Declarative Sentence Examples

A declarative sentence is written in the present tense and expresses a direct statement. It can be a simple or compound sentence. A simple declarative sentence consists of a subject and a predicate.

Some basic declarative sentence examples are:

• He runs.
• She sings.
• I like climbing.
• Fran is sad.
• My cat is black.
• Dogs are cute.
• He is eight years old.
• The sky is blue.
• He loves pizza.
• The car is white.
• Ice is cold.

A compound declarative sentence joins two related phrases together. The phrases are joined by a comma and a conjunction such as and, yet, or but. The phrases can also be joined by a semicolon, with or without a transition word such as however, besides or therefore. Some examples of compound declarative sentences are:

• He wanted to play football, but she wanted to play basketball.
• Marie loves the beach, yet she hates sand.
• She plays the piano, and he sings along.
• She had to make the next flight; she quickly packed her bag.
• The house has new windows; however, the roof still leaks.
• It had rained for days; the town was flooded.

The following are more examples of declarative sentences, from very simple to more complex. As you will see, all declaratives end in a period and are informative statements. They can also express an opinion.

• She leaves for college tomorrow morning; the house is going to feel empty without her.
• The weather is warm and sunny; a perfect day for a picnic.
• She wears red nail polish.
• The room smells clean.
• I love my cat.
• My family is driving to the beach for the long weekend and I am meeting them there.
• As the airplane climbed I saw the ocean.
• She is my new friend.
• His shoes were brand new, and now they are missing.
• The dog chased the boy.
• It is a nice day.
• Lucy is sick; therefore, she is not at school today.
• The grass is green after the rain.
• She loves the mountains; he hates the long drive.
• My new dress is black and white.
• My brother loves to run, but my sister prefers to walk.
• My phone is missing.
• The teacher is going on a well-earned vacation.
• Her coat is ripped.
• The baby is hungry, but she does not seem interested in drinking her bottle of milk.

Declarative sentences are the basic building blocks of conversation and writing. To ask a question, issue a command or make an exclamation you would use a different type of sentence: interrogative, imperative or exclamatory. You can see the difference in these examples:

Interrogative sentences are questions asked in order to obtain information. They end in a question mark.

Interrogative: Did he eat lunch? Declarative: He ate lunch.

Imperative sentences can either end in a period or exclamation point. They are used to express commands or requests.

Imperative: Sit down. Declarative: She sits down.

Exclamatory sentences may have the same words as a declarative but the punctuation is different. The exclamation point gives the sentence more feeling.

Exclamatory: I'm tired! Declarative: I'm tired.

Now we know that declarative sentences make a statement that simply gives the facts or an opinion and end in a period. They tell the reader what is going on in a direct way. Declarative sentences are the most common type of sentences and are found in most writing, from creative to business. When you want to get the facts across with little fanfare, you will use a declarative sentence.