The Types of Sentences

There are many approaches to classify sentences. We shall consider only some of them.

B. Ilyish classifies sentences applying two principles:

1) types of communication. Applying this principle he distinguishes 3 types of sentences: declarative, interrogative, imperative.

2) according to structure. Applying this principle he distinguishes two main types of sentences: simple and composite.

Ch. Fries gives an original classification of types of sentences. All the utterances are divided by him into Communicative and Non-communicative.

The Communicative utterances are in their turn divided into 3 groups:

I. Utterances regularly eliciting “oral” responses only: A) Greetings. B) Calls. C) Questions.

II. Utterances regularly eliciting "action" responses, sometimes accompanied by one of a limited list of oral responses: requests or commands.

III. Utterances regularly eliciting conventional signals of attention to continuous discourse statements.

L. Barkhudarov compares source (kernel) sentences with their transforms, he distinguishes several types of sentences from their structural view-point. His classification will represent binary oppositions where the unmarked member is the source kernel sentence and marked one is the transformed sentence.

The most important oppositions within the limits of simple sentences are the following two:

1. Imperative (request) and non-imperative sentences.

2. Elliptical and non-elliptical sentences.

Summarizing the issue about the classification of sentences in the English language, we can say that this can be done from different points of view. But the most important criteria so are as follows:

1. the criterion of the structure of sentences

2. the criterion of the aim of the speaker

3. the criterion of the existence of all parts of the sentence.

1. From the point of view of the first criterion sentences fall under two subtypes: simple and composite. Here the notion of the predicate line should be given. The finite verb, expressing the basic predicative meaning of the sentence and performing the function of the predicate, and the subject combined with it form the so-called “predicative line” of the sentence. On the basis of predicative line presentation, sentences are divided into monopredicative (with one predicative line expressed), i.e. simple, and polypredicative (with two or more predicative lines expressed), i.e. composite and semi-composite.

The difference between them is in the fact that simple sentences have one primary predication in their structure while composite ones have more than one.

2.According to the criterion of the aim of the speaker sentences fall under declarative, interrogative, imperative and exclamatory.

The declarative sentences:

- they convey some statement. Maybe because of this fact these sentences are called declarative.

- they usually have the falling intonation

- usually they have regular order of words with no inversion.

The actual division of the declarative sentence presents itself in the most developed and complete form. The rheme of the declarative sentence makes up the center of some statement as such.

Interrogative Sentences

There are two structural types of interrogative sentences in Modern English – general questions (yes- or no- questions) and special (or wh-) questions. Both of them are characterized by having partial inversions:

Are we staying here?

Where are we staying?

Besides, the first one has a special (rising) intonation pattern. The second one (whquestion) has interrogative words. But the intonation pattern of wh-questions is identical with that of the affirmative sentences. And it is important to point out that the interrogative sentences require answers (if they are not rhetorical ones).

The actual division of the strictly interrogative sentences expresses an inquiry about information which the speaker does not possess. Therefore the rheme of the interrogative sentence, as the nucleus of the inquiry, is informationally open (gaping). The thematic part of the answer is usually zeroed since it’s already expressed in the question:

• e.g. How are you? – Fine, thanks.

 Mixed types:

• e.g. You must all help dear Edward.

• e.g. You saw a good deal of him in London, I believe?

• e.g. Live and learn! e.g. Tell me about John, Mary.

• e.g. Can leopard change his spots?

e.g. Will you do something very kind, boy?