TYPES OF SENTENCES

TYPES OF SENTENCES

In writing and speaking, there are four basic types of sentences that we use for different purposes:

declarative sentences

interrogative sentences

imperative sentences

exclamatory sentences

These different kinds of sentences in English allow us to express ourselves clearly. Using a variety of sentences in your writing will add interest and help you get your ideas across effectively. To communicate clearly, it's important to know the function of each type of sentence so you can make the right choice, depending on your purpose.

Declarative Sentences

A declarative sentence is the most basic type of sentence. Its purpose is to relay information, and it is punctuated with a period. For example:

The boy walked home.

I love honey.

He wants to eat cookies, but he doesn't know how to make them.

As you can see, these sentences make statements, whether of fact or opinion. Declarative sentences can be simple, as in the first two examples, or compound, as in the final example. They can also be in any tense, as long as they do their basic job of presenting information. This makes them the most common sentence type.

Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences interrogate, or ask questions. These are direct questions, and they are punctuated with a question mark. For example:

Why does the sun shine?

Whose dog is that?

Will Sherri get to keep all her lottery winnings?

Many interrogative sentences start with question words like "how" or "why," but others are yes/no questions that begin with the verb instead of the noun. It is important to remember that interrogative sentences still require a noun and a verb to be complete.

Exclamatory Sentences

Exclamatory sentences are like declarative sentences in that they make a statement instead of asking a question, but their main purpose is to express strong emotion. They are easily recognized because they end in an exclamation point instead of a period:

I said I wanted tacos instead of pizza!

How well he sings!

Wow, he just won a gold medal!

Notice that each one of these examples contains both a subject and a verb, which is still a requirement for a complete sentence. Exclamatory sentences are often used in casual conversation and in written dialogue to show emotion, but they are not typically useful in academic or expository writing. In these more serious works, it's better to make your point with well-written declarative sentences instead.

Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences do not simply state a fact but rather tell someone to do something. These can be in the form of friendly advice, basic instructions or more forceful commands. For example:

Please shut the door to keep out the bugs.

Turn left at the bridge.

Stop bothering me!

Many imperative sentences end in periods, but some of the more forceful demands may end in an exclamation point to highlight the emotion. You can identify an imperative sentence because it appears to be missing a subject. The subject of the sentence may be omitted, but it's called "you understood" because the reader is aware that each sentence could be written as "you do this" or "you do that."

Using Different Sentence Types in Your Writing

Though declarative sentences are by far the most common sentence type, they can lead to dull writing if used exclusively. Take the following paragraph as an example:

I will show you how to make a snowflake. Paper snowflakes are easy to make and can even get addictive once you learn the techniques. The steps outlined below will help you get started.

All three of these sentences are declarative, so the piece begins to sound a little flat. By contrast, see what happens when a variety of sentence types are used instead:

Are you ready to learn how to make snowflakes? Paper snowflakes are easy to make, but be careful! They can get addictive once you learn the basic techniques. Follow the steps below to get started.

As you can see, the paragraph above used one of each of the sentence types, and the result is a more interesting piece. This is appropriate for writing with a casual, friendly tone, and in many works of creative writing. Be careful with more formal writing. In the case of expository writing, declarative sentences are the most appropriate choice.

Using the right type of sentence in your writing depends on your intention:

To relay information or to answer a question, use a declarative sentence.

To ask a direct question, choose an interrogative sentence.

To tell someone what to do, use an imperative sentence.

To show extra emotion use an exclamatory sentence

The 4 English Sentence Types

There are four types of English sentence, classified by their purpose:

declarative sentence (statement)

interrogative sentence (question)

imperative sentence (command)

exclamative sentence (exclamation)

form	function	example sentence (clause)	final 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 something	Stop! Close the door.	! or .
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:

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 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?

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!

Read the following sentences and state their kind.

1. Please leave your footwear outside.

Declarative

Imperative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

2. Will you wait here?

Declarative

Imperative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

3. Where have you been all this while?

Declarative

Imperative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

4. We will not tolerate this.

Declarative

Imperative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

5. I am your friend.

Declarative

Imperative

Exclamatory

Interrogative

6. My sister lives in Mexico.

Declarative

Interrogative

Imperative

Exclamatory

7. What did you do then?

Interrogative

Declarative

Imperative

Exclamatory

8. Do be a bit more careful.

Declarative

Imperative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

9. Never speak to me like that again.

Declarative

Imperative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

10. Always remember what I told you.

Declarative

Imperative

Exclamatory

Interrogative

11. The ball rolled slowly into the goal.

Declarative

Interrogative

Exclamatory

Imperative

Answers

1. Please leave your footwear outside. (Imperative sentence)

2. Will you wait here? (Interrogative sentence)

3. Where have you been all this while? (Interrogative sentence)

4. We will not tolerate this. (Declarative sentence)

5. I am your friend. (Declarative sentence)

6. My sister lives in Mexico. (Declarative sentence)

7. What did you do then? (Interrogative sentence)

8. Do be a bit more careful. (Imperative sentence)

9. Never speak to me like that again. (Imperative sentence)

10. Always remember what I told you. (Imperative sentence)

11. The ball rolled slowly into the goal. (Declarative sentence)

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

                                  

