Rule 01: Only/ alone/ merely → Replaced by → None but (person)/ nothing but (things)/ not more than or not less than (number)
Negative: None but God can help us.
Affirmative: We must obey our parents.
Negative: we cannot but obey our parents/ we cannot help obeying our parents.
Rule 03: Both----and → Replaced by → not only ---- but also.
Affirmative: Both John and Peter were excited.
Rule 04: and (if join two words) → Replaced by → Not only ----- but also.
Negative: Peter was not only obedient but also gentle.
Rule 5: Everyone/ Everybody/Every Person/ (Every + Common Noun)/All → Replaced by → There is no + attached word /Noun + but.
Affirmative: Every mother loves her child.
Negative: There is no mother but loves her child.
Rule 6: As soon as → Replaced by → No sooner had ----- Than.
Affirmative: As soon as the criminal saw the police, he ran away.
Negative: No sooner had the criminal saw the police than he ran away.
Rule 7: Absolute Superlative Degree →Replaced by → No other + Attached word + Verb + so + Positive form+ as + Subject.
Affirmative: London is the biggest city in England.
Negative: No other city in England is so big as London.
Rule 8: Sometimes affirmative sentences are changed into negative by using opposite words. Before the word, of course, ‘not’ is used.
Negative: I shall not forget you.
Rule 9: Always → Replaced by → Never.
Affirmative: Eva always attends the class.
Negative: Eva never misses the class.
Affirmative: She is too weak to move.
Negative: She is so weak that he cannot move.
Rule 11: As – as → Replaced by → Not less – than.
Negative: Eva was not less wise than Riva.
Rule 12: Universal truth are change by making them negative interrogative.
Affirmative: The earth goes around the sun.
Negative: Doesn’t the earth go around the sun?
Rule 13: Sometimes → Replaced by → not + always.
Affirmative: Eva sometimes visits me.
Negative: Eva doesn’t always visit me.
Affirmative: I have many friends.
Negative: I don't have few friends.
Rule 15: A few → Replaced by → not many.
Affirmative: Maldives has a few scholars.
Negative: Maldives doesn’t have many scholars.
Rule 16: Much → Replaced by → A little.
Affirmative: She belongs much money.
Negative: She doesn’t belong a little money.
Rule 17: A little → Replaced by → not much.
Affirmative: John has a little riches.
Negative: John doesn’t have much riches.
1. Assertive: John was very gentle.
Interrogative: wasn’t John very gentle?
Interrogative: Is John a good person?
Rule 2: No Auxiliary verb in sentence →Change it by using→ Do/does/did Or Don't/doesn't /didn't
1. Assertive: He plays cricket.
Interrogative: Does he play cricket?
2. Assertive: They did not play cricket yesterday.
Interrogative: Did they play cricket yesterday?
Rule3: Never → Replaced by → Ever.
Assertive: I never drink coffee.
Interrogative: Do I ever drink coffee?
Assertive: Everybody wishes to be happy.
Interrogative: Who doesn’t wish to be happy?
Assertive: Every woman wishes to be happy.
Interrogative: Is there any woman who doesn’t wish to be happy?
Assertive: Nobody could count my love for you.
Interrogative: Who could ever count my love for you?
Rule 7: There is no → Replaced by → Is there any/ Who (person)/ What ( thing).
Assertive: There is no use of this law.
Interrogative: What is the use of this law?
Interrogative: Who is happier than Peter?
Rule 8: It is no → Replaced by → Is there any/Why.
Assertive: It is no use in taking unfair means in the exam.
Interrogative: Why take unfair means in the exam?
Rule 9: It doesn’t matter → Replaced by → what though/ does it matter.
Assertive: It does not matter if you fail the exam.
Interrogative: What though if you fail the exam?
How/What → Replace by → Very (before adjective)/ Great (before noun)
Exclamatory: How fortunate Peter is!
Assertive: Peter is very fortunate.
Exclamatory: What a fool I am!
Assertive: I am a great fool.
Rule 2: Sometimes the subject and verb may be eclipsed.
Exclamatory: What a beautiful scenery!
Assertive: It is very a beautiful scenery.
Exclamatory: What a pity!
Assertive: It is a great pity.
Rule 3: Bravo /Hurrah → Replace by → I/we rejoice that/ It is a matter of joy that.
Exclamatory: Hurrah! We have won the game.
Assertive: It is a matter of joy that we have won the game.
Rule 4: Alas → Replace by → I/we Mourn that/ It is a matter of sorrow or grief that.
Exclamatory: Alas! Peter has failed.
Assertive: We mourn that Peter has failed.
Exclamatory: Had I the wings of a bird!
Assertive: I wish I had the wings of a bird.
Exclamatory: Were I a bird!
Assertive: I wish I were a bird.
Exclamatory: If I were young again!
Assertive: I wish I were young again.
Exclamatory: Would that I could be a child!
Assertive: I wish I could be a child again.
