Introduction
Every time we speak, read, write, text, or even think, we are forming sentences.
Sentences are the building blocks of English. They help us express feelings, ask questions, give commands, and show excitement.
Imagine living a day without sentences:
- You cannot ask for food.
- You cannot tell someone your name.
- You cannot share a story or send a message.
This is why understanding sentence types is important, especially for English learners and children.
In this lesson, we will explore the 4 main types of sentences in a friendly, easy, and enjoyable way.
You will learn what they are, how to use them, rules, examples, exercises, and even a creative activity at the end!
What Are Sentences? (Simple Definition)
A sentence is like a tiny message made of words that tells us one whole idea.
In very simple words:
✔ A sentence makes sense.
✔ It starts with a capital letter.
✔ It ends with a punctuation mark.
Just like bricks build a house, sentences build language.
The 4 Types of Sentences in English Grammar
English sentences are mainly divided into four types based on their purpose:
| Type of Sentence | Purpose | End Punctuation |
|---|---|---|
| Declarative | To give information or state something | . (full stop) |
| Interrogative | To ask a question | ? (question mark) |
| Imperative | To command, request, or give instructions | . or ! |
| Exclamatory | To show strong emotion or excitement | ! |
We will understand each one deeply, step-by-step.
Deep Explanation of Each Sentence Type
A) Declarative Sentences
These sentences tell something, explain something, or share facts.
Example meaning: You are giving information.
- I like mangoes.
- The sun rises in the east.
- My school starts at 8 a.m.
Most sentences we use daily are declarative.
B) Interrogative Sentences
These sentences ask questions.
They usually start with question words like:
What, Why, When, Where, Who, How
or Do/Does/Did/Is/Are/Was/Were/Can/Will
They always end with a question mark (?).
Example:
- What is your name?
- Where do you live?
Imperative Sentences
These sentences give:
✔ Commands
✔ Requests
✔ Advice
✔ Instructions
Examples:
- Sit down. (command)
- Please open the door. (request)
Subject “you” is often hidden but understood.
D) Exclamatory Sentences
Used when we show strong feelings such as:
😄 Happiness
😱 Surprise
😡 Anger
😢 Sadness
😮 Wonder
They always end with an exclamation mark (!).
Example:
- Wow! What a beautiful rainbow!
- Oh no! I forgot my homework!
20 Different Sentences
| Type | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| Declarative | I love learning English. |
| Declarative | My brother is 10 years old. |
| Declarative | The Earth rotates around the Sun. |
| Declarative | She is a brilliant artist. |
| Declarative | We play football every Sunday. |
| Interrogative | What is your favorite color? |
| Interrogative | Do you like pizza? |
| Interrogative | When will you come home? |
| Interrogative | Where did you find this book? |
| Interrogative | Can you help me with homework? |
| Imperative | Close the window. |
| Imperative | Bring me some water, please. |
| Imperative | Don’t talk during class. |
| Imperative | Read this paragraph aloud. |
| Imperative | Follow the traffic rules. |
| Exclamatory | This cake tastes amazing! |
| Exclamatory | Wow! You won the match! |
| Exclamatory | What a lovely day it is! |
| Exclamatory | Oh no! I lost my keys! |
| Exclamatory | Hurrah! We are going on vacation! |
Rules + Sentence Patterns
Declarative Pattern:
- Subject + Verb + Object
- Example: She (S) reads (V) books (O).
Interrogative Pattern:
- Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Object + ?
- Example: Do you like apples?
Imperative Pattern:
- Verb (base form) + Object
- Subject (you) is hidden.
- Example: (You) Open the door.
Exclamatory Pattern:
- What/How + Adjective + Noun + !
- OR any emotional sentence ending with !
Why Learning Sentence Types Matters
Because they help you:
Speak clearly
Write better essays and stories
Ask questions confidently
Express emotions easily
Without sentence types, language would feel confusing and incomplete.
Common Mistakes & How to Fix Them
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| Forgetting punctuation | Always end with . ? ! |
| Writing questions like statements | Use ? and question order |
| Using “!” too often | Use only for strong emotion |
| Confusing command with declarative | Check if instruction is given |
Practice improves accuracy!
Exercises (20 Questions)
A) Fill in the blanks with sentence types:
- I enjoy reading books. → __________
- Where do you live? → __________
- Please help me with this. → __________
- Wow! That magic trick was amazing! → __________
- My cat is sleeping. → __________
B) Identify sentence type:
- Do you like ice cream?
- The classroom is clean.
- Don’t be late for school.
- What a wonderful drawing!
- I finished my homework.
C) Write Your Own Sentences:
(Write one for each type)
- Declarative: __________________
- Interrogative: __________________
- Imperative: __________________
- Exclamatory: __________________
D) Choose the correct punctuation:
- She is my best friend ( ., ?, ! )
- Can you join my team ( ., ?, ! )
- Yay we won the match ( ., ?, ! )
- Sit down ( ., ?, ! )
- How are you feeling ( ., ?, ! )
- The weather is cold today ( ., ?, ! )
Answer Key
1 Declarative
2 Interrogative
3 Imperative
4 Exclamatory
5 Declarative
6 Interrogative
7 Declarative
8 Imperative
9 Exclamatory
10 Declarative
11 Learner’s own
12 Learner’s own
13 Learner’s own
14 Learner’s own
15 .
16 ?
17 !
18 . or !
19 ?
20 .
Mini Quiz (10 Questions — True/False)
Tick True (T) or False (F):
- Declarative sentences ask questions.
- Interrogative sentences end with
?. - Imperative sentences give commands.
- Exclamatory sentences show emotions.
- “Please pass the salt.” is imperative.
- “The sky is blue.” is interrogative.
- “Wow! That is huge!” is exclamatory.
- A sentence must express a full idea.
- Imperative sentences always begin with “you”.
- “Do you speak English?” is interrogative.
(Answers: 1-F, 2-T, 3-T, 4-T, 5-T, 6-F, 7-T, 8-T, 9-F, 10-T)
Build a Mini Story!
Write a short story using all four types of sentences.
Example Format:
- Declarative Sentence: Introduce a character
- Interrogative Sentence: Ask a question
- Imperative Sentence: Give an action
- Exclamatory Sentence: Show excitement/emotion
Let imagination fly!
Summary of Learning
You learned:
4 main sentence types
Meanings + examples
Rules, patterns, punctuation
Common mistakes & corrections
Fun exercises + quiz + story task
Now you can speak and write clearly, confidently, creatively!
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