called me.

In this case, “… why she called me” is not at all the same as the interrogative sentence “Why did she call me?”, But a subordinate clause. The word order in it is direct, as in a simple affirmative sentence.

Especially often so mistaken in complex interrogative sentences. In this case, the reverse order of words should only be in the main part (Do you know), but not in the relative clause (where I live).

Not properly: Do you know where do I live?
Right: Do you know where I live?
Not properly: Do you know who was it?
Right: Do you know who it was?

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The order of words in a sentence is more important for English than for Russian. This is due to the fact that in the Russian language there are a huge number of prefixes, suffixes, endings that indicate the functions of each word in the sentence and the relationship between them, therefore the position of words is more or less free.

In English, the relationship between words and their role is expressed through their order in the sentence... Therefore, it is necessary to know the place of each member (component) in the sentence, not to confuse them and not to change places (especially the subject and addition), since this changes the meaning of the sentence.

Russian language
Jane watched this movie last Sunday.
This movie was watched by Jane last Sunday. (the meaning of the sentence does not change from the permutation of the subject and object)

English language
Jane watched this movie last Sunday. – Jane watched this movie last Sunday.
This movie watched Jane last Sunday. – This movie was followed by Jane last Sunday.

English sentences can be with direct and indirect word order.

Direct word order

Direct Word Order(direct word order) in English is used in declarative sentences (affirmative or negative). In direct word order, the main thing is that subject comes before predicate.

At direct word order, basically, the following order of the members of the proposal is observed:

1. The Subject - the subject (Who? What?)
2. The Predicate - predicate (What does it do? What state is it in? Who or what is it?)
3. Object - addition (Who? To whom? By whom?)
4. Adverbial Modifier - circumstance (When? Where? How?)

I sent you a letter yesterday.- I sent you a letter yesterday.
They won’t go with us to the party tomorrow.“They won't come with us to the party tomorrow.

Didn’t you go to the cinema yesterday?- Didn't you go to the cinema yesterday?
Would you bring me some tea, please?- Could you bring me some tea, please?
Is Francis working in his room at the moment?“Is Francis working in his office now?”

However, if the predicate is expressed by the verb to be(to be) or to have(to have), then they stand in front of the subject. In modern English, the semantic verb to have more commonly used with an auxiliary verb do.

Have you a pen?- Do you have a pen?
Do you have a pen?- Do you have a pen?
Is she at home now?- Is she home now?

Indirect word order also used in sentences starting with there(constructions), where there acts as an introduction or formal subject.

There is nothing funny in what I say.- There is nothing funny in what I say.
There worked a lot of people for that plant.- A lot of people worked at that plant.
There plays Jane with her son in the garden.- Jane plays with her son in the garden.

Indirect word order used in sentences starting with the word here(here). But if the subject is expressed by a pronoun, then it is used direct word order.

Here is your teddy.- Here's your bear.
Here comes my sister Monica.“Here comes my sister Monica.
Here is the house where Jack lives.- This is the house where Jack lives.

Here he is!- There he is!
Here we go!- Let's start! Go!

Indirect word order used in the second part of complex sentences after so(as well as neither(also not). In this case, the dependent part uses the same auxiliary verb as in the main sentence.

Jack didn’t know how to repair that broken car, neither did we.“Jack didn't know how to fix that wrecked car, we didn't know either.
Most of French are good at cooking and so are you, right?“Most French people cook well, and you are one of them, right?

Indirect word order also used in simple exclamation clauses expressing a wish.

Be it so!- Let it be so!
May you never be sad!- May you never be sad!
May all your wishes come true!- I wish all your wishes come true!

Same indirect word order used for expressiveness and emphasis on a certain part of the sentence. It does not depend on the structure of the sentence itself, but more on author's wishes... This often happens when a circumstance is placed at the beginning of a sentence.

Silently and attentively did the man listen to the priest.- Silently and attentively, the man listened to the preacher.
In the dark wood with no paths stood and shouted two boys.- In the dark forest, without a single path, two boys stood and shouted.

Indirect word order can be used if there are circumstances at the beginning of the sentence in vain(in vain) never(never), little(not at all) expressing a negative meaning, as well as words only(only), hardly(hardly), no sooner(immediately after), etc. In this case, you should use an auxiliary verb do if the predicate is not expressed by an auxiliary or modal verb.

In vain were we trying to find Mary in the wood.- We tried in vain to find Mary in the forest.
Never before have I seen such beautiful park.- Never before have I seen such a beautiful park.
Little does he think that he doesn’t need our help.“He doesn't think he needs our help at all.