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

The future continuous tense, sometimes also referred to as the future progressive tense, is a verb tense that indicates that something will occur in the future and continue for an expected length of time. It is formed using the construction will + be + the present participle (the root verb + -ing).

The simple future tense is used when an action is expected to occur in the future and be completed. For example, let’s suppose you have a meeting tomorrow at five o’clock.

I will arrive at five o’clock.

I will arrive is the simple future tense of the verb to arrive. You arrive once; beyond that, you can’t keep on arriving. However, once you get there, you may be doing something that goes on continuously, at least for a certain period of time.

At five o’clock, I will be meeting with the management about my raise.

Will be meeting is the future continuous tense of the verb to meet. The construction will + be + the present participle meeting indicates that the meeting isn’t going to happen in an instant, all at once. It will have a duration. The will + be + present participle construction always indicates the future continuous tense.

·         Michael will be running a marathon this Saturday.

·         Eric will be competing against Michael in the race.

·         I will be watching Michael and Eric race.

The Future Continuous Tense Is for Action Verbs Only

It is important to note that the future continuous tense is only used with action verbs, because it is possible to do them for a duration. (Action verbs describe activities like running, thinking, and seeing. Stative verbs describe states of existence, like being, seeming, and knowing.) To use the will + be + present participle construction with a stative verb would sound very odd indeed.

1.       I will be being stressed tomorrow during my science test.

I will be stressed tomorrow during my science test.

2.       When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will be seeming like a distant memory.

When the sun comes out tomorrow, winter will seem like a distant memory.

3.       After I study, I will be knowing all the answers for the test.

After I study, I will know all the answers for the test.

Make sentences in the future continuous tense.

1. At this time tomorrow, I ..................................

will leave

would leave

will be leaving

2. The baby ....................................... soon.

will walk

would walk

will be walking

3. What ........................................... this evening?

will you do

will you be doing

4. Summer term ...................................... on 20th.

will start

will be starting

5. She ........................................ with us.

will come

will be coming

6. The plane ........................................... at 3 o’clock.

will leave

will be leaving

will have left

7. I .......................................... of you.

will think

will be thinking

would be thinking

8. He ............................................ the conference.

will attend

will be attending

would be attending

Answers

1. At this time tomorrow, I will be leaving.

2. The baby will be walking soon.

3. What will you be doing this evening?

4. Summer term will be starting on 20th.

5. She will be coming with us.

6. The plane will be leaving at 3 o’clock.

7. I will be thinking of you.

8. He will be attending the conference.

Future Continuous Tense Exercise

At three o’clock tomorrow…

1. I ________________________ (work) in my office.

2. You ________________________ (lie) on the beach.

3. He ________________________ (wait) for the train.

4. She ________________________ (shop) in New York.

5. It ________________________ (rain).

6. We ________________________ (get) ready to go out.

7. They ________________________ (meet) their parents.

8. He ________________________ (study) in the library.

9. She ________________________ (exercise) at the gym.

10. I ________________________ (sleep).

Answers:

At three o’clock tomorrow…

1. I’ll be working in my office.

2. You’ll be lying on the beach.

3. He’ll be waiting for the train.

4. She’ll be shopping in New York.

5. It’ll be raining.

6. We’ll be getting ready to go out.

7. They’ll be meeting their parents.

8. He’ll be studying in the library.

9. She’ll be exercising at the gym.

10. I’ll be sleeping.

Complete the sentences.

Questions :

1.       I guess you ______________________________(feel) thirsty after working in the sun.

2.       You ______________________________(wait) for her when her plane arrives tonight.

3.       You ______________________________(miss) the sunshine once you are back in England.

4.       I ______________________________(see) Jim at the conference next week.

5.       When he is in Australia, he ______________________________(stay) with his friends.

6.       I ______________________________(eat) with Jane this evening so I can tell her.

7.       Just think, next Monday you ______________________________(work) in your new job.

8.       In an hour, I ______________________________(sit) in front of my TV.

9.       Tomorrow at this time, I ______________________________(take) my English language exam.

10.   You ______________________________(work) with Miss Cool again when you turn up for work tomorrow.

ANSWERS:

1.       will be feeling

2.       will be waiting

3.       will be missing

4.       will be seeing

5.       will be staying

6.       will be eating

7.       will be working

8.       will be sitting

9.       will be taking

10.   will be working

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE

The past continuous tense, also known as the past progressive tense, refers to a continuing action or state that was happening at some point in the past. The past continuous tense is formed by combining the past tense of to be (i.e., was/were) with the verb's present participle (-ing word).

