4 Types of Sentences: Tell, Ask, Command, Wow!

What You'll Learn

• Interrogative sentences ask a question and end with a question mark (?)
• Imperative sentences give a command or request and end with a period (.) or exclamation mark (!)
• Exclamatory sentences show strong feeling and end with an exclamation mark (!)
• Imperative sentences often have an invisible "you" as the subject
• The word "interrogative" shares a root with "interrogate," which means to question

Words to Know

Declarative

A sentence that tells you something and ends with a period

"The dog is barking." is a declarative sentence.

Interrogative

A sentence that asks a question and ends with a question mark

"Why is the dog barking?" is an interrogative sentence.

Imperative

A sentence that gives a command, often with an invisible "you"

"Feed the dog." is an imperative sentence — it means "You feed the dog."

Exclamatory

A sentence that shows strong feeling and ends with an exclamation mark

"That dog is SO cute!" is an exclamatory sentence.

Punctuation

The marks at the end of a sentence that tell you what type it is

A period, question mark, and exclamation mark are all punctuation.

Subject

Who or what the sentence is about

In "Kitty runs," Kitty is the subject.

Check What You Learned

Fun Facts

• There are four types of sentences in English: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.

  Source: Common Core Standards Initiative, L.3.1.A

• Declarative sentences make a statement and end with a period (.).

  Source: Common Core Standards Initiative, L.3.2

• Interrogative sentences ask a question and end with a question mark (?).

  Source: Common Core Standards Initiative, L.3.2

• Imperative sentences give a command or make a request and often have an implied (invisible) subject "you."

  Source: Common Core Standards Initiative, L.3.1.I

• Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion and end with an exclamation mark (!).

  Source: Common Core Standards Initiative, L.3.2

• The word "interrogative" comes from the Latin "interrogare," meaning "to ask or question," and shares a root with "interrogate."

  Source: Online Etymology Dictionary