Sentence - Academic Mode

Definition of sentence
Etymologically, the term sentence has its origin in a Latin word "sententia", which translates as "feeling" or "opinion". In language, a sentence is the largest grammatically independent unit, has a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete thought or idea.

In English, a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with a punctuation mark, such as a period. , an exclamation point, or a question mark. It could be a very simple sentence, with only one subject and one predicate; or a complex one with a group of clauses, phrases or words, which form a syntactic unit, expressing a wish, a question, an emotion, a command, an affirmation, a performance or an action.

For example:

"Our economy is very weak, a consequence of the greed and irresponsibility of some, but also of our collective failure to make difficult decisions and prepare the nation for a new era." (President Barack Obama's inaugural address, 2009) .

This is an example of a complex sentence. It expresses a complete idea about the economy.

Sentence types
Depending on the structure and functions, a sentence is of different types. These include:

Declarative Sentence
Declarative Sentence uses a simple statement instead of an exclamation, a question, or a command. In this type of sentence, the subject comes before the verb and a period at the end, it is one of the most used sentences in various forms of writing, it can be a positive or negative statement in different forms, for example. , "We have meat stored in the refrigerator because it is so hot outside" is a simple declarative sentence.

Interrogative sentence
This type of sentence uses an interrogation or a question. Therefore, it ends with a question mark. This sentence uses inversion, which is an inversion of the word order, where the subject comes after the verb. For example, "Did you have breakfast this morning?"

Imperative sentence
An imperative sentence gives instructions or advice, or expresses an order or request. It begins with the basic form of a verb and ends with an exclamation point or a period such as, “Give me freedom or give me death! ”

Exclamation Sentence
In an exclamatory sentence, the topic sentence expresses strong emotions or feelings, with an exclamation point, also known as an“ exclamation point ”, at the end. These sentences appear mainly in dialogue, being less common in academic writing. example, “Wow, he's alive! He is alive! "

Examples of sentences in literature
Example # 1: Richard IV (by William Shakespeare)
“But to say that I know more harm in him than in myself,
was saying more than I know. That he is old, more pity, his gray hair does attest; but
that he is, saving his reverence, a prostitute,
that I completely deny. ”

This excerpt is an example of a declarative but complex sentence, as you can see, Shakespeare has used simple statements. There are two complex declarative sentences. with "But", and the second (on the second line) begins with "That".

Example # 2: Notes from a Small Island (by Bill Bryson)
"Am I just thinking that it is strange that a people are ingenious enough to invent paper, gunpowder, kites and many other useful objects, and that they have a noble history that dating back three thousand years, haven't you found out yet that a pair of knitting needles is not a way to capture food? "

The lines above are a good example of an interrogative sentence in which the author has reversed the normal order of words and used a question mark at the end of the sentence.

Example # 3: Self-reliance (by Ralph Waldo Emerson)
"A foolish coherence is the goblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen, philosophers and theologians ... Say what you think now with harsh words, and tomorrow say what you think tomorrow with harsh words again, even if it contradicts everything that said today. "

These italics The lines present an example of an imperative sentence. Emerson begins this sentence with instructions and ends with advice.

Example # 4: Shrek 2 (by William Steig)
“ Shrek: Now, let's go before light the torches!
Princess Fiona: Hey, it's my parents!
Shrek: Hey, they locked you in a tower! ”

This is a perfect example of exclamatory sentences, in which readers can see Read the characters using expressive language, marked by exclamation. marks at the end of each sentence

Function
As the largest unit in writing, the sentence is made up of multiple words, phrases, and clauses. Organize a pattern of thought, convey meanings; and it contains features such as timing and intonation patterns. In both writing and speaking, the purpose of a sentence is to make statements, ask questions, make demands, and show strong emotions. It is a complete statement that has a subject and a predicate. Sentences have a very important function, which is to convey the message