Simple sentences

Sentence requirements

• All sentences must have a subject and a verb.
• An object is optional.
• The order is important. The verb must never be before or after both the subject and object. This may lead to Yoda-talk, which is incorrect.
• Must form a complete thought.

Voice

Active voice

• Subject: He eats a burger.
• Verb: He eats a burger.
• Object: He eats a burger.
• Optional object: He eats.
• Mostly used (more natural).

Passive voice

• Subject: The burger is being eaten by him.
• Verb: The burger is being eaten by him.
• Object: The burger is being eaten by him.
• Optional object: The burger is being eaten.
• Used when the doer isn't important and/or when the receiver needs to be emphasized.

Modifiers

Adverb

Describes the verb.

Recommended ordering:

1. Manner
2. Place
3. Frequency
4. Time
5. Purpose

Examples:

I jog quickly (manner) to the coffee shop (place) each morning (frequency) before breakfast (time) in order to get my daily caffeine fix (purpose).

Alternatives may require using a comma for clarity:

• In order to get my daily caffeine fix (purpose), I jog quickly (manner) to the coffee shop (place) each morning (frequency) before breakfast (time).
• Each morning (frequency) before breakfast (time), I jog quickly (manner) to the coffee shop (place) in order to get my daily caffeine fix (purpose).

Adjective

Describes a noun.

Recommended ordering:

1. Opinion
2. Size
3. Physical quality
4. Shape
5. Age
6. Color
7. Origin
8. Material
9. Type
10. Purpose

Example:

He is an unusual (opinion), tall (size), thin (physical quality), old (age), gray-bearded (color), Scandinavian (origin) man.

He had a wooden (material), general-purpose (type), cleaning (purpose) broom.