All Types Of Sentences In English



Lesson 12

 Sentence Definition

A sentence is a group of words, having a subject and a predicate and conveying a statement, question, order, exclamation, or prayers.


Explanation: A sentence consists of a subject and a predicate. It makes a statement, asks a question, gives an order, shows surprise or uses prayers. This is clearly expressed respectively in the given below examples.  

Examples:

(a) He is a good guy. (Statement) 

(b) Do you love it? (Question) 

(c) Come here. (Order) 

(d) What a beautiful house it is! (Exclamation)

(e) Have a good day. (Wish or Prayer)


Types of Sentences Based on What They Convey 


Sentences are mainly classified into five kinds based on what they convey. They're as follows:

1. Declarative or Assertive

2. Interrogative

3. Imperative

4. Exclamatory

5. Optative


1. A declarative or assertive sentence makes a statement and shows ‘it is’ or ‘it is not’. We use a full stop (.) after a declarative sentence. 

Examples:

(a) She goes to school regularly. 

(b) He is not good at English.


Note:- A declarative sentence can be positive (affirmative) or negative.


2. An interrogative sentence asks a question. It ends with a question mark❓.

Examples:

(a) Do you like tea? 

(b) Will you not get ready for the party?


Note:- An interrogative sentence also can be positive interrogative as in “Do you like tea?” or negative interrogative as in “Will you not get ready for the party?”. 


3. An imperative sentence gives an order or makes a request. It ends with a full stop. 

Examples:

(a) Do as we say.

(b) please give me your phone. 


Note:- An imperative sentence has a hidden subject that's understood. As such, the confusion that a sentence has a subject and a predicate, and there is no subject present in an imperative sentence gets cleared.


4. An exclamatory sentence expresses a strong feeling. It ends with the exclamation mark (!). 

Examples:

(a) How cute my baby is! 

(b) What a beautiful house this is! 


5. An optative sentence expresses a wish or prayer. It ends with an exclamation mark or sometimes with a full stop. 

Examples:

(a) Good luck! 

(b) happy Independence Day! 

(c) May you live long.


Types of Sentences Based on Their Structures 


Sentences are also categorised into the following four types based on their structures.


1. Simple sentence 

2. Compound sentence 

3. Complex  sentence 

4. Compound-complex sentence 


To understand the four types of sentence, simple, compound, complex and compound-complex, learners need to first learn the definition of clause and its types. The definition of clause and its types are given below. 


Clause Definition 


A clause is part of a sentence that has a subject and a predicate. 


Important Note:- Independent clauses are in black colour and dependent clauses are in blue colour. 


Examples:

(a) He gave it and I took it.

(b) She told me and I told him. 


Types of Clauses 


1. Principal Clause  

2. Sub-ordinate Clause 

3. Co-ordinate Clause


1. Principal Clause (Independent or Main Clause) is an independent clause. It has a subject and a predicate and can make complete sense by itself. 


2. Sub-ordinate Clause is a dependent clause. It has a subject and a predicate, but can't make complete sense by itself. 


3. Co-ordinate Clause is a combination of two independent clauses. Both the two can alone make complete sense. 


‘I asked’ is a principal/independent/main clause, ‘why he was shouting’ is a sub-ordinate/dependent clause in the first sentence, and ‘She went to school’ and ‘I went to market’ in the second example are the two independent clauses that form a sentence. 

Examples:- 

(a) I asked why he was shouting. 

(b) She went to school and I went to the market.


Explanation: “I asked” is a principal/independent/main clause, ‘why he was shouting’ is a sub-ordinate/dependent clause in the first sentence, and ‘She went to school’ and ‘I went to the market’ in the second example are the two independent clauses that form a sentence. 


Now Understand the Four Types of Sentence. 


1. A simple sentence contains an independent clause, and makes complete sense by itself. 

Examples:

(a) She visited India last year. 

(b) They helped the poor. 


2. A compound sentence consists of two independent clauses. 

Examples:

(a) She studies and I work.

(b) We write articles and you read them. 


3. A complex sentence contains an independent clause and atleast one dependent clause. 

Examples:

(a) She cried when I went to see her. 

(b) I told him because he asked me. 


4. A compound-complex sentence consists of two independent clauses and atleast one dependent clause. 

Examples:

(a) Because he worked hard, he got the first rank in the test and he was happy.


Exercise

Identify the type of the sentences based on what they convey. 

1. I will call you tomorrow. 

2. Do you love her? 

3. What a big building this is! 

4. Improve your English with our Blog. 

5. May God bless you. 


Answer keys:- 

1. Declarative

2. Interrogative

3. Exclamatory

4. Imperative

5. Optative