Indirect word order used after words so(So), thus(thus), now(now, then) then(then, after), which appear at the beginning of the sentence. If the subject is expressed by a pronoun, then use direct word order.

Now was the time to attack.- It was time for the attack.
Thus spoke Mr. Jameson standing near the door.- So spoke Mr. Jameson, standing at the door.

So he spent his holidays in Paris.- So he spent his vacation in Paris.

Indirect word order can be used after directional adverbs such as in, out, down, away, up if they appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Away ran children.- The children ran away.
Down fell Peter. Peter fell backwards.
Up flew Kate's baloon.- The ball Kate flew up.

If the subject is expressed by a pronoun, then use direct word order.

I fell down.- I fell.
It flew away.- It flew away.

Indirect word order also used in conditional sentences without conjunctions if the predicate is expressed in verbs was, were, had, could or should... In this case, the proposals sound more emotional.

Even was Ann starving, she would never ask for money.“Even if Ann was starving, she would never ask for money.
I would have felt better, had I stayed at home instead of going to school.- I would feel better if I stayed at home instead of going to school.
Jack wouldn’t take a taxi at night to go home, could he stay at our place.“Jack wouldn't call a taxi in the evening to go home if he stayed with us.

Place of addition in the sentence

He will call you soon.- He'll call you soon.
I bought these flowers for you.- I bought these flowers for you.
My mom likes to give some advice.- My mom loves to give advice.

However, in exclamation sentences a direct object can appear at the beginning of a sentence. In this case, use direct word order.

What a nice day we have today!- What a wonderful day we have today!
What a lady I met yesterday!- What a lovely lady I met yesterday!

Sometimes a direct object can be placed at the end of a sentence when it is separated from the predicate by other members of the sentence (for example, by a circumstance). This is done in order to emphasize or in a special way highlight the addition.

Matt saw in the morning paper his own article.“Matt saw his own article in the morning paper.
She took from her bag and gave John a big chocolate bar. She took it out of her bag and gave John a large chocolate bar.
I had in my head a lot of disturbing and unpleasant thoughts.- A lot of disturbing and unpleasant thoughts were spinning in my head.

An indirect prepositional addition can sometimes be found at the beginning of sentences, also for greater expressiveness. This is typical for spoken English.

In God we trust.- In god we trust.
To Kate I send all my letters.- I send all my letters to Kate.
For Mark it wasn’t a big problem.- For Mark, it was not a big problem.

Sometimes after indirect prepositional object at the beginning of a sentence can be used inversion or indirect word order (predicate before subject), often in fiction.

For this lady were written all my poems.- All my poems were written for this lady.
To this circumstance may be attributed the fact that I have never met that man.- These circumstances may be related to the fact that I have never met this person.

Place of definition in a sentence

The only way possible is to tell the truth.“The only possible way is to tell the truth.
This story is the most interesting thing imaginable.- This story is the most interesting thing that could be invented.
The only person visible was the soldier near the castle’s gates.“The only person who could be seen was a soldier at the castle gates.

In some fixed expressions, adjective definitions always come after the noun.

wealth untold- untold wealth
from times immemorial- since time immemorial
a poet laureate- poet laureate
generations unborn- coming generations
court martial- court-martial
sum total- total amount
four years running- four years in a row
the first person singular- first person singular
the second person plural- plural second person

Definitions proper in meaning " actually, as such" and present in meaning " present»Come after the noun they are referring to.

This book tells us about art proper.- This book tells us about art as such.
All the people present clapped when the actor appeared on the stage.- Everyone present clapped when the actor appeared on the stage.

Definitions, expressed in cardinal numbers, indicating the batch number or the location of the object, always stand after the noun... In this case, the articles are not used.

The poem I like is on page ten.- The verse I like is on the tenth page.
I am looking for room three zero five.“I'm looking for room 305.
To go to the center you should take train four.- To go to the center, you need to take the fourth tram.

Definitions expressed by adjectives in a sentence appear after indefinite and negative pronouns.

I want to eat something sweet.- I want to eat something sweet.
There is nothing funny in my words.- There is nothing funny in my words.
You never do anything useful.“You never do anything useful.

Often, definitions expressed by an adjective, especially if there are several of them, are placed after the word to which they refer, in order to emphasize and highlight them. Such definitions are separated from the word being defined by a comma.

Jack, tired and pale, fell on the sofa.- Jack, tired and pale, collapsed on the sofa.
There stood a girl, small, cute and cheerful.- There was a girl, small, sweet and joyful.
I looked in her eyes, large, blue and beautiful.- I looked into her eyes, big, blue and beautiful.

