Sentence Structure in English

We express our feelings through different kinds of Sentences. To make better communication one has to know basic sentence structure in English.

Sentence: A sentence is a set of words that stands one after one by following grammatical rules and then makes a meaningful sense, usually contains at least a subject and a verb,

Types of Sentences (as meaning or functioning)

There are five types of sentences in English according to the meaning.

1. Assertive/Declarative sentence
2. Interrogative/Question sentence
3. Imperative/Directive sentence
4. Optative/Wishes sentence
5. Exclamatory/Exclamatives sentence

Basic Sentence Structure in English:

Subject + verb + complement/modifier/extension/object(.)

✯ Assertive Sentence:

 A sentence that makes a regular or general statement is called an Assertive Sentence.

Sentence Structure:

Affirmative Structure:
(ⅰ) Subject + verb +Object/compliment(.)
Ex: Sabrina is writing a letter.

note: Here subject may take one or more words and the verb look like a.v+m,v/a.v/m,v, and the object may also take one or more words.

Negative Structure: 
(ⅰ)-  subject + to be verb + not + object/extension (.)
 ex: I am not a liar.

(ⅱ)- subject + to have verb + no/not +object/extension (.)

 ex-1: I have no money.

 ex-2: He had not any cultivable land. 

(ⅲ)-subject + to do verb + not + m.v(base form) + object/ extension (.)
ex: Sabrina doesn't make this fault.

(ⅳ)-subject+ modal A.V + not + m.v(base form) + object/extension (.)
 ex: We should not tell a lie. 

✯ Interrogative Sentence:

A sentence by which one's asks questions about anything is called Interrogative Sentence.

Sentence Structure:

Affirmative Structure(basic):
(ⅰ)- A.v + sub + extension (?)
 ex: Is he a brilliant student? 

(ⅱ)-Wh-words + A,v + sub + extension (?)
 ex: What are you doing now?

Wh-words/question words (What, Who, whom, when, where, how, why, which, whose)

Affirmative Structure(advance):
(ⅰ)- a.v +subject + verb....? (yes/no questions)
 ex: Have you seen this movie before?

(ⅱ)-who/what + verb + compliment + modifier...? (Information questions)
 ex: What happened last night?

(ⅲ)-whom/what + a,v + sub + verb + modifier....? (Information questions)

ex: What did John buy at the shop?

(ⅳ)-when/where/how/why + a.v + sub + verb....? (Information question)

 ex: Where has Henry gone?

(ⅴ)-statement(affir.).....(,) + A.v+not(short) + subject(pronoun)..? (tag questions)

ex: Maria should stay in bed, shouldn't she?

ⅵ)-statement(neg)......(,) + a.v + subject(pronoun)...? (tag questions)

ex: The girls don't have meeting tomorrow, do they?

Exceptional structure:
(ⅰ)- sub + verb + question word + subject +verb + obj...(Embedded question)
 ex: The authorities cannot figure out why the plane landed at the airport. 

(ⅱ)- A.v + subject + verb + question word + sub + verb...? (Embedded question)
 ex: Do you know where he went?

Negative Structure:
(ⅰ)- A.v + subject + not +.......(?)
ex: Am I not responsible for this?

(ⅱ)- A,v + not(short) + subject +....(?)
ex: Ain't I responsible for this?

✯ Imperative Sentence:

A sentence that expresses order, advice, request, proposal, forbidden, etc. is called an Imperative sentence.

Sentence Structure:

Affirmative Structure:
(ⅰ)- Verb(base) + extension . (in case of subject 2nd person)
ex: Call in a doctor.

(ⅱ)- Please/kindly/never/always + verb(base) + extension (.)
ex: Never tell a lie.

note: Here "you" remain silent.

(ⅲ)- Let + sub('pronoun' objective form) + verb + object. (in case of sub. 1st & 3rd person)

ex: Let me help you.

(iv)- Let + noun + verb + object(.)

ex: Let John play the music.

Negative Structure:

(ⅳ)- Don't + verb(base) + extension (.)
ex: Don't smoke in a public place.

(ⅴ)- let + subject(pronoun) + not + verb + object (.)
ex: Let them not smoke in public place.

(vi)- let + not + subject(noun) + verb +object (.)
ex: Let not John misbehave with others.

✯ Optative Sentence:

A sentence that expresses the speaker's wish, prayer, or blessing is called an Optative Sentence.

Sentence Structure:

(i)- may + sub + verb + extension (.)

ex: May Allah fulfil your desire.

✯ Exclamatory Sentence:

A sentence that expresses the speaker's sudden emotion, surprise, pleasure, delight, sorrow, pain, etc. is called Exclamatory Sentence.

Sentence Structure:

(ⅰ)- How + adjective/adverb + sub + verb (!)
ex: How high the mountain is!

(ⅱ)- What + a/an(as article) + adj + noun + subject + verb (!)
ex: What a great scholar it is!
ex-ii: What an excellent idea it was!

(ⅲ)- Interjection (!) + subject + verb + extension (.)
ex: Fie! He wastes his time idly.

Interjection: (bravo, alas, hurrah, oh, oh no, fie, lol, omg, haha, hey, ouch, )

(ⅳ)- If/had/were/would that/could + sub + verb(v2) +extension (!)
ex: Would that I could be a scientist like Einstein's!
ex-ii: If I were(sub. singular or plural) a child again!

Sentence Structure in English

Types of Sentences (as structure)

There are three kinds of Sentences in English according to the structure.

1. Simple Sentence
2. Compound Sentence
3. Complex Sentence

Additional types of sentences as structure:

1. Compound-complex Sentence
2. Fragment Sentence

Note: To Understand Sentences as structure clearly one must have basic knowledge of the Clause.

✯ Simple Sentence:

The sentence having only one subject and one finite verb is called a Simple Sentence. And there have also been non-finite verbs more than one.

Sentence Structure:

(ⅰ)- Sub + verb + Complement.

ex: I read the book.

(ⅱ)-sub + verb + complement + non-finite verb

ex: The question is easy enough for anybody to answer.

✯Compound Sentence:

A Compound Sentence is composed of at least two simple sentences that have at least two Co-ordinate clauses(independent) joined with Co-ordinating Conjunction. Here, every clause is independent and has one subject and one fInite verb.

Sentence Structure:

(ⅰ)- Co-ordinate clause + Coordinating Conjunction + Co-ordinate clause

ex: The girl is very innocent and she believes anyone.

Coordinating Conjunction (and, or, but, as well as, either...or, neither...nor, both...and, etc) 

✯Complex Sentence:

A Complex Sentence is composed of at least two simple sentences that have at least two clauses,  one is the Principal clause(independent) other is a Subordinate clause(dependent). Here, Subordinate clauses depend on the Principal clause to express clear meaning. Both clauses have one subject and one finite verb and they are joined with Subordinating Conjunction.

Sentence Structure:

(I)- Principal clause + Subordinating Conjunction + Subordinate Clause.
ex: People respect him as he is honest.

(ⅱ)- Subordinating Conjunction + Subordinate Clause(,) + Principal Clause
ex: As he is honest(,) people respect him.

Subordinating Conjunction (who, what, when, where, why, how, whom, while, except, though, although, as, since, if, before, after, as soon as, as long as, unless, so that, etc)

✯Compound-complex Sentence:

A sentence comprising of minimum's one subordinate(dependent) clause and more than one Principal(independent) clause is called a Compound-complex sentence.

Ex: The fox lived in the forest, but the cat, who was clever, lived inside the house.

✯Fragment Sentence:

A group of words with no independent clause is called a Sentence Fragment.

ex: What a fool!

List of Basic English Grammars.