- English Writing Courses : How to Write English Simple Sentences

English Writing Courses: writing English simple sentences.

The topic in this series of English Writing Courses is writing English simple sentences. In English language, a sentence must have at least a subject an a verb. This is a particular character of English sentences. That is why in the English nominal sentence (the sentence which does not have a verb) the characteristic must be applied. English has the so called Auxiliary Verb (the helping verb, ). The auxiliary verb be (am, is, are, was, were) is used to fulfill the requirement that English sentences must have at least subject and verb. The other languages do not always have such a characteristic. Indonesian language, for example, does not have auxiliary verb. Compare the following English simple sentence and Indonesian simple sentence.

1. My father is a teacher.
--Ayahku seorang guru.

2. John is happy.
-- John bahagia.

3. My friends are in my house.
--> Temanku di rumahku.

Referreing to the examples above, Indonesian learners learning English often make the wrong English sentences as follows:

1. *My father a teacher.

2. *John happy.

3. *My friends in my house.


The wrong English sentences made by Indonesian learners above are influenced by the stcructure of indonesian language which does not need auxiliary be. The wrong sentences above are paralel to the following Indonesian sentences :

1. Ayahku seorang guru.
1. *My father a teacher.

2. John bahagia.
2. *John happy.

3. Temanku di rumahku.
3. *My friends in my house.