Classification of Sentence | Part - 1 | Assertive Sentence | Affirmative | Negative

Hi, this is Arup from the channel "Language & Literature." Today, I'm again back with a new lesson and today's topic is the classification of sentences. If you go to look at the classification of sentences, you will see that sentences can be classified from two perspectives: structural and meaning. From the structural perspective, sentences are of three types--simple, complex, and compound. I have already discussed them. What I will do is that I will put the link of that video in the description section so that you can watch this video instantly. I will also put the link of another video. The title of this video is "Object, Complement & Adverbial" along with another one that is entirely on the verb. So, You need three extra videos to understand today's lecture properly. So, let's come back to today's topic. That is a classification of sentences based on meaning. So, from the perspective of the meaning, the sentence is of five types: assertive, interrogative, imperative, optative, and exclamatory sentence. The delimitation of this class is that this class will talk about assertive sentences only. Through this class, we are going to learn assertive sentences elaborately.

What is an assertive sentence? If you go to look at the definition of assertive sentence, you will see that assertive sentence asserts or declares any statement, feeling, event, opinion, incident, history, or anything. It sounds very bookish, doesn't it? I think so. Let me make you understand in the simplest possible way. In the simplest way, an assertive sentence describes anything. At that time, I think, a comparative study with the other four types of sentences can make your understanding clear. Assertive sentence does not make any question. It is the function of an interrogative sentence that an interrogative sentence makes questions. We will learn about the interrogative sentence in the next video elaborately. An assertive sentence does not give you any command or advice or it does not make any request. It is the function of an imperative sentence. An assertive sentence does not make any wish. It is the function of an optative sentence. And, we use exclamatory sentence in order to release our sudden emotion. So, you can see these five types of sentences one by one. You can understand the functions of these five types of sentence. And, I need at least 3 to 4 videos to talk about these five types of sentences elaborately. Let's come back to our today's topic that is assertive sentence. So, in the simplest sense, an assertive sentence describes anything. And, this assertive sentence is of two types--affirmative and negative sentence. Let's have some examples of affirmative sentences.

I eat rice.
I play football.
I watch TV.
I read books.

Through the assertive/affirmative sentences, I am describing my daily works.

The Sun rises in the East.
The Sun sets in the West.
The Earth moves around the Sun.

Through these assertive sentences, I am describing universal truth or scientific fact.

I am learning piano.
I am helping the flood-affected people.

Through these assertive sentences, I am describing what I am currently doing.

It is too cold.
It is too hot.

Through these assertive sentences, I am, here, describing my feelings.

I hate him.
I love him.

Through these two affirmative sentences, I am, here, describing my opinion. So, we can see through assertive sentences we can describe anything.

Let's see the structures of affirmative sentences. An affirmative sentence can be of any length. But we can follow three structures to understand affirmative sentences better.

Subject + main verb
Subject + Main verb + object/complement/adverbial
Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + object/complement/adverbial

Let's have some examples of the first structure. We can see this kind of structure when the verb is intransitive because an intransitive verb does not require any object to complete the meaning.

I sleep.
He runs.

They are two complete sentences without objects.

I sleep in the morning. (subject + verb + adverbial)
He runs fast. (subject + verb + adverbial)

If you want to add more to the intransitive verb, you can add but these words are not objects; they are adverbials. If you want to understand the object, complement, or adverbial, you should watch the videos I will give you the links below.

I play football.
I kick the ball.
I hit the table.

Here, we have subject + verb + object.

The final structure is subject + auxiliary verb + main verb + object/complement/adverbial

I have done this work.
I am writing a book.
I had finished the work.
I had been playing football.

Here, am/is/are/was/were/shall/will/have been/has been are the auxiliary verbs. Auxiliary verbs can be four types: be verbs, do verbs, have verbs, modal auxiliary verbs. If you want to understand them, you should watch the video on verbs I will give you the link below. So, you can follow these three structures to understand the affirmative sentence.

What is about the negative sentence? You can convert these affirmative sentences into negative sentences by adding "not" with the auxiliary verb.

I've done the work.
I've not done the work.
I'm writing a book.
I'm not writing a book.
I was watching a movie.
I was not watching a movie.
I'll buy a book.
I'll not buy a book.
I'll be watching a movie.
I'll not be watching a movie.

So, you need to add "not" with the auxiliary verb to convert the affirmative sentences into negative sentences. But, you should keep in mind that, sometimes, the auxiliary verb remains hidden in the sentence. And, you should keep in mind that you don't have auxiliary verb in present and past simple sentences. They remain hidden in the sentence. Whenever you go to convert these affirmative sentences of present and past simple into negative sentences, you have to use "do," "does," and "did." "Do" and "does" for present simple and "did" for past simple.

I eat rice.
I don't eat rice.
He helps the poor.
He doesn't help the poor.
He helped the poor.
He didn't help the poor.
He ate rice.
He didn't eat rice.
You watched a movie.
You didn't watch a movie.

So, you can convert affirmative sentence into negative sentence by adding "not" with the auxiliary verb. But you should keep in mind that present simple and past simple don't show auxiliary verb. In that case, you use "do," "does," and "did" along with not in order to convert this affirmative sentence into negative sentence.

So, through this lecture, I've talked about what an assertive sentence is and its two types. At the same time, you can understand what interrogative, imperative, optative, and exclamatory sentences are. But, if you want to know about them elaborately, you should watch the next videos. Before I leave the class, I'll recommend you to watch the videos I'll give you in the links to understand these five types of sentences. Thank you very much for watching this lecture.

Sentence Structure

Object, Complement & Adverbial

Optative Sentence

Various Types of Sentence

Prepositions of Movement

ARUP ROY

WORKING AS A LECTURER,

IN ENGLISH LITERATURE & LINGUISTICS