HOW TO BUILD A SENTENCE
The Basic Parts Of The Sentence.
Subject + verb + the rest of the sentence (T.R.O.T.S)
The subject helps the reader / listener understand what or who the sentence is about or what the subject does / did / will do.
The subject is always a noun. It can be one or more words. For example: A cat has four paws. Or: The big, round, black ball is on the street. The sentences are about and , so they are the subjects of the sentences. The subject doesn’t have to be the first word(s) in the sentence.
In the summer, my family travels to different countries.
This sentence is about ‘my family’.
Every once in a while when the weather is nice, we go out for a drive.
What do you think the subject is in the sentence above?
Exercise: Underline the subject of the sentences below:
- Jack and Jill went up the hill.
- The United States has 50 states.
- Winter is when the weather is colder.
- My mom likes to watch cartoons.
- On Fridays, we don’t go to school.
- My job is very interesting.
- When the rain begins to fall, everything gets wet.
Exercise: Underline the subject in the sentences:
- Where does Danny live?
- Is the box heavy?
- When does your mother come home from work?
- How often does it rain in the desert?
- Isn’t the singer amazing?
- Where do you live?
ORDER OF ADJECTIVES
Sometimes we use more than one adjective to make a sentence more interesting or clear.
example: My sister has two, beautiful, big black and white dogs at home.
If you want to use more than one adjective, this is the order:
NUMBER - OPINION - SIZE - AGE - SHAPE - COLOR
Exercise:
Circle the correct order of adjectives for each sentence:
- The house is white and big / big and white.
- We took a ride on an old, blue and green / blue and green, old bus.
- Give me one good reason / good one reason for being late.
- We have a nice, new, old-fashioned house / new, old-fashioned, nice house.
- There are six more possible / six possible more answers to the question.
Exercise: Add the adjectives in the correct order.
- Her __________________ cat is lost. white - small
- The __________________ witch is the hero. old - mean - dirty
- There were __________________ people at the meeting. important - many
- The __________________ cakes smell fantastic. cinnamon - fresh
- Have you seen the __________________ kid in our class? cute - French - new
Exercise: Put the adjectives into the correct order and rewrite the sentences .
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Judy’s parents want a ______ car. electric / new
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He has ______ books. interesting / many / old
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She has ______ boots. leather / new / expensive
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I love the smell of ______ oranges. sweet / fresh
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There is an ______ box in the room. wooden / old / square
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Now, to prove that you understand the order of adjectives, write at least one sentence of your own using at least three different adjectives.
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POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS
The verb “to possess” means to have. We use possessive pronouns when we want to show that something belongs to someone. It comes before the noun (or adjective).
I have a book. -> My book is interesting.
You have a book. -> Your book is interesting.
He has a book. -> His book is interesting.
She has a book. -> Her book is interesting.
It has a black tail. -> Its tail is black.
We have a book. -> Our book is interesting.
They have a book. -> Their book is interesting.
POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES
Look at the following sentences:
My shirt is the red shirt.
The red shirt is my shirt.
Do you think the word “shirt” has to be repeated? ________
The red shirt is mine.
The green shirt is yours.
The yellow shirt is his.
The grey shirt is hers.
The pink shirts are ours.
The black shirts are theirs.
MOFET English Assessment
Grammar & Structure – Full Review Test