Brighter Grammar 1 - Margaret Macaulay 1987

Lesson Ten. Sentences and phrases

Sentences

When we want to express our thoughts we use a group of words, A group of words that makes complete sense is a sentence.

1 Tommy has a bicycle, (statement)

2 Where are you going? (question)

3 Open the door. (command)

The first sentence tells us something; it tells us that Tommy has a bicycle. It makes a statement.

The second sentence doesn’t tell us anything; it asks something; it asks where someone is going. It is a question. The answer to this question will be a statement.

The third sentence is neither a statement nor a question. It doesn’t give us some information (like a statement), and it doesn’t ask for information (like a question). It orders someone to do something. It is a command.

So, you see, a sentence can do one of three things.

1 Make a statement to tell us something.

2 Ask a question.

3 Give a command.

Some statements can be turned into questions and some questions can be turned into statements, by changing the order of the words. Here are some examples:

 Statement     Question

 That is Mary’s bicycle.   Is that Mary’s bicycle?

 John can speak French.  Can John speak French?

 You have had your lesson.  Have you had your lesson?

 The boy will do the work.  Will the boy do the work?

And here are some examples of commands:

Look at this sentence.

Be quiet!

Please come here.

Come here, please.

Jane, answer the question.

Answer the question, Jane.

Phrases

You may have a group of words that makes sense but not complete sense, for example: into the house; at nine o’clock; for eighty pence.

Groups of words like these are phrases. A sentence has a verb in it; a phrase hasn’t. You can turn a phrase into a sentence by adding other words to it, but one of the words

that you add must be a verb. Let us make the phrases in our example into sentences by adding something (including a verb) to them.

John went into the house.

I left home at nine o’clock.

George bought the book for eighty pence.

Exercises

A Make two columns with the headings sentences and phrases. Then put each group of words below under the right heading. For a sentence you need a capital letter and a full stop (or ’?’ or ’!’). We have done the first two for you.

1 we saw the boy 10 come here

2 at the chemist’s 11 from my father

3 in the garden 12 sit down

4 open the door 13 through the window

5 across the garden 14 where are my books

6 at our school  15 did you see Margaret

7 an honest man 16 on Tuesday morning

8 near the school 17 please don’t say that

9 on my desk

В Add words to turn these phrases into sentences.

Example: beside the river

Answer: Let’s walk beside the river. (Or any other addition that contains a verb)

1 a few years ago   4 after six o’clock

2 every summer   5 on page sixteen

3 in the garden   6 by Friday night

7 with a hammer   12 along the High Street

8 into the sea    13 with you and me

9 near the railway station 14 with Jeremy and Richard

10 through the window  15 on the blackboard

11 in his pocket

C Here is a little story. Copy the sentences that have brackets [ ] after them, and in the brackets write S (for statement) or Q (for question) or C (for command). We have filled in the first pair of brackets for you.

The duke and the farmer

The Duke of Wellington was very rich. [S] He had a lot of land in a beautiful part of England. [ ] Next to the Duke’s land there was a farm. [ ] The Duke wanted to buy the farm and add its fields to his land. ( ]

’Go and see Farmer Jackson,’ [ ] he said to his agent. ’Try to buy his farm for me.’ [ ]

After a few weeks, the agent came to the Duke. [ ]

’I’ve bought the farm for you,’ [ ] he said.

’How much did you pay for it?’ [ ] the Duke asked.

’I got it for £30,000,’ [ ] the agent said. ’The real value of Farmer Jackson’s land is £40,000. [ ] Wasn’t it a bar­gain?’ [ ]

’Is the land really worth £40,000? [ ] Then tell me this. [ ] How did you get it for £30,000?’ [ ]

’Farmer Jackson is in trouble,’ [ ] the agent answered. ’He needs the money at once. [ ] He had to sell his farm cheaply.’[ ]

’Go back to Farmer Jackson at once,’ [ ] said the Duke. ’Give him the £10,000. [ ] If he needs the money, we must give him the real value of his land. [ ] I don’t want a bargain that comes from another man’s trouble.’ [ ]

D Turn these questions into statements.

Example: Was Jackson the owner of the farm?

Answer: Jackson was the owner of the farm.

1 Was Jackson’s farm next to the Duke’s land?

2 Were there fields on Farmer Jackson’s land?

3 Was the price of the farm £30,000?

4 Was the real value of the farm £40,000?

5 Was £30,000 a bargain?

6 Was Farmer Jackson in trouble?

7 Was the Duke sorry for Farmer Jackson?

E Turn the following statements into questions.

Example: The farm is worth £40,000.

Answer: Is the farm worth £40,000?

1 The real value of the farm was £40,000.

2 Farmer Jackson was in trouble.

3 The fields were round the farm.

4 The farm was next to the Duke’s land.

5 The Duke will give the farmer £40,000.

6 That was a fair price for the farm.

7 Fanner Jackson was very glad.

F Make commands using these words. Use them in any order, and add more words if you need them.

Example: Farm, for me, buy.

Answer: Buy the farm for me.

1 Door, John, open.

2 Mary, book, to me, quickly, bring.

3 At home, exercise, do, carefully.

4 Tomorrow, homework, here, bring.

5 Talking, stop, now, and, work, begin.

6 On page 25, all the questions, do.

7 Your name, top of paper, write.

8 For me, at post office, post, letters.

9 Your exercise book, to school, bring, tomorrow.

10 Richard, ball, kick, into the goal.

G Write out 3 statements, 3 questions and 3 commands of your own. Don’t copy them from this lesson.