1. TYPES OF
SENTENCESBy Haslinda Midy

2. Sentences are categorized in two ways:
• By structure
1. Simple
2.Compound
3.complex
• By purpose
1. Declarative
2.Interrogative
3.Imperative
4.Exclamatory

3. Types of Sentences by
Structure

4. Simple Sentence
• A simple sentence, also called an independent
clause, contains a subject and a verb, and it
expresses a complete thought. For examples:
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A. Some students like to study in the mornings.
B. John and Ali play football every evening.
C. Alice goes to the library and studies every day.
* The underlined words are subjects while the red
words are verbs.
~ The three examples above are all simple sentences.
Note that sentence B contains a compound subject, and
sentence C contains a compound verb. Simple
sentences, therefore, contain a subject and verb and
express a complete thought, but they can also contain a
compound subjects or verbs.

5. Compound Sentence
• A compound sentence contains two independent clauses
joined by a coordinator. The coordinators are as
follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so [FANBOYS]. Except
for very short sentences, coordinators are always preceded
by a comma. For examples:
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A. My father speaks English but my mother speaks Malay.
B. Alex was sick, so his mother brought him to a clinic.
C. Aman played football, for Mariam went shopping.
* The underlined words are subjects while the red words
are verbs while the coordinators and commas are in
green.
~ The above three sentences are compound sentences.
Each sentence contains two independent clauses, and
they are joined by a coordinator with a comma preceding
it.

6. Complex Sentence
• A complex sentence has an independent clause joined
by one or more dependent clauses. A complex sentence
always has a subordinator such as, because, since,
after, although, or when or a relative pronoun such
as that, who, or which. For examples:
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A. When Aziz handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the
last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, John and Maria went to the movies.
E. John and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.
* The underlined words are subjects while the red words are
verbs and the coordinators and commas are in green.
~ When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator , a
comma is required at the end of the dependent clause.
When the independent clause begins the sentence with
subordinators in the middle, no comma is required.

7. Consider the following examples of simple,
compound and complex sentences
Simple ~ My friend invited me to a party. I do not want to go.
Compound ~ My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.
Complex ~ Although my friend invited me to a party, I do not want to go.
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In the first example, there are two separate simple sentences: "My friend invited me
to a party" and "I do not want to go." The second example joins them together into a
single sentence with the co-ordinating conjunction "but," but both parts could still
stand as independent sentences -- they are entirely equal, and the reader cannot tell
which is most important. In the third example, however, the sentence has changed
quite a bit: the first clause, "Although my friend invited me to a party," has become
incomplete, or a dependent clause.
A complex sentence is very different from a simple sentence or a
compound sentence because it makes clear which ideas are most
important. When you write ‘My friend invited me to a party. I do not want
to go.’ or even
‘My friend invited me to a party, but I do not want to go.’, the reader will
have trouble knowing which piece of information is most important to
you. When you write the subordinating conjunction "although" at the
beginning of the first clause, however, you make it clear that the fact that
your friend invited you is less important than, or subordinate, to the fact
that you do not want to go.

8. 1: The teacher walked into the classroom, greeted the students, and took attendance.
Simple
Compound
Complex
2: Juan played football while Juanita went shopping.
Simple
Compound
Complex
3: Juan played football, yet Juanita went shopping.
Simple
Compound
Complex
4: Although Mexico has the better football team, it lost.
Simple
Compound
Complex
5: The island was filled with many winding trails, a small lake, and dangerous wild pigs.
Simple
Compound
Complex
Now, state the type of sentences below.H
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9. Helen Keller
1: Helen Keller was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, in 1880 and died in 1968.
Simple
Compound
Complex
2: Until she was 19 months of age, her sight and hearing were normal.
Simple
Compound
Complex
3: At the age of 19 months, a severe illness left her deaf and blind.
Simple
Compound
Complex
4: When she was seven, she began her education in reading and writing with Anne
Sullivan of the Perkins Institute for the Blind.
Simple
Compound
Complex
5: Through persistence and stubbornness, Anne breaks through Helen's walls of silence
and darkness and teaches her to communicate.
Simple
Compound
Complex
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10. 1: The Americanization of Shadrach Cohen is a short story about values by Bruno
Lessing.
Simple
Compound
Complex
2: Shadrach Cohen had two sons, Abel and Gottlieb.
Simple
Compound
Complex
3: When Abel and Gottlieb moved to New York, they opened their own business in their
father's name.
Simple
Compound
Complex
4: The business was successful, so Abel and Gottlieb told their father to join them in
New York City.
Simple
Compound
Complex
5: When Shadrach came, he brought Marta, the family maidservant.
Simple
Compound
Complex
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11. Types of Sentences by Purpose

