Declarative sentences

Communicative Types of Sentences

Elliptical (incomplete) sentences

One-member sentences

A one-member sentence contains only one principal part which is neither the subject nor the predicate. There are nominal and verbal one-member sentences:

a) Nominal sentences are those in which the principal part is expressed by a noun. They state the existence of things. They are typical of descriptions:

Silence. Summer. Midnight (unextended).

English spring flowers! (extended)

b) V erbal one-member sentences are those in which the principal part is expressed by a non-finite form of the verb, either an infinitive or a gerund. These sentences are mostly used to describe different emotional perceptions of reality:

To think of that!

Living at the mercy of a woman!

A one-member sentence is complete. No other element of it is implied or felt as missing or necessary.

An elliptical two-member sentence is a sentence in which one or more word-forms in the subject and the predicate positions are omitted. These words can be omitted because they have only grammatical, structural relevance, they do not carry any new important information and they can be easily restored to complete the meaning of the sentence:

“Where are you going?” ― “To the library”.

“Who lives in that house?” ― “John and Mary”.

Some kinds of ellipsis are likely to be found only in casual speech:

Looks like rain.

See what I mean?

You sure?

Other kinds are typical of certain restricted uses of writing, for example notices and headlines:

Children not admitted.

No smoking here.

Many kinds of ellipsis, however, are common in both speech and writing as a means of reducing repetition or sharpening contrast.

According to their role in the process of communication sentences are divided into four types: declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory sentences.

These divisions are usually applied to simple sentences. In a complex sentence the comminucative type depends upon that of the principal clause. In a compound sentence coordinate clauses may belong to different communicative types.

Declarative sentences, or statements, form the bulk of monological speech and the greater part of conversation. A statement may be positive (affirmative) or negative:

I have just come from a business trip.

I haven’t seen my sister yet.

Grammatically, statements are characterized by the direct order of words.

A statement can be emphasized by the auxiliary verbs do, does, did put in front of the base form of the verb:

I do feel sorry for Roger.

Besides their main function of information carriers, statements may be used with the force of questions, commands and exclamations:

I wonder why he is so late.

You mustn’t talk back to your parents.

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