Types of Sentences in English with Examples

Learning how to write and speak good sentences is the key to your success as a powerful
English communicator. However, this does not mean that you can use sentences in a similar
form throughout your speech or writing. That will only make it too monotonous and
uninteresting. So, to help you make your speech and writing interesting, this article will help
you with the different types of sentences along with examples.

The Sentence Types in English Grammar

The English language gives every learner the liberty to make good use of the language in the
best possible way. Using different types of sentences will make your speech or writing sound
and look well-structured and aid you in getting your thoughts and ideas across to your target
audience in a clear and effective manner. This will also allow you to express your emotions
and let your readers experience what you want them to experience.

The Four Different Types of Sentences

There are four different kinds of sentences in English grammar and they are as follows:
1. Declarative or Assertive Sentence – A declarative or assertive sentence is a sentence
that is informative and ends with a period or a full stop.
Examples:

 I like fantasy novels.

 There is a white house around the corner.

2. Imperative Sentence – An imperative sentence is a sentence that expresses a

command, an order, or a request.
Examples:

 Please pick up the notes when you come.

 Close the door.

3. Interrogative Sentence – An interrogative sentence is one that is used to question

something and it ends with a question mark.
Examples:

 What is the name of the movie you were watching?

 Can I come with you to the book fair?

4. Exclamatory Sentence – An exclamatory sentence is one which is used to express

sudden and strong emotions, and it ends with an exclamation mark. You can also
use interjections to form exclamatory sentences.
Examples:

 Wow, how good this is!

 That was a great match!
 WORK
1. What are the types of sentences in English?
2. Give 2 examples of the different types of sentences?
 TENSES

What Does the Word ‘Tense’ Mean?

In the English language, the word ‘tense’ is used to denote a characteristic of the verb in a
sentence. The tense of a verb is used to depict the particular time in which a specific event is
taking place.

Definition of Tense
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the term ‘tense’ is defined as “any of the forms of a
verb that may be used to show the time of the action or state expressed by the verb.” The
Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides a slightly different definition. According to it, the word
‘tense’ is defined as “a distinction of form in a verb to express distinctions of time or duration of
the action or state it denotes.”

“The tense of a verb group is its form, which usually shows whether you are referring to past,
present, or future time”, according to the Collins Dictionary, and the Cambridge Dictionary defines
‘tense’ as ”any of the forms of a verb which show the time at which an action happened.”

How Important Is it to Know about Tenses?

Tenses are often considered to be the backbone and the most fundamental element of the
English language. Without tense, everything seems to be absurd. Tenses help you describe
actions that take place at different times. It helps to give clarity to your context and the
information you are trying to convey. It also allows you to build complex sentence structures. So,
if you want to be able to convey information clearly and promptly, you should know all the twelve
tenses and how they are used.

Different Tenses in English

In English grammar, there are three main tenses, and they are each further classified into four
different forms, which sum up to twelve tenses in total. The three tenses in English are:

 Present Tense
 Past Tense
 Future Tense
The four different forms are:

 Simple Tense Form

 Continuous Tense Form
 Perfect Tense Form
 Perfect Continuous Tense Form
So, the twelve tenses in English are as follows:

 Simple Present Tense

 Present Continuous Tense
 Present Perfect Tense
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense
 Simple Past Tense
 Past Continuous Tense
 Past Perfect Tense
 Past Perfect Continuous Tense
 Simple Future Tense
 Future Continuous Tense
 Future Perfect Tense
 Future Perfect Continuous Tense

WORK

1. What is tense?
2. What is the definition of a tense?
3. What are the 12 different English tenses?
What is the Present Tense?
The present tense refers to the action or event that takes place or is taking place in the present.
It represents the current activity or the present state of being of the subject in the given context.

Definition of Present Tense

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines present tense as “the tense of a verb that expresses
action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is true at the time of speaking
and of what is habitual or characteristic or is always or necessarily true, that is sometimes used
to refer to action in the past, and that is sometimes used for future events.” According to the
Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, the present tense is “the form of a verb that expresses an action that
is happening now or at the time of speaking.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines present tense as
“the form of the verb that is used to show what happens or exists now.”

Types of Present Tense

The present tense can be used in four different forms namely,

 Simple Present Tense – used to indicate the current action or an action that takes place
regularly.
 Present Continuous Tense – used to denote an action that is continuing at the present
moment.
 Present Perfect Tense – used to indicate an action that is used to denote an action that
is indefinite and still has its effect on the subject or object in the sentence.
 Present Perfect Continuous Tense – used to represent an action that began in the recent
past and is still continuing.

