Sentence- framing, Key to Good Writing

Sentence- framing, Key to Good Writing

Writing is like drawing water from well; more one draws the water, more it gets clear and clean

By Mukesh Sharma

The sentence-framing should not be confused with sentence-making. Based on translation from mother tongue/first language to English, the sentence- making is taught to students who learn English as a second language, through tenses and modals at school level. Though dependent on basic rules of sentence- making, the sentence framing is a syntactical ability of the writer to couch thoughts into suitable sentences, and draw a pen-portrait for the visualization of the scene and to enable the readers to feel the described situations. The Grammarians call it ‘composition’ or ‘synthesis’.

Be it a student or an ordinary educated person, sentence-framing is the most common problem. One can afford to speak badly but can’t take liberty with the written sentences. If one has confusion about the meaning of a word/ phrase, one can look it up in dictionary. If one has confusion about the correctness of a sentence, no dictionary is available to verify the correctness of the sentence. The most of the student-writers make the serious syntactical errors, and continue to drag it on even without the knowledge of its incorrectness.

Confusion over sentence-framing

The best way to learn sentence-framing is to read at least two English newspapers seriously daily without fail. It gives the idea to describe the same event/ incident in two different ways. To a learner, imitation is the easiest way to learn an ‘art’. Apart from sense, an avid reader must study the sentence-framing used by the scribe / journo in the newspapers for writing Headline, News stories, Editorials, Feature, Articles and Commentative writes -up.   

Before actual sentence-framing is discussed, it is inevitable to know how the mind reacts to the acquisition of a second language. Mother tongue is picked up through repeated hearing, and relating the words / sentences to things and situations that too without the knowledge of grammar. Of course, English can be picked up, if one lives among native speakers. This blogger has met scores of men/ women from Punjab settled in UK/US. They speak English with British/ US accent although they don’t know to write or read. It is easier to pick up a language than to learn as one picks up to sing a song like the singer even without the knowledge of ragas or suras just by repeatedly listening. Hearing and reading are the modes to pick up a language that further helps to read and write.

Moreover, right from first standard to PG level, students read number of text-books prescribed in syllabus. During this academic pursuit, the mind is fed with the great number of sentences, and whenever, a student sits down to write something, mind starts ‘supplying’ the readymade sentences which are already there in the mind. It doesn’t make any new sentence. If an attempt is made to think and make a new sentence, the mind makes it through translation from Hindi to English. So, the need is to feed the mind with the standardized sentences related to different situations of life to write well, as much as possible. 

However, to be a good writer, one must know how to mould sentences according to the need of thoughts, and here comes the sentence-framing. All the writers use THREE TYPES OF SENTENCES to express their thoughts.

1.   Simple sentence: A sentence which has one subject and one predicate with one finite verb.

Simple sentences are short and emphatic. It helps to create a staccato effect. It is used for clarity and emphasis. Besides children story books, it is extensively used in poetic expressions. Here are a few examples:

i.)    He was injured. He couldn’t walk.

ii.)    We are not alone. There is moon. There are trees. There is wind. Over and above, there is God.

iii.)    Making tea in kitchen, she burns her fingers

-    Born and brought up in a village, she was unknown to tea.

-    Learning English is not difficult.

-    (using participles)

-    Hinduism, one of the oldest religions, is observed in India and Nepal.

-    You have to work hard to become somebody in life (Using ‘infinite’)

Fair is foul, and foul is fair - Macbeth, Shakespeare

2.   Compound sentence:  A sentence which is made up of Principal or Main clauses where two independent clauses are connected to each other with a connective (co-coordinating conjunction) such as : for, or , therefore, so, yet, but, and, still, nevertheless, however, only, it is used for brevity and explicability. For example:
  i.)        Parents scold you, for they love you.

ii.)        Hurry up or we will get late.

iii.)       He was lazy; therefore he didn’t get any work.

iv.)       I don’t have cash, so I will withdraw from ATM.

v.)        He is not well off, yet he will never compromise with his principle.

vi.)        He may be honest, but I can’t trust him.

vii.)      He is rich and he can buy out

viii.)     She was annoyed, still she kept quiet

ix.)        He failed, nevertheless he didn’t lose heart.

x.)        The parents give their children the boat; they can’t however meet all the demands.
xi.)    She knows English; only she can’t speak eloquently.

