The sentence you finished reading was a declarative sentence. So is this one. And this one too.
Declarative sentences are the most common types of sentences used in English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and virtually all written and spoken languages around the World.
That fact you shared at dinner last night? The status update you posted? Even your favorite book has mostly declarative sentences…
In this blog, we’ll explore what makes a sentence declarative, why they’re so essential, how they are different from other sentence types, and share over 50 examples that show these hard working sentences in action.
What Is a Declarative Sentence?
The word “declarative” comes from the Latin word “declarare,” which means “to make clear.”
That‘s exactly what these sentences do – they make the sentences easy for the listeners or the readers.
These sentences are everywhere, from casual conversations, academic papers, fairy tales, and sci-fi epics, to ad copy and client reports. It’s the most common type of sentence we use in everyday life.
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Just look at the news headline:
- The sun rises in the east.
- The president spoke to the nation yesterday.
- Scientists discover new species.
All of these are declarative sentences, and they are very straightforward.
Characteristics of a Declarative Sentence
States a Fact, Opinion, or Statement
Declarative sentences tell us different kinds of information. Some tell facts, some tell opinions, and some just make statements about things.
A fact is something true and can be proven.
For example,
- Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
- The Earth orbits the Sun.
- Paris is the capital of France.
They’re all facts whether someone believes it or not.
An opinion is what someone thinks or feels. It can’t be proven as right or wrong.
For example,
- Chocolate ice cream tastes better than vanilla.
- That movie was boring.
- Blue is the prettiest color.
These are all your opinions. Others might think differently.
Declarative sentences are used in many different situations.
In school papers, they’re used to explain facts and ideas.
In stories, they’re used to tell what happened and describe the characters.
In instructions, like recipes or directions, we use them to explain what to do, like “The next step is to preheat the oven.”
Every time you state something, share information or express what you think, you’re probably using a declarative sentence!
Ends with a Period (.)
Declarative sentences end with a period (.) – a small dot at the end of the sentence.
A period tells the reader that a complete thought has ended.
When you see a period, you know the statement is finished. Without periods, our writing would just run together and become confusing.
- Question marks (?) show that someone is asking for information.
For example,
- Where is my backpack? (This is not a statement, but a question)
- Exclamation points (!) show strong feelings or excitement.
For example,
- That was an amazing game! (the period is more calm and matter-of-fact).
Imagine if we put the wrong ending punctuation like,
“The library closes at 6:00 PM!” This makes it sound like we’re super excited about the library closing, which probably isn’t what we mean.
“My favorite subject in school is science?” This turns it into a question as if we’re unsure about our own favorite subject.
A simple period helps keep our meaning clear and our writing easy to understand.
Subject Comes Before the Verb
The subject usually comes before the verb in declarative sentences.
The subject is the person, place, or thing that the sentence is about.
The verb is the action word that tells what the subject is doing
In English, we usually put these in a specific order like Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). For example,
John (Subject) kicked (verb) the ball (object).
Subjects can be simple like “The dog” or more complex like “My neighbor’s energetic golden retriever with the red collar.”
No matter how long or complicated the subject is, it still comes before the verb in declarative sentences. For example,
- The old car with the rusty doors and broken headlight (subject) needs (verb) repairs.
- My best friend who moved to another state last summer (subject) sent (verb) me a birthday card.
Types of Declarative Sentences
There are several different types of declarative sentences. Let’s explore them one by one:
- Simple Declarative Sentences
A simple declarative sentence has just one independent clause. That means it has one subject and one verb and makes a complete thought. It’s a basic building block.
For example,
- My dog barks.
- The sun is shining.
- Compound Declarative Sentences
Compound sentences join two or more simple sentences together using words like “and,” “but,” or “or.”. Each part could stand alone as its own sentence.
For example,
- I went to the store, and I bought some candy.
- She likes swimming, but she doesn’t like diving.
- Complex Declarative Sentences
Complex sentences have one independent clause (a complete thought) plus one or more dependent clauses (incomplete thoughts that need the main part). These use words like “because,” “when,” “if,” or “although.”
For example,
- I ate breakfast because I was hungry.
- When it rains, we stay inside.
- Compound-Complex Declarative Sentences
These sentences combine both compound and complex features. They have at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. These are the longest and most detailed types.
For example,
- I wanted to go to the park, but it started raining when we were about to leave.
- She loves reading books, and she goes to the library whenever she has free time.
- Positive & Negative Declarative Sentences
Positive declarative sentences state that something is true or exists. For example, “The store is open” or “They are coming to dinner.”
Negative declarative sentences state that something is not true or doesn’t exist. For example, “The store isn’t open” or “They aren’t coming to dinner.”
- Active & Passive Voice Declarative Sentences
In active voice, the subject does the action. For example, “The boy threw the ball.” or “My mom made dinner.”
In passive voice, the subject receives the action. For example, “The ball was thrown to the boy.” or “Dinner was made by the mom.”
Each type of declarative sentence helps us share information in different ways.
50+ Declarative Sentence Examples for Everyday Use
Everyday Conversations – Declarative Sentence Examples
Academic Writing – Declarative Sentence Examples
Literary Examples – Declarative Sentence Examples
News Reporting – Declarative Sentence Examples
Scientific Statements – Declarative Sentence Examples
Declarative Sentences vs. Other Sentence Types
The declarative sentence is very different from other types of sentences. For example,
- Declarative vs. Interrogative Sentences
Declarative sentences give information and the subject comes before the verb. Interrogative sentences ask for the information and the verb comes before the subject. For example,
- You (subject) are going (verb) to school.
- Are (helping verb) you (subject) going to school?
