SENTENCE AND ITS TYPES

A sentence is the largest unit of any language. In English, it begins with a capital letter and ends with a full-stop, or a question mark, or an exclamation mark.

Example:

She is a good girl (statement), Is she a good girl? (question), What a nice weather! (exclaiming).

Ideally, a sentence requires at least one subject and one verb. Sometimes the subject of a sentence can be hidden, but the verb must be visible and present in the sentence. Verb is called the heart of a sentence.  

Example:

Do it. (In this sentence, a subject ‘you’ is hidden but verb ‘do’ is visible)   

Types of Sentences:

Structurally, sentences are of four types:

Simple sentence
Compound sentence
Complex sentence, and
Compound-complex sentence.

Simple sentence

A simple sentence must have a single clause (a single verb) which is independent, and it cannot take another clause.

Example:

I always wanted to become a singer. (One clause – one verb)

Compound sentence

A compound sentence must have more than one independent clause with no dependent clauses. Some specific conjunctions, punctuation, or both are used to join together these clauses.

Example:

I always wanted to become a singer, and she wanted to become a doctor. (Two independent clauses – two verbs)

Complex sentence

A complex sentence also has more than one clause but of one them must be an independent clause and the other/others must be (a) dependent clause(es). There are also some particular connectors for the clauses of a complex sentence to be connected.

Example:

I know that you always wanted to be a singer. (Here, a dependent clause is followed by a connector and an independent clause. The other way around is also possible.)

Compound-complex sentence

A compound-complex sentence (or complex–compound sentence) is a mixture of the features of compound and complex sentences in one sentence. So, it must contain at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Example:

I know that you always wanted to become a singer, but I always wanted to become a doctor. (Here, one dependent clause is followed by a complex connector and two independent clauses with a compound conjunction between them.)  

Functionally, sentences are of mainly four types:

Declarative sentence
Imperative sentence
Interrogative sentence, and
Exclamatory sentence

Declarative sentence:

An assertive sentence (declarative sentence) simply expresses an opinion/feeling, or makes a statement, or describes things. In other words, it declares something. This type of sentence ends with a period (i.e., a full-stop).

Example:

I want to be a good cricketer. (a statement)

Imperative sentence:

We use an imperative sentence to make a request or to give a command. Imperative sentences usually end with a period (i.e., a full stop), but under certain circumstances, it can end with a note of exclamation (i.e., exclamation mark).

Example:

Please sit down.

Interrogative sentence:

An interrogative sentence asks a question. Interrogative sentences must end with a note of interrogation (i.e., question mark)

Example:

When are you going to submit your assignment?

Exclamatory sentence.

An exclamatory sentence expresses the overflow of emotions. These emotions can be of happiness, wonder, sorrow, anger, etc. 

Example:

What a day it was!