Gr- VIII

Transformation of Sentences.
The Transformation of a sentence means the conversion of the sentence from
one grammatical form to another without changing its meaning. It provides a
variety to our expression and makes the sentence more varied and interesting.
The following are the seven ways by which we can transform sentences:
1. Using the Adverb ‘too’ / Removing ‘too’.
2. Interchanging the Degree of Comparison.
3. Interchanging Affirmative Sentence to Assertive Sentence and b Vice Versa.
4. Interchanging Interrogative Sentence to Assertive (Affirmative) sentence and
vice versa.
5. Interchanging Exclamatory Sentence to Assertive Sentence and vice versa.
6. Interchanging one part of speech to another.
7. Interchanging the voice Active to Passive.
1. The adverb ‘too’.
Sentences containing the adverb ‘too’ use the infinitive of the verb.
Such sentences can be transformed by removing ‘too’ and using the phrase so…
that.
 The thief ran too fast for the police to catch.
The thief ran so fast that the police could not catch him.
 Living in Mumbai is so expensive that everyone cannot afford it.
Living in Mumbai is too expensive for everyone to afford.
Remove the adverb ‘too’.
a. He is too weak to lift that box.
He is so weak that he cannot lift that box.
b. I cant drink this tea. It’s too cold.
The tea is so cold that I cannot drink it.
c. He drove too fast for the police to catch.
He drove so fast that the police could not catch him.
d. He is too ignorant for the post of a postman.
He is so ignorant that he cannot be given the post of a postman.
e. Algebra is too difficult for me to understand.
Algebra is so difficult that I cannot understand it.
2. Interchange of Degrees of Comparison.
 The nightingale is the sweetest of all birds. (Superlative)
 The nightingale is sweeter than any other bird. (Comparative)
 No other bird is as sweet as the nightingale. (Positive)
All the three sentences above have the same meaning, but we have interchanged
degrees.
 The Nightingale is one of the sweetest birds.
Here it means that the nightingale is not the only bird which is the sweetest.
 The Nightingale is sweeter than many other birds.
Since it is one of the sweetest and not the only sweetest bird, we say it is sweeter
than many other ( and not ANY/ALL) other birds.
 Very few birds are as sweet as the Nightingale.
Again, we use very few(and not NO other) because there are some birds who are
as sweet as The Nightingale.
Thus, we see there can be two possibilities:
a. When we say, ‘the best’ and b. When we say one of the best.
Positive Comparative Superlative
No other book is as good This book is better than This is the best book of
as this. any other book. all.
Very few books are as This book is better than This is one of the best
 good as this. many other. books.

 When we say, ‘one of the’ , the noun must be in plural.

One of the birds.
Change the degree of the following sentences –
a. Tom is taller than his sister.
Tom’s sister is not as tall as him.
b. Ankita is as intelligent as her sister.
Ankita’s sister is not more intelligent than her.
c. This razor is not as sharp as that one.
That razor is sharper than this one.
d. I earn as much as she does.
She does not earn more than me.
e. I am as strong as him.
He is not stronger than me.
Change the degree of the following sentences – In case of superlative , all three
degrees are possible.
a. Hercules was the strongest of all men.
No other man was as strong as Hercules. (Positive)
Hercules was stronger than any other man. ( Comparative)
b. The tiger is the most ferocious of all animals.
No other animal is as much ferocious as the tiger. (Positive)
The tiger is more ferocious than any other animal. (Comparative)
c. Asia is the largest continent in the world.
No other continent in the world is as large as Asia. (Positive)
Asia is larger than any other continent in the world. (Comparative)
d. Milk is more nourishing than any other food.
No other food is as much nourishing as milk. (Positive)
Milk is the most nourishing food. (Superlative)
E. Mumbai is one of the biggest cities in India.
Very few cities in India are as big as Mumbai. (Positive)
Mumbai is bigger than many other cities in India. ( Comparative)
3. Interchanging from Affirmative to Negative –
 Affirmative sentence is one that does not contain any negative words.
Negative sentence is one that contains negative words like – not, never,
none, nobody.
 He forgot to do his work. (Affirmative)
He did not remember to do his work. (Negative)
Here we used the opposite of the verb ‘forgot’ and used a negative word
‘not’.
Affirmative Negative
 Only Raman can do this  None but Raman can do this
work. work.
 Can I ever forget you?  I can never forget you.
 She always comes late.  She never comes on time.

Change to Affirmative –
 I was not sure it was you.
I was doubtful if it was you.
 The problem of population cannot be overlooked.
The problem of population is difficult to overlook.
 Raman never misses the class.
Raman always attends the class.

Change to Negative –
 Everybody was present.
Nobody was absent.
 As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away.
No sooner did the thief see the police, he ran away.
 Only God can help us.
No one but God can help us.
4. Interchanging from Interrogative to Assertive and vice – versa:
When the question(interrogative sentence) is affirmative, the answer is negative.
 What is the use of arguing with a fool? (Interrogative Sentence)
It means that arguing with a fool is of no use.
There is no use of arguing with a fool. ( Assertive Sentence)
When the question is negative, the answer is affirmative.
 Isn’t she brilliant? (Negative question)
This means that she is brilliant.
She is brilliant. (Assertive sentence)
Change the following sentences to Interrogative sentence.
 I never asked you to do it.
Did I ask you to do it?
 He was very gentle.
Wasn’t he very gentle?
Change the following sentences to Assertive Sentence.
 Do I ever drink tea?
I never drink tea.
 What is the use of this law?
There is no use of this law.
5. Interchanging from Assertive to Exclamatory and vice – versa.
When we change an Exclamatory Sentence into Assertive, we make use of words
like ‘very’ before an ‘Adjective’ and ‘great’ before a noun.
Exclamatory Assertive
 What a kind person he is!  He is a very kind person.
 How troublesome the kid is !  The kid is very troublesome.
 Oh! That I were young again.  I wish that I were young again.

Change the following Exclamatory sentences to Assertive Sentence –

 What a beautiful flower!
It is a very beautiful flower.
 How fortunate you are!
You are very fortunate.
 Hurrah! We have won the game.
We rejoice that we have won the game.
Change the following Assertive sentences to Exclamatory Sentence.
  He is truly noble.
How truly noble he is!
 The moonlight sweetly sleeps upon the riverbank.
How sweetly the moonlight sleeps upon the riverbank.
 It is a great pity.
What a pity!
6. Interchanging one part of speech to another :
We can transform a sentence by changing one part of speech for another(having
the same meaning).
 Everyone knows about the cruelty of Hitler. (noun)
Everyone knows that Hitler was cruel.(Adjective)
 He spoke loudly. (adverb)
He spoke in a loud voice. (Adjective)
Change the underlined word to noun form –
 He works diligently.
He works with diligence.
 He replied curtly.
He gave a curt reply.
Change the underlined word to adjective form –
 He succeeded in his attempt.
He was successful in his attempt.
 Respect your parents and teachers.
Be respectful towards your parents.
Change the underlined word to adverb form –
 It is apparent that this is a good proposal.
It is apparently a good proposal.
 He died in an instant.
He died instantly.
Change the underlined word to verb form –
 The performance didn’t give me any amusement.
 The performance didn’t amuse me.
 I have no intention to spend my vacation here.
I don’t intend to spend my vacation here.
VII. Interchanging the voice Active to Passive and Vice Versa.