Sentence Types
Learn how a sentence’s purpose shapes its form—and discover the four main sentence types you can explore in greater detail.
Start with the main idea
Every sentence has a purpose, and that purpose gives it a type.
A sentence type describes what a sentence is doing. Every sentence makes a statement, asks a question, gives a command, or expresses strong feeling, and this purpose shapes the sentence’s word order and punctuation.
In The building closed early., information is being stated. In Why did the building close early?, the same idea is being questioned. The purpose behind each sentence changes its form.
This page begins with the broad idea of what a sentence type is. Once that foundation is clear, you can explore each of the four sentence types in more detail.
The four types
Every sentence falls into one of four categories.
Each type communicates a different kind of purpose, and each one is written and punctuated differently.
Statements give information.
The library closes at eight.
A statement tells the reader something and ends with a period.
Questions ask for information.
Does the library close at eight?
A question requests information and ends with a question mark.
Commands ask for an action.
Close the library doors at eight.
A command instructs the reader to do something, often without stating the subject directly.
Exclamations express strong feeling.
The library is closing early!
An exclamation expresses surprise, urgency or strong emotion and ends with an exclamation mark.
Purpose shapes form
Word order and punctuation change to match the purpose.
For now, focus on recognising how each sentence type looks on the page, rather than memorising every rule.
Statements keep the subject before the verb.
She finished the report.
The subject comes first, followed by the verb, in the standard order.
Questions often reverse that order.
Did she finish the report?
An auxiliary verb moves in front of the subject to signal that a question is being asked.
Commands often leave the subject unstated.
Finish the report.
The subject you is understood without being written.
Exclamations are marked by punctuation, not word order.
She finished the report!
The word order can match a statement; the exclamation mark is what signals the strong feeling.
Recognition clues
Purpose is the strongest clue—but form can help too.
No single test identifies every sentence type. Use several clues together and always consider what the sentence is trying to do.
01
Is the sentence giving information?
If it tells the reader something and ends with a period, it is most likely a statement.
02
Does it begin with a question word or an inverted verb?
Words such as who or why, or a verb placed before the subject, usually signal a question.
03
Is the subject missing?
A sentence that begins directly with a verb, with you understood, is usually a command.
04
Does it end with an exclamation mark?
An exclamation mark usually signals strong feeling, regardless of the sentence’s word order.
Where do you go next?
Explore each sentence type in detail.
Everything you’ve learned so far explains what a sentence type is. The topics below each explore one type in much more detail. Choose any lesson that matches what you want to learn next.
Statements
Learn how a statement gives information and follows the standard subject-verb order.
Example: The library closes at eight.
Questions
See how a question requests information, often by reversing the standard word order.
Example: Does the library close at eight?
Commands
Discover how a command instructs the reader to act, usually without stating the subject.
Example: Close the doors at eight.
Exclamations
Learn how an exclamation expresses strong feeling and is marked by its punctuation.
Example: The library is closing early!
Building your understanding
The same words can form more than one sentence type.
The four categories above are not always separate boxes. The same words can shift from one type to another depending on the punctuation and, in speech, the tone of voice used.
Type depends on how the sentence is delivered
A sentence built from the same words can shift its purpose depending on how it ends, or how it is spoken.
Examples
You are leaving. — Statement, giving information.
You are leaving? — Question, spoken with rising intonation to ask for confirmation.
You are leaving! — Exclamation, expressing surprise at the same information.
Remember
As you work through the individual lessons, you’ll discover that each sentence type highlights one purpose a sentence can serve. The individual lessons explain how to tell these types apart when the same words could serve more than one purpose.
Before you continue
You’re ready to explore sentence types in more detail.
You now understand what a sentence type is, the four categories it can fall into, and how to recognise each one. From here, choose whichever sentence type is most useful for your own learning.
Continue your learning
Every lesson in this section focuses on one sentence type. Complete them in any order and return here whenever you need a refresher on the big picture.