EXAMPLES

The sun was shining every day that summer.

As I spoke, the children were laughing at my cleverness.

The audience was applauding until he fell off the stage.

I was making dinner when she arrived.

At 6 o'clock, I was eating dinner.

She was talking constantly in class in those days

Past Continuous Forms

The past continuous is formed using was/were + present participle. Questions are indicated by inverting the subject and was/were. Negatives are made with not.

• Statement: You were studying when she called.
• Question: Were you studying when she called?
• Negative: You were not studying when she called.

Past Continuous Uses

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the past continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the simple past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

• I was watching TV when she called.
• When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
• While we were having the picnic, it started to rain.
• What were you doing when the earthquake started?
• I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the fire alarm.
• You were not listening to me when I told you to turn the oven off.
• While John was sleeping last night, someone stole his car.
• Sammy was waiting for us when we got off the plane.
• While I was writing the email, the computer suddenly went off.
• A: What were you doing when you broke your leg?
  B: I was snowboarding.

USE 2 Specific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the past continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the simple past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.
• At midnight, we were still driving through the desert.
• Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk at work.

IMPORTANT

In the simple past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the past continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.

Examples:

• Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.I started eating at 6 PM.
• Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the process of eating dinner.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the past continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

Examples:

• I was studying while he was making dinner.
• While Ellen was reading, Tim was watching television.
• Were you listening while he was talking?
• I wasn't paying attention while I was writing the letter, so I made several mistakes.
• What were you doing while you were waiting?
• Thomas wasn't working, and I wasn't working either.
• They were eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

USE 4 Atmosphere

In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

Example:

• When I walked into the office, several people were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each

Fill in the blanks with appropriate past continuous form of the verb given in the brackets.

1. I …………………….. TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

am watching

was watching

watched

2. I …………………… all day yesterday.

painted

was painting

have painted

3. They ………………………… the whole time they were together.

quarreled

are quarreling

were quarreling

4. As I …………………….. down the road, I saw Philip.

am walking

walked

was walking

5. The phone rang while I …………………………. dinner.

am having

had

was having

6. It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year.

lived

was living

am living

7. When I entered her room, she ………………………. the piano.

played

playing

was playing

8. When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….

shining

was shining

is shining

9. At the time when it happened, I ……………………… to the opera a lot.

Went

was going

am going

Answers

1. I was watching TV at eight o’clock yesterday evening.

2. I was painting all day yesterday.

3. They were quarreling the whole time they were together.

4. As I was walking down the road, I saw Philip.

5. The phone rang while I was having dinner.

6. It happened while I was living in Southampton last year.

7. When I entered her room, she was playing the piano.

8. When I got up this morning, the sun was shining.

9. At the time when it happened, I was going to the opera a lot.

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF THE VERB

1. Mary  (eat) when the bell rang.

2. Though it  (rain) we went to the cinema last night.

3. When he arrived, we (not/study) any longer.

4. The teacher (write) in the book he was reading.

5. Although my friend  (become) poor, he was still happy.

6. They (build) a new bridge to replace the one that had collapsed.

7. The teacher (punish) us because we cried a lot.

8. The parents  (teach) their children proper eating habits.

9. The dog (not/bark) when I went out last night.

10. While I  (sleep), John stole my pen.

ANSWERS

1.       Mary was eating  when the bell rang.

2.       2. Though it was raining we went to the cinema last night.

3.       3. When he arrived, we were not studying

4.       4. The teacher was writing in the book he was reading.

5.       5. Although my friend was becoming poor, he was still happy.

6.       They were building a new bridge to replace the one that had collapsed.

7.       The teacher was punishing us because we cried a lot.

8.       The parents were teaching their children proper eating habits.

9.       The dog was not barking when I went out last night.

10.    While I was sleeping, John stole my pen.     

FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH PAST CONTINUOUS FORM OF A VERB

1.     I …………………… all day yesterday. ...

2.     They ………………………… the whole time they were together. ...

3.     As I …………………….. ...

4.     The phone rang while I …………………………. ...

5.     It happened while I ……………………….. in Southampton last year. ...

6.     When I entered her room, she ………………………. ...

7.     When I got up this morning, the sun ………………………….