CBSE Class 5 English The Sentence and Its Kinds Notes Set 02

What is a sentence?

A sentence is a group of words that gives complete sense. The words must be placed in the right order. "Ravi loves his parrot a lot" is a sentence, but "parrot loves Ravi his lot a" is only a jumble of words. Every sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a full stop (.), a question mark (?) or an exclamation mark (!).

Four kinds of sentences

1. Assertive or declarative sentence

This kind of sentence makes a statement. It tells us a fact, an opinion or a piece of news, and it ends with a full stop. Examples: "He is very honest." "The stars are twinkling in the sky."

2. Interrogative sentence

This kind of sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark. Examples: "Are you feeling hungry?" "What are you doing here?" Many questions start with words such as who, what, where, when, why, how, is, are, do and can.

3. Imperative sentence

This kind of sentence gives a command, makes a request or offers advice. The speaker is talking to someone directly, so the word "you" is usually not written. Examples: "Open the door." "Please give me some milk." "You should visit the doctor." Most imperative sentences end with a full stop.

4. Exclamatory sentence

This kind of sentence shows a strong feeling such as joy, surprise, sorrow or wonder. It ends with an exclamation mark. Examples: "How beautiful the rainbow is!" "What a lovely painting it was!" Exclamatory sentences often begin with what or how.

Quick summary

1. Declarative: states something, ends with a full stop. 2. Interrogative: asks something, ends with a question mark. 3. Imperative: orders, requests or advises, usually ends with a full stop. 4. Exclamatory: shows strong feeling, ends with an exclamation mark.

How to arrange jumbled words

To build a sentence from jumbled words, first find who or what the sentence is about (the subject). Then find the action word. Put the subject first, the action next and the remaining words after them. Finally, start with a capital letter and choose the right end mark.

Mixed end marks

A sentence can sometimes be spoken in more than one way. "You are coming" is a statement, but "You are coming?" is a question, and "You are coming!" shows surprise. The end mark therefore tells the reader how the sentence is meant. Also notice that some imperative sentences use a name or a word of address, as in "Shanti, you should go to the doctor." Read the whole sentence before deciding its kind, and do not judge by the first word alone.

Worked examples

Example 1. Arrange the words into a sentence: sun / in / rises / the / east / the. Solution: The sun rises in the east. It is a statement, so it ends with a full stop.

Example 2. Arrange the words: you / completed / homework / have / your. Solution: Have you completed your homework? The sentence asks a question, so it ends with a question mark.

Example 3. Name the kind of sentence: "Children, please come inside the class." Solution: It is an imperative sentence because it makes a polite request.

Quick Check Questions