Sentence types
There are four main sentence types to consider.
| Sentence type | Example |
| Statement | "The cat ran away down the street." |
| Question | "Have you found my cat yet?" |
| Exclamation | "What an amazing cat you have!" |
| Command | "Fetch me my cat." |
| Sentence type | Statement |
|---|---|
| Example | "The cat ran away down the street." |
| Sentence type | Question |
|---|---|
| Example | "Have you found my cat yet?" |
| Sentence type | Exclamation |
|---|---|
| Example | "What an amazing cat you have!" |
| Sentence type | Command |
|---|---|
| Example | "Fetch me my cat." |
Writers may use different types of sentences for effect.
What is a rhetorical question?
Rhetorical questions are questions that do not expect an answer.
What is a rhetorical question? How and why would you use one? Bitesize explains with examples from ‘The Crucible' by Arthur Miller.
A rhetorical question is a question asked to make a point, rather than get an answer.
If you have ever been late, someone might say: What time do you call this?
This person doesn't want an answer to the question. They are making the point that you have arrived at an unacceptable time.
Question
Three people were killed in the process. How could someone do that?
How is the above an effective use of rhetorical question?
The writer directly addresses the reader, making them engage with the text (and the question posed) on a more personal level.
