Sentence: Definition, Types, Examples and Structures

Sentence

Objectives

After the completion of this unit, you would be able to−

• define sentences and their parts --- Subject and Predicate.

• indentify Subject and Predicate.

• use four kinds of sentences Declarative, Interrogative, Imperative, Exclamatory.

• use their kinds of sentences- Simple, Complex, Compound.

Overview:

Lesson 1: Subject and Predicate

Lesson 2: Four Functions of Sentences

Lesson 3: Three Structures of Sentences

Answer Key

Lesson 1 : Subject and Predicate

Sentence:

A sentence consists of a subject, a verb and an object or a complement. Essentially, a sentence consists of a subject and a verb. A simple sentence is made up of two parts, a subject and a predicate.

Subject:

The subject of a sentence is a word or a group of words that says who or what does something.

Usually, the subject is a noun or noun phrase or pronoun.

Examples:

Golam is a thief.

He was arrested last night.

In the first sentence --- ‘Golam’, the subject, is a noun. In the second sentence, ‘He’, the subject, is a pronoun.

If a sentence is questioned by ‘who’ or what’ --- subject is the answer.

Predicate

The predicate of a sentence says something about the action of the subject. After the subject, the whole part of the sentence is a predicate, including the main verb or auxiliary verb.

Examples:

Lions roar.

He loves her very much.

In the first sentence, the verb ‘roar’ is a predicate. In the second sentence, the verb and the extended portion ‘loves her very much’ is a predicate.

Exercise

Here are a few sentences. Indentify subject and predicate in the following sentences:

1. Horses run.

2. She laughed.

3. What he says is right.

4. A few eggs are rotten.

5. The sun rises in the east.

6. Shut the door.

7. Please find my key.

8. Is this your jacket?

9. Is your house ready for visitors?

10. Have you brushed your teeth today?

Answer Key

Question	Subject	Predicate
1	Horses	run
2	She	laughed
3	What he says	is right
4	A few eggs	are rotten
5	The sun	rises in the east
6	You (invisible in imperative statements, learn	Shut the door
	imperative sentences in Unit 1 Lesson 3)
7	You (invisible in imperative statements, learn	Please find my key
	imperative sentences in Unit 1 Lesson 3)
8	this	Is … your jacket?
9	your house	Is … ready for visitors?
10	you	Have … brushed your teeth
		today?

Lesson 2 : Four Functions of Sentences

Function of Sentences:

Every sentence does one of four functions. It must make a statement, issue a command, ask a question, or exclaim an emotion or idea. Because of this, we can understand sentence types by analyzing the function that the sentence does.

Sentences are of four kinds according to their functions:

1. Declarative (statement)

2. Interrogative (questions)

3. Imperative (commands)

4. Exclamatory (exclamations)

5. Optative.

i) Declarative Sentences

Declarative sentences make statements. Most sentences are declarative.

The structure of a statement is: Subject + verb + other words.

Examples:

I like pizza.

This is easy.

He plays football.

They are learning grammar.

In each of these sentences the speaker makes a declaration. So, they are declarative sentences.

Kinds of Declarative Statements

There are three kinds of declarative statements:

1. Affirmative

2. Negative

3. Emphatic

Formation of Affirmative, Negative and Emphatic Statements

Negative and emphatic statements are formed by placing auxiliary verbs before the main verb.

Structure of Negative Statements: Subject + auxiliary verb + not + extensions

Structure of Emphatic Statements: Subject + do/did/does + extensions

Affirmative	Negative	Emphatic
I like fish	I do not like fish.	I do like fish.
He loves her.	He does not love her.	He does love her.
She told a lie.	She did not tell a lie.	She did tell a lie.
He has (got) a car	He has not got a car	He does have a car.

ii) Interrogative Sentences

Interrogative sentences ask questions. Because of this, all interrogative sentences end with a question mark.

Structure of Interrogative Sentence:

1. ‘Wh’ word (Where/When/What/Who/Which/How) + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + question mark

2. Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb + extension + question mark

Examples

1. Where are you going?

2. Do you want to study?

In each case, the speaker requests information. Because of this, both sentences end with question marks.

