4 English Sentence Types DECLARATIVE SENTENCE (STATEMENT) INTERROGATIVE SENTENCE (QUESTION) IMPERATIVE SENTENCE (COMMAND) EXCLAMATIVE SENTENCE (EXCLAMATION) 1. declarative sentence (statement) form function example subject + verb... make a statement John likes apple. What is the form of a declarative sentence? subject Ram + verb speaks Chinese. • The typical form (structure) of a declarative sentence is: • The final punctuation is usually a full-stop/period (.). • Declarative sentences can be in positive or negative form, and in any tense. What is the function of a declarative sentence? The usual function (job) of a declarative sentence is to make a statement. It tells us something or gives information (as opposed to a question which asks us something or wants information). Look at these examples: • Snow is white. • John was working all night. • Very few people have actually met an alien. How do we use a declarative sentence? • We use declarative sentences all the time. They are the most common of all sentence types. The three sentences in this paragraph are declarative sentences. • Look at these positive and negative examples: positive negative Two plus two makes four. Two plus two doesn't make five. I like coffee. I do not like coffee. We watched TV last night. We didn't watch TV last night. People will go to Mars in the next decade. People will never go to Mars. They have been married for over thirty years. They haven't lived together for over thirty years. 2. Interrogative Sentence (question) • Interrogative sentences ask a question. They ask us something. They want information, and they always end 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? What is the form of an interrogative sentence? auxiliary verb + Do main verb BE Were • The typical form (structure) of an interrogative sentence is: subject + you + speak subject you main verb cold? English? If we use a WHword it usually goes first: • The final punctuation is always a question mark (?). • Interrogative sentences can be in positive or negative form, and in any tense. WHword auxiliary verb When does + subject the movie + main verb start? What is the function of an interrogative sentence? • The basic function (job) of an interrogative sentence is to ask a direct question. It asks us something or requests information (as opposed to a statement which tells us something or gives information). Interrogative sentences require an answer. Look at these examples: • Is snow white? (answer → Yes.) How do we use an interrogative sentence? • We use interrogative sentences frequently in spoken and written language. They are one of the most common sentence types. Here are some extremely common interrogative sentences: • Is it cold outside? • Are you feeling better? • Was the film good? • Did you like it? • Does it taste good? • What is your name? • What's the time? • Where is the toilet please? • Where shall we go? • How do you open this? There are three basic question types and they are all interrogative sentences: • Yes/No question: the answer is "yes or no", for example: Do you want dinner? (No thank you.) • Question-word (WH) question: the answer is "information", for example: Where do you live? (In Paris.) • Choice question: the answer is "in the question", for example: Do you want tea or coffee? (Tea please.) Look at some more positive and negative examples: positive negative Does two plus two make four? Why does two plus two make four? Doesn't two plus two make five? Why doesn't two plus two make five? Do you like coffee? How do you like your coffee? Do you not drink coffee? When do you not drink coffee? Did they watch TV or go out last night? Why didn't you do your homework? When will people go to Mars? Why won't they return from Mars? How long have they been married for? Haven't they lived together for over thirty years? 3. Imperative Sentence (command) • Imperative sentences give a command. They tell us to do something, and they end with a fullstop/period (.) or exclamation mark/point (!). • The usual word order for the imperative sentence is: • base verb... 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. What is the form of an imperative sentence? • The typical form (structure) of an English imperative sentence uses the base verb with no subject. In fact, many imperative sentences consist of nothing but the verb. Look at these example structures: ...verb... verb Please Stop! verb Stop! sit here. What is the function of an imperative sentence? The usual function (job) of an imperative sentence is to give a command or instruction. It tells us to do something. Look at these examples: Help! Go now! Don't sit there. How do we use an imperative sentence? • Although we use imperative sentences to give direct commands, we can also use them to give instructions more politely than a straight command. Instructions like this are quite common, for example in a user guide to explain how to operate a machine. Imperatives can also be used with words like "please" or "kindly" to add politeness. Look at these positive and negative examples. You will notice that some of them refer to present time, some to future time and some to both: EXAMPLE CONTEXT POSITIVE NEGATIVE army Shoot! Don't move! user guide Remove the packaging. Open the blue box and connect the two wires. Do not dispose of battery in the trash. school Now wash your hands! Don't forget your homework. airplane Please remain seated until the seatbelt sign is off. Do not smoke in the toilets. hotel Kindly help yourself to fruit. Please don't forgetyour belongings. friends Please be waiting when we arrive. Don't be late! 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! The typical form (structure) of an exclamative sentence is: What What a noise [noun] they made! What a silly man [adjective + noun] he is! How sad [adjective] it was! How softly [adverb] she spoke! How he [subject] lies! How What is the function of an exclamative sentence? • The usual function (job) of an exclamative sentence is to help the speaker express a strong (often extreme) opinion about a situation—an "exclamatory statement" . It expresses our personal and magnified assessment of the situation. Look at these examples: exclamative sentence The speaker believes: What a mess you've made! You've made one hell of a mess! What a handsome man he is! He is an extremely handsome man. How disgusting it was! It was totally disgusting.
