Statements
Learn how a statement gives information, why it follows the standard subject-verb order, and how it can be written as affirmative or negative.
Giving information
A statement tells the reader something.
A statement is a sentence that gives information. It is the most common of the four sentence types, and it follows the standard subject-verb order.
In the sentence The train leaves at noon., the subject the train comes before the verb leaves, and the sentence ends with a period. No information is being requested, no action is being demanded, and no strong feeling is being expressed.
Statements can be affirmative, confirming that something is true, or negative, confirming that something is not true.
Before you begin
Statements are one of four sentence types.
This lesson focuses on statements specifically. Sentence types as a whole include three other categories, each covered in its own lesson.
If you would like an overview of how sentence types work in general, begin with the Sentence Types page.
The central idea
The same information can be given, or requested.
Compare a statement with the same idea turned into a question.
01
Statement
The train leaves at noon.
02
Question
Does the train leave at noon?
The useful question is: is information being given, or requested?
The train leaves at noon. → information is given
Does the train leave at noon? → information is requested
The words in both sentences are closely related, but the subject moves and an auxiliary verb is added to turn the statement into a question.
Word order in a statement
A statement keeps the subject before the verb.
Subject, then verb
The manager approved the budget.
The subject comes first, followed by the verb.
Verb, then object
The manager approved the budget.
If the sentence has an object, it follows the verb.
No inversion, no missing subject
Unlike a question, a statement does not move an auxiliary verb before the subject. Unlike a command, a statement does not leave the subject unstated.
Affirmative and negative statements
A statement can confirm something, or deny it.
Affirmative
She agrees with the plan.
Confirms that something is true.
Negative
She does not agree with the plan.
Confirms that something is not true, usually by adding an auxiliary verb and not.
The subject still comes before the verb
Making a statement negative does not change its word order. The subject remains before the verb; only the auxiliary verb and not are added.
A useful decision guide
Ask what the sentence is doing, and how it ends.
01
Is the sentence giving information?
If so, and not requesting, commanding or exclaiming, it is likely a statement.
02
Does the subject come before the verb?
A statement keeps the standard subject-verb order.
03
Does the sentence end with a period?
A statement ends with a period, not a question or exclamation mark.
04
Is the statement confirming something, or denying it?
Check whether not or a similar word makes the statement negative.
Common mistakes
A statement needs a subject, a verb, and the right end punctuation.
A missing subject can read like a command.
Unclear: Left early yesterday.
Clearer: She left early yesterday.
Without a stated subject, a sentence can be mistaken for a command rather than a statement.
The wrong end punctuation changes the sentence type.
Not: The museum is closed today?
Correct: The museum is closed today.
A question mark turns a statement into a question, even if the word order has not changed.
Two statements need more than a comma to join them.
Not: The museum is closed today, we will visit tomorrow.
Correct: The museum is closed today, so we will visit tomorrow.
A comma alone cannot join two statements that could each stand alone as a sentence; a conjunction, a semicolon, or a period is needed.
Check your understanding
Which sentence type is shown below?
Choose the correct answer for each sentence.
The office reopens on Monday.
✅ Exactly! The sentence gives information and keeps the standard subject-verb order.
❎ Not quite. Check whether information is being given or requested.
Is anything being asked, or only told?
He does not agree with the decision.
✅ Exactly! The word not makes this statement negative.
❎ Not quite. Look for a word that denies rather than confirms something.
Is the sentence confirming something, or denying it?
The bridge has been closed for repairs.
✅ Exactly! The sentence names a subject and gives information about it.
❎ Not quite. A command usually leaves the subject unstated.
Is a subject named in the sentence?
Choose the best explanation
Select the sentence that explains the statement correctly.
Why is “The museum is closed today?” not a correctly punctuated statement?
✅ Exactly! End punctuation alone can change what sentence type is being read.
❎ Not quite. Look closely at the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence.
Why does “The museum is closed today, we will visit tomorrow.” need to be corrected?
✅ Exactly! Joining two independent statements needs a conjunction, a semicolon, or a period, not a comma alone.
❎ Not quite. Check whether both halves of the sentence could stand alone.
Try it another way
Complete each negative statement.
Type the missing word.
✅ Exactly! Not follows the auxiliary verb to make the statement negative.
❎ Not quite. Think about the word that denies the statement.
✅ Exactly! The statement describes the office’s current state.
❎ Not quite. Think about the form of “close” that follows “is.”
Quick review
A statement gives information, in the standard word order.
A statement is a sentence that gives information and ends with a period.
Statements follow the standard subject-verb order, without the inversion used in questions or the missing subject used in commands.
A statement can be affirmative, confirming something, or negative, denying it, usually by adding not after an auxiliary verb.
Two statements that could each stand alone need a conjunction, a semicolon, or a period to be joined correctly; a comma alone is not enough.
Remember
Ask whether information is being given, not requested or demanded.
If a sentence tells the reader something, keeps the subject before the verb, and ends with a period, it is a statement.