Place of circumstance in a sentence

"Leave me alone!" Janice shouted loudly.- "Leave me alone!" Janice shouted loudly.

If the predicate is expressed by a transitive verb, then such a circumstance is placed after the direct object.

Kate read the contract attentively and then signed it.- Kate carefully read the contract, and then signed it.

If the predicate has a prepositional object, then circumstance of a course of action put between them (after the predicate and before the prepositional addition).

Charles asked politely for a cup of tea and some sugar.- Charles politely asked for a cup of tea and some sugar.

Circumstance degree always comes before the predicate. If this is a compound predicate, then the circumstance is placed after the auxiliary verb.

We entirely agree with you.- We completely agree with you.
I am quite tired at the moment.- I feel pretty tired now.
We have almost finished our homework.- We're almost done with our homework.

Circumstance degree enough(enough) comes after the adjective to which it refers. If the circumstance refers to a noun, then it can appear both before it and after it.

My sister is clever enough but really lazy.- My sister is smart enough, but very lazy.
I have enough money, don’t worry.- I have enough money, don't worry.
We have time enough to rest a bit.- We have enough time to rest.

Dima behaved well yesterday.

No matter how we say these sentences and in what order of words we put them in them, their meaning will not change. With this example, we want to show the difference between the construction of Russian and English sentences. Indeed, it is in the latter that such variations are impossible. All due to the fact that there are no endings in English, and in order not to lose the meaning that the speaker wants to convey, English philologists have established the rules for composing a sentence in English. They are clear enough and require strict adherence.

Consider the features of constructing affirmative sentences.

We have two spelling options. The first option looks like this:

subject-predicate-object-circumstance

She doesn’t bake herself as a rule. Her boyfriend does it for her.

(She doesn't bake herself. Her boyfriend does it)

He likes this book very much.

(He really likes this book.)

They will bring this book tomorrow.

(They will bring this book tomorrow)

The second option is written like this:

circumstance-subject-verb-object

As a rule she doesn’t bake herself. Her boyfriend does it for her.

(She usually doesn't bake herself. Her boyfriend does it)

Yesterday Kevin met his classmates in the airport.

(Kevin met his classmates at the airport yesterday.)

If we talk about interrogative sentences, then it is worth noting that they also have characteristic writing features.

In this article, we will learn how general and specific questions are put together.

More on interrogative sentences:
Interrogative sentences in English

We build a general question according to the following scheme:

verb-subject- addition-circumstance

Will she be at the restaurant after 2?

(Will she be at the restaurant after two?)

Did you bring that book to the library?

(Did you bring that book to the library?)

The first word in interrogative sentences, we usually put "question-word" ( who, whom, where, why, what, which, when, whose, how, how much).

In second place, we put the auxiliary verb ( am, is, are, does, did, do, will, shall, would, have, has, can, could, must, may, might, ought, need, should.) It is followed by the subject, the semantic verb, and the rest of the words.

How do you feel today?

(How do you feel today?)

How much sugar does she take in her coffee?

(How much sugar does she add to her coffee?)

Here we have provided the basic schemes for constructing sentences in English. But, there are some exceptions to the rules, and deviations from the specified schemes. We invite you to learn about all these features at our school and receive detailed information on this topic.

More significant success in building sentences in English will bring you the desire to think in English, and not just translate sentences from Russian. It will also be useful to watch movies or your favorite English TV series without translation and with subtitles. Firstly, it will bring not only an opportunity to learn, but also a pastime with pleasure. Secondly, the visual memory will fix the textual accompaniment of the film, and you can always rewind the film and read unfamiliar phrases or words. The usefulness of American TV shows also lies in the fact that they use a significant amount of slang sentences, exclamations and modern expressions, which, of course, you will need for everyday speech.

Our dear students, the entire Native English School team wishes you Happy Easter, wishes you sincerity from others, bright smiles, success in your work, peace in your family and in your heart! See you! =)

In order to express yourself in English, it is not enough just to learn a list of words. These words must be correctly placed in the sentence. It is simply necessary to know the structure of the sentence in the English language, because each member of the sentence has a certain place, and this order cannot be violated. Therefore, let's take a look at how sentences are constructed in English in order to avoid misunderstandings and mistakes in speech and writing.

To build a sentence in English, you need to know its members. As in Russian, the English members of the sentence are divided into major and minor. Let's consider each type separately:

The main members of the sentence are the members of the sentence, thanks to which the grammatical center is formed. In simple words, without them the proposal would not make sense. The main members are subject and predicate.

