Four Kinds of Sentences for Four Jobs
Quill the writing guide sits at a wooden desk covered in colorful message cards, holding a giant quill pen and sorting cards into four labeled mailboxes — Tell, Ask, Command, and Exclaim — with a look of cheerful concentration.
- Identify the four kinds of sentences: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory.
- State what job each kind of sentence does.
- Match each sentence type to its most common end punctuation mark.
- Classify a given sentence as declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory.
Key terms
- declarative
- a sentence that tells something
- interrogative
- a sentence that asks a question
- imperative
- a sentence that gives a command
- exclamatory
- a sentence that shows strong feeling
Four Sentence Jobs
Every sentence has a job to do. Some sentences just tell you something, like a fact. Some ask you a question. Some give you a command and tell you to do something. And some shout out a big feeling like wow! When you know the job, you know the kind of sentence. The job is the most important clue of all, so always ask it first.
Look At The End Mark
The mark at the end of a sentence is another helpful clue. A telling sentence ends with a period, like a quiet dot. A question ends with a question mark, which looks like a curly hook. A big feeling ends with an exclamation mark, which stands up tall and strong. A command can use a period or an exclamation mark. So check the job first, then peek at the end mark to be sure.
Worked examples
Name the kind of sentence
- Read it: "Did you eat breakfast?"
- Ask the job: it is asking something.
- Check the end mark: it has a question mark.
Answer: It is interrogative
Activity
Sort each sentence card into the correct mailbox based on its job and punctuation.
Practice
Sort each sentence into telling, asking, commanding, or exclaiming.
Read a sentence and name its kind out loud.
Common mistakes to avoid
- The end mark alone decidesThe job of the sentence decides its kind, not just the mark.
Check your understanding
Which sentence is an interrogative sentence?
A student writes: 'Sit down and listen.' What kind of sentence is this?
Which end punctuation belongs at the end of an exclamatory sentence?
Recap
Sentences have four jobs: telling, asking, commanding, and exclaiming. First ask what the sentence is doing, then check the end mark to be sure. Think of four mailboxes and drop each sentence in!
Reflect
Which kind of sentence do you use the most?