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What is a sentence?

A sentence is the largest unit of any language. In English, it begins with a capital letter
and ends with a full-stop, or a question mark, or an exclamation mark.
The sentence is generally defined as a word or a group of words that expresses a thorough
idea by giving a statement/order, or asking a question, or exclaiming.

Definition of Sentence:
“A combination of words that makes a complete sense is called a sentence.” - J.C.
Nesfield
“A group of words which makes a complete sense is called a sentence” - Wren &
Martin

There are five kinds of sentence in English

1. Assertive or Declarative
2. Interrogative
3. Imperative
4. Exclamatory
5. Optative

1. Assertive/Declarative Sentence:
✓ These sentences are divided into two parts “Affirmative and Negative”
✓ The sentence which declares or asserts a statement, feeling, opinion, incident,
event, history, or anything.
✓ An assertive sentence ends with a period (.).

Structure:
Affirmative: Subject + helping verb + main verb + object.

Negative: Subject + helping verb + not + main verb + object.

Examples:

1. Alex is a good baseball player.

2. He plays for the Rockers club.
3. He always gives his best effort in the team.
4. He is a good leader.
5. I like him for his intensity.
6. He plays with passion.
7. Alex feels awkward when someone gives a compliment to him.
8. He is a humble man.

Interrogative Sentence:
✓ The sentence which asks a question is an interrogative sentence.
✓ This kind of sentence usually ends with a note of interrogation (?) instead of a
period (.).
✓ An interrogative sentence can be either affirmative or negative.

Structure:
Interrogative Helping verb + subject + not + main verb + object?

Question word + helping verb + subject + not + main verb

+ object?

Note: “Not” is optional in “Interrogative sentences”.

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Examples:
1. Do you want to go there?
2. Did you see her?
3. Have you watched the movie?
4. How often do you go there?
5. Have you been there before?
6. Can you help me get rid of this dog?
7. Can I borrow your grammar book for a day?
8. Could you please help me with these bags?
9. Do you know who she is?

Imperative Sentence:
✓ The sentence which is used to convey a command, a request, or a forbiddance is
called an imperative sentence.
✓ This type of sentence always takes the second person (you) for the subject but
most of the time the subject remains hidden.
✓ It starts with “first form of the verb”
✓ It starts with “let”
✓ It starts with “don’t”

Examples:
1. Bring me a glass of water.
2. Don’t ever touch my phone.
3. Give me a pen and a pencil.
4. Play with intensity and courage.
5. Remember me when we are parted.
6. Never forget the person who loves you.
7. Take a step and don’t move.
8. Don’t be excited about everything without reason.

Exclamatory Sentence:
✓ The sentence which expresses a sudden and intense excitement, disgust,
admiration, shock, or sorrow, etc. is called an exclamatory sentence.
✓ This kind of sentence must have a note of exclamation (!) at the end or in the
middle of the sentence.

Example:
1. Hey! Don’t touch my phone.
2. Alas! I could not be at her funeral.
3. Hush! Your father is sleeping.
4. What a boring day!
5. How disgusting it becomes when he opens his mouth!
6. What a nice car you have!
7. What a plunge!
8. How gorgeous the dress is!

Optative Sentence:
✓ The sentence which expresses a prayer, keen wish, curse etc. is called an optative
sentence.
✓ This kind of sentence generally starts with ‘may’ and ‘wish’. Sometimes, ‘may’
remains hidden.

Examples:
1. May the king of Westeros live long!
2. Long live the king of Westeros.
3. May you two live long enough to see your grandchildren!
4. May God bless us all.

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5. May you become successful enough to buy love!

6. May the almighty help in this tragedy!
7. Wish you a very successful married life.
8. Wish you a happy journey together.
9. May your team win the match!

Structurally, sentences are of three types:

1. Simple sentence
2. Compound sentence
3. Complex sentence, and
Simple sentence
✓ A simple sentence must have a single clause (a single verb) which is independent,
and it cannot take another clause.
Example:
I always wanted to become a writer. (One clause – one verb)

Compound sentence
✓ A compound sentence must have more than one independent clause with no
dependent clauses. Some specific conjunctions, punctuation, or both are used to
join together these clauses.
Example:
I always wanted to become a writer, and she wanted to become a doctor. (Two
independent clauses – two verbs)

Complex sentence
✓ A complex sentence also has more than one clause but of one them must be an
independent clause and the other/others must be (a) dependent clause(es). There
are also some particular connectors for the clauses of a complex sentence to be
connected.
Example:
I know that you always wanted to be a writer. (Here, a dependent clause is followed by a
connector and an independent clause. The other way around is also possible.)

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