12. Declarative Sentence
• Declarative sentences in the English language
are the sentences that form a statement. For
examples:
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A. Tomorrow I will go to the store.
B. Yesterday I left school early.
C. I told her to wear the blue skirt.
D. She did not want to eat the pizza that I gave her.
E. We walked to the mall together.
~ Used to make a simple statement. Most sentences are
declarative.

13. Interrogative Sentence
• Interrogative sentences in the English language
are the sentences that form a question. For
examples:
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A. What do you think I should wear the pink shoes or the
white sneakers?
B. What did the teacher say to you yesterday?
C. Did you go to the movies yesterday?
~ Used to ask a question. See also Rhetorical Question.

14. Imperative Sentence
• Imperative sentences in the English language
are the sentences that make a command or
request. For examples:
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A. Get me some water.
B. Leave that cat alone.
C. Go to the store for me.
D. Bring me some ice.
~ Used for commands, with the pronoun you always
implied.

15. Exclamatory Sentence
• Exclamatory sentences in the English language
are the sentences that attempt to powerful
feelings, or emotions. For examples:
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A. I'm leaving!
B. I cannot wait to graduate!
C. I love you so much!
D. We beat that other team good!
E. I can't believe how tall giraffes really are!
F. I can't believe this, I am so upset!
~ An exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation
point.

16. 1. Many people visit Harvest festival at Penampang in May.
a. Declarative
b. Interrogative
c. Imperative
d. Exclamatory
2. Tomorrow is my birthday !
a. Declarative
b. Interrogative
c. Imperative
d. Exclamatory
3. Have you ever visited Niagara Falls ?
a. Declarative
b. Interrogative
c. Imperative
d. Exclamatory
5. What would you like for dinner ?
a. Declarative
b. Interrogative
c. Imperative
d. Exclamatory
4. Close the door .
a. Declarative
b. Interrogative
c. Imperative
d. Exclamatory
Now, state the type of sentences below.
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17. ____ Have you read this newspaper article?
____ We are late for the meeting.
____ Stop that right now!
____ Remember to watch your step as you leave the
room.
____ Are the packages here yet?
____ Professor Franklin said that the situation would
improve.
____ Leave those old plates in the closet.
____ That dessert was awesome!
____ Painting is a relaxing hobby.
____ These are the best seats in the stadium!
Each of these sentences is either a declarative (DEC), an interrogative
(INT), an exclamatory (EXC), or an imperative (IMP) one. Write the
appropriate three-letter combination next to its corresponding type of
sentence.
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18. Four Types of Sentences
Directions: Identify each type of sentence and explain your answer.
1. The students wanted to go on a field trip.
Type: ________________________
Why? _______________________________________________
2. Can we go to the Adventure Theme Park?
Type: ________________________
Why? _______________________________________________
3. Be on your best behavior for the next two weeks.
Type: ________________________
Why? _______________________________________________
4. After a couple long weeks of keeping their hands to themselves, quietly
focusing on instruction, and cleaning up their messes, the students were
rewarded with a fieldtrip.
Type: ________________________
Why? _______________________________________________
5. We are so excited about going to Adventure!
Type: ________________________
Why? _______________________________________________
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19. Study Smart