A simple sentence has just one clause. A complex sentence has one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. A compound sentence has more than one main clause
The following are some rules of Transforming Sentences.
RULE 1
RULE 1
- Put ‘although / though’ in the beginning of the sentence.
- Remove ‘but / yet / still’ from the original sentence.
Example 1:
- Tashi is rich but he doesn’t help others.
- Although Tashi is rich, he doesn’t help others.
RULE 2
- Replace ‘so…that’ with ‘too…to’.
[Note: too + adj/adv + to + verb]
- Remove negative form.
Example 1:
- He is so sick that he cannot walk (to hospital).
- He is too sick to walk (to hospital).
Example 2:
- Sonam is so wise that she cannot fail her exam.
- Sonam is too wise to fail her exam.
RULE 3
- Replace ‘too…to’ with ‘so …that’
- Add negative form to the second clause
[Note: so + adj/adv + that + pronoun + not]
Example 1:
- The tree is too high for me to climb.
- The tree is so high that I cannot climb.
Example 2:
- He is too proud to beg for forgiveness.
- He is so proud that he cannot beg for forgiveness.
RULE 4
- Begin with ‘No sooner’ + [had + Past participle] + than + second clause
- Begin with ‘No sooner’ + [did + Present tense] + than + second clause
Example 1:
- As soon as teacher came in, the students got up.
- No sooner did teacher come in than the students got up.
Example 2:
- As soon as police saw, the thieves ran away.
- No sooner did police see than the thieves ran away.
RULE 5
- Begin with ‘Hardly’ + [had + Past participle] + when + second clause
- Begin with ‘Hardly’ + [did + Present tense] + when + second clause
Example 1:
- As soon as he saw me, he fled.
- Hardly did he see me when he fled.
Example 2:
- No sooner had I posted the letter that I got a call.
- Hardly had I posted the letter when I got a call.
RULE 6
- Begin with ‘In spite of’ + ing Verb + second clause.
- Remove: but / yet / still
Example 1:
- Karma was an ordinary singer but he fought his way to success.
- In spite of being an ordinary singer, Karma fought his way to success.
Example 2:
- It was cold yet we marched on.
- In spite of being cold, we marched on.
RULE 7
- Begin with ‘Despite’ + noun +ing Verb + second clause
- Remove: but / yet / still
Example:
- Even though the car was old, (still) it went very fast.
- Despite the car being old, it went very fast.
RULE 8
- Begin with ‘Having’ + past participle
Example 1:
- After she completed her work, she went home happily.
- Having completed her work, she went home happily.
Example 2:
- After he wrote the letter, he burnt it.
- Having written the letter, he burnt it.
RULE 9
- Replace ‘…and…’ with ‘Not only…but also…’
Example:
- She likes music and reading.
- Not only does she like music but also reading.
RULE 10
- Begin with ‘Unless’
[Note: change ‘If (negative)’ to ‘Unless”]
Example 1
- If you don’t go immediately, you will not meet him.
- Unless you go immediately, you will not meet him.
Example 2:
- If Sonam does not study, she will fail.
- Unless Sonam studies, she will fail.
RULE 11
- Begin with ‘On’ + ing Verb + second clause.
Example:
- When he entered the room, he heard a great noise.
- On entering the room, he heard a great noise.
RULE 12
- Using ‘neither…(nor)’
[Remove: not]
Example:
- He did not qualify for job and RCSC.
- He neither qualified for job nor RCSC.
Example:
- Both her parents don’t like music.
- Neither of her parents like music.
RULE 13
- Using ‘either…or’
Example:
- Nima will come or she will write a letter.
- Nima will either come or she will write a letter.
RULE 14
- Use ‘enough to’ to join two sentences.
Example:
- He is tall. He can play basketball.
- He is tall enough to play basketball.
*Remove subject from the second clause.
RULE 15
- Begin with ‘Besides’ + ing Verb + second clause
- Remove: but / yet / still
Example
- He not only robbed the bank, but also killed the manager.
- Besides robbing the bank, he also killed the manager.
RULE 16
- Use ‘both…and…’ to join the sentences.
Example:
- He is very foolish. His wife is also as foolish as him.
- Both he and his wife are foolish.
RULE 17
- Begin with ‘Not withstanding’ + pronoun + noun
- Remove: but / yet / still
*Not withstanding = Even though
Example 1:
- He worked hard but he did not succeed.
- Not withstanding his hard work, he did not succeed.
Example 2:
- My mother is very old but she works hard.
- Not withstanding her old age, she works hard.
RULE 18
- Using ‘such…that’
- [Note: such + article + adj + that + second clause]
Example:
- He was a gentleman. Everybody respected him.
- He was such a gentleman that everybody respected him.
RULE 19
- Using ‘…as well as…’ to join sentences.
Example:
- She is bright. She is clever.
- She is bright as well as clever.
RULE 20
- Using ‘as if’ or ‘as though’
- [Note: ‘as if’ + second clause (past tense)]
- [Note: ‘as though’ + second clause (past tense)]
- Remove: ‘one might think that’, ‘one might suppose that’, ‘it seemed that’, ‘like’, ‘pretended to be’..etc
Example:
- Sonam was sleeping. He pretended to be sick.
