1.2.4 Imperative Sentences

The imperative mood is used to give commands, instructions or requests. Imperative sentences begin with a verb in the infinitive form, without the "to" indicator. The subject is usually implied or unspoken.

(Everybody) back to work.

(infinitive form) Get away.

(infinitve form) Show me how you feel.

Sources: http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/impersent09.htm
http://www.vocabulix.com/grammar/imperative-sentence-english.shtml

1.2.3 Exclamatory Sentences

Exclamatory sentences express all kinds of strong feelings, or emotions. They are very similar to declarative ones, but the use of proper intonation in speech, and of the exclamation point in writing, is a must.

1.2.1 Declarative Sentences

A declarative sentence is a statement. The word declare comes from Latin, and it means "to make clear". They state the way things are, and they can be either affirmative or negative. The usual word order in these sentences is subject + verb + predicate. 

I (s) love (v) puppies (p).

I(s) am(v) so high(p).

I(s) am not(v) stupid(p). I speak Italian.

You(s) are(v) unbelievable(p).

I(s) give you(v) money(p). You give me ideas.

Sources: http://grammar.about.com/od/d/g/declsenterm.htm
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/clause-types

1.2.2 Interrogative Sentences

An interrogative sentence is a type of sentence that asks a question. They are marked by inversion of the subject and predicate, which means, the first verb appears before the subject. Interrogative sentences end with a question mark. There are many different types of questions:

Alternative Question: offers the listener a choice between two or more answers. In conversation, it ends with a falling intonation.

Declarative Question: A yes-no question that has the form of a declarative sentence but is spoken with rising intonation at the end.
                                             

Direct Question: A direct quiestion has one or some combination of these three characteristics: rising intonation, an auxiliary verb in a position before the subject, or an interrogative pronoun.                                

Embedded Question: A question that appears in a declarative statement or in another question. The subject usually comes before the verb in an embedded question.

Hypophora: A strategy in which the writer/speaker raises a question and immediately answers it. It is a type of rhetorical question.

Interrogatives: An interrogative is a word that introduces a question which can't simply be answered with yes or no. They are sometimes called question words or wh- words because or their most common initial letters: who, whom, whose, which, where, why, when and how.

Queclarative: A sentence that has the form of a question but the force of a statement or declarative sentence. Very similar to rhetorical questions.

Rhetorical Question: A question asked merely for effect, with no answer expected. Mostly used in speech and informal writing.

Tag Question: Is a question added to a declarative sentence, usually at the end, to engage the listener, verify or confirm something. Common tags include won't you? wasn't it? don't you? haven't you?

Leading Question: A type of question that implies or contains its own answer. It can serve as a form of persuasion.

Yes-No Question: A yes-no question is an interrogative construction that expects the answer of "yes" or "no". In yes-no questions, an auxiliary verb (do,will,have) typically appears in front of the subject - a formation called subject-auxiliary inversion.

WH- Question: A term for a question that is formed with an interrogative word, and that expects an answer other than yes or no. Contrast with yes-no question.

1.2 Sentence Structure

Sentences can be classified by the clauses they contain. A clause is a part of a sentence containing a subject and a predicate. There are 4 sentence types:

• Simple: A simple sentence has only one clause, also called an independent clause (ic).
  
  
  
  
  
  Subject+predicate sentences like Boys(s) kiss you(p) or I(s) want to burn this place down(p), are examples of simple sentences.
• Compound: A compound sentence has two or more clauses, and these are joined by  co-ordinating conjunctions (cc). The most common co-ordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so, and then. There's a very easy way to construct these sentences, just use the following formula:
  ic, cc ic.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Complex: Contains an independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses (dc). A dependent clause starts with a subordinating conjuction (sc). These are: after, although, before, if, since, that, until, when, while, where, once, so, as soon as, provided that and because, to name a few. A sentence can contain both subordinate and coordinate clauses. There are two ways to form complex sentences:
  
  a) ic sc dc - They ignore you until you insist on a declaration of hate.
   
  
  
  
  
  She acts like she's twenty-five because she uses tampons.
  
  
  
  My mother thinks you were responsible because you were the only person who visited me in the hospital.
  
  
  
  
  
  b) sc dc ic - If you don't like what they're saying, change the conversation.  
  
  
  
  Now that i can finally understand you, i am less impressed with what you have to say.
  
  
  
  When you wake up in the middle of the night and wonder what you forgot, don't call me.
  
  
  
• Compound-complex: Contains 3 or more clauses, of which at least two are independent and one is dependent (dc). There are two ways to form a compound-complex sentence:
  
  a) sc dc, ic, cc ic - If that is a veiled criticism about me, I won't hear it and I won't respond to it.
  
  
  
  
  Because i want love, and i'd rather die hoping that happes than make some arrangement.
  
                               
  
  
  
  b) ic, cc ic sc dc - People tell you who they are but we ignore it because we want them to be who we want them to be.
  
                          
  
  
  Innocent people get hurt, and other people, people who are not good, get to walk around doing whatever they want.
  
  

1.2 Types of sentences

There are four basic types of sentences in the English language: declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.

A declarative states a fact or makes a declaration. The subject usually precedes the verb and it ends with a full stop period.

Interrogative sentences are used to ask questions. There's always a WH word (what, who, where, which) or a verb at the beginning of the sentence. In this case, the verb appears before the subject, and the sentence always ends with a question mark. 

Imperative sentences express a request or command. They are also used to give instructions or advice. It's a very simple sentence to form and use because it takes the verb's infinitive form. Usually the verb will be placed at the beginning of the sentence.

And last but not least, exclamatory sentences, which express strong emotion. They require appropriate intonation and the use of an exclamation point at the end. 

1.1 Simple vs. Compound Sentences

This blog is about english morphosyntax...mostly ;)

With the help of Matthew Wiener, Don, Peggy, Joan, and the boys we shall make it more interesting to learn the ways of the English language. First topic: Simple vs. compound sentences.

Simple sentences, also called independent clauses, have only a subject and a verb (or predicate), as in...

The universe is indifferent 

Compound sentences, on the other hand, have two or more clauses joint by coordinating conjunctions (or fanboys). As in...

...which follows the 'subject+verb+indirect object+object' formula for  compound sentences.

Or...

It really is that simple.