8 Types of Sentences in English! There are 8 types of sentences in English, each with its own unique purpose. Knowing how to use these different sentence structures correctly can help you sound more professional and eloquent when speaking or writing in English. In this blog post, we will take a closer look at each type of sentence and provide some examples of how to use them properly. So let’s get started!
Definition of a Sentence
A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought. It begins with a capital letter and ends with either:
a.) A period (.)
b.) An exclamation point (!)
c.) A question mark (?)
A sentence is very similar to a complete paragraph. If you combine all of the sentences into one paragraph, it will be about the same length as that paragraph. Sentences are important because they show the reader or listener what you are saying.
The Sentence must have…
- A subject (person, place, or thing)
- A verb (action word that represents what the subject is doing or being)
- Direct Object (person/thing being acted upon by the verb, ie “John ran” -In this sentence, John is the subject, ran is the verb and the direct object is “John”)
Different between a sentence and a phrase?
There is a big difference between a sentence and a phrase. A phrase can be made up of many different words but does not include at least one verb. For example, “In the park” is a phrase because it has multiple words but does not have at least one verb.
A sentence can be one word but must have at least one verb. For example, “Run!” is a complete sentence because it has a subject and a verb: “you” and “run”.
Phrase Definition: An informal group of words that has no subject or verb. Phrases can come before or after a sentence to add meaning, emotion, and detail to a sentence.
A Phrase: You really should do your homework tonight. (Here the phrase is after the sentence.)
A Sentence: I love my new shoes! (There is no subject or verb in this sentence so it is an informal group of words not considered a sentence.)
How to study sentences in English?
Since there are many sentences in English and each has its own purpose, you’ll want to learn which type of sentence is appropriate for a given situation. You can do this by studying examples and paying attention to the structures used in the examples.
For instance, you might see a sentence that starts with “It” and another one that starts with “Because”, and from those sentences, beginnings begin to discern how each is used. It can also help to read sentences out loud. If you say them aloud, you’ll pick up on the natural speech patterns of English much better than if you simply read them silently.
8 Types of Sentences in English
Below are 8 Types of Sentences in English:
- Simple Sentence
- Complex Sentence
- Compound Sentence
- Interrogative Sentence
- Imperative Sentence
- Compound-Complex Sentence
- Declarative Sentence
- Exclamatory Sentence
Simple Sentence:
A simple sentence is a sentence that comprises one independent clause and no dependent clauses. An example of a simple sentence is: “He goes to the store.”
Examples:
- He goes to the store.
- She walks her dog in the morning after she gets dressed and has breakfast.
Complex Sentence:
A complex sentence is a sentence that comprises an independent clause and at least one dependent clause or phrase, but not more than three or four dependent clauses or phrases. An example of a simple sentence is: “He goes to the store because he needs milk.”
Examples:
1. She will play with her cousin after she has finished her homework and had dinner.
2. Because he needed milk, he went to the store.
3. If it rains, we’ll stay home and watch movies all day.
Compound Sentence:
A compound sentence is a sentence that comprises two or more independent clauses and no dependent clauses. An example of a simple sentence is: “He goes to the store; he needs milk.”
Examples:
1. I wanted to go to the movies, but my friend wanted to stay home and watch TV
2. She studies hard for her exams, so she always gets good grades.
3. The sun was setting, and the sky turned shades of pink and orange.
Interrogative Sentence:
An interrogative sentence is a sentence that starts with an auxiliary verb or modal followed by the subject and then ends with a question mark (?). An example of an interrogative sentence is: “Does she need milk?”
Examples:
1. What will you do after school?
2. How far away does he live?
Imperative Sentence:
An imperative sentence is a sentence that starts with the subject followed by the auxiliary verb or modal, then ends in a period (.). An example of an imperative sentence is: “Go to the store.”
Examples:
1. Do your homework before you watch TV.
2. Come by if you want to play with us.
Compound-Complex Sentence:
A compound-complex sentence is a sentence that contains both simple and complex clauses. An example of a compound-complex sentence is: “She will play with her cousin after she has finished her homework and had dinner.”
Examples:
1. She will go to the store at lunchtime because she needs milk.
2. If it rains today, we’ll stay home this weekend instead of going camping.
Declarative Sentence:
A declarative sentence is a sentence that starts with the subject followed by the verb. An example of a declarative sentence is: “She walks her dog in the morning after she gets dressed and has breakfast.”
Examples:
1. The bus was late, so we missed our flight.
2. They decided to go to the movies after work instead of going home.
Exclamatory Sentence:
An exclamatory sentence is a sentence that starts with an interjection or exclamation word, then ends with an exclamation point (!). An example of an exclamatory sentence is: “Yay! I won the lottery.”
Examples:
1. Wow! That’s a huge snake!
2. Oh no! I left my wallet at home.
What are the 4 Basic Types of Sentences?
Four basic types of sentences are simple, complex, compound, and complex-compound.
Simple Sentence: A simple sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and no dependent clauses. A dependent clause must have a subject and a verb in order to be independent, even if it comes at the end of the sentence. An example of a simple sentence is, “He goes to the store.”
Complex Sentence: A complex sentence is a sentence that contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause or phrase, but not more than three or four dependent clauses or phrases. An example of a complex sentence is, “He goes to the store because he needs milk.”
Compound Sentence: A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses and no dependent clauses. An example of a compound sentence is, “He goes to the store, he needs milk.”
Complex-Compound Sentence: A complex-compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. An example of a complex-compound sentence is, “She will play with her cousin after she has finished her homework and had dinner.”
Types Of Sentences Exercises
Below are 10 questions a teacher can ask his/her students to test their understanding.
- What is a declarative sentence? Give an example.
- Identify the type of sentence: “Stop talking during the movie.”
- What is an interrogative sentence? Give an example.
- Identify the type of sentence: “What time does the train leave?”
- What is an imperative sentence? Give an example.
- Identify the type of sentence: “Don’t forget to turn off the lights.”
- What is an exclamatory sentence? Give an example.
- Identify the type of sentence: “Wow, that’s incredible!”
- Is a question an example of an imperative sentence? Why or why not?
- Rewrite the following sentence to make it an interrogative sentence: “You finished your homework early.”
Types of Sentences – Infographics
Download this lesson on sentences and their types in PDF, Here.
