Transformation of sentences

Changing an exclamatory sentence into an assertive sentence

The transformation of a sentence means changing its form without altering its sense.
· What a wonderful opportunity! (exclamatory)
· It is a wonderful opportunity. (assertive)
· O that I were young again! (exclamatory)
· I wish I were young again. (assertive)
· How kind of you to help him like that! (exclamatory)
· It is very kind of you to help him like that. (assertive)
· How noble he is! (exclamatory)
· He is truly noble. (assertive)
· What a great pleasure it is! (exclamatory)
· This is indeed a great pleasure. (assertive)

Changing an interrogative sentence into an assertive sentence
· Is not wisdom better than riches? (interrogative)
· Wisdom is better than riches. (assertive)
· Why worry about what people say? (interrogative)
· It is foolish to worry about what people say. (assertive)
· Did I ever ask you to do it? (interrogative)
· I never asked you to do it. (assertive)
· Is there any sense in doing that? (interrogative)
· There is no sense in doing that. (assertive)
· What does it matter whether we win or lose? (interrogative)
· It matters little whether we win or lose. (assertive)

Changing an imperative sentence into an interrogative sentence
· Stop talking. (imperative)
· Will you stop talking? (interrogative)
· Shut the door. (imperative)
· Will you shut the door? (interrogative)
· Please, get me a glass of water. (imperative)
· Will you, please, get me a glass of water? (interrogative)
· Get out of here. (imperative)
· Will you get out of here or not? (interrogative)
The interrogative is a milder or more polite form of the imperative. However, the addition of or not (see the last
example) adds a touch of threat to the command.
Transformation of sentences

Interchange of the degrees of comparison

Study the following examples.
No other man was as strong as Hercules. (positive)
Hercules was stronger than any other man. (comparative)
Hercules was the strongest of all men. (superlative)
Mt Everest is higher than all other peaks. (comparative)
No other peak in the world is as high as Mt Everest. (positive)
Everest is the highest peak in the world. (superlative)
Kashmir is the most beautiful place I have seen. (superlative)
No other place I have seen is as beautiful as Kashmir. (positive)
Kashmir is more beautiful than any other place I have seen. (comparative)
Nothing else travels as fast as light. (positive)
Light travels faster than anything else. (comparative)
Of all things in the world light travels fastest. (superlative)
Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in India. (superlative)
Very few cities in India are bigger than Mumbai. (comparative)
Most cities in India are not as big as Mumbai. (positive)
Transforming sentences beginning ‘no sooner’
This can be done in two ways – using the expressions as soon as and scarcely (hardly) had … when …
No sooner had I reached the station than the train left.
As soon as I reached the station, the train left.
Scarcely (or hardly) had I reached the station when the train left.
No sooner had the thief run out of the jail than the guard fired at him.
As soon as the thief ran out of the jail, the guard fired at him.
Scarcely had the thief run out of the jail when the guard fired at him.
No sooner did I enter the room than the intruder ran away.
As soon as I entered the room, the intruder ran away.
Scarcely had I entered the room when the intruder ran away.
Transforming sentences containing too … to
This can be done by using so … that.
The boy was too clever to be taught.
The boy was so clever that he could not be taught.
John is too poor to continue his studies.
John is so poor that he cannot continue his studies.
We are too late to catch the train.
We are so late that we cannot catch the train.
The old man was too tired to walk.
The old man was so tired that he could not walk.

