Good Basic Sentences (GBS) are useful for people learning to write English for the first time.
GBS = Subject + Verb + Details + Reason
Reminder: Subject is the noun that is doing or being something. Verb is the action that is being done.
1. You may have seen a sentence formula of “Subject + Verb” before.
They appear as sentences such as:
“The cat jumped”.
2. Let's add some some details.
Details are little bits of information that helps describe the situation.
Details to add could be…
Objects
Adjectives
Adverbs
Additional actions
We do not need too much detail or else it becomes a run-on sentence, but some extra information never hurts.
Ex. “The cat jumped onto the roof”.
Following along so far?
Let's go back to the formula for a GBS for a second.
GBS = Subject + Verb + Details + Reason
3. The last useful bit to add onto your sentences is a reason. Reasons explain why the action is happening.
Ex. “The cat jumped onto the roof. She was scared of the dog”.
The first sentence is a normal sentence. The second one explains the first sentence.
But a GBS combines the two sentences with a word like "because".
Ex. “The cat jumped onto the roof, because she was scared of the dog”.
Now this sentence is a stronger one than the original statement, “The cat jumped”.
It is important to use GBS when writing. GBS = better writing and therefore, better results.
