Learn what makes a sentence, its building blocks, and the four exciting types. Let's dive in!
Welcome, young grammarian! Every time you speak, write, or think a complete thought, you are using a sentence. But what exactly is a sentence? Let's find out!
A sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense. It begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), question mark (?), or exclamation mark (!).
A sentence must always have two essential parts:
The person, place, animal, or thing the sentence is about.
"Who or what is doing something?"
What the subject does or what is said about the subject.
"What about the subject?"
A group of words that does not make complete sense is not a sentence. It may be a phrase or a fragment.
The shortest complete sentence in English is just one word: "Go!" It is a command where the subject "you" is hidden (implied). Pretty cool, right?
Every sentence can be split into two halves: the Subject and the Predicate. Think of them as two best friends who always appear together to form a complete thought!
The subject is the part of the sentence that tells us who or what the sentence is about. It is usually a noun or a pronoun.
The predicate is the part of the sentence that tells us what the subject does or what is said about the subject. It always contains a verb.
Ask "Who?" or "What?" before the verb. The answer is your subject!
Example: "The children played in the park." → Who played? → The children = Subject.
Let's look at some sentences with the subject and predicate colour-coded!
In most English sentences, the subject comes before the verb. But in questions, the order often flips! For example: "Are you ready?" — here the verb "are" comes before the subject "you".
Not all sentences do the same job. Some make statements, some ask questions, some give orders, and some express strong feelings. Based on their purpose, sentences are divided into four types:
A declarative sentence makes a statement or gives information. It is the most common type of sentence.
An interrogative sentence asks a question. It needs an answer!
An imperative sentence gives a command, request, or instruction. The subject "you" is usually hidden (implied).
An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feelings like surprise, joy, anger, or excitement.
| Type | Purpose | Ends With | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Declarative | Makes a statement | Full stop (.) | The sky is blue. |
| Interrogative | Asks a question | Question mark (?) | Is the sky blue? |
| Imperative | Gives a command / request | Full stop (.) or ! | Look at the sky. |
| Exclamatory | Expresses strong feeling | Exclamation mark (!) | What a lovely sky! |
Some sentences can look alike! "Stop!" is imperative (it gives a command), but "What a surprise!" is exclamatory (it shows a strong feeling). Ask yourself: Is this giving an order or expressing a feeling?
In an imperative sentence, the subject is always "you", even though it is not written. For example, "(You) Close the door." This invisible subject is called the "understood subject".
Think: "D-I-I-E" — "Declare It, Inquire It, Instruct Everyone!"
The longest sentence in published English literature appears in the novel Ulysses by James Joyce. It has 4,391 words! But for your exams, shorter and clearer sentences are always better.
Can you write one sentence of each type about your favourite animal? Try it in your notebook before moving on to the exercises!
Time to test what you have learned! Try all the exercises below. Write your answers in your notebook first, then check the solutions. Good luck!
Read each sentence and write whether it is Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, or Exclamatory.
For each sentence, separate the Subject and the Predicate.
Change the type of each sentence as instructed in brackets.
Each sentence below has one or more errors in punctuation or structure. Rewrite them correctly.