Formation of Interrogatives

1. A statement with an auxiliary verb is made interrogative by the inversion of the subject and verb :

Statement	Questions
He is tall	Is he tall?
They are teachers.	Are they teachers?
She can do this sum.	Can she do this sum?
He should work hard.	Should he work hard?

2. A statement with a main verb is made interrogative by introducing an auxiliary verb and placing it at the beginning of question:

Statement	Questions
They play cricket on Fridays.	Do they play cricket on Fridays?
He helps her always.	Does he help her always?
She can do this sum.	Can she do this sum?

Formation of Negative Interrogatives

A positive interrogative is made a negative interrogative by placing not after the subject:

Do they not play tennis?

However, if the contracted form n’t is used, it goes with the auxiliary which precedes the subject:

	Interrogative	Negative interrogative
	Do they play tennis?	Don’t they play tennis? / Do they not play tennis?
	Did you win the match?	Didn’t you win the match?
Kinds of Questions:
There are six kinds of questions:
i)	Yes/no questions
ii)	Alternative questions
iii) Question word questions
iv) Rhetorical questions
v)	Emphatic questions
vi)	Question tags

Yes/no questions

They begin with auxiliary verbs and require short answers that are yes or no. The structure of a short answer is:

Yes + subject (pronoun) + auxiliary verb

No + subject (pronoun) + auxiliary verb + n’t

Questions	Short Answers (Affirmative)	Short Answers (Negative)
Is Sujatha a doctor?	Yes, she is.	No, she isn’t

N.B.: In a short answer the subject is always a pronoun, not a noun.

Alternative Questions

In alternative questions, there is more than one question joined by ‘or’:

Do you like Maths or Science?

Each of the questions requires a full answer:

Questions    Answers

Have you got a car or a scooter?

I have a car.

Question-word questions

Question-word questions begin with wh-words or how: who, whose, which, what, when, where, why, and how

Question-word questions require full answers and seek fresh information.

Questions    Answers

How are you feeling now?

I am feeling fine.

Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question which may be affirmative or negative is a question only in form but a statement in sense. It looks like a question but it is not asked to gain information.

Examples:

1. Can a cat fly?

2. Should we tell a lie?

3. Isn’t the sun hot?

Emphatic Questions

Emphatic questions are used in colloquial style to express anger, surprise, etc. An emphatic question is formed in two ways:

1. Interrogative pronoun/interrogative adverb + ever

2. Interrogative pronoun/interrogative adverb + on the earth/in the world/the devil/the hell etc.

Examples:

Who the ever is he?

Who the devil is he?

iii) Imperative Sentences

Imperative sentences issue commands/orders/requests/advices/suggestions. In most cases, imperative sentences have no visible subject; rather, the subject is implied. Most imperative sentences end with a period, but they may also end with an exclamation point. Most importantly, such sentences start with a verb.

Examples

Stay in your seat.

Don’t do that.

Kinds of Imperative Sentences

There are three kinds of imperative sentences:

1. Affirmative Imperative

2. Negative Imperative

3. Emphatic Imperative

Affirmative Imperative	Negative Imperative	Emphatic Imperative
Come in	Don’t come in	Do come in.
Please switch on the fan	Please don’t switch on the fan.	Please do switch on the fan.

iv) Exclamatory Sentences

Exclamatory sentences express excitement or emotion. Writers express the exclamatory tone when they end their sentences in exclamation points. Every exclamatory sentence should end in an exclamation point.

Examples:

That was awesome!

I’m sick of this!

In each case, the sentence expresses an emotion. Exclamation point signal to readers that the speaker is yelling or exclaiming.

Structures:

i. What + a/an + noun + subject + verb

Example:

What a place it is! / What a dirty place it is?

‘What’ takes a noun:

Example:

What a friend he is!

Note: ‘What’ can take an adjective only when it modifies a noun:

Example:

What a moving performance!

What + noun without an adjective is sometimes used as a derogatory sense to express dislike/disapproval:

Example:

What a man he is! (He is a nasty/peculiar man.)

What an idea it is! (It is an absurd/silly idea.)

