VSTEP.

2 WRITING
TASK TYPE 1: BUILDING SENTENCES
In the first task of your VSTEP.2 Writing Test, you will be asked to make sentences using the given
words.
Here is an example of VSTEP.2 Writing Task 1:

Use the following words to make complete sentences. You can make necessary changes
to the words, but DO NOT change their order.

1 At the moment/ we/ prepare/ birthday party/ for/ our/ friend/ son.

2 If/ you/ go/ fishing/ the early morning/ you/ catch/ a lot/ fish.

3 Those/ pizza/ I/ eat/ yesterday/ be/ really/ good.

4 My job/ is/ interest/ but/ sometimes/ I/ have/ work/ weekend.

5 They/ take/ longest holiday/ their life/ next/ week.

In order to do well in this task, there are a number of points that you should remember:
1. Know the main components of a sentence
1.1. The core components
1.1.1. The subject (S)
The subject tells what or who the sentence is about.
- In its simplest form, the subject of a sentence is a noun or pronoun (and its article, if it has one).
For example:
The boy crossed the street.
She works in the city.
Mark is a good athlete.
- The subject can be a phrase:
For example:
An enormous tree stands on the riverbank.
The boy with brown hair is laughing.
Sleeping late in night is not a good habit.
1.1.2. The predicate
The predicate explains the action of the sentence.
The predicate always includes the verb (V) and the words which come after the verb.
For example:
Michael Schumaker drove the race car.
The house is green.

1
 She seems angry.
1.2. Other components
1.2.1. Objects (O)
Some verbs have an object (always a noun or pronoun). The object is the person or thing affected by
the action described in the verb.
Objects come in two types, direct and indirect.
The direct object refers to a person or thing affected by the action of the verb.
For example:
He opened the door.
The indirect object refers to a person or thing who receives the direct object.
For example: I gave him the book.
No Object
Some sentences do not need an object and consist of only a subject and a verb predicate.
For example: Mary smiled.
1.2.2. Complements (C)
A complement gives more information about the subject (a subject complement) or the object (an
object complement) of the sentence.
Subject complements normally follow certain verbs, such as: be, become, seem, look, feel, smell,
sound, taste, etc.
For example:
He is Spanish.
She became an engineer.
That man looks like John.
Object complements follow the direct object of the verb.
For example:
They painted the house red.
She called him an idiot!
I saw her standing there.
1.2.3. Adverbials (A)
An 'adverbial' is a word or expression in the sentence that does the same job as an adverb; that is, it
tells you something about how the action in the verb was done.
For example:
I sometimes have trouble with adverbs.
He spoke very quietly.

2
 I've read that book three times.
She's gone to the bank.
The first tells us the frequency of the action (sometimes), the second how he carried out the action
(quietly), and the third how many times the action has happened (three).
The fourth is a little different, as in this case the adverbial (to the bank) is more or less demanded by
the verb (has gone).
>>> To remember the form of such verbs use your notebooks to write down the different forms.
For example:
to go [somewhere]
to put [something][somewhere]
1.2.4. Modifiers (M)
A modifier is a phrase in a sentence that provides additional information about an element within that
sentence. There are three basic kinds of modifying constructions:
Single-word modifiers (adjectives and adverbs): It was a nice house.
Modifying phrases (e.g., prepositional, participial, infinitive, and appositive phrases): Barry
Goldwater, the junior senator from Arizona, received the Republican nomination in 1964.
(appositive phrase)
Modifying clauses (a clause is any group of words with its own subject and predicate): The only
one of the seven dwarfs who does not have a beard is Dopey. (adjective clause)
2. Know the common sentence types in English

There are four types of sentence:

1. Simple
2. Compound
3. Complex
4. Compound-Complex

2.1. Simple Sentences

A simple sentence is one clause with a subject and verb.

For example: Computers are important in the modern world.

Formula: SV

However, it can have more than one subject and verb:

3
 2 subjects: Computers and other technological devices are important in the modern world.

Formula: SSV

2 Verbs: I search for information and play games on my computer.

Formula: SVV

2 subject and 2 verbs: My brother and I search for information and play games on our

computers.

Formula: SSVV

2.2. Compound Sentences

A compound sentence consists of 2 or 3 clauses. It is when simple sentences are joined together.

In this sentence structure, the clauses are joined with the following coordinating conjunctions:

F = for

A = and

N = nor

B = but

O = or

Y = yet

S = so

The word 'fanboys' is an easy way to remember the different conjuntions that make up compound

sentences. Obviously the most common are 'and', 'but', 'or' and 'so'.

Here are some examples of compound sentence structure:

4
 Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too.

Formula: SV but SV

Computers are important, but they can be dangerous too, so we must be careful.

Formula: SV but SV so SV.

Avoid writing too many clauses as the sentence may get difficult to follow, and you cannot use each

one more than once in a sentence to join clauses.

This is wrong:

Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress, and we must

ensure everyones has access to them.

