Sentences are the building blocks of language. Depending on the function or purpose they serve, they can be classified in various ways. One of the most fundamental and practical classifications is based on the tone or intention of the sentence — whether it's affirming, denying, or asking. This leads us to three basic types:
Affirmative Sentences
Negative Sentences
Interrogative Sentences
Understanding these types is essential for effective communication, grammar correction, sentence transformation, and comprehension-based exams.
🔹 1. Affirmative Sentences
Definition: An affirmative sentence states a fact or agreement. It positively declares something without any negation.
🧠 Structure:
Subject + Verb + Object (if any)
📘 Examples:
She loves to read books.
They are playing football.
He can swim very well.
We have finished our homework.
These sentences confirm something is happening or is true.
🔹 2. Negative Sentences
Definition: A negative sentence denies a fact or gives a negative response. It contains a negation word like not, never, no, nothing, nobody, etc.
🧠 Structure:
Subject + Auxiliary Verb + not + Main Verb + Object (if any)
Or
Subject + Verb (with negative word)
📘 Examples:
She does not like horror movies.
We have not seen him today.
He never lies.
There is no one in the room.
I cannot solve this problem.
Note: Be cautious of double negatives (e.g., I don't know nothing), which are grammatically incorrect in standard English.
🔹 3. Interrogative Sentences
Definition: An interrogative sentence asks a question. It seeks information or clarification.
🧠 Structure Types:
A. Yes/No Questions
Start with auxiliary verbs (do, does, is, are, have, can, etc.)
Aux Verb + Subject + Main Verb?
Examples:
Do you like ice cream?
Is she coming today?
Have they arrived?
B. Wh- Questions
Start with interrogative words like what, where, when, why, who, how, which.
Wh-word + Aux Verb + Subject + Main Verb?
Examples:
What is your name?
Where do you live?
Why are you sad?
How did you do that?
🔹 Sentence Type Conversion Examples
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative |
|---|---|---|
| He is a doctor. | He is not a doctor. | Is he a doctor? |
| She sings well. | She does not sing well. | Does she sing well? |
| They have a car. | They do not have a car. | Do they have a car? |
| I can speak English. | I cannot speak English. | Can I speak English? |
🔹 Practice Questions (with Answers & Explanation)
1. Identify the sentence type: “They are not ready for the test.”
A) Affirmative
B) Negative
C) Interrogative
D) Imperative
✅ Answer: B) Negative
📝 Explanation: The sentence contains "not", which makes it a negative statement.
2. Which of the following is an interrogative sentence?
A) She loves to dance.
B) They went to the park.
C) Do you have a pen?
D) He was absent yesterday.
✅ Answer: C) Do you have a pen?
📝 Explanation: This is a Yes/No question and asks for information — a clear indicator of an interrogative sentence.
3. Convert the following sentence into a negative: “She can drive.”
✅ Answer: She cannot drive.
📝 Explanation: Add 'not' after the modal 'can' to make it negative.
4. Convert to an interrogative: “He has finished his work.”
✅ Answer: Has he finished his work?
📝 Explanation: Invert the auxiliary verb ‘has’ with the subject to form a question.
5. Which of the following is an affirmative sentence?
A) Don’t touch that!
B) Can you come with me?
C) I like this painting.
D) I do not understand this.
✅ Answer: C) I like this painting.
📝 Explanation: It expresses a positive fact without negation or a question.
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