4.4 Transformation of Sentences

 

TRANSFORMATION OF SENTENCES

            Transformation of sentences means changing or converting the word or form of a sentence without changing its meaning.

Different ways of Transformation :

1. Changing of words : (a) Interchange of the adverb 'too' with 'so ... that': e.g. Shyam is too smart to be easily cheated. Shyam is so smart that he cannot be easily cheated. (b) Interchange of as soon as' with ‘no sooner ..... than': e.g. As soon as he opened the door, he started crying. No sooner did he open the door, than he started crying. (c) Interchange of the degree of comparison : e.g. No other city in India is as rich as Mumbai. (Positive) Mumbai is richer than any other city in India. (Comparative) Mumbai is the richest city in India. (Superlative) (d) Interchange of Parts of Speech : e.g. (1) Akbar showed generosity even to his enemies. (Noun) Akbar was generous even to his enemies. (Adjective) e.g. (2) He read the agreement carefully. (Adverb) He read the agreement with care. (Noun) e.g. (3) This book costs 300. (Verb) The cost of this book is 300. (Noun) 2. Changing the form of the sentence : (a) Affirmative and Negative sentences : e.g. (1) The knife was blunt. (Affirmative) The knife was not sharp. (Negative) (2) The king was not always wise. (Negative) The king was sometimes foolish. (Affirmative) (b) Exclamatory and Assertive sentences : e.g. (1) How beautiful this painting is! (Exclamatory) This painting is very beautiful. (Assertive) (2) Man is a fine piece of work. (Assertive) What a fine piece of work man is! (Exclamatory) (c) Interrogative and Assertive sentences : e.g. (1) Who would not like to be a millionaire? (Interrogative) Everyone would like to be a millionaire. (Assertive) (2) The man was a monster to commit that crime. (Assertive) Wasn't the man a monster to commit that crime? (Interrogative) 3. Adding Question Tags :     Question tags are short questions at the end of statements. We use them when we  want to clarify or confirm that something is true or not, or simply to involve the listener in a more interactive way. To make a question tag use the auxiliary first If there is no auxiliary, use do, does or did.A positive statement is followed by a negative question tag. e.g. (1) Neha is selfish, isn't she ? (2) Your wife can speak English, can't she? (3) There is a lake near the building, isn't there?  A Negative statement is followed by a positive question tag. 1. The balloon hasn't come down, has it? (2) They didn't eat the pudding, did they? The word 'Let's' has the tag 'shall. Let's go, shall we?

Sample Questions

 1. Choose the correct sentence without the adverb 'too'.

This bag is too heavy for me to carry.

(1) This bag is heavy for me.

(2) This bag is so heavy that I can carry it.

(3) This bag is so heavy that I cannot carry it.

(4) This bag is heavy but I can carry it. 0.

2. Choose the correct sentence using ‘no sooner ... than' :

As soon as the sun sets, the stars begin to shine.

(1) No sooner does the sun set, than the stars begin to shine.

(2) No sooner had the sun set, than the stars shone.

(3) No sooner does the sun set, than the stars shone.

(4) No sooner is the sun setting, than the stars are shining.

 3. Choose the sentence with the correct changed the degree of comparison :

Wordsworth was one of the greatest English poets.

(1) Wordsworth was greater than all the other English poets.

(2) Wordsworth was not as great as other English poets.

(3) Wordsworth was greater than most other English poets.

(4) All other English poets were greater than Wordsworth.

4. Choose the correct sentence, interchanging the underlined parts of speech in the following:

He believes that he is innocent. (Change from adjective to noun.)

(1) He is innocent and he believes it.

(2) He believes in his innocence.

(3) His belief is that he is innocent.

(4) He believes his innocence.

Examination : The noun form of 'innocent' is 'innocence'. Option (4) is amatically wrong. Hence option (2) is the answer.

 5.Choose the correct sentence, changing the form as instructed : All roses have thorns. (Make it negative.)

(1) Every rose has thorns.

(2) No rose has thorns.

(3) There is no rose without a thorn.

(4) Roses do not have thorns.