Page:Manual of English Grammar and Composition.djvu/13



This chapter assumes that the student has a rough knowledge of the Parts of Speech to start with.

1. Sentence. — When one person says something to another, or puts what he says into writing, he uses a combination of words which is called a sentence: —

Here "fire" is the thing talked about. The word "fire," though it names the thing, does not make a sentence. It is a name, and nothing more. It is only by adding such a word as "burns" to the word "fire," that is, by saying what the thing (fire) does, that we can make a sentence.

Definition. — A sentence is a combination of words, in which something is said about something else.

Note. — That which is "said" may be an assertion, or a command, or a question, or a wish, or an exclamation, — whatever, in fact, can be expressed by a Finite verb (on the meaning of Finite verb see § 5). Thus there are five different kinds of sentences: —


 * (a) Assertive, affirming or denying. (Indicative Mood.)

A man's success depends chiefly on himself (Affirmative.) He did not get much help from others. (Negative.)


 * (b) Imperative, commanding or prohibiting. (Imperative Mood.)

Rely chiefly on your own efforts. (Command, Advice.) Do not rely much on the help of others. (Prohibition.)


 * (c) Interrogative, asking a question. (Indicative Mood.)

Have you finished that task?


 * (d) Optative, expressing a wish. (Subjunctive Mood.)

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.


 * (e) Exclamatory, expressing some emotion. (Indicative Mood.)

What a foolish fellow you have been!

2. Subject and Predicate. — Every sentence, when it is expressed in full, consists of two parts, a Subject and a Predicate.