declarative sentence
- noun
- /dɪˈklærətɪv ˈsɛntəns/
- Specialized
- The text is a series of short declarative sentences like "I say your name" and "I run from you."
- simple declarative sentences
That's the last simple declarative sentence out of her mouth.
- That's the last simple declarative sentence out of her mouth.
Examples
-
To improve clarity in writing, use clear and concise declarative sentences.
-
Turn a declarative sentence into a question.
Academic text (2011) -
Prefer simple, declarative sentences to complicated sentences.
Academic text (2004) -
The prompts were selected so that the children would be obligated to produce declarative sentences with a subject and predicate.
Academic text (2015) -
In an era when politicians parse every last syllable of their sound bites with fear and camouflage, we need people who are fearless, task-oriented, and who know the power of a simple declarative sentence.
Blog text (24) -
A declarative sentence states a fact, such as "The sky is blue."
-
In English class, we learned that a declarative sentence simply makes a statement.
Synonyms
A sentence that states a fact or opinion
How Questioning
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a sentence that makes a statement' is directly and compositionally derived from 'declarative' (marking that something states or declares) + 'sentence' (a grammatical unit). This adjective + noun pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase declarative sentence comes from the verb declare, which means to say something clearly. So a declarative sentence simply 'states' information — it tells something rather than asking or giving an order.