Structure of Present Tense

Have a look at the following table to understand the structure of the present tense.
Examples of Present Tense
Given below are a few examples of the present tense.

 Theo sings wonderfully.

 Marley and Noah are on the way to the park.
 Does Rachel dance?
 Naveen is practising for the annual day.
 Rani has kept this notebook for so many years.
 It has been raining for quite some time now.

WORK
1. What is the present tense?
2. What is the definition of the present tense?
3. What are the different types of present tense?
4. Give some examples of present tense.

The Simple Present Tense

The simple present tense is employed in a sentence to represent an action or event that takes
place, or just happened in the given context at the present moment. The simple present is also
called as the present indefinite tense

Definition of Simple Present Tense

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the simple present tense form of the verb in a sentence
is defined as “the tense that is used to refer to events, actions, and conditions that are happening
all the time, or exist now.” The Cambridge Dictionary gives a much more elaborate definition of
the simple present tense. According to them, “the present tenses of a verb are the ones that are
used to talk about things that happen regularly or situations that exist at this time. The simple
present tense uses the base form or the ‘s’ form of a verb, as in ‘I play tennis twice a week’ and
‘She works in a bank’.”

Structure of the Simple Present Tense

The structure of the simple present tense can be understood by analysing the positive, negative,
interrogative and negative interrogative forms of the tense. Have a look at the following simple
present tense structure chart so that you can understand easily how it works.
Rules and Points to Remember When Using the Simple Present
Tense
In order to use the simple present tense accurately and effectively, there are some rules and
points you have to keep in mind. This is because of the fact that the sentence or the context
would not make sense if the verb does not agree with the subject in the sentence.

 The first thing that you should understand about the simple present tense is that the verb
mostly appears in the base form.
 This changes when a third person pronoun or subject is used in a sentence. In this case,
the verb used should be made plural.

What Do You Use the Simple Present Tense For?

The present tense can be used for various purposes. The following are the functions of the
present tense.

 Used to quote general truths and scientific facts.

 Used to denote habitual actions that happen on a daily basis or at regular intervals.
 Used to indicate unchanging events.
 Used to give directions or instructions
 Used to speak about fixed arrangements
 Used along with future constructions

Forming the Simple Present Tense – Examples

To show you how sentences are formed using the simple present tense and how they are
employed for various purposes, here are a few examples.

Indicating General Truths and Scientific Facts

  The Sun sets in the west.
 Hydrogen is the first element in the periodic table.
 Rome is the capital of Italy.

Indicating Habitual or Repeated Actions

 Everyday, I go to work by bus.
 The firm publishes their company magazine every month.
 Do you attend class regularly?

Giving Directions or Instructions

 Take right from the junction to reach the hospital.
 Close the door when you come in.
 Come home as soon as possible.

Speaking about Fixed Arrangements

 My brother’s flight arrives around 5 p.m.
 Our summer vacation starts on the 16th of April.
 Her cousin arrives tomorrow.

Using with Future Constructions

 I will meet you before you leave.
 Karishma will let you know when Sandhya arrives.
 He will give it to Sam when he comes home.

Test Your Understanding of Simple Present Tense

Fill in the blanks with the right form of the verb given in the brackets in the following sentences:

1. Do you _______ (watch) English movies?

2. I _____ (read) a lot of short stories.

3. Geetha _____ (be) a doctor.

4. Deena, Priya and Shanti _____ (be) friends.

5. He _____ (go-negative) to work regularly.

6. ______ (be) you the one who came to get the stationery for the competition?

7. _______ (take) left after the petrol bunk on the right.

8. Please _______ (switch) off the fans when you ______ (leave).

9. ______ (give) it to him when he ________ (arrive).

10. Harry told me that he will meet me before I _____ (leave) for Chennai.

Understanding the Present Continuous Tense

The Present Continuous Tense, as the name suggests, is the form of tense that is used to denote
an action that is ongoing or occuring in that current moment. It is also referred to as the present
progressive tense as they represent the action that is progressing in the present. Let us now take
a look at the definitions provided by various dictionaries about the present continuous tense.

