SENTENCES .................................................................................................. BACK to INDEX
Think of a sentence as a number of words, which communicate a thought and make complete sense. A long sentence may contain more than one verb or noun ( see later ). These will often be in phrases, which give more detail.
Written sentences end with a fullstop. Any phrases are often marked with commas, to make for easier reading.
Spoken sentences, are often shorter in normal conversation, with add on phrases to explain further if needed. The pauses, when speaking, indicate where there would be a comma or fullstop in written words, to separate out the phrases or sentences.These pauses give time to think, or understand.
Nowadays, the spoken word is not so grammatically correct, and has many abbreviations and contracted expressions, e.g. don't = do not .... can't = can not .... TV = television.. It is, after all, just one means of communication. Words are often strung together, making it more difficult to understand, e.g. Don'tyuknow? = Don't you know ? If the speaker knows he or she is being understood, then sentences are sometimes curtailed, maybe with etc., etc., and the conversation progresses. But it is best to stay with proper language and clear pronunciation. Pronunciation can be difficult; learn correctly from the start. If you learn incorrectly, it is difficult to change.
A SENTENCE
Should contain a subject noun ( so people know what is being talked about ). THE MAN ...
A sentence should contain at least one verb. The man HIT...
There will often be an object noun. The man hit THE DOG.
Sentences often contain simple adjectives, describing a noun, e.g.
The man hit the WHITE dog.
Sentences often contain simple adverbs, giving more detail ( time, place, manner ) e.g.
The man QUICKLY hit the white dog.
Sentences often contain phrases, or additional words, to give even more detail. The sentence can become very long, e.g.
The man, who was watching, quickly hit the white dog.
or
The man, who was watching, quickly hit the white dog with a big stick.
or, even more detail
The little old man with grey hair, who was sitting and quietly watching, quickly hit the white dog which was attacking the little boy, on the back, with a big stick.
It is clear that the sentence can become too long for easy understanding, and it may become ambiguous. Give enough information, but not too much. You can always add more in another sentence, if necessary.