Classifying Sentences by Purpose and Structure Guide

Subject : English

Question:

Classify each of the following sentences by purpose and structure.

For Declarative sentences, write D on the first line provided; for Interrogative, write IN; for Imperative, write IM; and for Exclamatory, write EX.

For Simple sentences, write S on the second line provided; for Compound, write CD; and for Complex, write CX.

1. __ __ underwhelming.
2. __ __ again?
3. __ __ Are toys and memorabilia from the 1950s-1990s valuable collectibles?
4. __ __ Water boils at a certain temperature, and it freezes at another.
5. __ __ Take all the cups and plates off the tray.
6. __ __ If you ask me, we’re all pretty lucky to have a chance to learn this.
7. __ __ The night sky is so beautiful, and the moon is so big!
8. __ __ Put off by negative campaigning, some people decide not to vote at all.
9. __ __ The area experienced heavy summer rains, so the fall foliage was underwhelming.
10. __ __ When writing about literature, always use the present tense.
11. __ __ Do you think the Lakers will do well this year, or will the Celtics win again?
12. __ __ How many fans around the world will watch this year’s World Cup?

Answer Description:

1. Declarative & Simple (D, S): The sentence likely states a fact or opinion without any coordinating or subordinating conjunctions.
2. Interrogative & Simple (IN, S): The sentence asks a question and is not linked with any conjunctions.
3. Interrogative & Complex (IN, CX): This sentence asks a question and involves a complex structure with a dependent clause.
4. Declarative & Compound (D, CD): The sentence declares a fact and connects two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction.
5. Imperative & Simple (IM, S): This is a command or request, and it’s a simple sentence.
6. Declarative & Complex (D, CX): This sentence is declarative and contains a dependent clause, making it complex.
7. Exclamatory & Compound (EX, CD): This sentence expresses strong emotion and contains two independent clauses joined by a conjunction.
8. Declarative & Complex (D, CX): The sentence declares a statement with a dependent clause at the beginning.
9. Declarative & Compound (D, CD): This sentence is declarative and connects two independent clauses.
10. Imperative & Complex (IM, CX): This is a command with a dependent clause, making it complex.
11. Interrogative & Compound (IN, CD): The sentence asks a question and joins two independent clauses.
12. Interrogative & Complex (IN, CX): This sentence asks a question and contains a dependent clause, making it complex.

This classification helps identify the purpose (whether the sentence declares, asks, commands, or exclaims) and the structure (whether it’s simple, compound, or complex). Understanding this can enhance your writing skills by allowing you to vary sentence types and structures effectively.