ESSENTIAL SENTENCE STRUCTURES

SENTENCE BUILDING / WRITING
MODEL 1:
TOO + ADJ + (for smb)+ to-INFINITIVE
? . - SO + ADJ + THAT ....
. - SUCH (A/AN) ADJ + N + THAt ...

Example :
- The box is too heavy for a child to carry.
- The box is so heavy that the child can`t carry it.
- It is such a heavy box that the child can`t carry it.

MODEL 2:
TOO + ADJ + ... to - INFINITIVE
? NOT + ADJ + ENOUGH + (for smb)
+ to - INFINITIVE

Example :
- He is too young to understand the question.
- He is not old enough to understand the question.

- The book is too difficult for the child to read .
- The book is not easy enough for the child to read.
- The child is not good/mature enough to read the book.
MODEL 3:
ADJ + ENOUGH + (for.)+ to - INFINITIVE
? . SO + ADJ + THAT ....
. SUCH (A/AN) ADJ + N + THAT ..
Example :

- The sea water is warm enough for us to have a swim.

- The sea water is so warm that we can have a swim.

- It is such warm sea water that we can have a swim.
MODEL 4 :
. SO + ADJ + THAT
? SUCH (A/AN/ ADJ ) + N + THAT
Example :
a. - The film was so good that I saw it three times.
- It was such a good film that I saw it three times.

b. - It is such a poor book that nobody reads it.
- The book is so poor that nobody reads it.
MODEL 5 :
. SO + ADJ + THAT ....
. SUCH (A/AN) ADJ + N + THAT ..
? TOO + ADJ + FOR . to - INFINITIVE
ADJ + ENOUGH + FOR . to - INFINITIVE

Example :
a. - This blouse is so small that she can`t wear it.
- This blouse is too small for her to wear.

b. - It was such an interesting film that we watched it many times.
The film was interesting enough for us to watch many times.
MODEL 6 :
. TO - INFINITIVE + BE + ADJ
? - IT + BE + ADJ + TO - INFINITIVE
- IT + BE + ADJ + GERUND
- HOW + ADJ + (IT + BE ) + TO - INFINITIVE
Example :
- To smoke cigarettes is dangerous.

- It is dangerous to smoke cigarettes .
- It is dangerous smoking cigarettes .
- How dangerous (it is ) to smoke cigarettes.
MODEL 7 :
. TO - INFINITIVE + BE + ADJ/ NOUN
? S + V (think,find, ...)+ IT + ADJ/N + TO - INFINITIVE

Example :
a) - To know foreign languages is important.
- I find it important to know foreign languages .

b) - To be punctual is a good thing.
- I think it a good thing to be punctual.

b) - It`s necessary to practise English every day.
- I think it necessary to practise English every day.

MODEL 8 :
S + V (Present Perfect) .. FOR (time)
? IT IS + time ... + SINCE . + V (past)
Example :
a) - Tom and Mary have been married for five years.
- It is five years since Tom and Mary got married..
- Tom and Mary got married 5 years ago/ since 2001.
b) - I haven`t visited him for a year .
- It `s one year since I last visited him.
MODEL 9 :
S + HAVE/ HAS NOT + VERB (PP2)
? .. FIRST TIME + S + HAVE/HAS + V (PP2)
Example :
a) - I haven`t seen that film before.
- It is the first time I have seen that film.

b) - I have never been to Phu Quoc before.
- It `s the first time I have been to Phu Quoc.
MODEL 10 :
S +HAVE/HAS + NOT + V (P2) ... SINCE /FOR
? - S + LAST + V (PAST) ..
- The last time + S + V(past)..
Example :
a) - It has not rained here for a fortnight.
- It last rained here a fortnight ago.

--> The last time it rained here was a fortnight ago.


MODEL 11 :
S + VERB (PAST) ...... AGO
? S + HAVE/HAS been + V-ing + SINCE../ FOR ..
(The Present Perfect Continuous Tense)
Example :

- He started working for this company a year ago.

- He has been working for this company for a year.

- He has been working for this company since last year/ a year ago.
MODEL 12 :
* SUBJ + VERB + Time
? IT TAKES/TOOK (+ OBJ) + TIME + TO - INFINITIVE
Example :
a) - She finished her exercises in 20 minutes.
- It took her 20 minutes to finish her exercises.

b) - He drives to work in half an hour.
- It takes him half an hour to drive to work.

MODEL 13 : PASSIVE FORM
* SUBJ + VERB + OBJ
? S + BE + V (pp) ... + (BY ...)
Example :
a) - No one has discussed that question .
- That question has not been discussed before.

b) - The University is going to open a new course.
- A new course is going to be opened (by the University).
MODEL 14 :






Example :
a) -Susan isn`t as good at history as Jane.
- Jane is better at history than Susan.

b) -Stone isn`t as hard as iron
- Iron is harder than stone
MODEL 15 :
* S + VERB + NOT + S + v + noT . EITHER

? NEITHER ... NOR .....
Example :
a) - My husband doesn`t drink a lot. He doesn`t smoke a lot either.

- My husband neither drink nor smoke a lot.

b) - I don`t like tea. I don`t like coffee either.
- I like neither tea nor coffee.

MODEL 16 :
* WH- QUESTIONS ? INDIRECT QUESTION

? S + ASKED + (OBJ) + QUESTION WORD + S + V
Example :
a) - Tâm asked me " What is her name?"

- Tâm asked me what her name was.

a) - " Why don`t you close the door, Nam?" said Tâm.

- Tâm asked Nam why he didn`t close the door.
MODEL 17 :
* ADJ ? VERB


It isn`t necessary to finish work today.

You don`t have to finish work today.

You don`t need to finish work today.
MODEL 18 :
* VERB ? NOUN
Music interests her greatly.

She has a great interest in music.

( She is very/greatly interested in music).
MODEL 19 :
because } because of }
as } + Clause ? } NOUN / GERUND
Since } due to }
Example :
a) Because it rained, we postponed the football match.
- Because of the rain, we postponed the football match.

b) As he has behaved badly, he must be punished.
- Because of his bad behaviour, he must be punished.

c) Since I can`t swim, I have to stay on the shore.
- Because of my inability to swim, I have to saty on the shore.
MODEL 20 :
* S + Had + NO SOONER+ PP2 + OBJ + Than ... }. ?
NO SOONER+HAD + S + PP2 + OBJ + Than ....
* S + Had + hardly+ PP2 + when .... } ? hardly +HAD + S + PP2 + OBJ + + when ....
Example :
a) We had no sooner reached home than it started to rain..
-No sooner had we reached home than it started to rain.

b) They had hardly finished their test when the bell rang.
- Hardly had they finished their test when the bell rang.
MODEL 21 :

* S + WISH(ES) + S + SIMPLE PAST ( Present )
* S + WISH(ES) + S + PAST perfect ( Past )

Example :
a) I wish I were a woman.
( I am not a woman ).

b) We wish we had been at the party.
( We were not at the party ).

c) He wishes he had met her before.
- (He didn`t meet her before).
MODEL 22 :
* S + + V - adv ... }. ?
S + V - ADJ + noun ....
* S + + V - adv ... }. ?
S + V + with -noun ....
a) - He speaks English well.
- He speaks good English.

b) - I slept well last night.
- I had a good sleep last night.

c) - She speaks English fluently.
- She speaks English with fluency.
MODEL 23 :

* S ... }.+ have - something DONE


- Somebody repaired her motorcycle for her.

- She had her motorcycle repaired last week.

- Somebody cut his hair for him yesterday.

- He had his hair cut yesterday

Thank you
for your attention !