Unit 11.2
Order and Concordance of the components in the Simple Sentence
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Introduction
The simple sentence [oración simple] is a type of sentence with only a predicate made up of a verb and other words.
Generally, the words have an order [orden] in the sentence [oración], and there is agreement [concordancia] between them.
Form
Simple sentences are composed of a subject (noun or pronoun) and predicate (verb and other objects/complements).
The order of these components in the simple sentence is neuter (or canonical). It is usually expressed by the abbreviation SVO:
Subject + Verb + Object.
In simple sentences, there is an agreement between components:
- subject-verb agreement: the subject agrees with the verb in person and number;
- subject-attribute agreement: the subject agrees with the attribute in person and number (except if the attribute is an adverb).
NOTE: The usual order of the sentence starts with the subject, but when you want to emphasise another word, you can put it at the beginning. The subject and the verb always agree.
Example
- Yo monto una fiesta;
- Tú visitas la biblioteca;
- Pili estudia una asignatura;
- Sonia está cansada;
- Vosotros sois habladores;
- Carlos y David cantan bien.
Use
The order and concordance of words in the simple sentence serves to present its content pragmatically and logically.
Summary
In Spanish, there is a usual word order for sentence construction. Often the subject is not written or said because it is understandable by the conjugated verb:
(Subject +) Verb + predicate + …
For example:
— «Ana hace la comida.» = Usually, the sentence starts with the subject;
— «Estoy preparando la comida.» = The subject is not written because it is understandable by the conjugated verb.
NOTE: The usual order of the sentence starts with the subject, but when we want to emphasise another word, we can put it at the beginning. It is important to remember that the subject and the verb always agree.
Check the contents of the {Form} section. Then move on to the {Example} section, which shows you the usage in context.
Related
A simple sentence is a type of sentence with only one predicate, unlike compound sentences (noun, adjective and adverbial). They are made up of a verb and other words which agree with each other and follow an order. Simple sentences can be classified according to the attitude of the speaker and the nature of the predicate.
- At the A2 level, you can learn more about Types of Simple Sentences: Attitude of the Speaker.
- At the B1 level, you can find content on Types of Simple Sentences.
Exercises
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