- Sonam was sleeping as if he was sick.
RULE 21
- Using ‘Incase’ + present + tense (Future)
[Note: Don’t use modal verb after ‘in case’]
Example:
- Dawa may call. I don’t want to go out today.
- I don’t want to go out today incase Dawa calls.
- Incase Dawa calls; I don’t want to go out today.
RULE 22
- Begin with ‘Even though’ of ‘Even if’
- Remove : but / yet / still
Example:
- I will never sell another record but I will continue to sing.
- Even though I will never sell another record, I will continue to sing.
RULE 23
- Begin with ‘Scarcely’ + [had + past participle] + when + second clause
- Begin with ‘Scarcely’ + [did + past tense] + when + second clause
Example:
- As soon as she saw her mother, she began to cry.
- Scarcely had she seen her mother when she began to cry.
RULE 24
- Begin with ‘As soon as’ + noun + verb
- Replace: ‘Hardly / Scarcely / No sooner’ with ‘As soon as’
- Remove: than / when
Example
- Hardly did we hear the news when we rushed out.
- As soon as we heard the news, we rushed out.
RULE 25
- Replacing ‘still’ with ‘nevertheless’
Example:
- Tandin was tired still she continued to work.
- Tandin was tired nevertheless she continued to work.
RULE 26
- Interchange of Assertive sentences to Exclamatory sentence.
- *Assertive = Starting out as opinion
Example 1:
- It was stupid of me to forget you. (AS)
- How stupid of me to forget you! (ES)
Example 2:
- What a beautiful day! (ES)
- It is a beautiful day. (AS)
- How beautiful the day is! (ES)
EXERCISE 1
Rewrite each sentence suing the instruction given in brackets.
1. A soon as I arrived in Thimphu, I was to go straight to the hotel. (Begin: on)
· On Arriving in Thimphu, I was to go straight to the hotel.
2. Pema has taken his friend’s book and spoiled it. (Begin: Not only)
· Not only has Pema taken his friend’s book but also spoiled it.
3. After they had rested, the men continued their journey. (Use: having)
· Having rested, the men continued their journey.
4. Dorji was not rich. He was not handsome. (Use: neither…nor)
· Dorji was neither rich not handsome.
5. He is intelligent. He can learn it. (Use: enough to)
· He is intelligent enough to learn it.
6. He is too honest to accept a bribe. (Use: so …that)
· He is so honest that he cannot accept a bribe.
7. He is very old man. He cannot run like you. (Use: such… that)
· He is such an old man that he cannot run like you.
8. He is so sleepy that he could not stay awake. (Use: too…to)
· He is too sleepy to stay awake.
9. As soon as he got the letter, he left for Thimphu. (Begin: No sooner )
· No sooner did he get the letter, than he left for Thimphu.
10. Although it was a cloudy day, the temperature is 40oC. (Use: In spite of)
· In spite of being a cloudy day, the temperature was 40oC.
EXERCISE 2
Instruction: Use any form of the word given in the brackets.
1. Dema seldom earns more than Nu. 15,000/- in a month. (income)
· Dema’s monthly income doesn’t exceed Nu. 15,000/-
2. My uncle appears from time to time on television. (occasionally)
· My uncle appears on television occasionally.
3. Kuenzang knows nothing of the customs of his people. (ignorant)
· Kuenzang is ignorant of the customs of his people.
4. The Indian museum has borrowed a relic for six months. (loan)
· A relic is on loan to the Indian museum for six months.
5. What do you think about the situation in Nepal? (opinion)
· What is your opinion about the situation in Nepal?
6. Rinzin inherited a lot of money after his father’s death. (inheritance)
· Rinzin has got a lot of money as inheritance after his father’s death
7. Deki did not mean to hurt the dog. (intention)
· Deki’s intention was not to hurt the dog.
8. Few good doctors are to be found in our village. (dearth)
· There is no dearth of good doctors in our village
9. During diwali lights are set up all over our home. (illuminated)
· During diwali lights are illuminated all over our house.
10. Fish is sold according to weight. (depends)
· Selling of fish depends on its weight.
· Sale of fish depends on its weight.
EXERCISE 3
Instruction: Use any form of the word given in the brackets.
1. This matter must be investigated very carefully. (require)
· This matter requires a careful investigation.
2. The museum is open to tourists beyond this point. (permit)
· The museum is permitted to tourists beyond this point.
3. Choden has been put in charge of the factory. (management)
· Choden has been put in management of the factory.
4. The two smugglers were arrested by the police. (custody)
· The two smugglers are under custody of the police.
5. I consider Singapore a friendlier city than London. (opinion)
· In my opinion Singapore is a friendlier city that London.
6. Sangay got back his property ten years later. (restored)
· Sangay’s property was restored ten years later.
7. Both Lhamo and Lhendup look like their father. (resemblance)
· Both Lhamo and Lhendup have a resemblance to their father.
8. I wonder if it was possible to stay here. (thought)
· I thought if it was possible to stay here.
9. Karma is not very keen on western food. (care)
· Karma does not care about western food.
10. Jampel was given more than he could manage. (cope)
· Jampel was given more than he could cope.