TOEFL ARABIC - NORMAL SENTENCES
ENGLISH
1. Normal Sentence Pattern in English
The usual word order in an active sentence is:
Subject — Verb — Complement — Modifier
Examples:
John and I (subject) ate (verb) a pizza (complement) last night (modifier).
We (subject) studied (verb) “present perfect” (complement) last week (modifier).
2. What Is a Subject?
The subject is the agent of the sentence in the active voice. It is the person or thing that performs or is responsible for the action.
- The subject normally comes before the verb.
- Every English sentence must have a subject.
- In commands (imperative sentences), the subject “you” is understood but not stated.
Example:
(You) Close the door.
3. Forms of the Subject
1) A Single Noun
The subject may be one noun.
Examples:
- Coffee is delicious.
- Milk contains calcium.
2) A Noun Phrase
A subject may be a noun phrase, which is a group of words ending with a noun.
It cannot begin with a preposition when functioning as a subject.
Examples:
The book is on the table.
That new red car is John’s.
3) A Compound Subject
A subject can consist of more than one noun.
Example:
Mary, John, George, and I went to a restaurant last night.
4) Longer Noun Phrases
Examples:
- The chemistry professor canceled class today.
- The bank closed at two o’clock.
- The weather was very bad yesterday.
- We girls are not going to that movie.
5) “It” as a Subject
“It” can:
- Replace a noun (as a pronoun), or
- Function as the subject of an impersonal expression.
Examples:
It rains quite often here in the summer.
It is hard to believe that he is dead.
In impersonal expressions, “it” does not refer to a specific noun but is part of a fixed expression.
6) “There” as a Pseudo-Subject
In some sentences, the true subject does not appear in the normal subject position.
“There” can function as a pseudo-subject. The real subject comes after the verb, and the verb agrees with the real subject.
Singular:
There was a fire in that building last month.
Real subject: a fire (singular)
Verb: was (singular)
Question form:
Was there a fire in that building last month?
Plural:
There were many students in the room.
Real subject: many students (plural)
Verb: were (plural)
Question form:
Were there many students in the room?
Important rule:
The verb must agree with the real subject, not with “there.”
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ARABIC