The subject is usually expressed by a noun or pronoun. The noun is used in the general case, that is, in its standard vocabulary form in the singular and plural:

Note that the article may change to a definite one or be absent altogether, depending on the object / person involved.

If we talk about pronouns, then personal pronouns are usually used in the nominative case. Table of all pronouns in this group:

I	I
we	we
you	you you
he	he
she	she
it	this is it
they	they

And also some indefinite and negative pronouns, for example:

The subject usually stands at the beginning of the sentence before the predicate.

The predicate is expressed by a verb. This part of speech is key when composing a sentence in English, because it shows at what time an action happened, occurs or will occur. There can be two verbs in the predicate:
An auxiliary verb is a verb that is used to express tense. As such, it does not in itself have such a meaning and is not translated into Russian in any way. However, his presence is necessary if the temporary form requires it. For example:

The main or semantic verb is a verb that expresses the action performed by the subject:

Minor members of a sentence are members that explain major or other minor members. Without them, the sentence will still make sense, since the minor members are not the grammatical center of the sentence. The minor ones include:

Definition answering the question "what?" and "whose?" It can be expressed in almost any part of speech. Let's consider only the most popular cases:
Adjective:

Communion:

Participial turnover:

Numerals:

Object pronouns:

The participial definition usually follows these members of the sentence:

Indirect - an addition that answers all other case questions:

A circumstance denotes a place, a reason, a time, a course of action, and the like. The circumstance is related to the predicate, but it can be used both at the beginning and at the end of a sentence. The first option is perhaps less common. The circumstance is expressed most often:

adverb

or a noun with a preposition:

How sentences are built in English: the structure of an English sentence

Having studied all the members of the sentence, you can proceed to the construction of the sentences themselves in English. It is quite easy to construct a sentence in English, because, as mentioned earlier, this is done in a fixed order. What does this mean? For example, in Russian, we can freely change the order of the members of the sentence. At the same time, the meaning will remain, because the proposal will not lose its logic. The English language is stricter about order. So, if a sentence begins with a subject, it cannot be rearranged with a predicate. An example for clarity:

As you can see, only one phrase in English is opposed to as many as 5 possible variants of expressing the same thought in Russian.

However, it is worth paying attention to the fact that there are 3 types of English sentences, namely, affirmative, negative and interrogative. Each has its own version of the construction of the English sentence.

How to build affirmative sentences in English

Composing an affirmative sentence requires direct word order. Direct order implies that the subject comes first in the sentence, then the predicate, after the object and the circumstance. Scheme for clarity:

Sometimes a circumstance can start a sentence.

Examples:

I forgot to do the English exercises. - I forgot to do the English exercises.
Yesterday I bought a Lego construction set to my nephew. - Yesterday I bought a Lego set for my nephew.
We’ll go home after training. - We'll go home after training.
He is trying to find this spelling rule. - He's trying to find this spelling rule.
I have no idea how to learn to play the guitar. - I have no idea how to learn to play the guitar.

How negative sentences are built in English

Negative English sentences also have direct word order. The only difference is that to write a negative sentence, you must use the negative particle not. Such sentences always have an auxiliary verb, so the particle is placed after it.

Examples:

I do not know how to draw up a contract. - I do not know how to draw up a contract.
We don’t study at the university. - We do not study at the university.
Jane will not be there. “Jane won't be there.
He is not working at the moment. - At the moment it is not working.
I haven’t done sport exercises today yet. - Today I have not done sports exercises yet.
I was not aware of the situation in Paris. - I did not know about the situation in Paris.

How to write a sentence containing a question

Unlike the other two types, English interrogative sentences must be reversed. In the reverse order, the predicate comes first, namely the auxiliary verb, followed by the subject. The semantic verb and secondary members of the sentence remain in their places. Accordingly, the use of an auxiliary verb in questions is also a necessity. Scheme:

Examples:

Do you like this album? - Do you like this album?
Did they go fishing the day before yesterday? - Did they go fishing the day before yesterday?
Have you been to Moscow? - Have you ever been in Moscow?
Are you listening to me? - You are listening to me?

If sentences contain a question word, it is used at the very beginning:

But in order to draw up a proposal with a dividing question, you will have to deviate from the standard scheme. Such a question is constructed using an affirmative or negative sentence in the first part and a short question in the second:

That's all. We hope you have learned how to write sentences in English. Basically, English sentences are like a constructor, you just have to pick the right parts of it. To consolidate the material, do exercises on the topic. And most importantly - communicate with native speakers, because no amount of exercise will give you as much knowledge as people who speak this language.