UKFCS e-learning

 

Sentence Structures

Are you daunted by the word ‘grammar’? More often than not, the word conjures up lists of technical terms and irregular conjugations—lists that need painful memorising.

Well, the good news is that it is often much easier to use a technical term with a well chosen example to illustrate it. The ‘grammar’ for this section simply consists of sentence structures, and these are very easy to learn. They have been divided into groups and many of the simpler ones should be quite familiar to you as you’ll have used them many times already. The technical terms used are put in there only for the convenience of grouping different structures. In fact, there isn’t even any need for you to remember them!

Each sentence type is simply explained and has some examples to illustrate the point. You’ll notice that the vocabulary used in them is drawn from the areas of experience specified by the exam board.

There are two parts in this section: simple sentences and compound sentences are treated separately. If you come to grips with the hardest of these, it should not be difficult for you to obtain a good grade in the exam.

Part A: The Simple Sentence

  1. The subject-predicate sentence. MORE
  2. The interrogative sentence. MORE
  3. Sentences with 是 indicating a judgement or identification rather than an action or movement. MORE
  4. Sentences with 有. MORE
  5. The negative form of 有, formed by placing 没 in front of 有 (here 不 cannot be used). MORE
  6. The serial verbal sentence—a sentence in which the predicate consists of two or more verbs to tell something about the same subject. MORE
  7. The pivotal sentence—a sentence with two verbal constructions in which the object of the first verb is also the subject of the verb that follows. MORE
  8. 把 sentences and 被 sentences—sentences used when we want to say that something is disposed of or influenced. MORE
  9. Sentences with 是…的. MORE
  10. Making comparisons. MORE

Part B: The Compound Sentence

  1. The coordinative compound sentence—the component clauses in this type of sentence are equal in importance and there is no subordination in meaning. MORE
  2. The subordinate compound sentence—in this type of sentence, one of the clauses expresses the main idea of the sentence and the other modifies or restricts the meaning of the first. MORE