Sentence Types & Transformation — REET English Notes
English sentences are classified both by their structure and by their function, which matters for REET's English paper alongside Parts of Speech and Tenses in testing your understanding of sentence structure. This page explains all the sentence types and the rules for transforming one into another, with examples, so both identification and transformation questions become solvable in the exam.
- 0 questions in REET 2024
- Class 6–8 level
- 10 min read
How REET asks this topic
REET Language-I/II's English syllabus treats sentence structure and transformation as part of the Parts of Speech and Tenses topics. This topic didn't come up directly in the REET 2024 question paper, so this page is based on the syllabus and standard English grammar rules. Questions are typically asked as identifying a sentence's type, or picking the correctly transformed version of a sentence from one type into another. Sometimes questions combine both the function-based and structure-based classifications, so it's important to understand each clearly on its own.
Sentence types by function
| Type | How to identify it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Assertive (Declarative) | States a fact or an idea; ends with a full stop (.) | Rajasthan is a beautiful state. |
| Interrogative | Asks a question; ends with a question mark (?) | Is Rajasthan a beautiful state? |
| Imperative | Gives a command, request or advice; the subject 'you' is usually hidden | Please close the door. |
| Exclamatory | Expresses sudden emotion (surprise, joy); ends with an exclamation mark (!) | What a beautiful state Rajasthan is! |
| Optative | Expresses a wish, blessing or prayer | May you live long! |
An Assertive sentence has two sub-types — Affirmative (a positive statement) and Negative (a negative statement, adding 'not/no/never').
Sentence types by structure
| Type | How to identify it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Sentence | One independent clause, with a single subject and predicate | She teaches English. |
| Compound Sentence | Two or more independent clauses joined by conjunctions (and, but, or) | She teaches English, and he teaches Maths. |
| Complex Sentence | One independent clause with one or more dependent (subordinate) clauses | She teaches English because she loves the language. |
| Compound-Complex | Two or more independent clauses plus at least one dependent clause | She teaches English, and he teaches Maths, although both are tired. |
Rules for Transformation of Sentences
To turn an Assertive sentence into an Interrogative one, swap the position of the subject and the auxiliary verb and add a question mark at the end — 'They can solve this.' becomes 'Can they solve this?' To turn an Affirmative sentence into a Negative one, add 'not' with the main verb. To turn an Exclamatory sentence into an Assertive one, remove the exclamatory word (What/How) and give it a normal statement form — 'What a beautiful state Rajasthan is!' becomes 'Rajasthan is a very beautiful state.'
To turn an Imperative sentence into an Assertive one, add 'You should/must' to make the hidden subject 'you' explicit — 'Shut the door.' becomes 'You should shut the door.' To turn an Interrogative sentence into an Assertive one, write the direct answer to the question as a statement — 'Is he not honest?' becomes 'He is honest.' REET can also ask these rules in reverse, so it's worth practising both directions — converting one type into another, and back again.
To turn an Optative sentence into an Assertive one, remove the wish-word (May, Wish) and write it as a direct well-wish — 'May you succeed!' becomes 'I wish you success.' This topic can also be combined with Tenses and Parts of Speech, so it's worth strengthening your recognition of auxiliary verbs (is, are, can, will, etc.) alongside it.
Some Transformation examples
| Original sentence (type) | Transformed sentence (type) |
|---|---|
| He is very honest. (Assertive) | Is he very honest? (Interrogative) |
| Shut the door. (Imperative) | You should shut the door. (Assertive) |
| What a great teacher she is! (Exclamatory) | She is a very great teacher. (Assertive) |
Final punctuation mark for each type
- Assertive and Imperative
- End with a full stop (.), whether it's a statement or a command
- Interrogative
- Ends with a question mark (?)
- Exclamatory
- Ends with an exclamation mark (!), and usually starts with What/How
- Optative
- Can end with either a full stop (.) or an exclamation mark (!), depending on context
How to teach children
Classroom activity
Give students four coloured cards (Assertive-blue, Interrogative-green, Imperative-yellow, Exclamatory-red) and have them sort sentences written on the board into the correct category, then have each student build and read out one new sentence of their own for each category.
Teaching material
Build a 'Sentence Transformation Chart' in class by converting everyday sentences into all four types, and have students update it with new sentences every week while also reviewing older ones.
Common misconception
Students often identify Exclamatory and Interrogative sentences purely by their punctuation mark (! or ?), when the sentence's structure (starting with What/How, or the subject-verb inversion) matters just as much — correct identification needs both together.
