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I. SIMPLE SENTENCE

A. Syntax, construction

1. Affirmative sentence :

- Simple tenses (present and past): SUBJECT + VERB

- Composite tenses : SUBJECT + [AUX] + VERB

- Modal …. +verbal basis ( inf without to)

- Future (will) [idem]

- Be …. +progressive form (v.b.+ ing)

- Have ….. +past participle

ex. He comes. He will come.
She can swim.
I am talking
They have eaten.

2. Negative sentence :

S + AUX + NEG + V

- Simple tenses : do ( does or did)…..+ v.b.

- Modal (can, must…)………………+ v.b.

- Progressive : be (was or were)…….+v.be.ing

- Perfect tenses : have (has or had)….+p.p.

ex. He does not know.
I can not (can’t) sleep.
It is not raining.
She had not listened.

3. Interrogative sentence :

-" yes or no questions " : AUX + S + V

Were you sleeping ?
Does he work ?

- opened question : Interrogative Pronoun + AUX + S + V

- Who

- When

- Where

- What - Which

What is she doing ?
When will you leave ?

N.B. Who, What or Which can be the subjects of the question : Wh + [AUX] + V

ex. Who called ? What happened ?

B. Conconrdance between subject and verb

The verb and its auxiliary must be conjugated with the subject. If the latter is a plural or a singular, the verb will change.

1. The singular mark.

The mark of the singular for he, she and it, in present simple, is the s, added to the verbal basis. In present perfect, it is the auxiliary have which indicates the singular (has), in passive and in progressive forms, it is the auxiliary be ( is + past participle or is + vb+ing)

He comes. Does he come ?
She has learnt. She is told.

With future and past tenses (preterit and pluperfect), the singular is not specified either on the verb or on the tense auxiliary (did and will are invariable) excepted with be, in past progressive and in passive form (was + vb +ing or was + past participle).

He came. Did he come ?
She will try. She was walking.

2. The plural mark.

With plural, the verb, as well as the auxiliary, does not take any particular mark (excepted be in progressive and passive forms which becomes are in present and were in past).

3. Mixed singular and plural.

Be careful, some single expressions can imply plural form as " A number of, the majority of, the rest of ".

Ex. The majority of us are laughing.

On the contrary, some plural expressions imply a verb in a singular form. It is the case with a period of time or a group of countries.

Ex. Two weeks is not enough.

The United States is a beautiful country.

II. COMPLEX SENTENCES

A complex sentence is composed of a main clause and coordinate or subordinate clauses.

A. The orders of objects in complex sentence

The object cannot be separated from the verb it refers to.

Ex. I saw him yesterday.

The adverb comes just before the verb when the latter is composed of only one word.

Ex. We always eat at 8.PM.

When the verb is composed of two and more words (ie in perfect tenses), the adverb must be put just after the first part.

Ex. We have already seen this movie.

When there are many different objects in a sentence, the appropriate order is, first how (manner), then where (place) and when (time).

Ex. She slept well in her new bed last night.

B. The Time concordance

Nominal Group + Verbal Group + conjunction + S + V

[ Main clause ] [ subordinate or coordinate clause ]

The subordinate can be in the first position, but the words order inside each clause does not change. In the case of a relative clause the order is different since the relative must follow the noun it depens on.

The tense of the second clause depends on the tense of the main clause.

It was a good surprise that you came.
When I was a young girl, I was not really quiet.

EXCEPTIONS :

When a subordinate clause is introduced by if, if only or as if. Sinse the situation is unreal, the tense of the subordinate wille be a past.

Ex. You’re spending money as if you were rich.

N.B. Verbs like suppose or imagine usually introduce a past tense.

The use of future in a conditionnal or temporal subordinate clause is particular. In those specific cases, the present tense means a future.

Ex. If it doesn’t work, I will try something else. (conditionnal subordinate)

I will be old when I am 64.

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