Sentence Types & Structures Introduction

Think you know your stuff? CLICK HERE to quiz yourself.

A sentence is a group of words that expresses a complete thought… unlike the thoughts we at Shmoop have before our fourth or fifth cup of coffee. Sure, those thoughts are fun ("How does a unicorn… oooh, fruit snacks."), but they aren't perfect grammatical specimens.

Here are a few Rules of Sentence:

• Every sentence must include a subject and a predicate. (Predicates aren't nearly as hoity-toity as they sound—check out our page on Subjects, Objects, and Predicates).
• Sentences are also called independent clauses because they make sense by themselves—or independently—without other information. Good job, sentences.
• Sentences may be one of four types:
  • Declarative
  • Imperative
  • Interrogative
  • Exclamatory
• Sentences may also be classified according to structure, and they come in three forms:
  
  • Simple
  • Compound
  • Complex

The what now?! Cool your jets, Shmoopers. These official type and classification names sound terrifying… but they always do. It's a bit like how Lepus curpaeums (Ahhh! Make it go away!) is just a plain ol' bunny rabbit. Or how Phodopus campbelli (Nostopit'sgoingtokillme!) is a cute little dwarf hamster.