Sentence structure
1. Joining Sentences with Either/Or and Neither/Nor
Rules:
Either...or: Joins two possibilities (one may happen).
o Example:
You can either eat now or later.
Either Sam or Lisa will host the party.
Neither...nor: Joins two negative ideas (both don’t happen).
o Example:
She neither called nor texted.
Neither the cat nor the dog is hungry.
Common Mistakes:
Wrong: You either can stay or leave.
Right: You can either stay or leave.
Exercise:
Fill in the blanks with either...or or neither...nor:
1. We can ___ go hiking ___ swim.
2. ___ the teacher ___ the students knew the answer.
3. She ___ eats meat ___ drinks milk.
*(Answers: 1. either/or, 2. Neither/nor, 3. neither/nor)*
2. Sentence Adverbs (Linking Ideas)
Rules:
Moreover/Besides: Add extra information.
o Example:
He’s smart. Moreover, he’s kind.
The food is cheap. Besides, it’s delicious.
As a result: Shows cause and effect.
o Example:
She trained hard. As a result, she won.
Punctuation Tip:
Always use a comma after these adverbs.
Wrong: Moreover he is funny.
Right: Moreover, he is funny.
Exercise:
Choose the correct adverb:
1. It’s raining. ___, we’ll stay indoors. (Besides/As a result)
2. The car broke down. ___, we were late. (Moreover/As a result)
(Answers: 1. Besides, 2. As a result)
3. Sequence Adverbs (Ordering Actions)
Rules:
First/Firstly, Next/Then, Finally/Lastly: Show steps in order.
o Example:
First, boil water. Next, add tea. Finally, serve.
Avoid confusion:
o At first = beginning only (e.g., At first, I was scared).
o At last = after a long time (e.g., At last, summer arrived!).
Exercise:
Arrange the steps:
1. ___ mix the batter. ___ bake for 30 minutes. ___ preheat the oven.
(Answer: First/Firstly, preheat... Next/Then, mix... Finally/Lastly, bake...)
4. Inversion (Changing Word Order for Emphasis)
Rules:
Use rarely/seldom/never at the start for emphasis (verb before subject).
o Example:
Normal: I never eat junk food.
Inverted: Never do I eat junk food.
Exercise:
Identify the inverted sentences (✓):
1. Seldom does he arrive early.
2. She hardly ever complains.
(Answer: 1. ✓)
Rule 1: Adverbs at the Beginning of Sentences
What to know:
Some adverbs (like sometimes, usually, occasionally, generally) can move to the
beginning of a sentence without changing the rest of the word order.
Examples:
1. Normal: I sometimes forget my keys.
→ Sometimes I forget my keys. (✓ Correct)
→ Sometimes forget I my keys. (✗ Wrong – word order changed)
2. Normal: She usually arrives early.
→ Usually she arrives early. (✓ Correct)
→ Usually arrives she early. (✗ Wrong)
Exercise:
Rewrite these sentences by moving the adverb to the beginning without changing
the word order.
1. I occasionally eat dessert after dinner.
→ Occasionally ___ ___ ___ ___.
2. They generally take the bus to work.
→ Generally ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
(Answers: 1. Occasionally I eat dessert after dinner. 2. Generally they take the bus to
work.)
Rule 2: Inversion for Emphasis (Advanced/Literary Use)
What to know:
Changing normal word order (e.g., "Sweet are the apples" instead of "The apples are
sweet") is rare in everyday speech and mostly used in:
Poetry/literature (e.g., Shakespeare).
Formal writing.
Examples:
1. Normal: The flowers are beautiful.
→ Literary: Beautiful are the flowers. (✓ Poetic)
→ Everyday: The flowers are beautiful. (✓ Normal)
2. Normal: His words were kind.
→ Literary: Kind were his words. (✓ Dramatic)
→ Everyday: His words were kind. (✓ Normal)
Exercise:
Which sentence is not suitable for everyday conversation?
A) Happy is the man who loves his job.
B) The man who loves his job is happy.
(Answer: A – poetic inversion)
1. Adverbs like "sometimes": Can start sentences, but keep the rest of the sentence in
normal order.
2. Inverted word order: Save for creative writing or emphasis—avoid in casual chats!
Exercise 1: Adverb Placement
Rewrite these sentences by moving the adverb to the
beginning without changing the word order.
1. She usually drinks coffee in the morning.
→ Usually, ___ ___ ___ ___.
2. They occasionally visit their grandparents.
→ Occasionally, ___ ___ ___ ___.
3. I generally check my emails before work.
→ Generally, ___ ___ ___ ___.
Answers:
1. Usually, she drinks coffee in the morning.
2. Occasionally, they visit their grandparents.
3. Generally, I check my emails before work.
Exercise 2: Fix the Mistake
One sentence in each pair is incorrect. Identify and correct it.
1.
✓ Sometimes I go for a walk.
✗ Sometimes go I for a walk.
→ Correction: Sometimes I go for a walk.
2.
o ✓ Generally, he arrives on time.
o ✗ Generally arrives he on time.
→ Correction: Generally, he arrives on time.
3.
o ✓ Rarely we see such talent.
o ✗ Rarely see we such talent.
→ Correction: Rarely do we see such talent. (Inversion required with "rarely")
Exercise 3: Inversion (Advanced)
Rewrite these sentences using inversion for emphasis (like in literature).
1. The sunset was breathtaking.
→ Breathtaking ___ ___ ___.
2. His apology seemed sincere.
→ Sincere ___ ___ ___.
Answers:
1. Breathtaking was the sunset.
2. Sincere seemed his apology.
Exercise 4: Sentence Structures
Combine the sentences using either...or or neither...nor.
1. You can choose tea. You can choose coffee.
→ You can ___ choose tea ___ coffee.
2. She doesn’t like apples. She doesn’t like oranges.
→ She likes ___ apples ___ oranges.
Answers:
1. You can either choose tea or coffee.
2. She likes neither apples nor oranges.
Exercise 5: Sequence Adverbs
Fill in the blanks with first, next, then, finally.
1. ___, boil the water. ___, add the pasta. ___, stir occasionally. ___, drain and serve.
Answer:
1. First, boil the water. Next, add the pasta. Then, stir occasionally. Finally, drain and
serve.
Write a short paragraph (3–4 sentences) about your daily routine using:
One adverb at the beginning (Sometimes, Usually).
One inverted sentence for emphasis (Rarely do I...).
Example:
Usually, I wake up at 7 AM. Rarely do I skip breakfast. First, I drink water. Then, I
check my phone.
