Transformation of Sentences

Tranformation of a sentence means to change the words or form of a sentence without

changing its meaning. Its an excellent exercise as it teaches a variety of expressions in English.
The transformation can be done in a number of ways. Some of the most common methods are
explained below:
1. Changing too+adj.+that into so+adj.+that
2. No sooner---than into as soon as
3. Interchange of degrees of comparison
4. Interchange of one part of speech into another
5. Active and Passive Voice
6. Exclamatory and Assertive Sentences
7. Interrogative and assertive sentences.
8. Affirmative and negative sentences
9. Direct and indirect speech
10. Interchanging one kind of sentence into another
Sentences containing the adverb too
Sentences containing the adverb too can be transformed by using the structure sothat.
If the sentence is positive: So+adj+that+sub+cannot/couldnot is used
1. The news is too good to be true.
The news is so good that it cannot be true.
2. The mangoes are too cheap to be good.
The mangoes are so cheap that they cannot be good.
3. He drove too fast for the police to catch.
He drove so fast that the police could not catch him.
4. He is too clever to be easily deceived.
He is so clever that he cannot be deceived.
5. The road is too slippery to walk.
The road is so slippery that one cannot walk on it.
6. He is too eager to praise.
He is over eager to praise.
7. He was too intelligent not to find a solution.
He was so intelligent that he could find a solution.
8. He is too cowardly not to bend.
He is so cowardly that he will bend.
9. His personality is too powerful not to impress everybody.
His personality is so powerful that it can impress everybody.
10. He is too weak to walk.
He is so weak that he cannot walk.
11. The atom is too small to be seen with the eye.
The atom is so small that it cannot be seen with the eye.
12. She is too poor to continue her studies.
She is so poor that she cannot continue her studies.

Notes
If the adverb too is followed by an adjective + to infinitive, we expand the sentence into two
clauses, the first containing so and the second beginning with that.
It is too hot to go out.
It is so hot that we cannot go out.
If the original sentence contains no negative word, we put not in the subordinate clause. If the
original sentence contains a negative word, we do not put not in the subordinate clause.
The tea is too hot for me to drink.
The tea is so hot that I cannot drink it.
Sentences containing no soonerthan and As soon as
Sentences containing no soonerthan can be transformed using as soon as or
scarcely/hardly hadwhen.
No sooner had the meeting begun than the protestors rushed to the platform.
As soon as the meeting began the protestors rushed to the platform.
Hardly had the meeting begun when the protestors rushed to the platform.
Scarcely had the meeting begun when the protestors rushed to the platform.
No sooner had the prisoner run out of the jail than the guard fired at him.
As soon as the prisoner ran out of the jail the guard fired at him.
Scarcely/hardly had the prisoner run out of the jail when the guard fired at him.
Practice Set
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

No sooner had I arrived at the station than the train came in.
No sooner had I put the phone down than it rang again.
No sooner had I finished the meal than I started feeling hungry again.
No sooner did the sales begin than we bought our Diwali presents
As soon as he opened the letter, he started smiling.

Answers
1. As soon as I arrived at the station, the train came in.
2. As soon as I put down the phone, it rang again.
3. As soon as I finished the meal, I started feeling hungry again.
4. As soon as the sales began, we bought our Diwali presents
5. No sooner did he open the letter, than he started smiling.

Interchange of Degrees of Comparison

The transformation or conversion of a sentence means changing its form without altering its
meaning. Degrees of comparison of adjectives and adverbs can be changed without changing
the meaning of the sentence.
Two or more adjectives can be compared using positive, comparative or superlative degrees.
Study the following examples:
No other man was as strong as Hercules.
Here Hercules is compared with other men using the positive adjective strong. When
comparison is made using a positive adjective we use a structure like as + adjective + as/so +
adjective + as.
I earn as much as she does.
She is as beautiful as her sister (is).
Now study the following example:
Hercules was stronger than any other man.
Here Hercules is compared with other men using the comparative adjective stronger. When
comparison is made using a comparative adjective, we put than after the adjective.
I earn more than she does.
She is more beautiful than her sister.
Comparison can be made using superlative adjectives as well. Note that before a superlative
adjective we put the article the.
Hercules was the strongest of all men.
She is the most beautiful girl in her class.
It is possible to change the degrees of comparison from positive to comparative or superlative
and vice versa without altering the meaning of the sentence.
Study the following examples:
Positive: No other girl in the class is as intelligent as Susie.
Comparative: Susie is more intelligent than any other girl in the class.
Superlative: Susie is the most intelligent girl in the class.
Positive: No other metal is as precious as gold.
Comparative: Gold is more precious than any other metal.
Superlative: Gold is the most precious metal.

Superlative: Solomon was the wisest person on earth

Positive: No other person on earth was as wise as Solomon.
Comparative: Solomon was wiser than any other person on earth.
Positive: No other boy is as tall as John.
Comparative: John is taller than any other boy.
Superlative: John is the tallest boy.
Positive: No other food is as nourishing as milk.
Comparative: Milk is more nourishing than any other food.
Superlative: Milk is the most nourishing food.
Positive: Very few English poets were as great as Wordsworth.
Comparative: Wordsworth was greater than most other English poets.
Superlative: Wordsworth was one of the greatest English poets.
Practice Set
Positive
Comparative
Comparative
Positive
Superlative
Comparative
Positive
Positive
Comparative
Superlative
Superlative
Comparative
Positive

Ram is as tall as Shyam

Shyam is not taller than Ram
John is taller than Nitin
Nitin is not as tall as John
Iron is the most useful metal
Iron is more useful than any other metal
No other metal is as useful as iron
No other food is as nourishing as milk
Milk is more nourishing than any other food
Milk is the most nourishing food
India is the largest democracy in the world
India is larger than any other democracy in the world
No other democracy in the world is as large as India

Changing an exclamatory sentence into an assertive sentence and vice versa

Exclamatory: What a beautiful flower!
Assertive: It is a beautiful flower.
Exclamatory: What a great victory!
Assertive: It is a great victory.
Exclamatory: How kind of you to help him like that!
Assertive: It is very kind of you to help him like that.
Exclamatory: What a glorious morning!
Assertive: It is indeed a glorious morning.
Transformation of an assertive sentence into an exclamatory sentence

Assertive: He is truly noble.

Exclamatory: How noble he is!
Assertive: This is indeed a pleasant surprise.
Exclamatory: What a pleasant surprise this is!
Assertive: It was an extremely delightful party.
Exclamatory: What a delightful party it was!
Assertive: I wish I were young again.
Exclamatory: O that I were young again!