This document provides information about foundational words used in writing simple English sentences. It discusses nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions. For nouns, it defines concrete, abstract, and proper nouns as well as pronouns. For verbs, it discusses action, linking, and helping verbs. It provides examples of adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositional phrases. The document also demonstrates how to construct simple and compound sentences using these foundational words.

1. Beginning English

2. Revising for simple sentences
Foundation word
Descriptive word
Connecting word

3. Foundation Words: Nouns
A noun is a word that identifies a person, place, or thing. There are three types
of nouns (concrete, proper, and abstract) and a noun substitute (pronoun).
Concrete nouns identify physical objects that can be seen or touched, such as
desk, pencil, laptop, shirt, dress, shoe, and so on. Simply look around you: Any
object that you can see or touch has a name for it, and
that name is a concrete noun.
Abstract nouns do not identify physical objects. Instead, they identify feelings
or sensations (love, fear, sadness, hunger, and so on), ideas (fun, trouble,
intelligence, success, and so on), or activities (shouting, thinking, jogging, lying,
and so on). Remember: Because you can’t touch any of these things, they are
considered abstract.
Nouns

4. Proper nouns are the names given to specific people, places, or things, such as
Michael Jackson, Philadelphia, or Toyota. Proper nouns always begin with a
capital letter.
Pronouns are convenient substitutes for the other types of nouns. The most
common pronouns are personal pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, they, and we. As an
example, she could be a convenient substitute for the woman. Remember:
Pronouns can be the subject or actor in a sentence.

5. Concrete Nouns
bike
fingernail
star
Phone
_________
_________
_________
Abstract Nouns
friendship
shame
intelligence
Joy
_________
_________
_________
Proper Nouns
New York
Shaq
Burger King
Honda
_________
_________
_________
Pronouns
You
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________
_________

6. Subject Verb Object Complement Adverbial
Type SV Someone was laughing
Type SVC The country became totally
independent
Type SVOO Mary gave the visitor
a glass of milk
Type SVOC Most people consider these book rather
expensive
Seven basic patterns

7. A typical SVO pattern
• In most cases a verb must be followed by another noun to
make sense and express a complete thought.
• The verb bellow is an example of action verbs
Noun Verb Noun
Teachers Give _______________ [What?]

8. Let’s practice

9. Verbs
Foundation Words: Verbs
noun Linking verb (not an action)
Deirdre is . . .
noun Helping verb (not an action)
Students should . . .
linking and helping verbs do not express an action, nor do they express
a complete thought. They must be followed by more information to
make sense.
This additional information comes in the form of either an adjective
(with linking verbs) or another verb (with helping verbs).

10. noun Linking verb adjective
Deirdre is distracted.
noun Helping verb another verb
Students should study
Common Linking Verbs
am, is, are, was, were (states of
being) appear, become, feel, get,
grow, look, seem, smell, sound, taste
Common Helping Verbs
am, is, are, was, were do, does, did
have, has, had, can, could, may,
Might, must, shall, should, will, would

11. adjective noun verb adverb
Brain surgeons operate cautiously.
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns
reliable employee
healthy appetite
blind date
messy clothes
successful student
Adverbs describe actions (verbs)
think carefully
sleep late
jump high
dance gracefully
study hard

12. Let’s practice
Example: Jeremy has neat handwriting. Adjective
1. It hurts deeply. __________
2. Soccer has become popular. __________
3. College will cost more. __________
4. The singer will appear nightly. __________
5. Soap operas exaggerate life. __________

13. Conjunctions
Connecting Words: Conjunctions
Subject Verb
Jason laughed.
let’s add another subject:
compound subject Verb
Emily and Jason laughed.
let’s add another verb:
Subject compound verb
Jason laughed and cried.
Note that a sentence can have both a compound subject and a compound verb.
compound subject compound verb
Emily and Jason laughed and cried.

14. Prepositions
Connecting Words: Prepositions
subject verb
The book fell.
subject verb preposition
The book fell in . . .
subject verb prepositional phrase
The book fell in the water.
The preposition plus the words that complete the thought are called the prepositional phrase. A prepositional
phrase always begins with a preposition
(a single word) and usually ends with a noun
preposition noun
The book fell in the water.
In some sentences, two or more prepositional phrases may also be connected
to make a string of prepositions. a string of two prepositional phrases
subject verb prepositional phrases
The dog buried a bone under a tree in our yard.

15. Common prepositional phrase
about before except off throughout
above behind for on to
across below from onto toward
after beneath in out under
against beside inside outside until
along between into over up
among beyond like past upon
around by near since with
as down next than within
at during of through without

16. Let’s Practice
Example: The plane flew over our house
Example: We drove to the hospital. (Where?)
1. The White House and the U.S. Capitol are _______ . (Where?)
2. During the Gold Rush, miners searched________ . (What?)
3. Thousands of communication satellites fly______ . (Where?)
4. America celebrates its national independence ___. (When?)
5. The play Hamlet was written _____. (Who?)

17. The Compound Sentences
The longest simple sentences can have three or more prepositional
phrases.
SUBJECT AND A VERB INCLUDED
The bell rings.
DESCRIPTIVE WORDS ADDED
The tardy bell rings promptly.
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASES ADDED
The tardy bell rings promptly at eight o’clock in the morning.
ANOTHER PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE ADDED
At my high school, The tardy bell rings promptly at eight o’clock
in the morning.

18. The Compound Sentences
Similarly, compound sentences can contain descriptive words
and prepositional phrases.
(sentence 1)
At my high school, The tardy bell rings promptly at eight o’clock
in the morning, and late students complain loudly to each
other. (sentence 1)

19. Let’s Practice
EXAMPLE:
Simple sentences: The truck broke down. The driver called.
Add a prepositional phrase to sentence 1: The truck broke down
on the highway.
Add a prepositional phrase to sentence 2: The driver called for help.
Combine the two previous sentences to make a compound
sentence:
The truck broke down on the highway, so the driver called for help.

20. Let’s Practice
Simple sentences: Randall lost his cell phone. He found it.
Add a prepositional phrase to sentence 1:
__________________________________
Add a prepositional phrase to sentence 2:
__________________________________
Combine the two previous sentences to make a compound
sentence:
__________________________________

21. To be continued…