And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. – Luck 2:40)
Build sentences in the order of 5W1H
It may feel like an endless repetition, but let’s emphasize it once again: English starts with a conclusion using a subject and a verb, then builds the sentence by adding explanations one by one. This makes it relatively easier to convey ideas clearly and concisely compared to Korean, which can be richer in expression but at the cost of potential ambiguity.
In terms of sentence structure, words are categorized in two ways based on their standalone attributes and their roles within a sentence. The categorization based on independent attributes is known as parts of speech, while the classification according to their function in a sentence is called parts of sentence. We are discussing one such component of a sentence, the complement.
Verbs are broadly classified into two categories based on whether they require an object or a complement. If an object is needed, it’s a transitive verb; if not, it’s an intransitive verb. Similarly, if a complement is necessary, the verb is considered incomplete; if not, it’s a complete verb. Therefore, we are simultaneously discussing complements and incomplete verbs that require them.
Typical incomplete verbs include ‘be’, but there are several other verbs used similarly to ‘be’, such as ‘become’, which can mean ‘to be’ or ‘to become’. Other verbs like ‘grow’, ‘turn’, ‘go’, ‘run’, ‘fall’, ‘get’ also fall into this category, and sentences containing these verbs can generally be rephrased with ‘be’ verbs.
And the child grew and became strong. (Luke 2:40)
He makes all the rivers run dry. (Nahum 1:4)
Verbs like ‘keep’, ‘remain’, ‘lie’, ‘hold’, ‘continue’, although slightly different in usage, mean “to maintain, to continue” and can also be substituted with ‘be’ verbs.
O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. (Psalm 83:1)
The verb ‘keep’ is useful for expressing the continuation of an action in forms like ‘keep doing’ or ‘keep on doing’.
I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day (Luke 13:33)
Despite hearing that King Herod wants to kill him, Jesus insists on continuing his journey. ‘Keep going’ essentially means to continue ‘going’.
Verbs like ‘look’, ‘sound’, ‘smell’, ‘taste’, ‘feel’, ‘seem’ are known as incomplete verbs specifically referred to as sensory verbs. They express the five senses, and sentences with these verbs can generally be rephrased with ‘be’ verbs. It’s also worth noting that sensory verbs are not used in the progressive tense since the act of sensing is inherently continuous. Major sensory verbs correspond to human sensory organs: ‘look’ (eyes), ‘sound’ (ears), ‘smell’ (nose), ‘taste’ (mouth), ‘feel’ (body, especially hands), and ‘seem’ suggests an appearance or impression.
Replacing ‘be’ verbs with sensory verbs in sentences can convey more detailed meanings. For example, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” could be expressed as “It looked very good.”, providing a more detailed description of the appearance.
At the end of ten days, they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. (Daniel 1:15)
This tells the story of Daniel and his friends, who appeared healthier and better nourished than those who ate the king’s food by only eating vegetables.
The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. (Exodus 7:21)
Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel. (Proverbs 20:17) –
‘Taste’ indicates the flavor of something. Initially, food obtained through deceit tastes sweet, although it eventually leads to unpleasant consequences. Adding ‘+ like a noun’ to a sensory verb can express the sensation of feeling like something.
The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. (Exodus 16:31)
Coriander refers to a plant in the parsley family. Though it resembled white seeds, it tasted like wafers made with honey. The Bible also describes the appearance of manna differently in other passages.
The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. (Numbers 11:7)
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