Declarative Sentences

Interchange of Sentence Kinds

The process of changing the form of a sentence without changing its meaning is called sentence transformation. This can include changing the word order, replacing words with synonyms, or changing the verb tense. 

Here are some examples of sentence transformations:

Changing a statement into a question: 

For example, "I am going to the store" can be changed to "Am I going to the store?"

Changing a statement into a negative sentence: 

For example, "I am going to the store" can be changed to "I am not going to the store"

Changing a simple sentence into a complex or compound sentence: Or vice versa

You come across so many sentences every day.

And all of these sentences can be categorized into 4 types of sentences:

Declarative (Assertive), interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory; each with its own specific purpose. 

1.        Declarative sentences make statements

2.        Interrogative sentences ask questions

3.        Imperative sentences give commands, and

4.        Exclamatory sentences express strong feelings.

Punctuation also plays a role in differentiating between these types. Let’s understand the types of sentences.

Declarative sentences

A declarative sentence simply declares a statement to communicate, a fact, an observation, an explanation or an opinion. Declarative sentences always end in a period.

Examples 

I live at 24, East Street.

I like ice-cream.

There are four different types of declarative sentences, depending on how many clauses you have and which types they are.

1. Simple sentence: 

A simple sentence is a sentence with one independent clause and nothing more. 

Here are some details about compound-complex sentences:

1.                  The sky looks blue.

2.                  The wind is blowing from the west.

3.                  "The dogs are barking" 

4.                  "It's 67 degrees outside" 

5.                  "My dog is sick" 

6.                  "The cat is sleeping on the sofa" 

7.                  "Tom likes to play video games" 

8.                  "Paris is the capital of France" 

9.                  "I think puppies are cute" 

10.          "That outfit looks nice" 

11.          "The sun rises in the east" 

12.          "The cat is sleeping on the sofa" 

13.          "She loves reading historical novels" 

14.          "The conference starts at 9 AM tomorrow" 

15.          "Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius" 

16.          "They decided to move to a new city" 

17.          "The dogs are barking" 

18.          "It is raining" 

19.          "I like mangoes" 

20.          "My brother had his breakfast" 

21.          "The sky is blue" 

2. Compound sentence: 

A compound sentence is a sentence with two or more independent clauses.

The clauses are usually connected by a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so, known as the FANBOYS), which typically require a comma, but not always.

Alternatively, you can connect independent clauses using only a semicolon. 

Here are some details about compound-complex sentences:

1. "I wanted to buy a dress, but it was too expensive". 

This sentence has two independent clauses,

"I wanted to buy the dress" and "it was too expensive", joined by the conjunction "but" to show contrast. 

2. "I wanted to go for a walk, but it started to rain". 

This sentence conveys multiple related ideas within a single sentence

3.        The sky looks blue, and the clouds look gray. 

4.        He wanted to play football, but she wanted to play basketball.

5.        Marie loves the beach, yet she hates sand.

6.        She plays the piano, and he sings along.

7.        She had to make the next flight; she quickly packed her bag.

8.        The house has new windows; however, the roof still leaks.

3. Complex sentence: 

A complex sentence is a sentence with one independent clause and any number of subordinate clauses (also called as dependent clause).

If the subordinate clause comes before the independent clause, use a comma. If not, no comma is necessary. 

1.        If I wear my glasses, the sky looks blue. 

2.        "Although she was considered smart, she failed all her exams". 

3.        "Having a party is a bad idea because the neighbors will complain". 

4.        "I am extremely happy since I retired". 

5.        "Before I go to bed, I like to read a book". 

6.        "Although it was raining, we decided to go for a walk". 

7.        "If you finish your homework, you can watch TV". 

8.        "He studied hard because he wanted to go to medical school as he suffered from arthritis". 

9.        Because I worked hard, I got the job.

10.                    Although it was too hot outside, he was wearing a coat.

11.                    When she arrived at the airport, the plane had already taken off.

12.                    Most people will buy the car that has the highest gas mileage.

13.                    While I enjoy cricket, hockey is my favorite sport.

14.                    Although Jane was known to be smart, she failed to pass her examinations.

15.                    Whenever it rains, I like to drive my car across the town.

16.                    A party is not an ideal option because the neighbors would oppose it.

4. Compound-complex sentence: 

A compound-complex sentence is a sentence with two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses. They follow the rules for both compound sentences and complex sentences. 

Here are some details about compound-complex sentences:

Independent clauses

A group of words that contains a subject and a predicate, and can stand alone as a complete sentence. 

Dependent clauses

A group of words that contains a noun and verb, but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. 

Coordinating conjunctions

Words like "for" and "yet" that join two or more independent clauses in a compound sentence. 

Conjunctive adverbs

Words like "however" and "nevertheless" that join two or more independent clauses in a compound sentence. 

Here are some examples of compound-complex sentences:

1.                  "Asha forgot her brother's birthday, so she sent him a gift when she finally remembered".

2.                  "Risabh missed his online class, so he had to apologize to his teacher when he was asked about it".

3.                  If I wear my glasses, the sky looks blue, and the clouds look gray. 

4.                  John was sitting and reading a book when the dog started barking.

5.                  Rita was happy but not looking happy because she didn’t want to show it.

6.                  Pedro was sick so he couldn’t attend the conference, even if it was important.

7.                  Justin was hungry; therefore he ordered a pizza with fries, although he had no money.

8.                  Jay was nervous because he badly needed the job because he was going through a financial crisis.