Beginners Guide to Declarative Sentences

In English grammar, a declarative sentence (also known as a declarative clause) is a statement that—true to its name—declares something. Declarative statements consist of a subject and a predicate and are the most common type of sentence in the English language. In contrast to a command  (imperative), a question  (interrogative), or an exclamation  (exclamatory), a declarative sentence expresses an active state of being in the present tense. In a declarative sentence, the subject generally precedes the verb, and it almost always ends with a period. Types of Declarative Sentences As with other types of sentences, a declarative sentence can be either simple or compound. A simple declaratory sentence is the union of a subject and a predicate, as simple as a subject and verb in the present tense. A compound declarative joins two related phrases together with a conjunction and a comma. Simple declarative:  Lilly loves gardening. Compound declarative: Lilly loves gardening, but her husband hates weeding. Compound declaratives can be joined with a semicolon rather than a comma. Such sentences carry the same meaning and are equally correct grammatically. For example, in the above sentence, you would swap out the comma for a semicolon and delete the conjunction to arrive at this sentence: Lilly loves gardening; her husband hates weeding. Declarative vs. Interrogative Sentences Declarative sentences usually end with a period, however, they can also be phrased in the form of a question. The difference is that an interrogative sentence is asked in order to obtain information, while a declarative question is asked in order to clarify information.   Interrogative: Did she leave a message? Declarative: She did leave a message? Note that in a declarative sentence, the subject comes before the verb. Another easy way to tell the two sentences apart is to substitute a period for the question mark in each example. A declarative sentence would still make sense if you punctated it with a period; an interrogative would not. Incorrect: Did she leave a message. Correct: She did leave a message. Imperative and Exclamative Sentences It can be fairly easy to confuse declarative sentences with imperative or exclamative ones. Sometimes when a sentence expresses a statement of fact, what looks like an exclamative may actually be an imperative (also known as  a directive). Though its a less common form, an imperative gives advice or instructions, or it may express a request or command. While its unlikely youll come across an instance where an imperative is confused with a declarative, it all depends on the context: Imperative: Please come to dinner tonight. Exclamative: Come to dinner! my boss demanded. Declarative: Youre coming to dinner tonight! That makes me so happy! Modifying a Declarative As with other  types of sentences, declaratives can be expressed in either a positive or negative form, depending on the verb. To distinguish them from imperatives, remember to look for a visible subject. Declarative:  You arent needed. Interrogative:  Dont be impolite. If youre still having difficulty distinguishing the two types of sentences, try expressing both with a tag question added for clarification. A declarative sentence will still make sense; an imperative wont. Correct: You arent needed, are you? Incorrect: Dont be impolite, will you?