Transformation of Sentences

Transformation-of-Sentences is done in various ways.

The nature of the sentences can be changed without changing the meaning of the sentences.

1. Sentences containing the adverb ‘too’:

Example-1:

• My friend is too rich to by my consort.

You can see How the Transformation-of-Sentences, containing the adverb ‘too’, takes place without changing the meaning of the sentence.

• My friend is so rich that he can not be my consort.

Example-2:

• The news is too good to be true.

You can see How the Transformation-of-Sentences takes place into the following version without changing the meaning of the sentence.

• The news is so good that it can not be true.

Example-3:

• He drove too fast for the police to catch.

This sentence can be changed into the following version with out changing the meaning of the sentence.

• He drove so fast that the police can not catch him.

The Transformation-of-Sentences takes place by removing the adverb ‘too’ and by adding a conjunction ‘so…that’.

In this way, the following sentences have been changed for your attention.

Examples:

• He is too proud to beg.
• He is so proud that he will not beg.

• It is never too late to mend.
• It is not so late that it can not be mended.

• He is too ignorant for the post of a postman.
• He is so ignorant that he is not suitable for the post of a postman.

• This shirt is small for me.
• This shirt is so small that it is not suitable for me.

• He speaks too fast to be understood.
• He speaks so fast that he can not be understood.

2. Interchange of Degrees of Comparison: :

The Transformation-of-Sentences, containing comparatives, can be done as follows with out changing the meaning of the sentences.

Example-1:

• I am as strong as him.

This sentence is in positive degree.
This sentence can be changed into a sentence of comparative one.

• I am not stronger than him

This sentence conveys the same meaning as the above sentence.



Example-2:

• Positive: This razor is not as sharp as that one.
• Comparative: That razor is sharper than this one.

Example-3:

• Positive: Very few cities in India are as rich as Mumbai.
• Comparative: Mumbai is richer that most other cities in India.
• Superlative: Mumbai is one of the richest cities in India.

Example-4:

• Superlative: Upshaw is not the tallest girl in the class.
• Comparative: Upshaw is not taller than many girls in the class.

The Transformation-of-Sentences,according to the nature of the sentences, takes place into either negative or affirmative sentences.


3. Interchange of Active and Passive voice:

A sentence in the Active form can be changed into Passive form.

Example-1:

• Active: Brutus stabbed Caesar.
• Passive: Caesar was stabbed by Brutus.

The proper Auxiliary verb and ‘by’ are used in the Passive form.

Example-2:

• Active: The members will make him the President of this organization.
• Passive: He will be made the President of this organization by its members.

Example-3:

• Active: The audience loudly cheered the Mayor’s speech.
• Passive: The Mayor’s speech was loudly cheered.

Whenever it is evident who the agent (doer of the action) is, it is not necessary to mention him in the passive voice and this omission gives the sentence a beauty.

In the example-3, it is evident that only the audience would have cheered the speaker.
So, it has been avoided and such an omission adds only a touch of beauty to the sentence.

Example-4:

The same way, the proper Pronoun form and the proper verb should be added in the active sentence when the passive sentences is changed into an active sentence.

• Passive: She is known to me.
• Active: I know her.

Example-5:

• Passive: Promises should be kept.
• Active: One should keep one’s promises.

The Active Voice is used to make the agent prominent.
The Passive Voice is used to make ‘the action of the verb’ prominent.
The Passive Voice can be used when the agent is unknown.

Example-6:

• Active: We admire the brave.
• Passive: The brave is admired.

In this sentence, the agent ‘we’ has been omitted to generalize the statement that the brave is admired.
Although, the Active-sentence has used the pronoun ‘we’.

4. Interchange of affirmative and negative sentences:

The affirmative sentence can be changed into a negative sentence by using ‘not’.

Example-1:

• Affirmative: I was doubtful whether it was you.
• Negative: I was not sure that it was you.

Example-2:

• Affirmative: Everybody was present.
• Negative: Nobody is absent.

Example-3:

• Affirmative: All cheered.
• Negative: There was no one present who did not cheer.

In this way the negative sentences can be changed into affirmative sentences as follows.

Example-4:

• Negative: God will not forget the cry of the humble.
• Affirmative: God will heed the cry of the humble.

The ‘not’ in the negative sentences should be removed to convert them into affirmative sentences.

Example-5:

• Negative: No one could deny that she is pretty.
• Affirmative: Every one accepts that she is pretty.

As seen above, the Transformation-of-Sentences can be made in many ways with out changing the meaning of the sentences.

There are few more ways in which the Transformation-of-Sentences can be made.

Transformation-of-Sentences - 2 Intermediary English HOME PAGE

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