Sentences
A sentence is a unit of language that typically contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Follow the lesson to find out how it works.
What Are Sentences?
Sentences: Types Based on Mood
Sentences are mainly categorized into six moods as follows:
Declarative Sentences
Declarative sentences give information about something. They have a subject and a predicate which is made of a verb and sometimes an object, a subject complement, or object complement. Here are the examples.
My mother used to have long straight hair.
His father isn't rational enough to bear this.
Declarative sentences are further divided into two groups:
- negative declarative sentences
- affirmative declarative sentences
Affirmative sentences have positive verbs. We use negation rules to form negative sentences. Check out the examples.
You
We
Interrogative Sentences
We use the interrogative mood to ask questions or to ask for information about something. Usually, interrogative sentences are inverted. Here are the examples.
What was your name again?
Were you at the party last night?
Interrogative sentences are categorized into two groups:
Wh-questions start with an interrogative pronoun or adverb and yes/no questions start with an auxiliary verb. Check the examples.
A wh-question using the interrogative adverb "where"
A yes/no question using the auxiliary verb "do"
Imperative Sentences
Imperative sentences are used to give orders. They are sometimes made of only one word which is the imperative verb. Here are some examples:
Sit down!
Have fun!
English Imperative sentences are also of two types:
- imperative sentence using only one verb
- imperative sentence using a subject and a verb
The subject of an imperative sentence is the pronoun 'you' which is usually omitted because it is implied in the meaning of the imperative verb. For example:
You
Speak!
Imperative Verbs vs. 'Should' and 'Must'
Should and must are not imperative verbs. Imperative verbs can be used without subjects. However, you can never use modal verbs on their own as an imperative verb. So, if you can omit the subject without damaging the structure of the sentence, then the verb is in imperative mood.
In this example, start is an imperative verb.
In this example the verb 'must' cannot be used without a subject so it isn't an imperative verb.
Negative Imperatives
Since imperative verbs are all main verbs, to form negative imperatives all you have to do is add don't before them. For example:
Exclamatory Sentences
Subjunctive Sentences
Subjunctive sentences express hypothetical or unreal scenarios, as well as wishes and suggestions. When giving suggestions, these sentences use the basic form of the verb and when expressing wishes, they use the past form of the verb. Look at the examples:
The teacher insisted that he
I wish she
When expressing wishes with the verb "to be", all subjects take "were".
Conditional Sentences
Conditional sentences are used to introduce a condition which must be met before something else can happen. These sentences consist of two clauses. One clause introduces the condition and the other gives the result of the condition being met. The condition clause uses condition markers such as "if", "unless", "in case", etc. to introduce the condition.
I will miss my class
There are four different types of conditionals in English:
- Type zero: states a general fact or truth
- Type I: talks about a real condition or a likely situation in the future
- Type II: expresses an unreal or unlikely scenario in the present or future
- Type III: expresses an unreal or unlikely scenario in the past
Sentences: Types Based on Structure
Based on their structure, sentences are categorized into four groups:
Simple Sentences
Simple sentences consist of a single independent finite clause which has a subject as the doer of the action and a predicate which represents the action. Simple sentences are not followed by any other dependent or subordinate clauses. For example:
Compound Sentences
Compound sentences consist of two independent clauses that are joined together using a coordinating conjunction or semicolons. Here are the examples:
This is too expensive,
I want to gain weight,
Complex Sentences
Complex sentences are formed using a main clause and at least one finite dependent clause linked to the main clause. Here are the examples.
I moved out of my parents' house
You will pass
Compound-Complex Sentences
Compound-complex sentences combine compound sentences with complex sentences. In other words, a compound-complex sentence has at least two main clauses and one finite dependent clause. Here are some examples:
He cried
I am beautiful
Punctuation Marks
Every type of sentence is followed by a particular punctuation mark. You can see the punctuations used for each sentence type on the following list:
- Period: declarative sentences (.)
- Question mark: interrogative sentences (?)
- Exclamation mark: exclamatory and imperative sentences (!)
Review
Sentences are made from different words. Based on their mood they are categorized into four groups:
- declarative
- interrogatory
- imperative
- exclamatory
- subjunctive
- conditional
Based on their structure, they are categorized into four groups as well.
- simple sentences
- compound sentences
- complex sentences
- compound-complex sentences
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