Sometimes to express approval, an adjective is necessary:

Example:

We went to Singapore on holiday. What a fine holiday it was! (not, What a holiday it was!)

It is so cool, so bright today. What nice weather we are having! (Not, What weather we are having!

ii. How + Adjective/Adverb + subject + main verb Examples:

How tall she is!

How sweetly she sings!

iii. O that + subject + were + extension Examples:

O that I were a prince!

iv. Alas that + subject + main verb + extension Examples:

Alas, she died so young!

5. Would that + subject + had + v3 (past participle form of verb) + extension Examples:

Would that I had known him!

6. Noun + and + a + adjective

Examples:

My husband and a coward!

vii. Short cries/incomplete sentences Examples:

What a friend! / What an idea! How nice of you! / How absurd!

Excellent!

Fire! Murder!

Oh/Alas!

Note: How takes an adjective/adverb, not a noun:

Examples:

How kind he is!

How fast she runs!

How is used to heighten the effect of an adjective or adverb, so it is a substitute for the intensifying adverb ‘very’:

Examples:

How tall she is! (She is very tall.)

How hard he works! (He works very hard.)

t

Exercise A

Identify each type of sentence and explain your answer:

Types of Sentences: declarative, imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative

1. The students wanted to go on a field trip. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

2. Can we go to the Botanical Garden? Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

3. Be on your best behavior for the next two weeks.

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

4. After a couple long weeks of tiring academic schedule, the students were rewarded with a fieldtrip.

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

5. We are so excited about going to Botanical Garden! Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

6. How far away is the park from the school and what time do we have to come home? Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

7. But, the park is two hour away from the school and we’ll have to be back by 3:00 for the busses!

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

8. Quit asking questions and just be happy. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

9. But, if it takes us two hours to get there and back, and we have to be back by 3:00, we’ll only be able to stay for thirty minutes.

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

10. What an interesting book it is!

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

Exercise B

Write four declarative sentences, three interrogative sentences, two imperative sentences, and an exclamatory sentence.

Answer Key

		Exercise A
Question	Type		Why
1	Declarative		This is an affirmative declarative statement.
			Structure: Subject + verb + extension
			Here the subject is ‘The students’ and verb is
			‘wanted’
2	Interrogative		The speaker is asking a question.
			Structure: Auxiliary (Can) + subject (we) +
			main verb (go) + extension
3	Imperative		The speaker is ordering. This is an affirmative
			imperative sentence. And the sentence starts
			with a verb (Be).
4	Declarative		This is an affirmative declarative statement.
			Structure: Subject (students) + verb
			(rewarded)
			The first clause is also an extension.
5	Exclamatory		The speaker is expressing excitement with the
			exclamation mark.
6	Interrogative		The speaker is requesting information with
			the question word --- ‘how’.
7	Exclamatory		The speaker is expressing worry in the
			sentence with the exclamation mark.
8	Imperative		The sentence starts with a verb (Quit) and it is
			an affirmative imperative sentence.
9	Declarative		The speaker is making an affirmative
			declaration in the sentence. All the three
			clauses have this structure: Subject + Verb +
			extension
10	Exclamatory		The speaker is exclaiming an emotion with
			the exclamation mark.
			See Rule: What + a/an + noun + subject +
			verb

Exercise B

Declarative Sentence: I like cats.

She does not go to this school.

He will not come tomorrow.

You do have to do this.

Interrogative Sentence: Do you like tea?

Can you do the work?

Didn’t you go there yesterday?

Imperative Sentence: Bring me the book.

Don’t waste food.

Exclamatory Sentence: How beautiful the weather is!

Lesson 3 : Three Structures of Sentences

The sentences are divided into three categories depending on the number and types of finite clauses.

1. Simple Sentence

2. Compound Sentence

3. Complex Sentence

i) Simple Sentence

The sentence contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought.

Example:

Rahman (subject) plays (verb) football every afternoon.

In this type of sentence, there is only one independent clause and might be multiple dependent clauses joined by non-finite verbs (gerund, participle, infinitive). But there can be only one finite verb.

Example:

While going (non-finite verb: present participle) there, I (subject) met (finite verb) him.

Despite being (non-finite verb: present participle) sick, he attended (finite verb) the meeting.