Incorrect formula: SV and SV and SV.

Two possible corrected versions:

Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress. We must

ensure everyones has access to them.

Formula: SV and SV. SV.

Computers are used widely in most countries now, and they are a sign of progress, so must

ensure everyones has access to them.

Formula: SV and SV so SV.

2.3. Complex Sentences

Complex sentences are two (or more) clauses joined together, but they are not joined by 'fanboys'

(coordinating conjuntions). They are joined by subordinating conjunctions.

These are subordinating conjunctions:

5
after as though in case until

although because once when

as before since whenever

as if even if so that whereas

as long as even though that where

as much as if though wherever

as soon as in order to unless while

For example:

People take natural health supplements even though they may not have been tested.

Our children may not be properly educated if we don't spend more on schools.

I went to bed as soon as he left because I was tired.

These are all adverbial clauses. In these types of complex sentence, the second clause can be used

to start the sentence.

In this case, a comma is needed in the middle.

Even though they may not have been tested, people take natural health supplements.

If we don't spend more on schools, our children may not be properly educated.

As soon as he left, I went to bed because I was tired.

Noun clauses and relative clauses are also a type of complex sentence structure, but these will be

looked at later.

6
2.4. Compound-Complex Sentences

Compound-complex sentences are the same as complex sentences but they also have a simple (or

compound) sentence before or after the 'complex' part.

For example: I ate a lot when I got home, but I was still hungry.

The part that is underlined is the complex sentence. As you can see, it also has a simple sentences

connected to it. It can also have a full compound sentence attached to it:

For example: I ate a lot when I got home, but I was still hungry, so I went shopping to buy some more

food.

These are compound-complex sentences.

3. Work on your grammar

Followed are the common grammar points in A2 level. You need to revise them regularly.
Verb tenses:
Present tenses: present simple, present continuous, present perfect
Past tenses: past simple, past continuous
Future time: will and be going to
Articles (a/ an/ the/ zero)
Comparatives and superlatives
Modal verbs (can/ could/ have to/ should)
Conditionals (type 0 and 1)
Others: prepositions and prepositional phrases, common phrasal verbs, possessives (s, s),
etc.
PRACTICE

Exercise 1

Identify the components of the following sentences.

Eg: The baby sleeps soundly at night.

S V A A

1. Angela doesnt visit us very often.

7
 2. Carlos works in a travel agents.

3. Shes had her motorbike for over six years.

4. Ive booked the coach tickets.

5. My dad often gets up late on Saturday mornings.

6. Simon has never eaten Chinese food before.

7. I havent finished the book yet so I cant tell you what happens.

8. I dont go out much during the week.

9. Dan is talking on the phone right now.

10. My mum calls me every weekend.

Exercise 2

Now make your own sentences with the following patterns. You may look back at the

sample sentences in Exercise 1:

1. SV:

______________________________________________________________________

2. SVO:

_____________________________________________________________________

3. SVA:

_____________________________________________________________________

4. SVOO:

___________________________________________________________________

5. SVOA:

___________________________________________________________________

8
 6. SVAA:

___________________________________________________________________

Exercise 3

Use the following words to make complete sentences. You can make necessary changes

to the words, but DO NOT change their order.

* Note that in this lesson, we mainly focus on sentences in present tenses.

1. Marsha/ go/ dance lessons/ every/ Saturday.

2. She/ work/ museum/ until/ end/ month.
3. What/ you/ think/ his/ new/ song?
4. Our/ washing machine/ start/ when/ you/ press/ button.
5. Nadine/ Claire/ do/ quite/ well/ school/ moment.
6. Stacy/ get/ ready/ school/, / so/ she/ not/ come/ phone.
7. Simon/ always/ do/ washing-up/ lunch?
8. I/ afraid/ we/ already/ make/ plans/ this/ weekend/, / so/ we/ not/ free.
9. I/ never/ understand/ why/ they/ give/ so/ homework!
10. It/ first/ time/ I/ watch/ video/ class.

Exercise 4 (Further Practice)

Use the following words to make complete sentences. You can make necessary changes

to the words, but DO NOT change their order.

1. There/ more/ people/ live/ the UK/ Canada.

2. If/ you/ not get/ enough/ sleep/,/ you/ feel/ tired/ exam.
3. This/ hot chocolate/ very/ sweet/,/ so/ not/ put/ sugar/ it.
4. When/ he/ young/,/ Marco/ parents/ have/ restaurant.
5. She/ probably/ get/ here/ about/ 30 minutes.
6. When/ I/ see/ her/ party/ last night/,/ she/ wear/ boots.
7. I/ find/ travel/ train/ comfortable/ travel/ car.
8. The Lamborghini Muchielago/ be/ one/ expensive/ cars/ in/ world.
9. first/ man/ walk/ moon/ 1969.
10. If/ you/ listen/ that/ loud/ music/,/ you/ hurt/ ears.