TYPES OF SENTENCES

Israel Javalera M.A

1.
• a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject
and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or
command, and consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or
more subordinate clauses.
• 2.
• the punishment assigned to a defendant found guilty by a court, or
fixed by law for a particular offence.
• subject
• noun
• a person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt with.
• "I've said all there is to be said on the subject"
PREDICATE
• noun
• 1.
• GRAMMAR
• the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating
something about the subject (e.g. went home in John went home ).
• 2.
• LOGIC
• something which is affirmed or denied concerning an argument of a
proposition.
 FORM FUNCTION example sentence FINAL
(clause) PUNCTUATION

1 DECLARATIVE statement: It tells us something John likes Mary. .

2 INTERROGATIVE question: It asks us something Does Mary like John? ?

3 IMPERATIVE command: It tells us to do Stop! ! or .

something Close the door.

4 EXCLAMATIVE exclamation: It expresses surprise What a funny story he !

told us!

(form = structure / function = job)

 1. Declarative Sentence (statement)

• Declarative sentences make a statement. They tell us something.

They give us information, and they normally end with a full-
stop/period.
• The usual word order for the declarative sentence is:
• subject + verb...
• Declarative sentences can be positive or negative. Look at these
examples:
Declarative sentences can be positive or
negative. Look at these examples:

positive negative

I like coffee. I do not like coffee.

We watched TV last night. We did not watch TV last night.

Declarative sentences are the most common type
of sentence.
• 2. Interrogative Sentence (question)
• Interrogative sentences ask a question. They ask us something. They
want information, and they always ends with a question mark.
• The usual word order for the interrogative sentence is:
• (wh-word +) auxiliary + subject + verb...
Interrogative sentences can be positive or
negative. Look at these examples:

positive negative

Do you like coffee? Don't you like coffee?

Why did you go? Why didn't you go?

3. Imperative Sentence (command)

• Imperative sentences give a command. They tell us to do something,

and they end with a full-stop/period (.) or exclamation mark/point (!).
• The usual word order for the imperative sentence is:
• base verb...
• Note that there is usually no subject—because the subject is
understood, it is YOU.
Imperative sentences can be positive or negative.
Look at these examples:

positive negative

Stop! Do not stop!

Give her coffee. Don't give her coffee.

4. Exclamative Sentence (exclamation)

• Exclamative sentences express strong emotion/surprise—an exclamation—

and they always end with an exclamation mark/point (!).
• The usual word order for the exclamative sentence is:
• What (+ adjective) + noun + subject + verb
• How (+ adjective/adverb) + subject + verb
• Look at these examples:
• What a liar he is!
• What an exciting movie it was!
• How he lied!
• How exciting the movie was!
•Note the form and function of the above
four types. In general, we use the
declarative form to make a statement. We
use the interrogative form to ask a question.
We use the imperative form to issue a
command. We use the exclamative form to
make an exclamation.
• But function and form do not always coincide,
especially with a change in intonation. For example,
we can use the declarative form to give a command—
You will now start the exam. Or we can use the
interrogative form to make an exclamation—Wow, can
Jo play the piano! We can even ask a question with
the declarative form—Bangkok is in Thailand?So it is
important to recognize this and not be confused when
the function does not always match the form.
• Independent clause: An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence.
It contains a subject and a verb and is a complete idea.
• I like spaghetti.
• He reads many books.
• Dependent clause: A dependent clause is not a complete sentence. It must
be attached to an independent clause to become complete. This is also
known as a subordinate clause.
• Although I like spaghetti,…
• Because he reads many books,…
• Subject: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that does an action.
Determine the subject in a sentence by asking the question “Who or
what?”
• I like spaghetti.
• He reads many books.
• Verb: Expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept
does. Determine the verb in a sentence by asking the question “What
was the action or what happened?”
• I like spaghetti.
• He reads many books.
• The movie is good. (The be verb is also sometimes referred to as a
copula or a linking verb. It links the subject, in this case the movie, to
the complement or the predicate of the sentence, in this case, good.)
• Object: A person, animal, place, thing, or concept that receives the action.
Determine the object in a sentence by asking the question “The subject did
what?” or “To whom?/For whom?”
• I like spaghetti.
• He reads many books.
• Prepositional Phrase: A phrase that begins with a preposition (i.e., in, at
for, behind, until, after, of, during) and modifies a word in the sentence. A
prepositional phrase answers one of many questions. Here are a few
examples: “Where? When? In what way?”
• I like spaghetti for dinner.
• He reads many books in the library.
• English Sentence Structure
• The following statements are true about sentences in English:
• A new sentence begins with a capital letter.
• He obtained his degree.
• A sentence ends with punctuation (a period, a question mark, or an
exclamation point).
• He obtained his degree.
• A sentence contains a subject that is only given once.
• Smith he obtained his degree.
• A sentence contains a verb or a verb phrase.
• He obtained his degree.
• A sentence follows Subject + Verb + Object word order.
• He (subject) obtained (verb) his degree (object).
• A sentence must have a complete idea that stands alone. This is also
called an independent clause.
• He obtained his degree.
• Simple Sentences
• A simple sentence contains a subject and a verb, and it may also have
an object and modifiers. However, it contains only one independent
clause.
• Key: Yellow, bold = subject; green underline = verb, blue, italics =
object, pink, regular font =prepositional phrase
• Here are a few examples:
• She read.
• She completed her literature review.
• He organized his sources by theme.
• They studied APA rules for many hours.
• Compound Sentences
• A compound sentence contains at least two independent
clauses. These two independent clauses can be combined with
a comma and a coordinating conjunction or with a semicolon.
• Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma or semicolon = pink,
regular font; coordinating conjunction = green, underlined
• Here are a few examples:
• She completed her literature review, and she created her reference
list.
• He organized his sources by theme; then, he updated his reference
list.
• They studied APA rules for many hours, but they realized there was
still much to learn
• Complex Sentences
• A complex sentence contains at least one independent clause and at
least one dependent clause. Dependent clauses can refer to the subject
(who, which) the sequence/time (since, while), or the causal elements
(because, if) of the independent clause.
• If a sentence begins with a dependent clause, note the comma after this
clause. If, on the other hand, the sentence begins with an independent
clause, there is not a comma separating the two clauses.
• Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma = pink, regular font;
dependent clause = blue, italics
• Here are a few examples:
• Although she completed her literature review, she still needed to
work on her methods section.
• Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
• Because he organized his sources by theme, it was easier for his
readers to follow.
• Note the comma in this sentence because it begins with a dependent clause.
• They studied APA rules for many hours as they were so interesting.
• Note that there is no comma in this sentence because it begins with an
independent clause.
Compound-Complex Sentences

• Sentence types can also be combined. A compound-complex

sentence contains at least two independent clauses and at
least one dependent clause.
• Key: independent clause = yellow, bold; comma or semicolon = pink,
regular font; coordinating conjunction = green, underlined;
dependent clause = blue, italics
• She completed her literature review, but she still needs to work on
her methods section even though she finished her methods course
last semester.
• Although he organized his sources by theme, he decided to arrange
them chronologically, and he carefully followed the MEAL plan for
organization.
• With pizza and soda at hand, they studied APA rules for many
hours, and they decided that writing in APA made sense because it
was clear, concise, and objective.
• Using some complex-compound sentences in writing allows for
more sentence variety.
• Pay close attention to comma usage in complex-compound sentences
so that the reader is easily able to follow the intended meaning.
Bibliography:
https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/grammar/sentencestructure