Shadowing Practice: English Sentence Structure - English Grammar Lesson - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
254 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
Hi, I'm Olivier.
2
Welcome to Oxford Online English.
3
In this lesson, you can learn about sentence structure in English.
4
You'll learn how to construct all kinds of sentences in English, from the simplest possible sentences to long,
5
complex sentences which contain many different ideas. To begin, a question.
6
What's the simplest sentence you can make in English?
7
What does every sentence in English need?
8
Every sentence needs a verb.
9
The simplest sentence is an imperative, which means when you tell someone to do something.
10
For example, run, leave, work.
11
These are the simplest complete sentences you can make in English.
12
They're just one word long.
13
Of course, most sentences are longer than this.
14
Most sentences that are longer than one word also need a noun before the verb.
15
The noun is the subject.
16
With a subject plus a verb, you can make simple sentences,
17
like, he runs, she left, they're working.
18
You can see that the verb can be in different forms – past or present, simple or continuous.
19
The verb form doesn't change the structure of the sentence.
20
These are all the same – subject plus verb.
21
Of course, these sentences aren't very interesting.
22
You can't say much with short sentences like these.
23
Let's add a little more information.
24
Take the sentence, he runs.
25
What could you add after runs to make it longer?
26
You could add an adverb of place.
27
He runs around the park.
28
You could add an adverb of time.
29
He runs every morning.
30
You could add both.
31
He runs around the park every morning.
32
You could add an adverb of manner, he runs slowly.
33
You can see that you have many choices, but your choices are also limited.
34
In this case, you can use different kinds of adverbs, but there are also things you can't use.
35
For example, you can't use another verb after run.
36
You can't use an adjective.
37
You can't use a noun, or at least you can't use a noun with this meaning of run.
38
This is an important point.
39
Let's look at it in more detail.
40
To build grammatically complete sentences in English, there's one important question.
41
What needs to come next?
42
For example, you saw the sentence, he runs.
43
That's a complete sentence.
44
You can put a full stop after runs, and it's correct.
45
It's very basic, but it's correct.
46
What about these?
47
She likes.
48
He wants.
49
We go.
50
These aren't complete sentences.
51
Can you explain why not?
52
They aren't complete, very simply, because they aren't finished.
53
Look at the first sentence, she likes.
54
She likes what?
55
She has to like something.
56
He wants.
57
What does he want?
58
You can't just want, you have to want something.
59
We go. Where?
60
At this point, we want to teach you a word, compliment.
61
The compliment is the thing you add after a verb to make a sentence complete.
62
A complement can have many different forms.
63
It can be a noun, a verb, an adjective, or an adverb.
64
These things can be single words or phrases.
65
For example, when we say noun, we also mean noun phrases.
66
So, table is a noun.
67
And the wooden table, which my grandmother gave me, is also a noun.
68
Both nouns refer to one object, one table.
69
For this lesson, a noun can be one word or a phrase.
70
Okay, let's practice.
71
Look at the first sentence.
72
She likes.
73
How could you finish this?
74
What are the possible complements?
75
Pause the video and write down three endings for your sentence.
76
Try to use different ideas and structures.
77
Ready?
78
Let's look at some possible answers.
79
These are just our suggestions.
80
Of course, there are many possibilities.
81
She likes strawberries.
82
She likes swimming.
83
She likes getting up before the sun rises.
84
She likes to listen to music while she works.
85
You can see that There's more than one possible complement.
86
You can use a noun, a gerund with a verb –ing, which acts like a noun, a gerund phrase, or an infinitive verb with two.
87
So you have many choices.
88
However, like before, your choices are also limited.
89
Only certain structures are possible.
90
The idea of complements isn't just for the first verb in the sentence.
91
Many words need a compliment.
92
For example, look at one of the sentences you just saw.
93
She likes getting up before the sun rises.
94
Technically, you can say, she likes getting up.
95
It's a grammatically complete sentence, but you would never say it.
96
Why not?
97
Because it doesn't make any sense.
98
You need more information.
99
She likes getting up. When?
100
Why?
101
How?
102
You need a compliment after getting up to complete the idea.
103
She likes getting up before… Before also needs a compliment.
104
You can't stop there.
105
Before what?
106
She likes getting up before the sun.
107
This also doesn't work, because it doesn't make sense.
108
It doesn't make sense because the sun needs a compliment.
