What Is a Sentence? (with Examples of the Different Types of Sentence)

What Is a Sentence? (with Examples of the Different Types of Sentence)

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

A sentence must contain a subject and a verb (although one may be implied).

The Four Types of Sentence

There are four types of sentence.

• A declarative sentence.
A declarative sentence states a fact and ends with a period / full stop. For example:
• He has every attribute of a dog except loyalty. (Thomas P Gore)
• I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
(Remember, a statement which contains an indirect question (like this example) is not a question.)
• An imperative sentence.
An imperative sentence is a command or a polite request. It ends with an exclamation mark or a period / full stop. For example:
• When a dog runs at you, whistle for him. (Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862)
• An interrogative sentence.
An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark. For example:
• Who knew that dog saliva can mend a broken heart? (Jennifer Neal)
• An exclamatory sentence.
An exclamatory sentence expresses excitement or emotion. It ends with an exclamation mark. For example:
• In Washington, it's dog eat dog. In academia, it's exactly the opposite! (Robert Reich)

The Four Sentence Structures

A sentence can consist of a single clause or several clauses. When a sentence is a single clause, it is called a simple sentence (and the clause is called an independent clause). A sentence must contain at least one independent clause. Below are the four types of sentence structure (with their independent clauses shaded:

• A Complex Sentence.
A complex sentence has an independent clause and at least one dependent clause. For example:
• Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggie" until you can find a rock. (Will Rogers, 1879-1935)
• When you're on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog. (Peter Steiner)
• A Compound Sentence.
A compound sentence has at least two independent clauses. For example:
• Cry "Havoc," and let slip the dogs of war. (William Shakespeare, 1564-1616)
• A Simple Sentence.
A simple sentence has just one independent clause. For example:
• You can't surprise a man with a dog.(Cindy Chupack)
• A Compound-Complex Sentence.
A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. For example:
• When a dog bites a man, that is not news because it happens so often, but if a man bites a dog, that is news. (John B Bogart)