Key Points:
The 4 kinds of sentences are declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory, and each names a job: telling, asking, commanding or showing feeling.
Types of sentences also come in 4 structures, simple, compound, complex and compound-complex, and the number of clauses decides the structure, not the length.
A command that ends with an exclamation point is still imperative, because a sentence's job decides its kind, not its end mark.
Words You'll See
Table 1: Grammar words in plain English
Word | What it means |
|---|---|
Clause | A group of words with its own subject and verb |
Independent clause | A clause that makes sense alone, as a full sentence |
Dependent clause | A clause that can't stand alone, like "because it rained" |
Conjunction | A joining word, like and, but, so or because |
End mark | The period, question mark or exclamation point at the end |
What Are The 4 Types Of Sentences?
Ask what a sentence does, because its job names its kind: tell, ask, command or show feeling.
Table 2: The 4 kinds of sentences, sorted by job
Kind (everyday name) | What it does and how it ends | Example |
|---|---|---|
Declarative (statement) | Tells something. Ends with a period. | The library opens at nine. |
Interrogative (question) | Asks something. Ends with a question mark. | When does the library open? |
Imperative (command) | Tells someone to act. Usually ends with a period. | Return your books by Friday. |
Exclamatory (exclamation) | Shows strong feeling. Ends with an exclamation point. | What a long line that is! |
A command's subject is you, even when it is left out. A strong command can end with an exclamation point and still be a command.
Some schools teach that an exclamation must start with What or How, like What a long line. Most grammar guides accept any sentence that shows strong feeling.
Read this with your child: Every sentence has a job. It can tell, ask, give an order or show a big feeling.
What Are The 4 Sentence Structures?
Count the clauses, not the words, because clauses decide whether a sentence is simple, compound, complex or compound-complex.
Table 3: The 4 sentence structures, sorted by build
Structure | How it is built | Example |
|---|---|---|
Simple | One independent clause | Aisha and her brother read comics. |
Compound | Two independent clauses, joined by a word like and or a semicolon | Aisha reads comics, and Leo reads mysteries. |
Complex | One independent clause plus at least one dependent clause | Until the rain stops, we'll read inside. |
Compound-complex | Two independent clauses plus at least one dependent clause | When it rained, Ana read, and Leo slept. |
Table 4: Joining words and the structure they make
Joining words | What they do | They make a |
|---|---|---|
for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (remember FANBOYS) | Join two equal ideas | Compound sentence |
because, when, if, after, until, although, while | Make one idea depend on another | Complex sentence |
When a dependent clause comes first, put a comma after it.
Treat these ages as a rough guide, not a deadline.
Table 5: What many children can do by the end of each age (common US school goals)
Age (US grade) | What many children can do |
|---|---|
Ages 6–7 (1st grade) | Write statements, questions, commands and exclamations |
Ages 8–9 (3rd grade) | Write simple, compound and complex sentences |
Ages 9–10 (4th grade) | Fix run-ons and sentence halves |
Ages 12–13 (7th grade) | Pick any of the 4 structures to fit the idea |
Examples of Types of Sentences
Work through these five examples with your child, then label the table together.
Example 1
Is "The library opens at nine." a statement or a question?
A statement: it tells a fact and ends with a period, so it is declarative.
Example 2
What kind of sentence is the warning sign below?
Table 6: The tempting answer and the right answer
Sign | Tempting answer | Right answer |
|---|---|---|
Watch out! | Exclamatory, because of the exclamation point | Imperative, because it tells you to act |
The sign starts with a verb and has no subject, so it is a command. The exclamation point shows how strongly it is said, not its job.
Example 3
Is "Can you pass the salt?" a question or a request?
Its form is interrogative, with a helping verb first and a question mark last. Its job is a polite request, so nobody just answers "Yes, I can."
Example 4
Join "It started to rain." and "We ran inside." into one compound sentence.
It started to rain, so we ran inside. Children who say both sentences aloud before choosing and, but or so pick the word that fits the meaning.
Example 5
Give "When Grandma visits, will you play the piano, or will Kofi sing?" both labels.
It asks, so it is interrogative. It has two full clauses joined by or, plus the dependent clause When Grandma visits, so it is compound-complex.
Table 7: 10 example sentences with both labels (the clue is in bold)
Sentence | Kind (job) | Structure (build) |
|---|---|---|
Our class visits the zoo on Friday. | Declarative | Simple |
Where are my shoes? | Interrogative | Simple |
Did you feed the fish, or should I do it? | Interrogative | Compound |
Please put your shoes by the door. | Imperative | Simple |
When the timer beeps, take the rice off the stove. | Imperative | Complex |
What a huge mango that is! | Exclamatory | Simple |
The bus was late, so we walked to school. | Declarative | Compound |
Because the bus was late, we walked to school. | Declarative | Complex |
After the game ended, Priya cheered, and Omar high-fived the coach. | Declarative | Compound-complex |
If it rains tomorrow, will we still have the picnic, or will we stay home? | Interrogative | Compound-complex |
Find The Type Of Any Sentence In 3 Steps
Check the job first, then the first words, and count the clauses last.
Read the sentence aloud and ask what it does.
