Types of sentences (with examples)

A sentence It is a word or a group of words that express a complete sense, for which reason it is considered an autonomous element. For example: My brother’s name is Javier.

A written sentence is characterized by always beginning with a capital letter and ending with a period, unless it has question or exclamation marks to replace it.

What are the types of sentences?

Sentences can be classified according to different criteria:

According to the intention of the speaker

  • declarative sentences. Also known as enunciative, they seek to inform or express a specific reality, which can be judged as true or false. They could be affirmative or negative. For example: I will start taking English classes. / This month we did not reach the proposed objectives. / The greenhouse effect has irreversible consequences.
  • doubtful sentences. They express any doubt or possibility. For example: Maybe I’ll go to the party. / It seems to me that it was Juan who called. / Maybe he was wrong.
  • wishful sentences. They express some wish or desire of the issuer, and generally use tenses of the subjunctive mode. For example: I hope Sunday is sunny. / I hope you have a great time at the party. / I would like to go to the beach.
  • exhortatory sentences. Also known as imperatives, they are used to give orders, ask for something, beg, beg or prohibit. For example: Come here right now. / Please help me do my homework because I don’t understand it. / No parking.
  • Interrogative sentences. They seek to obtain some type of information from the interlocutor. They are also used to make suggestions or requests. For example: Do you want to go to the cinema with me on Saturday? / What time is it? / Can I borrow your coat?
  • Exclamation sentences. They reflect an emotion that the speaker is going through, which can be anger, surprise, joy, fear, among others. For example: I got a 10 on the final exam! / What a scare you gave me! / What a beautiful day!

Depending on the number of members

depending on the type of verb

  • copulative sentences. They have a copulative verb (to be to be to look like), which functions only as a link, accompanied by an attribute, which is the core of the nominal predicate. For example: The park is flooded. / Marcelo is a lawyer. / The woman looks like a foreigner.
  • predicative sentences. They present a verb that expresses an action or a process (unlike linking verbs), which is the core of the verbal predicate. They may be:

According to the number of predicates

  • Simple sentences. They have only one predicate. For example: The lawyer won the trial. / The television broke down.
  • compound sentences. They have more than one predicate and are classified as:

Depending on the type of subject

active/passive

  • active sentences. The subject is the one who performs the action. They are structured as subject + action + object. For example: My boss announced the decision. / The man received the news.
  • passive sentences. The subject is patient and receives the action. They are structured as object + action + by + agent. For example: The decision was announced by my boss. / The news was received by the man.

personal/impersonal

  • personal prayers. They have a recognizable, explicit or implicit subject. For example: The teacher explained the topic. / We will go on a trip.
  • impersonal sentences. They do not have a subject that performs the action. For example: Today it rains. / Tomorrow will be very hot.

Careful: The different classifications do not invalidate each other, but refer to different aspects of the sentence. For example: The man recited the poem. This sentence is declarative, predicative, transitive, bimembered, simple, active, and personal.

Examples of types of sentences

Examples of declarative sentences

  1. My favourite book is Hopscotchby Julio Cortazar.
  2. My grandmother loves classical music.
  3. The car windows are a bit dirty.
  4. For the Biology exam, you have to prepare a topic and present it.
  5. The new house is right in front of the central square.

doubtful sentence examples

  1. Maybe tomorrow they will give us the notes of the practical work.
  2. Maybe he didn’t mean to hurt you.
  3. They’ll probably hire us to cover the Olympics.
  4. It can be a great idea.
  5. You may be late for the meeting.

Examples of wishful sentences

  1. I hope everything goes well on the trip.
  2. I would love to visit Italy and France.
  3. I hope many people come to the year-end show.
  4. I dream of learning many languages.
  5. I would like you to come to my birthday.

Examples of exhortatory sentences

  1. Don’t reveal the secret I told you.
  2. Come to reception when you arrive at the building.
  3. Add the shortening to the mixture and stir.
  4. I demand that you return my money.
  5. I ask you to please calm down.

Examples of interrogative sentences

  1. Could you tell me the time?
  2. Do you think we should invite your sister to the theater?
  3. Do you want me to prepare breakfast for you?
  4. How did you come to make a living from music?
  5. What did you learn from that adverse experience?

Examples of exclamatory sentences

  1. What a thrill it gives me to meet again!
  2. Finally they arrived!
  3. This is a disaster!
  4. I knew you would come!
  5. We all deserve equal rights!

Examples of two-membered sentences

  1. The house is at the end of the street.
  2. Life is sometimes not as we expect.
  3. Last night I dreamed of you.
  4. The man is tired of living in the city.
  5. The band gave an unforgettable concert.

Examples of single-membered sentences

  1. It’s too cold in this house.
  2. So long!
  3. It has been raining for three days.
  4. Forbidden to go out on the terrace.
  5. There is food in the refrigerator.

Examples of copulative sentences

  1. The table is served.
  2. The menu looks rich.
  3. The truth is irrefutable.
  4. The day is beautiful.
  5. This is my father.

Examples of predicative sentences

  1. The industry fell in the last quarter.
  2. Two trucks collided on the highway.
  3. The motorist won the race without difficulty.
  4. The mathematician solved the equation.
  5. This winter it will rain a lot.

Examples of simple sentences

  1. The man went to work on his car.
  2. The bookstore is closed on Sundays.
  3. Tomorrow we will go to a restaurant.
  4. The teacher admonished the whole class.
  5. Snakes scare me.

Examples of Compound Sentences

  1. Children play and adults work.
  2. When the ship sails, we’ll go on deck.
  3. If they raise taxes, the electorate will be dissatisfied.
  4. The young man does not know what to do: his beloved no longer loves him.
  5. Stay at home, the weather is very unstable.

Examples of active sentences

  1. The government announced new measures.
  2. José brought food for everyone.
  3. The truth can sometimes be painful.
  4. The Mathematics test is next Thursday.
  5. The soup came out delicious.

Examples of passive sentences

  1. The assailants were apprehended by the police in the vicinity of the place.
  2. The bonds were bought at little value.
  3. The robbery was perpetrated by a criminal gang.
  4. The car was repaired by the mechanic.
  5. The actress’s clothes were designed by a major fashion name.

Examples of personal sentences

  1. The city was flooded by heavy rains.
  2. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing all morning.
  3. The cat escaped through the roof.
  4. We should take care of the planet.
  5. The police caught the thieves.

Examples of impersonal sentences

  1. It snowed heavily on the top of the mountain.
  2. It’s too cold in here.
  3. Yesterday it rained all day.
  4. He’s been gone for hours.
  5. It’s still early.

Interactive test to practice

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