Definition of the Present Continuous Tense

The Cambridge Dictionary defines the ‘present continuous tense’ as “the verb form used for
actions or events that are happening or developing now.” According to the Collins Dictionary, the
present continuous tense is defined as “a verb form consisting of an auxiliary be in the present
tense followed by a present participle and used especially to indicate that a present action or
event is in progress, being repeated, or of a temporary nature or to express the future.” The
present continuous tense is “the tense used to talk about actions or behaviour that are in
progress now or planned for the future”, according to the Macmillan Dictionary.

Structure of the Present Continuous Tense

There is definitely just one formula to mastering the present continuous tense and this is how it
goes.

Subject + am/is/are + present participle (verb+ing) + the rest of the sentence

However, there is something more you should pay attention to. You should also learn how the
sentences with the present continuous tense form of the verb are structured when they are
positive, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative.

Have a look at the table given below to have a deeper understanding of the structure of the
present continuous tense.

Rules and Points to Remember When Using the Present

Continuous Tense
When using the present continuous tense, make sure you follow the sentence structure exactly.

 Always start with the subject when it is a positive or negative sentence and with
the helping verb when it is in the interrogative format.
 A sentence with the present continuous tense consists of a helping verb (‘to be’ form of
verbs) and a main verb. The helping verbs can be ‘am’ for the pronoun ‘I’, ‘is’ for singular
subject and ‘are’ for a plural subject.
 Just note that like the other pronouns, the pronoun ‘am’ cannot be used in the negative
form in an interrogative sentence. Instead of ‘amn’t’, ‘aren’t’ is used.
For example:

 Amn’t I reading a newspaper? Wrong

 Aren’t I reading a newspaper? Correct
 The present continuous tense can never be used with stative verbs.

Uses of the Present Continuous Tense

Like the simple present tense, the present continuous tense is also generally used to talk about
an action that is taking place in the present. The only difference is that it denotes an action that
is continuing to happen or progressing at the current moment.

Take a look at the following points that elaborate on the more specific uses of the present
continuous tense.

 It is used to represent an action that is happening or progressing in the moment that the
speaker is speaking.
For example:

 My son is working on his science project.

 Santana is singing Don’t Rain on my Parade.
 It is used to depict a future event or arrangement.
For example:

 What are you planning to do tomorrow?
 I heard that Rachel is moving to Paris next month.
 It is used to denote an action that is going on or continuing at the time of speaking.
For example:

 Is she still working at the National Institute of Medical Sciences?

 I am currently taking guitar lessons so that I could play for your wedding.

Examples of Present Continuous Tense

Going through more and more examples can only make you an expert in the particular subject or
topic. So , here you go. Check out the examples of sentences using the present continuous tense
given below.

10 Sentences Using the Present Continuous Tense

 My mom is cooking dinner.
 The band is playing all the classics.
 Monica and Rachel are going on a trip tomorrow.
 Sheethal is not practising for the final audition.
 I am trying out something new.
 They are not travelling to London next week.
 Are you watching a movie tonight?
 Is your phone working properly now?
 The children are loving the new park.
 Diana is playing the main role in the play.

Test Your Understanding of the Present Continuous Tense

Having gone through all the given examples, you should have understood really well. Check your
understanding of the present continuous tense by filling in the blanks in the following sentence
with the right form of tense using the verbs given in the brackets.

1. ______ the clock ________ (work)?

2. The teachers ___________ (plan) to dance to all the latest songs on Childrens Day.

3. ______ she ___________ (play – negative) the piano anymore?

4. The dog __________ (run) all around the garden.

5. We ____________ (go – negative) to the party tomorrow.

6. The Bellas ___________ (perform) the songs of the 80s.

7. Will, Smith and Sherlock ___________ (dance) well.

8. _______ I __________ (look) good today?

9. Trinita and Vinitha ____________ (ride) on their new cat.

10. _____ he still ________ (stand) there?

The Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense, in English, is used to represent an action/event that took place in the past.
With many verbs, the simple past tense is formed by adding an ‘ed’ or a ‘d’ to the end of the base
verb. However, there are other verbs which behave differently and take different spellings when
used in the simple past form.

Definition of Simple Past Tense

The ‘simple past tense’, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “the form of a verb
used to describe an action that happened before the present time and is no longer happening. It
is usually made by adding -ed.” The Collins Dictionary defines the ‘simple past tense’ as “a tense
used to refer to the past.” The Macmillan Dictionary defines the simple past tense as “the tense
used to talk about habitual actions, behaviour, or situations that happened or existed before
now.”

