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The lesson I learnt was the sentence structure:
Sentence Patterns
Sentence Pattern Transformations
Active/Passive Voice

Sentence patterns

Just about all sentences in the English language fall into ten patterns determined by the presence and functions of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
The patterns are most easily classified according to the type of verb used:
   Verb of being patterns (1, 2, 3) use a form of the verb to be as the main verb in the sentence.
                    is      are      was      were      has been     have been      had been
    Linking verb patterns (4, 5) use one of the linking verbs as the main verb in the sentence. The linking verb is followed by a noun or adjective functioning as a subjective complement.
                    smell     taste     look     feel     seem     become      appear     grow
Action verb patterns (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) use one of the many action verbs as the main verb in the sentence. The action verb may be either transitive (take a direct object) or intransitive (not take a direct object).
                    see    jump      embrace    write    imagine    buy    plummet    think etc.

   Terms used to identify various parts of each sentence pattern include the following:

NP = noun phrase

This abbreviation refers to a headword noun and its modifiers ("noun phrase") functioning as a subject, direct object, indirect object, subjective complement, or objective complement.

NP1, NP2, NP3, etc. = designations for different noun phrase functions

Numbers in sequential order are used with each NP to designate its difference from or similarity to other NPs before and after it.

V-be = verb of being
LV = linking verb
V-int = intransitive verb
V-tr = transitive verb
ADV/TP = adverbial of time or place
ADJ = adjective

THE TEN SENTENCE PATTERNS

1. NP1 + V-be + ADV/TP
The verb of being is followed by an adverb indicating where or when.

                                                     More information on subjects
   The adverbial indicating where or when may be a prepositional phrase.

2. NP1 + V-be + ADJ
   The verb of being is followed by an adjective that functions as the subjective complement.

              More information on subjective complements
   The adjectival functioning as the subjective complement may be a prepositional phrase.

3. NP1 + V-be + NP1
   The verb of being is followed by a noun that functions as the subjective complement.

        Note: The second NP receives the same numerical designation as the first NP because the second NP, the subjective complement, is the same as the subject (Mr. James = teacher).
4. NP1 + LV + ADJ
   The linking verb is followed by an adjective functioning as a subjective complement.

The adjectival functioning as the subjective complement may be a prepositional phrase.

5. NP1 + LV + NP1
The linking verb is followed by a noun functioning as a subjective complement.

    Note: The second NP receives the same numerical designation as the first NP because the second NP, the subjective complement, is the same as the subject (Joan = Buddhist).
6. NP1 + V-int
   The action verb takes no direct object.

Even if the action verb is followed by a prepositional phrase, the verb is still intransitive as long as it does not take a direct object.

7. NP1 + V-tr + NP2
The action verb is followed by a direct object.

                                 More information on direct objects
    Note: The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject (NP1).
8. NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + NP3
   The action verb is followed by an indirect object and then a direct object.

                          More information on indirect objects
    Note: The indirect object and the direct object each receive a new numerical designation because each is different from the other and both are different from the subject.
9. NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + ADJ
   The action verb is followed by a direct object. The direct object is followed by an adjective functioning as an objective complement.

                        More information on objective complements
    Note: The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject (NP1).
10. NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + NP2
   The action verb is followed by a direct object. The direct object is followed by a noun functioning as an objective complement.

Note: The second NP, the direct object, receives a different numerical designation (NP2) because it is not the same as the subject (NP1). The third NP, the objective complement, receives the same numerical designation as the direct object (NP2) because it is the same as the direct object (Jacobsen = friend).

Sentence pattern Transformations

The basic sentence patterns in the English language may be transformed in the following ways:
1. Transform to passive voice
   This transformation requires using a sentence with an action verb and a direct object.
   The sentence may be any of the following patterns:
        NP1 + V-tr + NP2    The dog ate the bone.
        NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + NP3   Joe gave Mary a ring.
        NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + Adj   We consider Joe intelligent.
        NP1 + V-tr + NP2 + NP2   The people made Olaf king.
   To create the transformation,
        1. make the direct object into the subject,
        2. add the "be" auxiliary and the -en ending to the main verb, and
        3. place the original doer of the action into a prepositional phrase beginning with by.
    Examples

    NOTE: Do not change verb tense when transforming sentences from active to passive.
             ate = was eaten     gave = was given     consider = is considered     made = was made

2. Transform to the expletive there is / there are
    This transformation requires using a sentence with a verb of being as the main verb.
    The sentence pattern must be
        NP1 + V-be + ADV/TP.   A fly is on the wall.
                                                    Two dogs were at the park.
    To create the transformation,
        1.   place there at the beginning of the sentence and
         2. reverse positions of the subject and verb.
    Examples

    NOTE: Do not change verb tense when creating the there is / there are transformation.

                                     is = there is         were = there were

3. Transform to cleft
    This transformation allows the writer to emphasize a the sentence subject or object.
    This transformation may be used with any of the sentence patterns.
    There are two ways to create this transformation.
        Method #1
        1. Begin the sentence with It and the appropriate number and tense of the verb of being,
        2.   focus on either the subject or direct object, and
        3.   create a second half for the sentence that begins with who, whom, or that.
        Examples

        In the above example, the first cleft transformation emphasizes the subject, dog, using three words to refer to the dog: it, dog, and that.
        The second cleft transformation emphasizes the direct object, bone, using three words to refer to the bone: it, bone, and that.