3.   Complex sentence:  A sentence which has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses that usually begins with dependent clause and connected together with a connective (subordinate conjunctions) such as :after, although, as, because, before, even though, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, whereas, while. For example:

- After her first degrees, she decided to get a job.

- Although, she was poor in English, she cracked IAS.

- As netas are corrupt, the people have become indifferent to the issue of corruption.

- Because of financial problems, he couldn’t sustain his business.

- Before you fill up the form, read the instructions.

- Even though he is poor, he can’t be dishonest.

- If he works hard, he can succeed.

- Since he is sick, he can’t attend class.

- Though he is genius, he can’t crack IAS.

- Unless you work hard, you can’t succeed.

- Until he comes, you will have to wait.

- When I reached station, the train had left.

- Whenever you need me, you can turn to me.

- Some netas pretend to be global whereas Modi is a pure nationalist.
- While there is sun, we can make hay.

Furthermore, there are certain standardized phrases extensively used by the writers/ journalist to maintain flow of thoughts from once sentence to other or form one paragraph to another. For example:

-   Over 50 percent people are below poverty line in India. As a matter of fact, the most of the netas are corrupt.

-   For no apparent reasons, she turned down his proposal.

-   Infact there is cut throat competition; it is not easy to start a new business.

-   It passes belief that people like Asaram can commit rape.

-   Parents always scold their children for their mistakes.  Needless to say, they care for their kids.

-   The students study day and night to crack IAS exams. Obviously, the success doesn’t come cheap.

-   As a servant of public, netas live king’s life. On the contrary, public, the master live in abject poverty.

-   The most of the netas roll in money. Surprisingly enough, they have no personal business.

-   The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Undoubtedly, democracy has been replaced with ‘lootocracy’.

Besides sentence-framing, yet another common problem faced by the student- writers is the ‘sequence of tenses’. It is usual pit-fall for the students. Here, the students must follow certain established rules:

1. Past tense in Principle clause must follow Past tense in the Subordinate clause too. For example:

-   The court found out that he was not guilty.

-   All students worked hard so that they might crack SSC.

Exceptions

i)  In case of universal truth, past may be followed by present tense:

-     Gandhi said that non-violence is key to peace.

ii) If subordinate clause is introduces by ’than’, a past tense in principle clause may be followed by any tense as required in subordinate clause.

iii)   She loved him more than she loves her own children.

-      The people liked Indira Gandhi more than they like Rahul Gandhi

2.   Present or Future tense in principle clause may be followed by any tense as required.

-  People think that he did commit the crime

-  People can’t believe that he committed the crime.

Exceptions

- Subordinate  clause denoting’ purpose’ must be in present, if principle clause is present or Future:

People work hard so that they may earn.

Since writers/ scholars maintain that English Grammar is more confusing than comprehensive, it is better to study the sentence-framing, and style of established writers and develop a distinctive diction. Look at the lucid prose/ style/ word play. While addressing the senators on government, David E. Lilienthal says:

   “Any form of government, therefore, and any institutions which make men means rather than ends, which exalt the state or any other institutions above the importance of men, which place arbitrary power over men as a fundamental tenet of government, are contrary to that conception, and therefore, I am deeply opposed to them.” 

After the assassination of Gandhiji, Jawaharlal Nehru addressed the nation with the words:

   “Friends and comrades, the light has gone out of our lives and there is darkness everywhere. . . . The light has gone out, I said, and yet I was wrong. For the light that shone in this country was no ordinary light. The light that has illumined this country for these many years will illumine this country for many more years . . . .”

Mind you, writing is a matter of practice. It is like drawing water from well. More one draws the water more it gets clear and clean. Life is the best school. One continues to learn until the last breath. So live life long as a student in this vast world.