Four types of sentences: top things you must know

All students want to make their writing look fresh, engaging, and relevant to the topic. In most cases, you can reach this goal if you effectively use different types of sentences. But what are the main rules for composing your ideas, statements, and phrases? How can you improve your writing with diverse text structures? Here is when four types of sentences are ready to help! Discover some basic concepts about sentence structures, their types, and writing rules to make your academic paper look perfect. 

Types of sentences: an overview

There is nothing new that sentence variety can make your writing look polished and professional. Academic institutions, including most colleges and universities, highly value the diversity of content structures used in students’ papers. For example, the College of English Language experts believe that properly grammatically arranged words are necessary for every successful academic assignment. 

Generally, types of sentences can be distinguished by their structure and functions. If we talk about sentence structure, it is important to note that there are questions and commands. However, the classification of sentences by function looks a bit more complicated. 

Most importantly, the kinds of sentences can be determined by their punctuation (a period, exclamation, or question mark.) Here is a short list of options we are going to explore in detail below: 

• Declarative; 
• Interrogative; 
• Imperative; 
• Exclamatory. 

Writing tip from SpeedyPaper

What are the four types of sentences?

Using diverse types of sentences can be tricky. However, you can always take a look at our easy prompt and detect which type of sentence you have before your eyes: 

• Declarative: used to make a strong statement. 
• Interrogative: helps you ask a question. 
• Imperative: encourages somebody to do something.
• Exclamatory: allows you to express emotions.

Writing tip from SpeedyPaper

Types of sentences	Purpose	Punctuation Mark	Example
Declarative	Statement	“.”	You finished your homework.
Interrogative	Question	“?”	Should you finish your homework?
Imperative	Command	“.” or “!”	Finish your homework.
Exclamatory	Expression	“!”	What a great job you did finishing your homework!

Now, it’s time to explore each of these four types of sentences more deeply. No worries; it is easier than you might think at first glance. 

Declarative 

When discussing different types of sentences, declarative is the leading position among the most common ones. As a rule, it represents a particular fact and explains or conveys some data. These sentences are usually written in the present tense and end up with a period. 

Most students believe declarative sentences are good starting points for their academic papers. They are simple, easy to write, and understandable. If you need to come up with some information, this option will likely fit this need. 

The declarative type of sentence examples can be the following: 

• The sun rises in the east.
• Mary enjoys reading novels.
• Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
• The Earth revolves around the Sun.
• Penguins cannot fly.
• The Mona Lisa is a famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.
• Oxygen is essential for human survival.

These examples can be described as positive types of sentences. However, you can also use negative alternatives: 

• Penguins aren't found in tropical climates.
• The Eiffel Tower isn't located in the United States.
• Diamonds aren't made from coal.
• The Sahara Desert isn't the largest in the world.
• Dogs don't meow like cats.

Interrogative 

Now, it’s time to learn more about the interrogative type of sentence. The good news is that this kind of sentence is the easiest to identify - it always ends with a question mark. Therefore, it can start with the following words: 

• Who;
• What;
• Where;
• Why;
• When;
• Which; 
• Whose;
• Whom.

These types of sentences require information in the form of the answer. For example, you can confirm or deny a particular fact. You can use these sentences in almost any part of your academic assignment. However, avoid asking too many questions so as not to overwhelm the reader. 

Interrogative types of sentences with examples:

• Can you help me with this problem?
• Have you ever been to Europe?
• Will you attend the meeting tomorrow?
• What time is the train leaving?
• Did they arrive on time?

Imperative 

The imperative type of sentence usually expresses a particular request, command, instruction, warning, invitation, or demand. In most cases, it doesn’t have a subject. In other words, these sentences tell someone what to do. These sentences can end with a period or an exclamation point. 

The examples of this type of sentence can be the following: 

• Don't touch that button!
• Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
• Join us for dinner tonight.
• Let's go for a walk.
• Watch out for the slippery floor.

Exclamatory

What are the four types of sentences? Well, we’ve already learned three options, and there is only one type left. This is an exclamatory one. If you need to express your emotions or emphasize the urgency of a particular event, these sentence types are ready to help. 

These sentences usually end with an exclamation mark. You can use it if you are proud, shocked, terrified, or disgusted. In other words, this option is a perfect fit to describe any sudden emotion. 

As for writing standards, it is better to avoid using these sentences in formal kinds of academic writing. You can hardly find it in most academic papers, regardless of their difficulty level. 

The examples of these types of sentences can be the following: 

• What a fantastic job you've done!
• What a beautiful sunset!
• How wonderful it is to be here!
• What a surprise to see you here!

Tips for using different types of sentences

What are the four types of sentences? How can you properly use them in your writing? Below are some tips to make your job a bit easier. Just try to follow some basic rules when completing your next academic assignment. 

1. Use punctuation. Proper punctuation is a key to composing the most fitting types of sentences. The fact is that sometimes you can specify the call or message you need to share only using the needed punctuation. This approach lets you become clearer and makes your ideas more understandable to most readers. By the way, wrong punctuation can drastically change the entire meaning of your writing. It also sets the voice and tone of your academic paper. 
2. Try to be as clear as possible. Using four types of sentences often makes your paper look more professional and readable. They can also make your reading more diverse and unique. However, always write your sentences with a clear purpose — avoid wordiness and duplicated information. Clear sentences allow readers to stay focused and enjoy the logical flow of your academic paper. 
3. Check the length of your sentences. Although you can use all four types of sentences in your academic paper, always check their length. Of course, you don’t need to count words in each sentence, but make sure your sentence doesn’t exceed a few lines in a paragraph. The fact is that too long sentences can lead to losing the readers’ interest and make them feel lost in too much information shared. Relatively short sentences allow readers to absorb your facts and arguments more effectively. 

How to compose top-notch sentences for your academic paper

How many types of sentences are there? Is there any way to polish my writing? What types of sentences are the most fitting for my academic paper? Who can write paper for me? 

These are the most common questions for many learners. If you have any issues with developing your papers, feel lost in loads of diverse information, or are helpless in front of a complicated academic assignment, professional essay writing services are always ready to help. Just in case you face a serious challenge, remember that expert writers can complete any academic assignment in a fast and brilliant way. Moreover, all your requirements will be met for 100%. 

Conclusion

Using diverse sentence types can often be difficult for students. However, if you clarify the main concepts of composing different options and learn the basic writing rules, you’ve done half of your job.