Structure of the Simple Past Tense

Learning the structure of the simple past tense can be made simple if you analyse how the tense
is used in the positive, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative formats. Look at the
table below to have a better understanding of the same.
Rules and Points to Remember When Using the Simple Past
Tense
When conjugating a verb in the simple past tense, there are a few points you have to remember
and bear in mind.

 Conjugating regular verbs – In order to present the main verb in the sentence, you just
have to add ‘-ed’ to the end of the regular verb and ‘-d’ to the end of a regular verb which
ends with an ‘e’.
For example: Reach – reached, kick – kicked, walk – walked, confess – confessed, work –

worked

Like – liked, introduce – introduced, force – forced, announce – announced,

` notice – noticed

 Verbs that remain the same – Some verbs take the same spelling as the base verb and
remain the same in the past tense.
For example: Cut – cut, put – put, hurt – hurt, set – set, hit – hit

 Verbs that take different spelling patterns – Irregular verbs are seen to follow different
spelling patterns and there is no rule as such to explain why they are so.
For example: Buy – bought, think – thought, draw – drew, drink – drank, see – saw

What Do You Use the Simple Past Tense For?

The simple past tense can be used to,

 Refer to an action or event that happened in the past

 Speak about something that was true for some time in the past
 Explain something that happened more than once in the past
Forming the Simple Past Tense – Examples
To help you understand how the simple past tense can be used, here are a few examples.

Referring to an action that happened in the past

 We went to the park yesterday evening.
 I totally forgot about the meeting.
 Manu opened the door for the guests.

Referring to an action that was true for some time in the past
 Karthik played tennis when he was in school.
 Miss Holly worked as a guest lecturer at our college.
 Santana used to love reading fantasy novels when she was younger.

Referring to an action that took place several times in the past

 I worked as an academic counsellor for six months.
 We enjoyed playing Pictionary every time we met.
 My father dropped me at school every day till I entered high school.

Test Your Understanding of Simple Past Tense

Fill in the blanks with the simple past tense of the verbs mentioned in the brackets:

1. I _____ (pay) the bills already.

2. The teacher ________ (motivate) her kids to stand up for themselves and their fellow
classmates.

3. Reena ______ (to be) a student at Delhi University.

4. ______ you ______ (finish – interrogative) the science and maths assignments?

5. Tina __________ (know – negative) about yesterday’s test.

6. _________ he ________ (complete – negative interrogative) the paper yet?

7. Rahul __________ (play) basketball in college.

8. Will and Emma _________ (to be) at the fair.

9. Manish _________ (sell) all the sachets.

10. I _________ (think) about it but I don’t think it will work.

The Simple Future Tense – What Is It?

The simple future tense is a tense that is used to represent an action that takes place in the
future. One fact that you should keep in mind is that a simple future tense action starts and
finishes in the future itself.

Check out the following definitions provided by various dictionaries to have a better idea of what
the simple future tense is.

Definition of the Simple Future Tense

The simple future tense, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “the form of
a verb that expresses what will happen after the present.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
defines the simple future tense as “a verb tense that is used to refer to the future.” “A tense of
verbs used when the action or event described is to occur after the time of utterance”, is the
definition of the simple future tense according to the Collins Dictionary. The Macmillan
Dictionary defines the simple future tense as the tense that depicts actions or events “expected
to exist or happen during the time following the present time.”

Structure and Formula of the Simple Future Tense

Let us look at the structure and formula of the simple future tense. First, take a look at the
formula to find out how the simple future tense works.

The formula of the simple future tense is as follows:

Subject + Helping verb (will) + base form of the verb + the rest of the sentence
Now, try analysing the structure of the simple future tense and how the sentence structure
changes when used in the positive, negative, interrogative and negative interrogative format.

Another verb usage to represent the simple future tense is the ‘to be’ form of the verb along with
‘going to’. Take a look at the following table to understand how it works.
What Do You Use the Simple Future Tense For?
Knowing all the situations in which the simple future tense can be used will allow you to use the
tense effectively. Here is a glimpse of the various ways in which the simple future tense can be
used.

 To represent events or actions that are about to take place in the near future.
 To make guesses or predictions about someone or something in the future.
 To state or express some factual statement about the future.
 To ask questions about something or someone doing something in the future.
 To think about future consequences, conditions or possibilities.
 To give orders or make commands as in imperative sentences.

Forming the Simple Future Tense – Examples

Look at the following examples and try to comprehend how the simple future tense can be used
for the various uses as stated above.

