A declarative sentence is a telling sentence. A declarative sentence makes a statement.
Declarative is similar to declaration. Think about the Declaration of Independence. This historic document declares that all people are created equal. It’s called a declaration because it makes a statement.
Here are some declarative sentences:
- Today is Monday
- It rained all night.
- If you drop the eggs, they will crack.
- I like cold weather better than hot weather.
- I fell and scraped my knee.
Each of these sentences makes a statement. Each sentence tells us something.
Be sure to end each declarative sentence with a period. (.)
Now read each sentence aloud. Notice how your voice falls off at the end of each sentence. Your voice goes down when you come to the period at the end of the sentence. We call that inflection. A declarative sentence has a downward inflection.
Remember: A declarative sentence is a telling sentence. It makes a statement. It ends with a period.