Different types of sentences with examples

4 main types of sentences

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought.

There are four main types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, exclamatory, and imperative.

Declarative sentences

Declarative sentences make a statement and end with a period.

Here are ten examples of declarative sentences:

1. The sky is blue.
2. I am going to the store.
3. She has a dog.
4. We will be there at six PM.
5. It is raining outside.
6. He is taller than she is.
7. They are going to the movies tonight.
8. I have two brothers and sisters.
9. My favorite color is green.
10. Today is Tuesday, August 28, 2018.

Interrogative sentences

Interrogative sentences ask a question and end with a question mark.

For example: “Are you hungry?”

Other examples of interrogative sentences include:

1. Are you going to the store?
2. Did you eat breakfast this morning?
3. Do you have any siblings?
4. How old are you?
5. When is your birthday?
6. Where were you born?
7. Why do you like that color?
8. Can you help me with this math problem?
9. Will it rain tomorrow?
10. Is there a way to fix this lamp?

Exclamatory sentences

Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion and end with an exclamation point.

For example, “I can’t believe we won!”

Here are additional 10 examples of exclamatory sentences:

1. Wow! That’s amazing!
2. Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that!
3. Yikes! That sounds like it was really scary!
4. Ouch! That must have hurt a lot!
5. Hey! I didn’t see you there!
6. Thank goodness! I was getting worried!
7. Phew! That was a close one!
8. Whoa! That was a crazy ride!
9. Alas! I fear we are doomed!
10. Hooray! We did it!

Imperative sentences

Imperative sentences give a command or make a request and also end with a period.

For example, “Sit down.”

Additional examples of imperative sentences include:

1. Sit up straight.
2. Stop fidgeting.
3. Pay attention.
4. Listen carefully.
5. Do your homework.
6. Clean your room.
7. Take out the trash.
8. Brush your teeth.
9. Wash your hands.
10. Go to bed.

Classification based on sentence structure:

In addition to these four main types of sentences, there are also six different sentence structures: simple, compound, complex, compound-complex, run-on, and fragment.

Simple sentences

A simple sentence has one independent clause and no dependent clauses. For example, “I am going to the store.”

More examples of simple sentences include:

1. The cat slept on the mat.
2. I drank a cup of coffee.
3. We went to the park.
4. He has a dog.
5. She is wearing a dress.
6. They are watching a movie.
7. It is raining outside.
8. I am happy today.
9. You are very kind.
10. We will be there soon.

Compound sentences

A compound sentence has two or more independent clauses. These are typically joined by a conjunction such as “and” or “but”.

For example,”I am going to the store and I am going to buy some milk.”

Here are 10 examples of compound sentences:

1. I have a dog and a cat.
2. I went to the store, but they were out of milk.
3. We can either take the bus or walk to school.
4. It was raining, so we decided to stay inside.
5. She likes to read and write in her free time.
6. He works at a bank and drives a taxi on the weekends.
7. My sister is taller than me, but my brother is taller than both of us.
8. I’d like to go swimming, but I don’t have a bathing suit.
9. The coffee shop is open from 6am to 8pm Monday through Friday, and from 7am to 9pm on Saturday and Sunday.
10. She didn’t study for the test, nor did she do well on it.

Complex sentences

Complex sentences have one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses. Dependent clauses can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, and usually begin with a subordinating conjunction such as “when,” “since,” “because,” or “although.” Complex sentences allow writers to be more expressive and to create fuller, more interesting sentences. Below are ten examples of complex sentences:

1. Although she was tired, she stayed up to finish the project.
2. Sarah went to the store because she needed milk.
3. Whenever I go on vacation, I like to bring a book to read.
4. I arrived at the party after it had already started.
5. The new software update will be available for download soon.
6. Unless you’re planning on leaving town, you should come to the meeting tonight.
7. Samatha has been studying French for two years and can now carry on a conversation fluently.
8. Once the sun goes down, the temperature tends to drop quickly.
9. Since it was raining outside, we decided to watch a movie instead of going for a walk.
10. Mike offered to help me with my math homework even though he was already quite busy.

Compound-complex sentences

A compound-complex sentence has two or more independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Here are 10 examples of compound-complex sentences:

1. I dropped my phone, and then I realized that the screen was cracked.
2. Emma went to the store, but she didn’t buy anything.
3. Even though it was raining, we decided to go for a walk.
4. We were almost out of gas, so we stopped at the gas station.
5. I want to go to the beach, but I don’t have any money.
6. He was driving too fast, and as a result, he got pulled over by the police.
7. If you study hard, you will get good grades.
8. Although she was scared, she decided to go into the haunted house.
9. Since it was getting late, we decided to go home.
10. After she Finished her homework, she watched TV for a while.

Run-on sentences

A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent clauses are incorrectly joined together. Run-on sentences can be difficult to read and understand, and they often occur when writers try to cram too much information into one sentence. To avoid run-on sentences, writers can use a variety of strategies, such as breaking the sentence into two or more shorter sentences, using punctuation between clauses, or rephrasing the sentence.

Below are ten examples of run-on sentences:

1. I love to travel and I also love to learn new things.
2. She didn’t see the other car coming and now her car has a huge dent.
3. We went out for dinner and then we went to see a movie.
4. I have a big project due tomorrow and I haven’t even started yet.
5. The dog ran across the street chasing the cat and he got hit by a car.
6. He’s my best friend and I don’t know what I would do without him.
7. Mary wants to go to medical school and she’s also interested in becoming a doctor.
8. The teacher was speaking so quickly that I couldn’t understand what she was saying.
9. I was studying for the test all night and I still got a C.
10. The baby is crying and she wants her mom.

A fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought.

Although there are many different types of sentences, all sentences must have at least one subject and one verb and must express a complete thought in order to be considered grammatically correct.

Author: tutlance