Types of Sentences in English Grammar with Examples

Primarily there are four types of sentences – assertive or declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.

Before we proceed further with types of sentences and their usages, let us understand what is a sentence.

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SENTENCE

When we speak or write we use words. We generally use these words in groups to express our thoughts and feelings.  A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense.

Some examples for sentences are, A group of words that makes complete sense is called a sentence. A sentence expresses a complete thought.

• Goa has beautiful beaches.
• When did you go to Goa?
• How beautiful the sunset scene was!
• Where do you live?

Rules for the formation of sentences:

• A sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), a question mark (?), or a mark of exclamation (!).
• There must be a verb in a sentence.
• A sentence always makes complete sense.

TYPES OF SENTENCES

As stated earlier there are four types of sentences –

1. Assertive or declarative sentences,
2. Interrogative sentences,
3. Imperative sentences, and
4. Exclamatory sentences.

1. Assertive or Declarative Sentence

Assertive or Declarative sentences are those which make statements to provide information or express an opinion. Examples of assertive or declarative sentences are,

• Tansen was one of the nine gems in the court of Akbar. 
• He was born in 1506 at Bahot in Gwalior.

2. Interrogative Sentence

Interrogative sentences are those that ask questions. Examples of interrogative sentences are,

• How did Tansen become such a great singer?
• When was he born?

3. Imperative Sentence

Imperative sentences are those which express commands, requests, or advice. Examples of interrogative sentences are,

• Download some information about Tansen from the internet. (command)
• Tell me something about his early life? (request)
• Listen to classical music, it is good for the mind. (advice)

4. Exclamatory Sentence

Exclamatory sentences are those that express strong feelings. Examples of exclamatory sentences are,

• What a great singer Tansen was!
• How cold the night is!

INTERCHANGING EXCLAMATORY AND ASSERTIVE SENTENCES

We speak exclamatory sentences under the impact of strong emotions. Their word order is slightly different from that of assertive sentences. Many of them begin with ‘what’ and ‘how’:

• What a beautiful place it is!
• How melodiously the girl sings!

To change an exclamatory sentence into an assertive sentence:

1. Restore the original word order.
2. Add a word to suggest the initial force of the sentences.
3. Replace the exclamation mark with a full stop.

For example,

• How cold the night is!    —->    The night is very cold.
• How unfortunate!          —->     It is very unfortunate.

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Related Topic

• Subject and Predicate
• The Phrase and the Clause
• Parts of Speech