Representing events or actions that are about to happen in the near future

 Danny and Sid will go to the gym in the evening.

  Agnes will be here in an hour.

Making guesses or predictions about the future

 The weather forecast said that there will be hail storms tomorrow.

 I guess the red curtain will look good for the backdrop.

Expressing a factual statement about the future

 The house they are looking for will cost them a fortune.

 The country will see a change in the weather next month like it has never before.

Asking questions about the future

 Will you be able to complete it in time?

 Won’t she be ready to give the chief guest address on the annual day?

Thinking about future consequences, possibilities or conditions

 Larry told me that he will be able to come to the party only if his sister agrees to drop him
off at the venue.
 If she does not take this seriously, she will get into a lot of trouble.

Giving orders or commands

 You will have to submit all your assignments by Monday.

 You will need to provide all the supporting documents if you want the loan to be
sanctioned as soon as possible.
Test Your Understanding of the Simple Future Tense
Fill in the blanks with the right form of the simple future tense in the following sentences:

1. Quinn __________ (sing) at the final auditions.

2. Madame Smith _________ (be) the judge for the cultural competitions.

3. _________ you __________ (finish – negative interrogative) writing the song before the event?

4. I don’t think he ____________ (enjoy) something like this.

5. Sandy had told me that it _____________ (rain – negative) today.

6. ________ Adharsh ____________ (visit) you or not?

7. Amal ____________ (arrive – negative) in time for the reception.

8. Santana _____________ (be) your partner for the dance.

9. Do you think it ____________ (matter) to them at all?

10. Abdul ____________ (give) you all the instructions regarding what should be done when you
get here.
Passive Voice
What is the passive voice?
In general we tend to use the active voice. That is when a subject does an
action to an object.

1. Somebody stole my laptop. (subject = Somebody / action(verb) =

stole / object = my laptop)
The passive voice is used when we want to emphasize the action (the
verb) and the object of a sentence rather than subject. This means that the
subject is either less important than the action itself or that we don’t know
who or what the subject is.

1. My laptop was stolen. (The object – now the subject = My laptop /

action= was stolen)
1. Passive: Napa Valley is known for its excellent wines.
2. Active: [Many people] know Napa Valley for its excellent wines.
1. Passive: Twenty civilians were killed in the bomb explosion.
2. Active: Someone killed twenty civilians in the bomb explosion.

The passive agent

When we know who the subject is, we put it at the end with by. We call this
an agent.

1. Passive: The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. (agent

=Leonardo Da Vinci )
2. Active: Leonaro Da Vinci painted the Mona Lisa.
Most writing instructors and editors recommend against using the passive
voice, when possible. The reason for this is that when you use the active
voice, your writing is clearer and less complicated.

1. Active: While Mr. Taylor was driving down Highway 101, a police
officer pulled him over and gave him a speeding ticket.
2. Passive: While Mr. Taylor was driving down Highway 101, he was
pulled over and given a ticket by a police officer.
If it’s a long sentence and you know who the subject is, it’s best to use the
active voice.
The passive is often used to report something or to state a fact.

1. Highway 15 was closed yesterday due to a serious road accident.

2. A lot of corn is grown in Iowa.
Forming the passive voice
The passive voice is not a tense in English. Each tense has its own passive
voice which is created by using a form of the auxiliary verb to be + V3
(past participle)
The passive voice in each tense:
All of the rules for passive negatives and questions are the same as for the
active voice.
Note: Verbs that have no object (no one to “receive” the action) cannot be
put into the passive, such as, arrive, come, die, exist, go, happen, have,
live, occur sleep, etc.

Passive Voice – Exercises

Fill in the correct passive form of the verb in parentheses.

1. After the earthquake, aid was sent to the people of Haiti. (sent)

2. The electricity was cut off because the bill hadn’t been paid. (not pay)
1. Penicillin ______ by Alexander Fleming in 1928. (discover)
2. Statements ______ from all the witnesses at this moment. (take)
3. Whales ______ by an international ban on whaling. (must protect)
4. Both weddings _______ by Good Taste. (cater)
5. A Picasso ____ from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.(steal)
6. ____ this washing machine ______in Germany? (make)
7. Tea _____ in China. (grow)
8. When we reached the airport, we found that all the flights____ due to
the storm. (cancel)
9. The fax _____ until tomorrow morning. (not send)
10. The soundtrack of a movie _____ always _____ after the
filming is finished. (is/add)