Improve Your English

Sentence: A sentence is a combination of words in a sensible structure. The common structure of a sentence is noun+verb+noun (object).

1.      Simple sentence

a.    A simple sentence contains subject, verb and object (SVO). It is simple in reading. We can find the structure of SVO only in it. It has got simple structure and easy to understand. Or it has got single independent structure. We can express our ideas in a simple and effective way without any confusion. These sorts of sentences are easy to write due to its simple structure. Eg. I read book. I can take meal.

b.   Instead, imperative sentences start from verb only. The structure of this sentence is V only or VN or VNN. Eg. Eat. or Walk slowly.

c.    Similarly, interrogative (question) sentences start from wh-words or auxiliaries. These sentences have also got simple structure other than the statement sentences. Eg. Can you go home alone? What do you want?

d.   Moreover, question tags also takes one idea in different structure as they take simple structure. Eg. He goes to zoo, doesn’t he?

2.      Compound sentence

Compound sentence is the combination of two or more simple sentences. They have been connected with coordinate conjunctions like and, but, or. These sentences have combined two independent ideas which are closely related or equally important.

Eg. I finish a story book and go to uncle’s house. I can take meal but I don’t feel appetite at all.

3.      Complex sentence

Complex sentence has an independent clause followed by dependent clauses. It has used subordinate clauses like as, because, since etc. These sentences have complex structure with the combination subordinate ideas of a main idea. Or it has presented the detail form of the main clause. These sentences are difficult to write which takes time to understand as it has got various ideas of a topic in a sentence.

Eg. We went home, as the meal wasn’t ready, we started to do other activities that made us tired and we forgot to take meal even.

The movie was interesting but we can’t get the exact theme of it and, then we thought to take help of Mohan so we went to his house but we can’t meet him there.

In the above sentences we can see the main clause comes first; then other clauses try to illustrate the main clause.

4.      Active and Passive voice

Active and passive voices have different structures. Active voice has emphasized on the doer whereas passive voice emphasize on the object or receiver. Or “who” is important in active voice whereas “what” is done is important in passive voice. We use passive voice to promote the actor or doer of the action. Eg. He has written a letter. On the other hand, if we want to promote action only we use passive voice. Eg. A letter has been written. As a corollary, the “actor” is active in the first example whereas “actor” is passive or “action” is important in the second sentence. We use passive voice when the “doer” is unimportant or, when we want to focus on action rather than the actor.

Requisites of a good sentence

A good sentence has the capacity to make the reader understand what it has aimed. To make the reader more convincing, it needs three things: Clarity, Consistency and Economy.

Clarity: A sentence should be clear to deliver its purpose to the reader. It determines the quality of the write or his skill to make the reader understand his ideas. The main aim of it is to make the ideas cleared to the reader. It needs adequate punctuation, clear reference and correct word order.

Consistency: Consistency is mostly related to the theme and structure of the sentence. The theme should follow the same structure of the subject matter. Similarly, structure of the sentence is related to the grammatical structure. There can be different subject matter of the writers according to their choices, but it should have taken the main theme so that the subject matter is clear to the reader.

Economy: Economy is defined as the skill of the writer to express his/her ideas clearly to the reader in a short and sweet way. The writer should avoid the repetition of the sentences or word in his/her writing. The sentences should be short and clear which can express the ideas clearly. As a whole it has aimed to express the ideas of the writer in a targeted way without any confusion or boredom.