Changing an exclamatory sentence into an assertive sentence

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)

Changing an interrogative sentence into an assertive sentence

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)

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

Study the following examples.

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)

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

This can be done by using so … that.

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.

br
br
pa target=_new href=http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/ rel=nofollowLearn English/a with our free reference guides to a target=_new href=http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/grammar/english-grammar.htm rel=nofollowEnglish Grammar/a and English Speaking./pbr
br