ABSTRACT
To write effectively in English, as in any language, requires an understanding of its structure. The basic structure of written English is the sentence. The sentence crosses all differences of genre and is found in all registers, from the most formal to the least. So what are sentences, and how are they made? The sentence is a fundamental invention of the mind. One of its uses is to show a completed action in the past, an ongoing action in the present, or a predicted action in the future. It says: something happened (‘The pound fell yesterday to an all-time low’), is happening (‘We are being invaded by scorpions’), or will happen (‘Petra will fight them every inch of the way’). It can also say something must happen (‘Australia must win the Ashes’), or is desired to happen (‘Charlotte is longing for it all to end’). In another of its uses it describes a state, again in the past, present or future, as in these three sentences:
1 The centre of the town resembled a building site. 2 The situation remains difficult. 3 Tomorrow will be rainy.
