14 structures · CEFR A1–B1
English sentence structure
Every English sentence needs a subject and a verb, in that order, and English is far stricter about that order than Hindi is. Hindi puts the verb last and can drop the subject entirely; English cannot do either. These are the structures that build the frame — "there is", "it is", the verb "be" as the main verb — and getting them automatic is what stops a sentence collapsing halfway through.
Common how a sentence is built mistakes
Every one of these is a sentence Indian-English speakers genuinely produce — not a textbook example.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
Ram market goes. | Ram goes to the market. Hindi puts the verb last. English puts it second, right after the subject. Who does what → |
He engineer. | He is an engineer. Hindi can drop the linking verb. English cannot — is, am or are must be there. Saying what something is → |
I go every day to office. | I go to the office every day. Place first, then time: to the office (place), every day (time). Where and when go at the end → |
She gave to me the file. | She gave me the file. With the person first there is no "to". Use "to" only when the thing comes first. Two objects → |
They made him as captain. | They made him captain. No "as" after make, call or elect in this pattern. Calling something something → |
She very tired. | She is very tired. Hindi lets you drop the verb here; English never does. am / is / are → |
They was at home. | They were at home. They is plural, so it takes were. was / were → |
He have two brothers. | He has two brothers. With he, she or it, have becomes has. have / has for owning → |
All 14 how a sentence is built structures
Grouped by CEFR band so you can start where you actually are, rather than at the top.
A1 · Starting
9 structures at this level.
- Who does whatA1Put an English sentence in the right order the first time
- Saying what something isA1Describe a person or a thing in one short sentence
- Where and when go at the endA1Add a place and a time without breaking the sentence
- am / is / areA1Say who you are and how things are
- was / wereA1Say how things were, not how they are
- have / has for owningA1Say what you own, and who you have in your family
- do / does / did as the helperA1Turn any sentence into a question or a negative
- There is / There areA1Say that something exists, or that a place has something in it
- Short formsA1Sound normal instead of like a textbook
A2 · Everyday
4 structures at this level.
B1 · Independent
1 structure at this level.
Dimmed tiles are structures whose example bank is still being written. The explanation and the mistake are there; the sentences are not, yet.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
CoCap turns how a sentence is built into practice you can actually do: a Hindi sentence, your English answer, and one correction at a time.
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