109
Before the sun does what?
110
She likes getting up before the sun rises.
111
OK, finally, we have a sentence which is both grammatically correct and which communicates meaning.
112
What should you remember from this?
113
Remember that when you use a particular word, you have limited choices in what kind of word you can use next.
114
To speak or write in clear, correct English, you don't just need to know English words.
115
You need to know what can come next.
116
For example, with a verb like like or want, it's not enough to know the verb.
117
You also need to know whether the verb needs a complement, and what complements are or aren't possible.
118
This is why it's good to learn vocabulary in full phrases and sentences.
119
That way, you'll know how to use the words you learn to make sentences you can use in your spoken
120
or written English.
121
Using what you've seen up to now, you can build many simple English sentences.
122
Let's see how you can add more information and more detail to these simple sentences.
123
You can add information to a simple sentence in two ways.
124
You can add adjectives or adverbs.
125
Let's look at an example using a sentence we started before, but we didn't finish.
126
He wants… Actually, you should do some work.
127
Pause the video and finish this sentence in three different ways.
128
Start again when you have your answers.
129
Ready?
130
Here's our suggestion.
131
He wants to buy a car.
132
Now let's add some description using adjectives and adverbs.
133
Can you see how you could add adjectives to this sentence?
134
You could add adjectives before the word car, like this.
135
He wants to buy a new car.
136
He wants to buy a second-hand car.
137
He wants to buy a bright red car.
138
What about adverbs?
139
Could you add adverbs to these sentences to add some details?
140
There are many possibilities.
141
For example, apparently he wants to buy a new car.
142
He wants to buy a second-hand car next month.
143
He wants to buy a bright red car for his new girlfriend.
144
You can see that the adverbs can be single words or phrases.
145
Adjectives can go before the noun they describe or after some verbs.
146
Adverbs are more complicated and can go in many different positions.
147
However, this is the important point.
148
Using adjectives and adverbs like this doesn't change whether a sentence is complete or not.
149
If you say, he wants to buy a car, that's a complete sentence.
150
You can add adjectives and adverbs to make it more detailed.
151
Apparently, he wants to buy a second-hand car for his new girlfriend.
152
However, if a sentence is incomplete, then you can't make it complete by adding adjectives or adverbs.
153
He wants to buy.
154
This sentence is incomplete.
155
Adding adjectives and adverbs won't make it complete.
156
So, at this point, you can build a simple sentence.
157
You also hopefully understand something about complements and why are they important for making complete sentences,
158
and now you can also add description to a complete sentence using adjectives and adverbs.
159
Let's look at how you can combine these simple sentences into complex ones.
160
First, let's define some words.
161
A conjunction is something which joins two sentences, or two parts of a sentence, together.
162
Words like and, but, if, although, because, or which are conjunctions.
163
A complex sentence contains two or more parts joined with a conjunction.
164
These parts are called clauses.
165
An independent clause expresses a complete idea and could stand by itself.
166
A dependent clause wouldn't make sense if it were by itself.
167
A dependent clause depends on an independent clause in this same sentence in order to have meaning.
168
Don't worry if this is new.
169
You don't need to remember everything right now.
170
You'll see lots of examples of these ideas in this section and in the next section, too.
171
In this section, you're going to learn about complex sentences with two independent clauses.
172
Okay, enough abstract talk.
173
Let's see some examples.
174
He runs around the park every morning, so he's in pretty good shape.
175
She likes strawberries, but she hardly ever eats them.
176
You should write to her and thank her for the present.
177
These are simple examples of complex sentences.
178
Here's your recipe.
179
Independent clause plus conjunction plus independent clause.
180
You generally need a comma at the end of the first clause, before the conjunction, but comma rules are quite flexible in English,
181
so you won't always need a comma.
182
Look at the first example.
183
He runs around the park every morning, so he's in pretty good shape.
184
Which word is the conjunction?
185
The conjunction is so.
186
You can split this sentence into two full, meaningful sentences.
187
Let's look at one more.
188
She likes strawberries, but she hardly ever eats them.
189
Then you can split this into two full sentences.
190
You might think that the second sentence here isn't complete, or doesn't make sense by itself.
191
As it is, you'd be right.
192
However, you can change them to strawberries, and then it's a complete, meaningful sentence.
193
But, she hardly ever eats strawberries.
