Transformation of Sentences

The transformation of a sentence is all about changing its form without altering its meaning. We

can, for example, transform an exclamatory sentence into an assertive sentence or vice-versa. We

can also transform simple sentences into complex or compound sentences. You can learn the
rules of transformation of sentences here.

Transformation of an exclamatory sentence into an assertive sentence

Exclamations are often constructed with how and what.

Exclamations with how

Mainly two structures are used.

How + adjective /adverb + subject + verb

How clever he is! (Note the word order - the adjective or the adverb goes before the subject and

the verb goes after the subject.)

How intelligent you are!

How nice it is!

How cold it is!

How + subject + verb

How he has changed!
How you've grown!

Exclamations with what

We make exclamations with what when the adjective is followed by a noun. Note that this
structure is used even when there is no adjective. Several structures are possible.

What a/an + adjective + singular countable noun

What a lovely girl!

What a nice surprise!

 What a rude guy!

What a wonderful sight!

What a/an + singular countable noun

What a surprise!

What a tragedy!

What + adjective + plural / uncountable noun

What terrible weather!

What idiots!

Transformation of 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)

Exercise
Change the assertive sentences given below into exclamatory sentences.

1. The moonlight sleeps upon this bank very sweetly.

2. Night is very beautiful.

3. It was a wonderful sight.

 4. Man is a wonderful piece of work.

5. She is an incredibly beautiful woman.

Answers
1. How sweetly the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!

2. How beautiful the night is!

3. What a wonderful sight it was!

4. What a piece of work man is!

5. What a beautiful woman she is! OR How beautiful she is!

Note that in all of these structures the verb goes after the subject.

Transformation of an interrogative sentence into an assertive sentence

Study the examples given below.

 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)

Change the following interrogative sentences into assertive sentences.

1. Is this the kind of dress to wear to work?

 2. Is that the way a gentleman should behave?

3. Who does not know the vulture?

4. Can you gather grapes from thorns?

5. Shall I ever forget that experience?

Answers
1. This is not the kind of dress to wear to work.
2. This is not the way a gentleman should behave.

3. Everybody knows the vulture.

4. You cannot gather grapes from thorns.

5. I shall never forget that experience.

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.

Interchange of the degrees of comparison

We can change the degrees of comparison of an adjective or adverb without changing the

meaning of the sentence.

Study the example given below.

I am as tall as he is.

This sentence uses the positive adjective tall. We can express the same idea using the

comparative adjective taller. Study the sentence given below:

He is not taller than I (am).

OR

He is not taller than me.

Note that when we compare two people or things, we do not normally use the superlative
adjective.

More examples are given below.

Apples are not as sweet as mangoes. (This sentence uses the positive adjective sweet.)

Mangoes are sweeter than apples. (This sentence uses the comparative adjective sweeter.)

J K Rowling is the most successful writer of our times. (Superlative)

J K Rowling is more successful than any other writer of our times. (Note the use of the

expression any other in this case.)

No other writer of our times is as successful as J K Rowling. (Note the use of the expression no

other in this case.)

Now study the sentence given below.

J K Rowling is one of the most successful writers of our times. (= J K Rowling is not the most

successful writer. She is one of them. There are a few others too.)

In this case, we can't use no other or any other when we change the degrees of comparison.

Instead, we use the expressions few other and most other.

Few other writers of our times are as successful as J K Rowling.
J K Rowling is more successful than most other writers of our times.

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)

Interchange of the degrees of comparison exercise

Change the degrees of comparison without changing the meaning of the sentence.

1. Iron is more useful than any other metal.

2. Platinum is the most precious metal.

3. The giraffe is taller than any other animal.

4. This box is not as heavy as that box.

5. Maria is prettier than Alice.

6. Shyam is the most intelligent boy in the class.

7. Tokyo is the most populous city in the world.

8. Mr. Yadav is the oldest member of the club.

9. Few playwrights write as interestingly as Bernard Shaw.

10. Mumbai is one of the richest cities in India.

Answers
1. Iron is the most useful metal. (Superlative) / No other metal is as useful as iron. (Positive)

2. Platinum is more precious than any other metal. (Comparative) / No other metal is as

precious as platinum. (Positive)

3. The giraffe is the tallest animal. (Superlative) / No other animal is as tall as giraffe. (Positive)

4. That box is heavier than this box. (Comparative)

5. Alice is not as pretty as Maria. (Positive)

6. Shyam is more intelligent than any other boy in the class. (Comparative) / No other boy in

the class is as intelligent as Shyam. (Positive)

7. Tokyo is more populous than any other city in the world. (Comparative) / No other city

is as populous as Tokyo. (Positive)

8. Mr. Yadav is older than any other member of the club. (Comparative) / No other member of

the club is as old as Mr. Yadav. (Positive)

9. Bernard Shaw writes more interestingly than most other playwrights. (Comparative - We

use the expression most other in this sentence because the word few was used in the comparison

with the positive adjective.)

10. Few cities in India are as rich as Mumbai. (Positive) / Mumbai is richer than most other

cities in India.

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

The form of a sentence can be changed without changing its meaning. We have already learned
that a phrase can be expanded into a clause and a clause can be contracted into a phrase.

In this lesson we will learn the techniques used to transform sentences containing the adverb too.
Study the example given below.

The news is too good to be true.

We can express the same idea using so...that.

The news is so good that it cannot be true. (Note the negative verb in the that-clause.)
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.
Exercise
Rewrite the following sentences using so...that.
1. He is too proud to beg.

2. This book is too difficult to understand.

3. You speak too fast for me to follow.

4. He is too old to work.

5. There was too much noise for me to enjoy the film.

6. I am too tired to walk.

7. She is too young to have grandchildren.

8. The box was too heavy for the boy to carry.

9. The apples are too cheap to be good.

10. She is too clever not to see through your tricks.

Answers
1. He is so proud that he will not beg.
2. This book is so difficult that it cannot be understood.

3. You speak so fast that I cannot follow you.

4. He is so old that he cannot work.

5. There was so much noise that I could not enjoy the film.

6. I am so tired that I cannot walk.

7. She is so young that she cannot have grandchildren.

8. The box was so heavy that the boy could not carry it.

9. The apples are so cheap that they cannot be good.

10. She is so clever that she will see through your tricks.
 Transformation of a Simple Sentence into a Compound Sentence

A Simple Sentence has only one subject and one predicate. A compound sentence must have two

or more co-ordinate 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 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 sentences into simple sentences, clauses have to

be reduced to participial, 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 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.

Transformation of a Complex Sentence into a Simple Sentence

A complex sentence can be converted to a simple sentence by changing noun clauses, adjective
clauses and adverb clauses to a word or phrase.
Noun clauses
He admitted that he was guilty. (Complex sentence)

He admitted his guilt. (Simple sentence)

Tell me when the meeting will be held. (Complex sentence)

Tell me the time of the meeting. (Simple Sentence)

Adjective clauses
I have no money that I can lend you. (Complex sentence)

I have no money to lend you. (Simple sentence)

People who live in glass houses should not throw stones. (Complex sentence)

People living in glass houses should not throw stones. (Simple sentence)

This is the place where the meeting will be held. (Complex sentence)

This is the venue of the meeting. (Simple Sentence)

Adverb clauses
When he saw the police he ran away. (Complex sentence)

On seeing the police he ran away. (Simple sentence)

I was surprised when I saw his obstinacy. (Complex sentence)

I was surprised to see his obstinacy. (Simple sentence)