Transformation of a Compound Sentence into a Simple Sentence
We can convert a compound sentence into a simple sentence by reducing the number of clauses into one.
He got up and walked away. (Compound sentence)
Getting up, he walked away. (Simple Sentence)
Here we reduced the clause ‘He got up’ into the participial phrase ‘getting up’.
More examples are given below.
He gave them not only a house but some land also. (Simple Sentence)
Besides a house, he gave them some land also. (Compound sentence)
Here we reduced the clause ‘he gave them some land also’ into the prepositional phrase ‘besides a house’.
He ran away and thus escaped arrest. (Simple Sentence)
He ran away in order to escape arrest. (Compound Sentence)
Here the clause ‘thus escaped arrest’ is replaced by the infinitive phrase ‘in order to escape arrest’.
Now we have seen that to convert compound sentencesinto simple sentences, clauses have to be
reduced toparticipial, prepositional or infinitive phrases.
Exercise
Convert the following compound sentences into simple sentences.
1. You must take your medicine, otherwise you cannot get well.
2. The storm subsided and we continued our journey.
3. Not only the crops, but cattle and sheep also were destroyed by the flood.
4. He is rich, yet he is not happy.
Answers
1. You must take your medicine in order to get well.
2. The storm having subsided, we continued our journey.
3. Besides the crops, cattle and sheep were also destroyed by the flood.
4. In spite of being rich he is not happy.

Transformation of a Simple Sentence into a Compound Sentences
A Simple Sentence has only one subject and one predicate. A compound sentence must have two or more coordinate
clauses, each with its own subject and predicate. Examples are given below.
· Climbing up the tree, he plucked some mangoes. (Simple Sentence)
· He climbed up the tree and plucked some mangoes. (Compound Sentence)
Here we changed the participial phrase ‘Climbing up the tree’ into the clause ‘He climbed up the tree’ and connected it to
the original clause with the coordinating conjunction and. Thus a simple sentence can be converted into a compound
sentence by expanding a word or a phrase into a clause and by using the coordinating conjunction to connect the clauses.
More examples are given below.
· Driven by rain, he took shelter under a tree. (Simple sentence)
· He was driven by rain and took shelter under a tree. (Compound Sentence)
· Besides being beautiful, she is intelligent. (Simple Sentence)
· She is not only beautiful but also intelligent. (Compound Sentence)
· In spite of his poverty he is happy. (Simple Sentence)
· He is poor but he is happy. (Compound Sentence)
Exercise
Convert the following simple sentences into compound sentences.
1. Being innocent, he never thought of running away.
2. Besides being thrown into jail, he was heavily fined.
3. The old man sat near the fire, smoking.
4. By his pleasant manner, the boy became popular.
Answers
1. He was innocent and never thought of running away.
2. He was not only thrown into jail but also heavily fined.
3. The old man sat near the fire and smoke.
4. The boy had pleasant manner and thus became popular.
Transformation of a Simple Sentence into a Complex Sentences
A simple sentence can be converted into a complex sentence by expanding a word or phrase into a
subordinate clause – which can be a noun clause, an adjective clause or an adverb clause.
Noun clause
He liked my suggestion. (Simple sentence)
He liked what I suggested. (Complex sentence)
His advice did not prove successful. (Simple sentence)
What he advised did not prove successful. (Complex sentence)
Note that it is usually a noun or a noun equivalent that can be changed into a noun clause.
Adjective clause
There I saw a beautiful girl. (Simple sentence)
There I saw a girl who was beautiful. (Complex sentence)
A wounded tiger is very fierce. (Simple sentence)
A tiger that is wounded is very fierce. (Complex sentence)
You can notice that it is adjectives or adjective equivalents or appositional words or phrases that are generally converted
into adjective clauses.
Adverb clauses
She was too poor to educate her children. (Simple sentence)
She was so poor that she could not educate her children. (Compound sentence)
On being challenged they ran away. (Simple sentence)
When they were challenged they ran away. (Complex sentence)
You will have noticed that it is adverb phrases and adverbs that are converted to adverb clauses.
Exercise
Convert the following simple sentences into complex sentences by changing the italicized words or phrases into clauses.
1. John admitted his guilt.
2. The principal is likely to punish him.
3. I have informed him of his success.
4. Alice is a said to be a good doctor.
5. His looks proclaim his innocence.
Answers
1. John admitted that he was guilty.
2. It is likely that the principal will punish him.
3. I have informed him that he has succeeded.
4. It is said that Alice is a good doctor.
5. His looks proclaim that he is innocent.


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