SIMPLE SENTENCES
Nguyen Kim Anh-DFL
Simple sentences are divided into 4 major syntactic classes
Their use correlates with different communicative functions
1. Statements
2. Questions
3. Commands
4. Exclamations
1. Statements
Subject is always present.
Subject generally precedes the verb

E.g. You are always in my heart.
Whales are intelligent animals.
To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness on earth.

2. Questions
Operator occur immediately in front of the subject
E.g. Have you ever loved a woman?
Is this me you’re looking for?
An Interrogative or wh-element appear initially
E.g. What is wrong with you?
Where have you been?



It has a rising intonation
E.g. You see what I mean?
She is beautiful?
Questions can be divided into three major classes
According to the type of the answer they expect.
a. Yes/ No questions: expect only affirmation or rejection
b. Wh-questions: expect a reply supplying an item of information
c. Alternative questions: expect as the reply one of two or more options presented in the question
a. Yes-No questions
Operator before the subject
A rising intonation
E.g. Will you wait for me forever?
Do you feel my heart beating?
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same?
(lyrics-Eternal Flame)
Positive orientation
Usually we use non-assertive forms in questions.
Non- assertive forms (determiners, pronouns, adverbs) do not naturally occur outside negative and interrogative.
Any, anyone, anywhere, (not) in any way, rarely, never, not at all, not yet, etc
Is there anything interesting for me?
Have you met her yet?
I don’t like him at all.

However, a question has positive orientation
If it uses assertive forms rather than the usual non-assertive forms
Did anyone call me last night?
Did someone call me last night?
(Is it true that someone call last night?)
Have you finished your homework yet?
Have you already finished your homework?
( Is it true that you have already finished ?)
Negative orientation
Negative orientation is found in question
Which contain a negative form of one kind or another
Can’t you wait for me?
(Is it really true that you can’t wait for me?)
Does no one believe me?
( Is it really true that no one believes me?)
Tag questions
The tag question consists of operator plus pronoun with or without a negative particle
The choice and tense of the operator are determined by the verb phrase in the super-ordinate clause.
You are tired, aren’t you?
You are not bored, are you?
She doesn’t like English, does she?
Her husband arrived late last night, didn’t he
You have been wondering, haven’t you?
Declarative questions
The declarative question is an exceptional type of yes-no question.
It is identical in form to a statement
Except for the final rising question intonation
You have spoken to her?
He realized how important you are?
b. Wh-questions
They are formed with the aid of one of the following interrogative words
Who/whom/whose/ what/ which
Where/when/ why/how
As a rule
The Q-element generally comes first in the sentence
The Q-word itself takes first position in the Q-element
Who has broken your heart?
Which car is yours?
Whose beautiful flowers are these?
When will you come back?
Why are you crying?
How much does he care?
How many students are there in the class?
c. Alternative questions
There are two types of alternative questions
The first resembles a yes-no question
The second resembles a wh-question
Do you like tea or coffee?
Which do you like, tea or coffee?
d. Minor types of question
Exclamatory question
E.g. Is she beautiful?
Isn’t it expensive?
Rhetorical question
E.g. Today I am going to talk about pollution. What should we do to improve the situation?



3. Commands
It has no overt grammatical subject
The verb is in the imperative
E.g. Let the music heal our soul.
Don’t surrender!
Please forgive me!
a. Commands without a subject
It is the most common category of command
It has no subject
It has an imperative finite verb
E.g. Be patient!
Close your eyes, give me your hands darling!

b. Commands with a subject
It is implied in the meaning of a command that the omitted subject of the imperative verb is the 2nd person pronoun you.
You keep calm!
You mind your own business and leave this to me!
Somebody help me!
Everyone shut their eyes
Jack and Susan stand over there!
c. Command with let
Let it be!
Let the music heal your soul.
Let’s heal the world.
Let each man decide for himself.
d. Negative commands
Don’t break my heart!
Don’t believe everything he says!
Don’t you let me down
Don’t surrender!
Don’t cry for me, Argentina!
Let’s not close the door!
Don’t let’s close the door!
e. Persuasive commands
Addition of DO before the main verb
Do believe in yourself!
Do give me a favor!
Do let’s go to the movie!
4. Exclamations
They are introduced by WHAT or HOW
No inversion of subject and operator
What terrible weather!
How hot it is!
What a nonsense!
How slowly he speaks!