English Grammar Basics: Sentence Definition and Types - The SoloReads

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English Grammar Basics: Sentence Definition and Types



Grammar (Noun)
The whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and sometimes also phonology and semantics.

In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases and words in a natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules and this field includes phonology, morphology and syntax, often complemented by phonetics, semantics and pragmatics.

To express themselves clearly, it is necessary for English learners to fully understand the basic grammar rules that govern the language. We can't communicate properly with other people without rules.

There are many principles of grammar in English, but the basic rules apply to the form of sentences and parts of speech.

What is sentence?
Definition:
A set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command, and consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses.

A sentence is a group of words that are put together to mean something. A sentence is the basic unit of language which expresses a complete thought.

For example:
 'Andrea is the cutest girl in the class'.
A complete sentence has at least a subject and a main verb to state (declare) a complete thought.

Types of Sentences:
There are four main types of sentences:
1.     Declarative sentence (statement)
2.    Interrogative sentence (question)
3.    Imperative sentence (command)
4.    Exclamative sentence (exclamation)

1.    Declarative sentence (statement)
A declarative sentence (also known as a statement) makes a statement and ends with a period. It's named appropriately because it declares or states something. They don't ask questions, make commands, or make statements with emotion.

Declarative sentence example,
A declarative sentence example is, “It is a nice day today.” That is a declarative sentence.
 It does nothing more than give the facts or lets someone know something. It is your everyday, all around, plain sentence and it always ends with a period.

2.   Interrogative sentence (question)
Definition of Interrogative Sentence:
The sentence which asks a question is an interrogative sentence.
This kind of sentence usually ends with a note of interrogation (?) instead of a period (.)

Questions are framed with Wh words like who, why, when, where, what, whom, whose and how. Questions are also framed with verbs functioning as auxiliary like is, are, am, was, were, have, has, had, do, does and did.

Example:
Do you speak English?
3.   Imperative sentence (command)
The sentence which is used to convey a command, a request, or a forbiddance is called an imperative sentence. This type of sentence always takes the second person (you) for the subject but most of the time the subject remains hidden.

Examples: Bring me a glass of water.
4.   Exclamative sentence (exclamation)
An exclamatory sentence makes a statement that conveys strong emotion or excitement. Placing that tiny stripe above a period at the end of a sentence can really rock the boat!

For example: “I got the concert tickets!”
No big deal, but it can come across as a different kind of emotion, like anger or frustration.

Sentence Structure
Sentence structure is the way a sentence is arranged, grammatically. The sentence structure of your writing includes where the noun and verb fall within an individual sentence. Sentence structure depends on the language in which you're writing or speaking.

There are four types of sentence structure,
·        Simple
·        Complex
·        Compound
·        Compound-complex.

1.    Simple Sentence structure
A simple sentence consists of one independent clause.

Example:
I like Tea.

2.   Complex Sentence structure
A complex sentence consists of an independent clause plus a dependent clause.

Example:
Our dog barks when she hears a noise.

3.   Compound Sentence structure
A compound sentence is two (or more) independent clauses joined by a conjunction or semi-colon. Each of these clauses could form a sentence alone.

Example:
I like Tea and kumar Andrea like coffee.

4.   Compound-complex Sentence structure
A compound-complex sentence consists of at least two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.

Example:
He left in a hurry after he got a phone call, but he came back five minutes later.

Parts of Speech:



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