Look at the first words. A question word or a helping verb like can signals a question, and a verb with no subject signals a command.
Count the full clauses and circle the joining words from Table 4.
The end mark looks like the fastest clue. Actually, check it last, because the guesser who reads only the final mark calls Watch out an exclamation and stops.
Why English Has Different Types Of Sentences
Tell your child that written sentences need clear types, because paper can't carry your voice.
When you talk, your voice shows whether you are telling or asking. On paper, You fed the dog could be news or a question until its end mark decides.
Practice in joining sentences pays off in writing. A 2007 US review of writing studies found that sentence-combining lessons had a moderate effect on writing quality, an average effect size of 0.50 (Writing Next, Carnegie Corporation of New York, 2007, page 17). Traditional grammar drills on their own showed a small negative effect.
3 Common Mistakes (And What To Do Instead)
Catch these three mistakes early, and your child's writing gets clearer quickly.
Mistake 1: Calling A Long Sentence Complex
Your child calls Maya and Leo raced to the bus and grabbed seats. complex because it is long. It has one clause, so it is simple.
Do this instead: Count clauses, not words.
Mistake 2: Joining Two Sentences With Only A Comma
Writing fast, the rusher joins two full sentences with a comma: The bus was late, we walked to school. This is a comma splice.
Do this instead: Read each half aloud. If both halves stand alone, use one of these fixes.
Table 8: Three ways to fix a comma splice
Fix | Example |
|---|---|
Use a period | The bus was late. We walked to school. |
Add a joining word | The bus was late, so we walked to school. |
Make one half depend on the other | Because the bus was late, we walked to school. |
Mistake 3: Writing Half A Sentence
Asked Why were you late?, your child writes Because the bus broke down. The first instinct is to call it a sentence, since it has a capital and a period.
Do this instead: Attach it to a main clause: I was late because the bus broke down.
Types Of Sentences Practice Questions With Answers
Have your child find the job first, then count the clauses, before checking the answer key.
Table 9: 8 practice questions
# | Question |
|---|---|
1 | Which kind is Is the pool open on Sunday? |
2 | Which kind is Put the lid on the paint. |
3 | Which end mark does What a long line this is need? |
4 | Which structure is The dog barked, but the baby kept sleeping. |
5 | Which structure is Lina and Kenji painted the fence and washed the brushes. |
6 | Join We stayed inside. and It was raining. with because. |
7 | Fix the run-on: The movie ended we went home. |
8 | Fix the fragment: Because my shoe came untied. |
Your turn: write four sentences about breakfast, one of each kind.
Answer Key
Table 10: Answers and why they are right
# | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|
1 | Interrogative | It asks. |
2 | Imperative | It tells someone to act. |
3 | An exclamation point | It starts with What a and shows feeling. |
4 | Compound | But joins two independent clauses. |
5 | Simple | One clause, even with two verbs. |
6 | We stayed inside because it was raining. | Because it was raining, we stayed inside. also works. |
7 | The movie ended, and we went home. | Two sentences, or so, also work. |
8 | I tripped because my shoe came untied. | Any main clause that fits works. |
Play 4 Sentence Games At Home
Build sentences with your child in short games, because building teaches more than labeling.
The US What Works Clearinghouse writing guide suggests framing, expanding and combining sentences. The University of Iowa's reading research center expands them with where, when, how and why.
Table 11: Four games for types of sentences at home
Game | How to play (3 to 5 minutes) | What it practices |
|---|---|---|
Tell, Ask, Order, Feel | Read sentences from a cereal box. Your child taps the matching sticky note. | The 4 kinds |
Sentence switch | Say a statement. Your child turns it into a question and a command. | Changing the kind |
Glue two sentences | Join two short sentences with and, so or because. | Compound and complex |
Stretch it | Start with The cat slept. Add where, when, how and why. | Longer sentences |
What To Remember About Types Of Sentences
Types of sentences come in two sets: 4 kinds that name the job and 4 structures that count the clauses.
Count clauses, not words, since a long sentence can still be simple.
Building and joining sentences helps writing more than labeling them does.
A Practical Next Step
Tonight, pick one sentence from a bedtime book and give it both labels. Then let your child pick one for you.
Before this: nouns, verbs and complete sentences. After this: commas in compound sentences, relative clauses and paragraphs that mix all four structures.
Want your child to practice all four kinds out loud, in talk shows and puppet plays with a live Bhanzu English trainer? Book a free English class.
Research Behind This Article
Del Mar College Writing Center, Sentence Types (the four kinds and the two kinds of questions), updated June 26, 2023: delmar.edu
Sarah Andersen, San José State University Writing Center, Sentence Types and Functions (clauses and the four structures), 2014: sjsu.edu
Steve Graham and Dolores Perin, Writing Next: Effective Strategies to Improve Writing of Adolescents in Middle and High Schools, a report to Carnegie Corporation of New York, published by the Alliance for Excellent Education, 2007: media.carnegie.org
What Works Clearinghouse, Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers (NCEE 2012-4058), June 2012, revised October 2018: ies.ed.gov
Jennifer Knight, Iowa Reading Research Center, University of Iowa, Sentence Expanding: Helping Students Build Stronger Sentences, April 25, 2017: irrc.education.uiowa.edu
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