What Makes a Good Sentence?
A sentence is defined as a group of words expressing an idea or giving a statement. However, not every sentence is a good sentence. A good sentence must have the following attributes:
Completeness: A good sentence must have a verb and a subject that expresses an idea or a thought.
Expression: A good sentence helps appeal to the reader’s senses by using proper emotions with the help of punctuation marks.
Paints a Picture: A good sentence uses strong sensory imagery to form a vivid image in the minds of your readers.
Must have a Flow: A good sentence has a flow with proper punctuation usage.
4 Types of Sentences
In speaking and writing, students must use different types of sentences to express their thoughts and ideas. Therefore, it is important to understand the function of each type of sentence.
The 4 types of sentences in the English language are:
- Declarative sentence
- Imperative sentence
- Interrogative sentence
- Exclamatory sentence
The three punctuation marks used to end a sentence are:
- Period (.)
- An exclamation point (!)
- Question mark (?)
With the help of punctuations and different types of sentences, students can customize their tone of writing. These help students provide expression to their writing style,
Let us discuss these 4 types of sentences in detail.
Declarative Sentences
A declarative sentence is used to express an opinion or make a statement. This kind of sentence ends with a period as it makes a declaration. Declarative sentences are the most common type of sentence.
Examples of declarative sentences:
“I want to become a good teacher.” (statement)
“My sister is a good cook.” (opinion)
Imperative sentences
Imperative sentences give a command or are used to make a request. These types of sentences usually end with a period. However, under a few circumstances, imperative sentences can also end with an exclamation mark.
Examples of imperative sentences:
“Please close this door.”
“I want you to close this door now!”
Interrogative Sentences
As the name suggests, interrogative sentences are used to ask questions. These types of sentences mostly begin with what, who, when, where, do, why, how, and end with a question mark.
Examples of interrogative sentences:
“Where are you going for vacations?”
“What is the time right now?”
“What is your profession?”
“Do you live here?”
“Why are you not doing your homework?”
Exclamatory Sentences
Exclamatory sentences express emotions such as happiness, excitement, anger, and surprise. These sentences end with an exclamation mark.
Examples of exclamatory sentences:
“I want you to finish your food now!”
“I can’t believe this!”
“I am mad at you!”
Once you have learned the basic differences between different types of sentences, you will be able to write some great sentences to convey your message clearly.
Types of Sentence Structures
The four types of sentence structures are simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. The arrangement and quantity of clauses make up each type of sentence structure.
“What is a clause?”
A clause is defined as the grouping of words with both a verb and a subject that help form a sentence. An independent clause can form a sentence on its own, while a dependent clause is dependent on another part of the sentence to express its thought.
For example, “when she got home from office” is a dependent clause. This does not express any thought even though it contains a verb and a subject.
Let us discuss the 4 types of sentence structures in detail with examples.
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is composed of a single independent clause.
For example, “I love to eat” and “She works at a pharmacy” are examples of simple sentences. Each of these sentences contains subjects (I and she) and verbs (works and love).
Compound Sentences
A compound sentence is composed of two independent clauses. These clauses are linked by a conjunction.
For example, “The cat drank the milk, and now she’s napping” is a compound sentence. These independent clauses make sense even if “and,” i.e., conjunction is removed.
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is composed of one independent clause and one dependent clause. One of the common examples of this type of structure sentence is if/then in a sentence.
For example, “If you finish your homework, then you will get chocolate ice cream” is a complex sentence. If you finish your homework is an example of a dependent clause as it does not make sense alone. However, when a comma is added and an independent clause is linked to it i.e., then you will get chocolate ice cream, it becomes a complex sentence.
Compound-Complex Sentences
A compound-complex sentence has one dependent clause and more than one independent clause.
For example, “Emily works in a school, but she’s not a teacher as she’s a part of the administration”.
"Emily works in a school but she’s not a teacher” are two independent clauses, whereas “as she’s part of the administration” is a dependent clause.
Types of Sentences Examples
Following are some examples of types of sentences along with answers. Practice these to understand the concept of different types of sentences.
Types of Sentences Examples with Answers
Hopefully, this guide with examples must have helped you in recognizing the differences between types of sentences. Adding more simple sentences in your writing can make your reader bored with your content.
If you wish to add a variety of meaningful sentences and are clueless about where to start, you can contact WriteMyEssayFast.net.
Our professional writers can guide you or write meaningful sentences for you to make your content interesting. Just say 'write my essay for me' and we'll hear you! You can contact us for further help.