- Declarative vs. Imperative Sentences
Declarative sentences state facts or opinions. Imperative sentences give commands or instructions. Declarative sentences have a clear subject. Imperative sentences often hide the subject.
For example,
- You eat your vegetables.
- Eat your vegetables.
- Declarative vs. Exclamatory
Declarative sentences calmly state information and end with a period. Exclamatory sentences express strong feelings and end with an exclamation point.
We use declarative sentences for regular communication. We use exclamatory sentences when we’re excited, surprised, or upset about something.
For example,
- The test was difficult.
- What a difficult test it was!
Take a look at this side-by-side comparison:
Most of the time, we use declarative sentences because we’re usually just sharing information.
How to Use Declarative Sentences in Writing
Good writing uses different types of sentences, but declarative sentences are the most common. Here’s how to use declarative sentencesin your writing!
# 1 – To Make Your Sentences Interesting
- Change up the length of your sentences. Use short declarative sentences to grab attention: “The door slammed.” Longer ones add details: “The wooden door slammed shut as the wind blew through the hallway.”
- Move your sentences around. Don’t always start with the same words. Instead of “I went to the store. I bought apples. I came home,” try “After going to the store, I came home with fresh apples.”
# 2 – To Make Your Sentences Clear
- Keep it short and simple when possible. “The dog ran” is clearer than “The canine animal moved at a rapid pace.”
- Be specific. “The temperature was 85 degrees” is better than “It was hot.”
- Use active voice most of the time. Say “John wrote the letter (active) instead of “The letter was written by John” (passive). Active voice is stronger and clearer.
These are the different ways by which you can use declarative sentences but there’s a limit to them.
Mix in declarative sentences with another type like questions or exclamations sometimes to keep your writing interesting.
When you want to convince someone of something, strong declarative sentences work well.
Put the most important information at the beginning or end of the sentence for emphasis.
For example,
Okay: Recycling helps the environment in many different ways.
Better: Recycling saves thousands of trees and reduces pollution every day.
Use “because” to connect your main point with a reason: “We should have pizza for dinner because it’s nutritious and everyone likes it.”
With these tips, your declarative sentences will make your writing clearer, more interesting, and more convincing.
How AI Can Help Improve Your Declarative Sentences
AI can help you fix your sentences and give you ideas to make your writing clearer.
For example, here are a few AI tools which you can use to improve your writing:
# 1 – AI Chat
- AI Chat can look at how your sentences are built if they make sense. If you write, “The dog the boy walked,” the AI will help fix it to “The boy walked the dog.” This follows the right subject-verb-object pattern.
- When all your sentences sound the same, writing gets boring. AI can suggest different ways to say things. When all the sentences sound the same, writing gets boring. If you wrote many short sentences like “I went to the store. I bought milk. I came home,” AI might suggest, “After going to the store to buy milk, I came home.”
- AI is also great at making unclear sentences clear. If you write “The thing was good,” AI might suggest “The chocolate cake was delicious” instead. This makes your writing more specific and interesting.
- Sometimes your writing might sound too angry, too formal, or too casual. AI can help adjust the tone of your writing to match what you’re trying to say. (angry, formal, casual, etc) It can make “This movie is shit!” into “This movie didn’t meet my expectations” for a school report.
# 2 – Ask AI
The Ask AI feature is super helpful when you’re stuck. You can ask questions like:
- How can I make this sentence clearer?
- Can you help me combine these short sentences?
- Is this a good declarative sentence?
- How can I make this sentence more interesting?
For example, if you type “Make this sentence better: I had a good day at school,” the AI might suggest “I enjoyed an exciting day at school learning about dinosaurs in science class.”
# 3 – AI Essay Writer
If you’re writing a paper or essay, Essay Writer can help you with declarative sentences in many ways:
- It can check all your sentences to make sure they’re clear and properly built.
- It adds variety to your writing.
- It helps organize your thoughts by putting your declarative sentences in the right order to tell your story or explain your ideas properly.
You can also explore our AI Detector and Humanizer in the widget below!
FAQs About Declarative Sentences
How Do You Identify a Declarative Sentence?
One way to check a declarative sentence is by looking at its purpose.
If the sentence is just giving information, like “The sun is shining today,” then it’s declarative. It doesn’t ask anything or tell someone to do something – it just states a fact.
Another way to recognize a declarative sentence is by looking at the punctuation. A declarative sentence always ends with a period. If a sentence ends with a question mark or an exclamation point, it’s not declarative.
Can a Declarative Sentence Be a Question?
Yes, a declarative sentence can sometimes look like a question. Indirect questions, like “I wonder where she is going.”, are statements that report a question rather than ask it.
Tag questions, such as “You’re coming, aren’t you?”, are mostly statements with a small question added for confirmation.
Rhetorical questions, like “Who wouldn’t want a vacation?”, function as statements rather than genuine questions.
These sentences do have a question-like element, they primarily serve to convey information, making them declarative.
Are All Statements Declarative Sentences?
Not all statements are declarative sentences. Some are implied, like “It’s cold in here,” which may suggest a request.
Others take non-declarative forms, such as imperatives (Leave now.) or exclamation (What a beautiful day!) While all declarative sentences are statements, not all statements are purely declarative.
Conclusion
Did that happen to you as well? Your teacher asked about your missing homework, and you confidently stated, “My dog ate it”?
That was a declarative sentence – maybe not a truthful one, but definitely declarative.
Declarative sentences make our ideas clear by placing the subject before the verb and ending with a period.
Next time you’re texting your friends about that awesome movie you just watched or explaining to your parents why you deserve a late bedtime, pay attention to how many declarative sentences you use.
The movie had amazing special effects….
I finished all my homework early…..
Kids my age need more sleep..
See? You’re already a declarative sentence expert!