194
You can keep adding conjunctions and clauses for as long as you want.
195
She likes strawberries, but she hardly ever eats them.
196
And she doesn't earn much money, so she has to be careful how much she spends on groceries.
197
And fresh food is generally more expensive than canned or frozen produce,
198
so… Of course, just because you can, it doesn't mean it's a good idea.
199
Sentences with too many clauses are difficult to follow, so it's generally better to limit your complex sentences to two, maximum three clauses.
200
Now you know how to build a complex sentence using independent clauses.
201
What about dependent clauses?
202
Do you remember the definition of a dependent clause?
203
A dependent clause is a part of a sentence which would not make sense by itself.
204
Let's see an example.
205
She's taller than I am.
206
This short sentence has two clauses.
207
Can you see where the two clauses start and end, and which one is dependent?
208
The two clauses are she's taller and than I am.
209
They're linked with the conjunction than.
210
The second clause, than I am, is dependent.
211
It doesn't make sense by itself.
212
Let's see some other ways to build complex sentences with dependent clauses.
213
You can add a dependent clause with conjunctions,
214
like if, because, although, unless, or wherever.
215
For example, if you're late, I'll leave without you.
216
He's broke because he spent all his money on beer.
217
Although she spends a lot of time at work, she doesn't get much done.
218
I won't do it unless you come with me.
219
We can meet wherever you want.
220
Often, you can change the order of the two clauses if you want.
221
So you can say, if you're late, I'll leave without you, or I'll leave without you if you're late.
222
Notice that there's a comma between the two clauses if the dependent clause is first, but not if the independent clause is first.
223
What's the difference between these complex sentences and the ones you saw in part four?
224
Here, you can't split this sentence in two.
225
Well, you can, but one of the two parts won't make sense. If you're late.
226
I'll leave without you.
227
I'll leave without you is an independent clause, so it makes sense by itself.
228
But the other clause, if you're late, is dependent, and it doesn't make sense by itself.
229
It needs something more to make it complete.
230
What other common ways are there to build complex sentences with dependent clauses?
231
Another common structure is relative clauses, using relative pronouns like who, which, or what to link two clauses.
232
For example, that's the guy who shouted at me.
233
I have no idea what's going on.
234
They gave us a cake which was made from dried beetroot.
235
In these cases, the dependent clause goes after the independent clause.
236
Let's review what you've learned in this lesson.
237
You can build a very simple sentence with just a verb.
238
Work You can add a subject and complement to make a simple sentence.
239
She works in a zoo.
240
You can use adjectives and adverbs to add description.
241
Apparently, she works in a private zoo.
242
You can make a complex sentence by adding a second independent clause with a conjunction.
243
Apparently, she works in a private zoo, so she must know a lot about animals.
244
You can also make a complex sentence by adding a dependent clause, or even several dependent clauses,
245
again using conjunctions to connect them.
246
Apparently, she works in a private zoo, so she must know a lot about animals,
247
which surprises me because, as far as I know, she studied economics at university.
248
Although I guess I could be wrong.
249
This is a big topic, and it will take you time to learn everything about these points.
250
Studying conjunctions and how they work can help you to build complex sentences which are clear and correct.
251
Relative clauses are another useful topic if you want to improve your sentence grammar.
252
Learning about relative clauses can help you to connect your ideas in complex sentences.
253
It's also a good idea to study verb complements and learn what structures you can or can't use after a verb.
254
Remember that a lot of sentence structure is being able to answer the question, what needs to come next.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
📺 Same Channel
A21
Clothes Shopping in English - Spoken English Lesson
Travel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
English Job Interview Tips and Tricks - How to Answer Job Interview Questions in English
Interview EnglishWorking Adults
B22
IELTS Speaking Exam - How to Do Part Three of the IELTS Speaking Test
IELTS PrepUniversity Students
B17
English Verb Tenses Guide - Learn About Simple, Perfect, and Continuous Tenses
British AccentDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
Attending a Meeting in English - Useful Phrases for Meetings - Business English
British AccentBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
B19
How to Order Coffee in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentTravel EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B27
How to Talk About Your Studies in English - Learn Spoken English
British AccentIELTS PrepInterview EnglishDaily Conversation
B12
How to Feel Less Shy Speaking English - Improve English Speaking Confidence Now!
