Declarative Mood
There are different types of moods in English. Each shows a special manner toward the subject. In this article, we will focus on the declarative mood.
What Do We Mean by Declarative Mood?
Declarative mood (also called indicative mood) describes the type of sentence that makes a statement or declaration. In other words, a declarative sentence is a sentence that declares or asserts a fact, opinion, or idea. Declarative sentences are the most common type of sentence in the English language.
Word Order
A declarative statement typically starts with a subject followed by a verb and an object can follow the verb if necessary. This is the most common and expected word order for a declarative statement. However, there are cases where the word order can change or be modified for emphasis or other purposes.
Pay attention to the examples:
Peter seems friendly.
Taylor acts weird.
No Subjects
In some cases, a sentence may appear to lack a subject, especially in spoken language. However, there may be a hidden subject that is implied or understood by both the speaker and the listener. Check out the examples:
I am bored .
'What will you do?' '
Inversion
In some cases, a sentence may begin with a verb before the subject is added, especially for emphasis. This can create confusion about whether the sentence is declarative or not. However, even if the subject is added later in the sentence, if the sentence is ultimately stating a fact or expressing an opinion, it is still considered declarative. For example:
Here comes the rain again.
Affirmative or Negative
Facts can be stated in both affirmative and negative forms. Negative statements, as the name suggests, include a negation in the form of a negative verb. This is used to indicate the absence or non-existence of something or to deny a fact or assertion. For example:
I
She
a sentence in the declarative mood
Using Do, Does, Did
In affirmative sentences, it is not necessary to use auxiliary verbs (do, does, did). However, they can be used for emphasis or to indicate a specific meaning. Auxiliary verbs can also be used as the main verb in a sentence, in which case they are necessary to convey the intended meaning.
Check out the examples:
She
People
Punctuation
Do not forget that the 'declarative sentences always end in a period (.).
The bird lays five eggs per year.
Basketball players are practicing for the final game.
Tense
Declarative sentences can be used in all tenses, including past, present, and future. The tense used in a declarative sentence depends on the context and the intended message that the speaker or writer wishes to convey. Tak a look at the examples:
They
Tina
Passive or Active
Review
There are different moods in English. Declarative mood is one of the most important moods in English grammar. Let us see what it is used for:
- To express facts
- To give information
- To make arguments
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