4 Types of Sentences: English Language Sentences Explained

A complete sentence is a group of words that conveys a complete idea. Complete sentences must have at least one subject and predicate, the necessary pieces of an independent clause. A subject is the first unit of information and contains a noun; the predicate expands upon that information and contains a verb or phrase. Complete sentences start with a capital letter, and they end with a punctuation mark such as a period, exclamation point, or question mark.

In the English language, there are four different kinds of sentences. Sentence variety helps make your writing more interesting and improves readability.

1. 1. Declarative sentences: In English grammar, a declarative sentence is a sentence that makes a statement, provides a fact, offers an explanation, or conveys information. These types of sentences are also known as declarative statements. A declarative sentence is the most common type of sentence in the English language. Sentences written in the declarative form are written in the present tense and usually end with a period. Normally, the subject comes before the verb.
2. 2. Exclamatory sentences: An exclamatory sentence, also known as an exclamation sentence or an exclamative clause, is a statement that expresses strong emotion. Typically, in English grammar, exclamatory sentences end with an exclamation mark—also called an exclamation point. While exclamatory sentences are appropriate in casual settings, avoid using exclamatory sentences in all types of formal writing, including academic writing.
3. 3. Imperative sentences: An imperative sentence is a sentence that expresses a direct command, request, invitation, warning, or instruction. Imperative sentences do not have a subject; instead, a directive is given to an implied second person. For example, the sentence, “Wash the dinner plates,” commands the implied subject to wash the dishes.
4. 4. Interrogative sentences: An interrogative sentence is a sentence that asks a question. A sentence written in the interrogative form can be direct or indirect, begin with or without pronouns, and feature yes/no interrogatives, alternative questions, or tag questions. Interrogative sentences often start with interrogative pronouns and end with a question mark. Question words, typically “wh” words, include “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why,” “which,” “whose,” and “whom.” You can also use auxiliary verbs in interrogative sentences, such as “Did she mean to sound so angry?” Here, “did” is an auxiliary verb (or helping verb), transforming the sentence “she meant to sound so angry” into a question.

In the English language, there are four different types of sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.

1. 1. Simple sentences: A simple sentence contains a subject (a person or thing performing an action) and a predicate (a verb or verbal phrase that describes the action) and expresses a complete thought as an independent clause. Simple sentences do not contain dependent or subordinate clauses.
2. 2. Compound sentences: A compound sentence is a sentence that contains two or more independent clauses joined by either a linking word, such as a conjunction, or a semicolon. Put simply, a compound sentence links together two simple sentences, which are sentences with one independent clause.
3. 3. Complex sentences: A complex sentence is a sentence with one independent clause, also known as the main clause, and one or more dependent clauses, known as subordinate clauses. When the dependent clause is first in the sentence, a comma will connect the clauses. Other complex sentences link the independent and dependent clauses with subordinating conjunctions like “when,” “how,” and “if.”
4. 4. Compound-complex sentences: A compound-complex sentence contains at least three clauses—two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses—which equates to three sets of subjects and verbs. This type of sentence is a combination of a compound sentence with a complex sentence. Compound-complex sentences will typically be joined together with a coordinating conjunction as you would use in a compound sentence, with the comma placed immediately before the coordinating conjunction.

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