There is no use of conjunction (to join clauses) in simple sentences. But joining words can be used by ‘and’.

Bread and butter are my breakfast.

Rahman and Selim are two friends.

ii) Compound Sentence

In this type of sentence, there are multiple independent clauses and no dependent clause. All the clauses are joined together by coordinating conjunctions. Such sentences have at least two finite verbs and two subjects.

List of Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions connect two equal parts of a sentence. Here are they:

And, but, nor, or, so, yet

Examples:

I (subject) tried (finite verb) to speak Spanish, and my friend (subject) tried (finite verb) to speak English.

Rahman (subject) played (finite verb) football, so Ria (subject) went (finite verb) for shopping.

iii) Complex Sentence

This type of sentence consists of at least one independent clause and one dependent clause. There are two finite verbs joined by subordinating conjunctions.

Subordinate conjunctions connect two unequal parts, e.g., dependent and independent clauses.

Here is the list of subordinating conjunctions:

Since, as, when, though, although, so that, whenever, because, than, whereas, that, wherever, that, whether, if, though, which, till, while, unless, who, until, why, how, what

Examples:

When (subordinator) he (subject) handed (finite verb) in his homework, he (subject) forgot (finite verb) to give the teacher the last page.

The teacher (subject) returned (finite verb) the homework after (subordinator) she (subject) noticed (finite verb) the error.

The students (subject) are studying (finite verb) because (subordinator) they (subject) have (finite verb) a test tomorrow.

Roy (subject) and Rahman (subject) went (finite verb) to the movies after (subordinator) they (subject) finished (verb) studying.

Complex sentences with relative pronouns as subordinators/subordinating conjunctions:

The woman (subject), who (subordinate) my mom (subject) talked to, sells (verb) cosmetics.

The book (subject) that (subordinate) Ria (subject) read is (verb) on the shelf.

The town (subject) where (subordinate) I (subject) grew up is (verb) in Bangladesh.

Exercise A

Identify the simple/complex/compound sentences, and explain the reasons:

1. Work hard to succeed in life. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

2. By working hard, he prospered in life.

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

3. I went there in order to help my ailing friend. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

4. I read newspaper so that I can know many things of the world. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

5. If you don’t study well, you cannot do well in the exam. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

6. Though he is poor, he leads honest life.

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

7. As he wasted his time, he failed in the exam. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

8. Attend your class regularly or you will not do well in the exam. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

9. It was our winter vacation, and I was in my village.

Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

10. We walked fast but we missed the train. Type: ________________________

Why? _______________________________________________

Exercise B

Construct 4 simple sentences, 3 compound sentences, 3 complex sentences.

Answer Key

		Exercise A
Question	Type		Why?
1	Simple		There is only one subject (implied ‘you’)
			and one verb (work) in the sentence.
2	Simple		There is only one finite verb (prospered)
			and one subject (he). The dependent clause
			is joined by non-finite verb (working).
3	Simple		There is only one finite verb (went) in the
			sentence.
4	Complex		There are two finite verbs (read, can know)
			joined by subordinating conjunction (so
			that).
5	Complex		There are two finite verbs (don’t study,
			cannot do) joined by subordinating
			conjunction (If).
6	Complex		There are two finite verbs (is, leads) joined
			by subordinating conjunction (though).
7	Complex		There are two finite verbs (wasted, failed)
			joined by subordinating conjunction (As).

8	Compound		Two independent clauses are joined by
			coordinating conjunction (or). It has two
			finite verbs (Attend, will do).
9	Compound		Two independent clauses are joined by
			coordinating conjunction (and). It has two
			finite verbs (was, was).
10	Compound		Two independent clauses are joined by
			coordinating conjunction (but). It has two
			finite verbs (walked, missed).
		Exercise B

Simple Sentence: He is too lazy to work.

She can sing well.

In spite of studying, he failed in the exam.

Without hard work, you cannot shine in life.

Compound Sentence: He is not tall but he is strong.

You can finish your work and go home.

Either I will stay or he will stay home.

Complex Sentence: They started early so that they could reach in time.

This is the person who stole my pen.

If you come, I shall go.