declarative, interrogative, imperative, or exclamatory.

waiving arm in the sea

Is he greeting me (i.e. signalling ‘hello’) or trying to attract my attention because he's drowning? [It could be either.] Getting the right response in this case could be a matter of life and death, so it’s important that the function of the waving is made clear.

asking or offering?

"I’m sorry I can’t help you" and "How can I help you?". What is the speaker doing in each case?, i.e. the function of each sentence [in the first the speaker is apologising, in the second they’re offering]. What would the function of "You never help anyone", and "I think you should be more helpful" be? (It would be complaining and recommending (advising).

dangerous animal

"There's a dangerous animal over there" - why might someone say that and what are they trying to achieve? [e.g. to warn someone else, so that that person doesn’t go there; to complain to someone for putting the animal there, so that they prevent people from getting near the animal, e.g. by removing it; to give information, so that the other person knows and acts on the information as they choose].

functions

To make an apology, a complaint, an offer, a recommendation, or
to give an explanation, information, a summary, an invitation

functions - exercise 2

8. B. A accepts responsibility for a mistake without apologising for it.
9. B. ‘I am afraid’ prevents the writer from seeming aggressive, and the reader is more likely to agree to do what’s wanted. A is quite aggressive and is unlikely to make the reader agree.
10. A. B takes the delays as given, and doesn’t explain them.
11. A. B is a question, it doesn’t give information.
12. B. A gives information.
13. B. A is an instruction, not an offer.
14. A. B is an order, not a recommendation.
15. A. B adds another point, rather than summarising.

Writing part 2 - exercise 4

8. B. A accepts responsibility for a mistake without apologising for it.
9. B. ‘I am afraid’ prevents the writer from seeming aggressive, and the reader is more likely to agree to do what’s wanted. A is quite aggressive and is unlikely to make the reader agree.
10. A. B takes the delays as given, and doesn’t explain them.
11. A. B is a question, it doesn’t give information.
12. B. A gives information.
13. B. A is an instruction, not an offer.
14. A. B is an order, not a recommendation.
15. A. B adds another point, rather than summarising.

more about functions

“A declarative sentence makes a declaration or statement which is in contrast to a command, a question, or an exclamation. This is the most common type of sentences. The subject comes before the verb in a declarative sentence which always ends in a full stop/period.   

Examples: 

  • My parents like to watch bullfights.
  • She said I don’t love dogs as much as she does.
  • He is not as friendly as he looks.
  • That hotel restaurant serves minced crocodile meat. “

“An interrogative sentence asks a question and ends in a question mark. This distinguishes it from the other types of sentences – declarative, imperative, and exclamatory – by the inversion of the normal subject-verb order with the verb or verb phrase coming before the subject. 

Examples: 

  • Is a long-time smoker like you able to do that – blow smoke rings?
  • Do you expect me to believe what you just said? (The auxiliary verb appears before the subject.)
  • Who is coming along with us to the haunted castle tonight? (One of the question words [who, what, where, when, why, and how] who is used here to ask a question as the subject is unknown. The question word who does not invert with the auxiliary verb is.)
  • Is there enough money for us to dine in that restaurant?In this yes/no question which is answered with either yes or no, the auxiliary verb is inverted with the subject.)”
 

“An imperative sentence gives an instruction, expresses a command or issue a request. The subject is not normally shown in an imperative sentence, while the verb used is always in the base form; that is, a verb without any endings such as –s, -ed or -ing: Stop here! / Not: Stopped here! The implied subject is understood to be you. Imperative sentences vary in length; they can be as short as a single word: Look! An imperative sentence ends with a full stop/period or an exclamation mark. 

Examples: 

  • Bake it in the oven until golden brown. (Instruction) 
  • Make a full report to your superior before the end of the week. (Command) 
  • Please get me a carton of frozen yogurt on your way home. (Request) 
  • Will you kids stop shouting. (Question phrased as a request)
  • Don’t just stand there; do something, anything to show you are busy..”

“An exclamatory sentence is not unlike a declarative sentence conveying strong feeling such as excitement, surprise, anger or shock. It typically ends with an exclamation mark (!). 

Examples: 

The following are examples of exclamatory sentences expressing the various emotions.

  • Wait! I’m coming along. (Excitement) 
  • We thought you weren’t coming! (Surprise) 
  • But you said you would pay me back today! (Anger) 
  • We read how the grandmother was treated. Shocking! (Shock)
  • I won the bet again! (Happiness)
  • I’m really going to miss you a lot. (Sadness)
  • What a terrible waste of time waiting for the rain to stop! (Frustration)”

This section has made use of My English Grammar website page on Functions