         In the above example, the first cleft transformation emphasizes the direct object, Joe, using three words to refer to Joe: it, Joe, and whom.
        The second cleft transformation emphasizes the subject we, using three words to refer to us it, we, and who.
       Method #2
        1. Begin the sentence with What,
        2.   follow with the subject and verb, and
        3. insert the appropriate tense of the verb of being and follow with the direct object.
        Examples

In the above example, the cleft transformation emphasizes the direct object, bone, using two words to refer to bone: what and bone.

        This cleft transformation emphasizes the direct object, ring, , using two words to refer to the ring: what and ring.
    NOTE: Do not change verb tense when creating the cleft transformation.
    PAST TENSE: The dog ate the bone.
       It was the dog who ate the bone.
       It was the bone that the dog ate.
       What the dog ate was the bone.
    PRESENT TENSE:   We consider Joe intelligent.
        It is Joe whom we consider intelligent.
    PAST TENSE:   Joe gave Mary a ring.
        What Joe gave Mary was a ring.
4. Transform to negative
    This transformation may be used with any of the sentence patterns.
    To create the negative transformation
       A. with a verb of being as the main verb: Add not to the verb.
            Example

       B.   with an action or linking verb that has an auxiliary verb (have or be): Add not to the verb
            Example - action verb

Example - linking verb

        C. with an action or linking verb that does not have an auxiliary verb: Add not and the
              appropriate number and tense of do.
            Example - action verb

Example - linking verb

5. Transform to interrogative with yes-no answer
        This transformation may be used with any of the sentence patterns.
        To transform sentences into the interrogative with yes-no answer,
         A. with a verb of being as the main verb: Transpose the position of the subject and the verb

           B. with an action or linking verb that has an auxiliary verb (have or be): Transpose the
                 position of the subject and the auxiliary verb
                Example - action verb

Example - linking verb

           C.. with an action or linking verb that does not have an auxiliary verb: Add the appropriate
                  number and tense of do
                    Example - Action verb

                    Example - Linking verb


6. Transform to interrogative
        This transformation provides questions that will produce more than a yes/no answer.
        It may be used with any of the sentence patterns.
        To create the transformation,
        1.   place an interrogative word at the beginning of the sentence,
         2. reverse positions of the subject and verb, and
         3. add do/does/did if needed (action or linking verb without auxiliary verb).
        Interrogative words:
            how     when     where     why     what     which     who       whom
          Example - verb of being

Example - action verb with auxiliary verb

Example - linking verb with auxiliary verb

Example - action verb without auxiliary verb

Example - linking verb without auxiliary verb

        NOTE: Sentences using which or whose to create the interrogative may not require
                      adding do/does/did or transposing the positions of the subject and verb.

7. Transform to emphasis / emphatic
This transformation may be used

with all sentence patterns except the verb-of-being patterns.
with action or linking verbs that do not have auxiliary verbs

      To make the emphatic transformation, place do, does, or did in front of the verb, as tense and
      number dictate.
         Examples

8. Transform to imperative
        This transformation creates a command.
        It may be used with all sentence patterns.
        To make the imperative transformation, replace the sentence subject with you UNDERSTOOD
        and change the verb form to its infinitive form without to.
           Examples:

        NOTE: There is only one tense, simple present, for the imperative transformation.
9. Transform to exclamatory
        This transformation creates a surprise statement.
        It may be used with all sentence patterns.
        To make the exclamatory transformation,

place what or how at the beginning of the sentence
rearrange words in the sentence as needed
place an exclamation point at the end of the sentence

Examples

In many cases, more than one transformation may be performed at a time on a given sentence.
Example - passive and interrogative

Example - passive, negative, and interrogative yes-no

Example - cleft, emphasis, and interrogative yes-no

ACTIVE / PASSIVE VOICE

Active voice
In most English sentences with an action verb, the subject performs the action denoted by the verb.
These examples show that the subject is doing the verb's action.

Because the subject does or "acts upon" the verb in such sentences, the sentences are said to be in the active voice.

Passive voice
One can change the normal word order of many active sentences (those with a direct object) so that the subject is no longer active, but is, instead, being acted upon by the verb - or passive.
Note in these examples how the subject-verb relationship has changed.

Because the subject is being "acted upon" (or is passive), such sentences are said to be in the passive voice.
NOTE:   Colorful parrots live in the rainforests cannot be changed to passive voice because the sentence does not have a direct object.
To change a sentence from active to passive voice, do the following:
    1. Move the active sentence's direct object into the sentence's subject slot

    2. Place the active sentence's subject into a phrase beginning with the preposition by

    3. Add a form of the auxiliary verb be to the main verb and change the main verb's form

Because passive voice sentences necessarily add words and change the normal doer-action-receiver of action direction, they may make the reader work harder to understand the intended meaning.
As the examples below illustrate, a sentence in active voice flows more smoothly and is easier to understand than the same sentence in passive voice.

It is generally preferable to use the ACTIVE voice.

To change a passive voice sentence into an active voice sentence, simply reverse the steps shown above.
1. Move the passive sentence's subject into the active sentence's direct object slot