4 Types of Sentences

To use any language, you have to learn its proper structure and form, as well as punctuation. Doing this will help you deliver your messages in a way people can relate to and understand. This is important because without using the right tone, your audience may be lost at what you truly mean by a given expression. Thus knowing the various types of sentences is important to delivering messages with associated intonations, feelings, and nuances that can be understood by people. For your thoughts to be clear enough, you must be able to use the right form of language, as well as correct punctuation. When you ask a question, it must be a question indeed! When you make a request, your audience must never be in doubt. When you give a command, it must be emphatic. And when you show emotion, your intentions must be clear. This is why it’s extremely important to master the structural aspect of a language – the sentence types. This will enable you to sound the same to your audience whenever you deliver a message whether in a written or spoken form.In the next couple of paragraphs, we shall be exploring the 4 types of sentences.

The 4 Types of Sentences

Sentences are divided into 4 major types based on their form and purpose. These include declarative sentences, imperative sentences, exclamatory sentences, and interrogative sentences. Let’s quickly look at each one of them.

Declarative Sentences

Declarative sentences are used whenever you need to pass information or simply express an idea or opinion. As you can see from above, declarative sentences help you to make statements. This is why they are also known as statement sentences. They are the most commonly used type of sentence. Apart from their prevalence in verbal speech, you will find them often entirely used in academic writings like formal essays and reports. Always put a period at the end of your declarative sentences.

Some good examples of declarative sentences

  • The football match will begin in three hours.
  • My husband loves drinking tea in the night.
  • I hate red color.
  • My uncle is a professional programmer.
  • April 25th is my birthday.
  • All declarative sentences are statements
  • You’re the best man for the job, Chris Thompson.

Exclamatory Sentences

Another type of sentences you will commonly come across are the exclamatory sentences. Exclamatory sentences are used whenever there’s a need to express strong emotions or feelings. This may be to show happiness, anger, doubt or something else – the type of emotion doesn’t really matter. Make sure to use an exclamation mark when ending this type of sentences. You should be careful when using exclamation sentences. In fact, it’s best to use them sparingly or never at all especially in objective and formal writings. Or else, you may not sound sincere. Some good examples of exclamatory sentences:
  • I have to go!
  • I can’t take this anymore!
  • I can’t believe we made it!
  • The match was incredible!
  • The party was exciting!
  • I got an A in my essay!
  • Oh, what a show!

Imperative sentences

Imperative sentences are also known as command sentences. They are used to give a command or instruction, or merely express a wish or desire. Depending on the nature of the message that is being passed (whether positive or negative) or the strength of emotion. These sentences are commonly ended with a period, but sometimes an exclamation mark can be used. Some good examples of imperative sentences:
  • Continue!
  • Don’t ever speak to me in that manner again.
  • Please drop your number with my secretary.
  • Give me a quick feedback.
  • Please don’t shout.
  • Come have fun with us!
  • Watch out for the next episode.
  • Don’t give up!

Interrogative Sentences

This next type of sentence is the interrogative sentence or more simply, the question sentence. This sentence type is used to ask a question and expects a question mark at the end. They are probably the easiest to spot. You can choose from any one of these keywords when composing your questions – how, do, why, when, or what. Some good examples of interrogative sentences:
  • What time is the game starting?
  • What is a vacuum?
  • Who is the man shouting outside?
  • Do you want water or juice?
  • Is it raining outside?
  • Have you eaten this morning?
  • How often do you go out on weekends?

Practical Hints on How to Use

Declarative sentences are used to show the purpose of your writing. They help readers to understand the direction you’re going with the topic. Use them in your formal articles or similar writing to relay factual information to your readers. Something like, “My favourite color is green”, is simple and easily relatable. It tells your audience exactly your best color. You use an exclamatory sentence to tell readers how you’re feeling. You can use this sentence type in situations where you need to arouse the emotion or imagination of your readers, such as creative articles or blogs. However, be careful not to use too much. When you give a command or an instruction, you want to make sure your readers understand it’s a command and will act based on it. Use words like “please” or “just” to sound more polite. So instead of saying something like “Go and wash those clothes,” you could say “Please, go and wash those clothes.” Make sure you sound clear to your reader when making interrogative sentences. Try to use direct questions instead of indirect questions to avoid getting misunderstood. So instead of saying, “I was wondering if you would like to get a sandwich with me” say “Will you like to get a sandwich with me?” The latter is more straightforward and will like to invoke a direct response.