Imperative: Do the sum.
Assertive: you should do the sum.
Rule 2: Please/kindly → Replaced by → you are requested to.
Imperative: Please, help me.
Assertive: You are requested to help me.
Rule 3: Do not → Replaced by →You should not.
Imperative: Do not run in the sun.
Assertive: You should not run in the sun.
Rule 4: Never → Replaced by → you should never.
Imperative: Never tell a lie.
Assertive: You should never tell a lie.
Rule 5: Let us → Replaced by → We should.
Imperative: Let us go out for a job.
Assertive: We should go out for a job.
Rule 6: Let + noun/pronoun → Replaced by → Subject + might.
Imperative: Let him play cricket.
Assertive: He might play cricket.
👉For Comparative, use – Subject + Verb + Adjective/Adverb (Comparative form) + than any other + Rest part.
Superlative: John is the tallest boy in the class.
Comparative: John is taller than any other boy in the class.
Positive: No other boy in the class is as tall as John.
Rule 2: If In Superlative Degree ‘One of the’ is transformed in this way:
👉Comparative: Subject + verb + Comparative form +than most other + Rest part.
Superlative: William Wordsworth was one of the greatest poets in England.
Positive: Very few poets in England were as great as William Wordsworth.
[Note: Superlative: Of all/ of any; Comparative: Than all other/than any other. Positive: It does not exist.]
Comparative: Mr Khan is older than all other men in the village.
Positive: No other man is as old as Mr Khan.
Rule 3: Simple Comparative is transformed into Positive by using (not so + adjective/adverb + as)/ (so + adjective/adverb + as) if negative. The second noun or pronoun is used first.
Comparative: Eva is wiser than Elizabeth.
Positive: Elizabeth is not so wise as Eva.
Rule 4: No/not less --- than is transformed into positive by using as + adjective/adverb + as
Comparative: Eva is not less meritorious than Elizabeth.
Positive: Eva is so meritorious as Elizabeth.
Simple:
Simple: Working hard, the boy made a good result.
Rule 2: In the case of Be verb in the subordinate clause: 1) Use being/ Because of + Pronoun/Noun (possessive form) + being.
Complex: Since he was weak, he could not work hard.
Simple: Because of his being weak, he could not work hard.
Compound: He was weak and therefore could not work hard.
Note: and therefore, is used for showing reasons.
Rule 3: When the subject of clauses are different:
Simple:
1)Subject of the Subordinate Clause
Complex: Since the weather was bad, we did not go out.
Simple: The weather being bad, we did not go out.
Rule 4: Simple: If,’ is replaced by – ‘by + (verb+ing)
Complex: If you work hard, you will prosper in life.
Simple: By working hard, you will prosper in life.
Compound: Work hard and you will prosper in life.
Simple: Without working hard, you will fail the exam.
Compound: Work hard or you will fail the exam.
Rule 6: Simple: Though’ is replaced by In spite of+ Possessive form of the subject+ (verb + ing)
Complex: Though he tried hard and soul, he could not succeed in life.
Simple: In spite of his trying heart and soul he could not succeed in life.
Compound: He tried hard but could not succeed in life.
Rule 7: Simple: So that is replaced by to/in order to.
Complex: The girl is so foolish that she cannot understand it.
Simple: The girl is too foolish to understand it.
Rule 9: Simple: When (if mentions time) is replaced by For a short time – At, For month or Season – In, For age--- at the age of. Compound: Use and to join clauses.
Simple: Eva woke up at midnight.
Simple: In Spring the cuckoo sings.
Simple: At the age of five, Sara went to school.
Rule 10: Simple: If the clause says about a continuous fact then use- At the time of instead of ‘When’
Compound: Use ‘And’.
Simple: At the time of my reading, the phone rang.
Compound: I was reading and the phone rang.
Rule 11: Simple: Noun clause can be replaced by a noun. Compound: Use ‘And’.
Compound: She is honest and it is known to all.
Rule 12: Simple: If a Complex sentence is made with a relative pronoun (who, what, which, that), omit it and make (verb + ing).
Complex: Peter who is working in the hospital is known to all.
Simple: Peter working in the hospital is known to all.
Note: If the verb is in the Past Participle it remains unchanged.
Adjective:
Complex: A woman who is drowning catches at a straw.
Simple: A drowning woman catches at a straw.
Compound: A woman is drowning and so catches at a straw.
Past Participle Phrase:
Complex: The answer that she wrote was not correct.
Simple: The answer written by her was not correct.
Compound: She wrote the answer and it was not correct.
Gerundial Infinitive:
Complex: I have no money that I can lend her.
Simple: I have no money to lend her.
Compound: I have no money and I cannot lend her.
Rule 14: In the Compound “not only---- But also” is Changed by “Besides + (Verb +ing)” In the Simple.
Complex: Peter not only teaches us English but also writes novels.
Simple: Besides teaching us English, Peter writes novels.