Assessment idea
Pick five sentences from a textbook lesson, have students identify their type and convert one sentence into another type, then have them check each other's answers in pairs and discuss the correct answers as a class.
Memory trick
To turn an Assertive sentence into an Interrogative one, just swap the subject and the auxiliary verb and add a '?' at the end — this is the most frequently asked Transformation rule. To identify an Exclamatory sentence, look for both the word 'What/How' and the exclamation mark (!) together, never rely on the punctuation mark alone.
Practice questions
Question 1
Which sentence is Imperative?
- ARajasthan is a beautiful state.
- BIs Rajasthan beautiful?
- CPlease visit Jaipur.
- DWhat a beautiful state!
Explanation
This sentence expresses a request/command, so it is an Imperative sentence.
Question 2
Which sentence is Exclamatory?
- AHe is a good teacher.
- BIs he a good teacher?
- CWhat a good teacher he is!
- DBe a good teacher.
Explanation
This sentence expresses sudden emotion/admiration and ends with an exclamation mark (!), so it is Exclamatory.
Question 3
Identify the type of sentence by structure: 'She sang a song.'
- ASimple
- BCompound
- CComplex
- DCompound-Complex
Explanation
This sentence has only one independent clause (subject + predicate), so it is a Simple sentence.
Question 4
Identify the type of sentence: 'He was tired, but he continued working.'
- ASimple
- BCompound
- CComplex
- DOptative
Explanation
Here two independent clauses are joined by the conjunction 'but', so it is a Compound sentence.
Question 5
Identify the type of sentence: 'She teaches English because she loves the language.'
- ASimple
- BCompound
- CComplex
- DExclamatory
Explanation
Here one independent clause is joined with a dependent clause ('because she loves the language'), so it is a Complex sentence.
Question 6
Transform into Interrogative: 'They can solve this problem.'
- ACan they solve this problem?
- BThey cannot solve this problem.
- CWhat a problem they can solve!
- DSolve this problem.
Explanation
Swapping the position of the subject 'they' and the auxiliary verb 'can' and adding a question mark gives the correct Interrogative form.
Question 7
Transform into Assertive: 'Shut the window.'
- AThe window is shut.
- BYou should shut the window.
- CIs the window shut?
- DWhat a window!
Explanation
When converting an Imperative sentence to Assertive, 'You should/must' is usually added to give it a normal statement form.
Question 8
Transform into Assertive: 'What a brave soldier he is!'
- AHe is a very brave soldier.
- BIs he a brave soldier?
- CBe a brave soldier.
- DMay he be brave!
Explanation
Removing 'What/How' from an Exclamatory sentence and building a normal statement with an adjective gives the Assertive form — 'He is a very brave soldier.'
Question 9
A teacher wants Class 7 students to practise identifying sentence types using colour-coded cards. Which activity is most appropriate?
- AGiving four coloured cards for Assertive, Interrogative, Imperative, and Exclamatory, and asking students to sort board sentences into the correct card
- BAsking students to memorise definitions only
- CSkipping examples entirely
- DUsing only exclamatory sentences
Explanation
A colour-coded card sorting activity helps students visually identify and permanently remember sentence types.
Question 10
Which is a Compound-Complex sentence?
- AShe teaches English.
- BShe teaches English, and he teaches Maths.
- CShe teaches English because she loves it.
- DShe teaches English, and he teaches Maths, although both are tired.
Explanation
This sentence joins two independent clauses ('she teaches English', 'he teaches Maths') with the conjunction 'and', plus a dependent clause ('although both are tired'), so it is a Compound-Complex sentence.
Frequently asked questions
How are Sentence Types asked in REET?+
Usually as identifying a sentence's type (Assertive/Interrogative/Imperative/Exclamatory), or picking the correctly transformed version from one type into another.
What's the difference between Simple, Compound and Complex sentences?+
A Simple sentence has one independent clause, a Compound sentence has two or more independent clauses joined by conjunctions, and a Complex sentence has one independent clause plus one or more dependent clauses.
What is an Optative sentence?+
An Optative sentence expresses a wish, blessing or prayer, like 'May you live long!' or 'God bless you!'
What's the rule for turning an Assertive sentence into an Interrogative one?+
Swap the position of the subject and the auxiliary verb, and add a question mark (?) at the end of the sentence.
How do you identify an Imperative sentence?+
An Imperative sentence expresses a command, request or advice, the subject 'you' is usually hidden in the sentence, and it typically starts with the base form of the verb — like 'Close the door.' or 'Please help me.'
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Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked