TYPES OF SENTENCES
On the previous page, "Sentence Structure," I wanted to cover the basics of sentence construction: How does one correctly put a sentence together? What are its components (not that I've covered all the components of all sentences)? Here, I want to discuss how sentences function. What meaning a certain sentencs gives and how some others can serve more poetic or musical functions in writing. I say all of this to remove confusion: "Isn't a simple sentence a 'type of sentence?'" I want, for the purposes of my site, for people to think of "simple," "compound," "complex" and "compound-complex" sentences, not as types, but as constructions. The "types" are to follow:
#1
Declarative
The declarative sentence is the most basic form of sentence with the most basic function: to make an idea known. While a declarative is most often also a simple sentence and vice versa, declaratives may be more complex. Indeed, a periodic sentence (see #7 on this page), may be declarative as might a compound-complex sentence (see #6 on the previous page). For the sake of this web site, though, I shall "stick" to the most basic of types. The declarative sentence is simply a statement.
The sky is blue.
I run fast.
I think, therefore I am.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickles peppers.
#2
Interrogative
While it may seem strange to think of a question (interrogative) as a sentence, when you consider it for its construction, it is just that. It is an independent clause; it has a subject and a verb; it begins with a capital letter and concludes with punctuation. On and on. It's only when you consider its function that we can separate the interrogative from other forms of the sentence; it is an inquiry rather than a statement.
Blue shoe, blue shoe, how old are you?
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
How many pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?
When is dinner ready?
#3
Imperative
In imperative is an independent clause that looks like a fragment, because the subject is never stated; it's only implied. A good synonym for "imperative" (other than "urgent," of course) is "command." The subject of an imperative is understood to be "You," in general, or a person's name, if a command is given to someone specific. And you'll notice that when a command is given to a specific person with that person's name, the name begins the sentence, and is set apart from the rest of it with either a comma, an exclamation mark or a question mark. That means that the stated name in an imperative is really an interjection ('Darn," "Hey," "Rats," "Aw:" "They're usually set apart from the sentence by an exclamation point, or by a comma when the feeling's not as strong."), and that means that it is not an integral part of the sentence, at least as far as meaning goes. So if you remove this interjection, you're left with just the basic command, anyway.
Shut the front door. (You) shut the front door. (Tom!) shut the front door.
Behave yourself. (You) behave yourself. (Tom!) behave yourself.
Sing a song. (You) sing a song. (Tom,) sing a song.
Bite your tongue. (You) bit your tongue. (Tom!) bite your tongue.
#4
Interrogatory-imperative
Honestly, I don't know what the name of this really is. But it occurred to me that a question can be made with the implied "you" subject, just like the imperative. It's a question (interrogative) not a command, but the subject is still understood. Yes, it's rare, but it exists. Is there a better name for it? Perhaps. Let me know if you find it, please.
Get it? (Do you) get it?
Got it? (Do you) got it? (understand it)
Under control? (Are you) under control?
Understand? (Do you) understand?
It is in examples such as these that the "interrobang" would be well used. The interrobang (see the Wikipedia article) is punctuation that combines the question mark with the exclamation mark that can be used for questions that are typically marked with both. It was first introduced to me when I was seven or eight years old, and in remedial reading, no less. I've never seen it in use, sadly, but when I stumbled on the term researching these two "sentence" pages of this web site, I saw it again, and only then did I realize that I hadn't dreamed it up myself. I have yet to see it on any keyboard or keyboard supplement, but I'll keep looking.
#5
Exclamatory
Exclamatory sentences are those that attempt to emphasize a sense of urgency, command, excitement, confusion or any other strong emotion into the expression. Obviously, they end with exclamation marks.
Get out of bed!
I got an 'A' on my writing assignment!
I want my mommy!
You cannot go outside during a tornado!
#6
Cumulative Sentence
A cumulative sentence is one that opens with an independent clause that is followed by a series of explanatory phrases and/or subordinate clauses. The independent clause could end with a colon since a list follows, but it doesn't need to end with a colon, either.
After work today, I'm going straight home, unless there's a party not far away, or there's not a movie playing that I've been dying to see, or a friend invites me out for a drink, or I just decide to stop and get a quiet bite to eat all by myself.
The entire orchestra is seated quietly on the stage, instruments tunes, music opened, score in place, but there is no director just yet.
Time is fluid, like a river, with backwash, with currents and eddies, with funnels and maybe even with spouts.
#7
Periodic Sentence
A periodic sentence opens normally, but the thought is suspended by a train of related ideas interjected in the middle, not like rabbit trails, but like literary versions of musical interludes, holding the reader's attention swirling in mid air like a mass of pizza dough before it lands in the hands of a skilled restaurateur with the completed thought.
One famous example of a periodic sentence is the preamble to the Constitution of the United States:
"We the people of the Unites States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The actual sentence in this preamble is as follows: "We the people of the Unites States . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Everything in the middle is simple explanation of what they are trying to accomplish in the Constitution.
Another example:
"When I was a little boy, while the other neighbourhood boys favoured their G. I. Joe dolls, with feigned guttural explosions and orally imitated gunfire and the girls coveted their Barbie dolls and cooed and sighed over fantasized dates, I had as my favourite play thing, a miniature, lemon-yellow, terry-cloth pillow."
The actual sentence here is this: "When I was a little boy, . . . I had as my favourite play thing a miniature, lemon-yellow, terry-cloth pillow."
#1
Declarative
The declarative sentence is the most basic form of sentence with the most basic function: to make an idea known. While a declarative is most often also a simple sentence and vice versa, declaratives may be more complex. Indeed, a periodic sentence (see #7 on this page), may be declarative as might a compound-complex sentence (see #6 on the previous page). For the sake of this web site, though, I shall "stick" to the most basic of types. The declarative sentence is simply a statement.
The sky is blue.
I run fast.
I think, therefore I am.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickles peppers.
#2
Interrogative
While it may seem strange to think of a question (interrogative) as a sentence, when you consider it for its construction, it is just that. It is an independent clause; it has a subject and a verb; it begins with a capital letter and concludes with punctuation. On and on. It's only when you consider its function that we can separate the interrogative from other forms of the sentence; it is an inquiry rather than a statement.
Blue shoe, blue shoe, how old are you?
Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?
How many pickled pepper did Peter Piper pick?
When is dinner ready?
#3
Imperative
In imperative is an independent clause that looks like a fragment, because the subject is never stated; it's only implied. A good synonym for "imperative" (other than "urgent," of course) is "command." The subject of an imperative is understood to be "You," in general, or a person's name, if a command is given to someone specific. And you'll notice that when a command is given to a specific person with that person's name, the name begins the sentence, and is set apart from the rest of it with either a comma, an exclamation mark or a question mark. That means that the stated name in an imperative is really an interjection ('Darn," "Hey," "Rats," "Aw:" "They're usually set apart from the sentence by an exclamation point, or by a comma when the feeling's not as strong."), and that means that it is not an integral part of the sentence, at least as far as meaning goes. So if you remove this interjection, you're left with just the basic command, anyway.
Shut the front door. (You) shut the front door. (Tom!) shut the front door.
Behave yourself. (You) behave yourself. (Tom!) behave yourself.
Sing a song. (You) sing a song. (Tom,) sing a song.
Bite your tongue. (You) bit your tongue. (Tom!) bite your tongue.
#4
Interrogatory-imperative
Honestly, I don't know what the name of this really is. But it occurred to me that a question can be made with the implied "you" subject, just like the imperative. It's a question (interrogative) not a command, but the subject is still understood. Yes, it's rare, but it exists. Is there a better name for it? Perhaps. Let me know if you find it, please.
Get it? (Do you) get it?
Got it? (Do you) got it? (understand it)
Under control? (Are you) under control?
Understand? (Do you) understand?
It is in examples such as these that the "interrobang" would be well used. The interrobang (see the Wikipedia article) is punctuation that combines the question mark with the exclamation mark that can be used for questions that are typically marked with both. It was first introduced to me when I was seven or eight years old, and in remedial reading, no less. I've never seen it in use, sadly, but when I stumbled on the term researching these two "sentence" pages of this web site, I saw it again, and only then did I realize that I hadn't dreamed it up myself. I have yet to see it on any keyboard or keyboard supplement, but I'll keep looking.
#5
Exclamatory
Exclamatory sentences are those that attempt to emphasize a sense of urgency, command, excitement, confusion or any other strong emotion into the expression. Obviously, they end with exclamation marks.
Get out of bed!
I got an 'A' on my writing assignment!
I want my mommy!
You cannot go outside during a tornado!
#6
Cumulative Sentence
A cumulative sentence is one that opens with an independent clause that is followed by a series of explanatory phrases and/or subordinate clauses. The independent clause could end with a colon since a list follows, but it doesn't need to end with a colon, either.
After work today, I'm going straight home, unless there's a party not far away, or there's not a movie playing that I've been dying to see, or a friend invites me out for a drink, or I just decide to stop and get a quiet bite to eat all by myself.
The entire orchestra is seated quietly on the stage, instruments tunes, music opened, score in place, but there is no director just yet.
Time is fluid, like a river, with backwash, with currents and eddies, with funnels and maybe even with spouts.
#7
Periodic Sentence
A periodic sentence opens normally, but the thought is suspended by a train of related ideas interjected in the middle, not like rabbit trails, but like literary versions of musical interludes, holding the reader's attention swirling in mid air like a mass of pizza dough before it lands in the hands of a skilled restaurateur with the completed thought.
One famous example of a periodic sentence is the preamble to the Constitution of the United States:
"We the people of the Unites States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
The actual sentence in this preamble is as follows: "We the people of the Unites States . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Everything in the middle is simple explanation of what they are trying to accomplish in the Constitution.
Another example:
"When I was a little boy, while the other neighbourhood boys favoured their G. I. Joe dolls, with feigned guttural explosions and orally imitated gunfire and the girls coveted their Barbie dolls and cooed and sighed over fantasized dates, I had as my favourite play thing, a miniature, lemon-yellow, terry-cloth pillow."
The actual sentence here is this: "When I was a little boy, . . . I had as my favourite play thing a miniature, lemon-yellow, terry-cloth pillow."
