No grammar rules needed — here’s how to split an English sentence in 3 simple steps:
Sentence:
The price has increased by 20% over the last six months.
Step 1: Set aside non-essential parts
Remove phrases that tell you how, when, or to what extent the action happens:
- by 20% (describes the scale of the action)
- over the last six months (describes the time frame)
Step 2: Identify the action in the core structure
What’s left: The price has (increased)
The action here is increased — with the helping verb has to show the tense.
Step 3: Find the doer and the recipient (if there is one)
- Doer of the action (Who or what is increasing?): the price
- Recipient of the action (Who or what receives the action?): None
(Some actions, like increase, don’t have a recipient — they stand alone.)
This method strips a sentence down to its core:
Action → Doer → (Recipient, if there is one).
No grammar jargon — just focus on what’s happening first! 🚀