British AccentInterview EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students
B123
How to Talk About Your Free Time and Hobbies in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B111
How to Describe a Picture in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B17
Cambridge B1 Preliminary Speaking Exam - How to Do Parts 1-2
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B1124
Talking About Your Family in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentTeensDaily ConversationHigh School Students
C15
8 Essential English Phrases for Conversation - Improve Conversation Skills
British AccentDaily Conversation
B22
Talking About Likes and Dislikes in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentDaily Conversation
C116
How to Talk About TV Shows in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentDaily ConversationUniversity StudentsWorking Adults
B24
20 Office Expressions to Describe Your Workplace - Visual Vocabulary
British AccentBusiness EnglishWorking Adults
B12
Adverbs in English - Learn All About English Adverbs
British AccentDaily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
Hotel English - Using Travel English at Hotels
British AccentTravel EnglishTeensHigh School Students
B11
Cambridge B1 Preliminary Speaking Exam - How to Do Parts 3-4
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B111
Talking About Your Job in English - Spoken English Lesson
British AccentBusiness EnglishInterview EnglishUniversity Students
✨ Recommend Video
B17
127 sentences
Grammar Lesson #1 - Tips to Improve Your Sentence Structure
British AccentIELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepBusiness English
B12
194 sentences
5 Tenses = 96% of English
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
217 sentences
The 8 Parts of Speech in English Grammar (+ Free PDF & Quiz)
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B163 sentences
State verbs made simple – a Mini English Lesson
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B111
35 sentences
Irregular Verbs - Part 1 (B1) - Learn English With Songs
Cambridge Exam PrepTeensDaily Conversation
B11
125 sentences
Real-Life English from a British Daily Routine | Story & Vocabulary
British AccentCambridge Exam PrepTeensDaily Conversation
B13
85 sentences
Learn English Tenses: The Present Perfect
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B13
123 sentences
How to Build English Sentences (Step-by-Step Guide to Speaking Naturally)
Daily ConversationHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
B11
105 sentences
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐BEST grammar lesson EVER!! | must, have, had better, should, ought to | Steve Ford
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B14
27 sentences
LEARNING ENGLISH - LESSON 1 ( Repeat and Remember)
British AccentBusiness EnglishDaily ConversationHigh School Students
B12
244 sentences
English Grammar in 15 Minutes: All About Past Tenses
Cambridge Exam PrepHigh School StudentsUniversity Students
Mastering English Sentence Structure: A Practical Guide for Learners
English sentence structure is the backbone of clear communication, and the video breaks it down from simple imperatives like "Run!" to complex sentences with multiple ideas. Understanding how to build sentences correctly helps improve English pronunciation and speaking skills, as proper structure guides rhythm and emphasis.
Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication
- "Run!" – A simple imperative for giving quick commands.
- "He runs." – A basic subject-verb sentence for stating actions.
- "He runs around the park." – Adding adverbs of place to clarify context.
- "She likes..." – A common structure that needs a complement (e.g., "She likes coffee").
- "We go..." – A phrase that requires additional info (e.g., "We go to the store") to be complete.
Step-by-Step Shadowing Guide for This Video
Shadowing is a powerful tool for english speaking practice, and this video’s clear explanations make it ideal. Here’s how to do it:
- Listen and repeat short phrases first: Start with one-word imperatives like "Run!" or "Leave!" Focus on matching the speaker’s tone and pace to improve english pronunciation.
- Move to simple subject-verb sentences: Phrases like "He runs" or "She left" are short, so mimic the stress on the verb. Use a shadowing app to record yourself and compare.
- Practice adding complements: When the video explains "She likes..." or "He wants...", pause and add a complement (e.g., "She likes music"). Shadow the full sentence to learn natural flow.
- Shadow longer sentences: Try "He runs around the park every morning." Break it into parts, then combine them. Focus on connecting words smoothly, a key part of shadow speech.
- Repeat complex structures: As the video moves to longer sentences, shadow in chunks. This trains your brain to process and reproduce structure quickly, boosting speaking fluency.
Consistent practice with shadowing will help you internalize English sentence structure, making your speech more natural and confident. Whether using a shadowing app or repeating aloud, focus on accuracy and rhythm to see progress.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you're late, I'll leave |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | imperative, which means · sentence which is · guy who shouted |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | aren't finished · are called · was made |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | you've seen · you've learned |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.