In this chapter
Welcome to your first chapter. Before we learn be, have got or the present simple, we need to see how an English sentence is built. The good news: almost every English sentence follows the same simple plan.
In this chapter you will meet the jobs that words do in a sentence — the subject, the verb, the object and the complement — and you will learn where each one goes. These labels appear under the examples in every chapter of this book, so it is worth learning them well now.
Learning objectives
By the end of this chapter
- I can find the subject and the verb in a simple sentence.
- I can put words in the order subject + verb + object.
- I can add a place and a time to the end of a sentence.
- I can use capital letters, full stops and question marks correctly.
Every sentence needs a subject and a verb
A sentence tells us two things: who or what we are talking about — the subject — and what happens — the verb. In English you almost always need both.
The pattern
Subject + verb
The subject usually comes first. The verb comes straight after it.
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I ( subject ) work. ( verb )
The shortest English sentence: one subject, one verb.
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Birds ( subject ) fly. ( verb )
The subject can be a thing or an animal.
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Tom ( subject ) sleeps. ( verb )
The subject can be a name.
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My mother ( subject ) cooks. ( verb )
The subject can be more than one word: my mother.
Quick checkWhich sentence is correct?
Subject, verb, object
Many verbs need a third part: the object. The object is the person or thing that receives the action. It comes after the verb.
The pattern
Subject + verb + object
This order is fixed in English. Do not put the object before the verb.
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I ( subject ) like ( verb ) coffee. ( object )
What do I like? Coffee — that is the object.
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She ( subject ) speaks ( verb ) English. ( object )
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We ( subject ) play ( verb ) football. ( object )
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Tom ( subject ) reads ( verb ) the newspaper. ( object )
The object can be more than one word: the newspaper.
| Subject | Verb | Object |
|---|---|---|
| I | like | coffee. |
| My brother | plays | the guitar. |
| They | watch | films. |
| Anna | speaks | three languages. |
Quick checkPut the words in order.
Complements, places and times
The verb be ( am , is , are ) does not have an object. After be we use a complement: words that tell us more about the subject — a job, a feeling or a description.
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She ( subject ) is ( verb ) a doctor. ( complement )
A job: a doctor tells us about she.
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The room ( subject ) is ( verb ) small. ( complement )
A description: small tells us about the room.
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I ( subject ) am ( verb ) hungry. ( complement )
A feeling.
We often add where and when at the end of a sentence. The usual order is: the place first, then the time.
The pattern
Subject + verb + (object) + place + time
The object is in brackets because not every verb has one.
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I ( subject ) study ( verb ) English ( object ) at school ( place ) every day. ( time )
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We ( subject ) play ( verb ) football ( object ) in the park ( place ) on Sundays. ( time )
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My father ( subject ) works ( verb ) in a bank. ( place )
No object here — just a place after the verb.
Quick checkChoose the correct sentence.
Capital letters and full stops
Written English has a few simple rules. Every sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!).
| Always use a capital letter for… | Examples |
|---|---|
| the first word of a sentence | My name is Ana. |
| the word I | Tom and I are friends. |
| names of people and places | Maria, London, Brazil |
| days and months | Monday, June |
| nationalities and languages | Spanish, English |
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My name is Ana.
A capital M at the start, a full stop at the end.
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I live in Brazil.
I and Brazil always have capital letters.
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Do you speak English?
A question ends with a question mark.
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Happy birthday!
An exclamation mark shows a strong feeling.
Quick checkWhich sentence is written correctly?
Errors to avoid
These are the mistakes learners make most often with this grammar. Read the wrong sentence, then the right one, and notice the change.
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Incorrect: Is very cold today.
Correct: It is very cold today.
English needs a subject. Use it for the weather.
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Incorrect: I coffee like.
Correct: I like coffee.
The verb comes before the object.
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Incorrect: She speaks very well English.
Correct: She speaks English very well.
Do not put words between the verb and its object.
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Incorrect: My sister she is a nurse.
Correct: My sister is a nurse.
Use one subject, not two: my sister or she.
Hear it in use
Listen to the whole conversation first. Then play one line at a time and say it after the speaker. The words in colour are this chapter’s grammar.
Conversation
The first lesson
Carlos arrives at an English school in London and meets his teacher.
- Ms Hill
Good morning. I am your teacher. My name is Ms Hill.
- Carlos
Good morning. I am Carlos. I come from Spain.
Subject + verb + place: I come from Spain.
- Ms Hill
Welcome, Carlos. Do you speak English at home?
- Carlos
No. I speak Spanish at home.
Subject + verb + object + place.
- Ms Hill
And what is your job?
- Carlos
I am a cook. I work in a small restaurant.
After am, a complement: a cook.
- Ms Hill
Do you like London?
- Carlos
Yes, I like London very much. It is big and beautiful.
Very much goes at the end, after the object London.
- Ms Hill
Good. We start the lesson at nine o'clock.
- Carlos
OK. I have my book and a pen.
What to remember
- 1 Every English sentence needs a subject and a verb: I work. She sings.
- 2 The usual order is subject + verb + object: I like coffee.
- 3 After be comes a complement that describes the subject: She is a doctor.
- 4 Put the place before the time at the end: I study at home in the evening.
- 5 Start with a capital letter and end with a full stop or question mark. I is always a capital.
| Subject | Verb | Object / complement | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | play | football | in the park | on Sundays. |
| She | is | a teacher | at a school | — |
| We | have | lunch | at home | at one o'clock. |
Test yourself
Knowledge check
23 questions on The English Sentence
One question at a time, with an explanation after every answer. Score 19 or more (80%) and the chapter is marked complete.