B. Foundations of Language · Printing, Spelling and Sentences

Four Kinds of Sentences and Compound Sentences

B3.1 B3.2About 35 minutes

Learning goals

I can name and write the four kinds of sentences: telling, asking, command and exclamation.
I can join two sentences with and, but, or or so to make a compound sentence.
I can use because to tell why.
I can choose the joining word that makes sense.

Words to know

declarative sentence
A telling sentence. It ends with a period. The snow is deep.

interrogative sentence
An asking sentence. It ends with a question mark. Is the snow deep?

imperative sentence
A command sentence. It tells someone to do something. Put on your boots.

exclamatory sentence
A sentence that shows strong feeling. It ends with an exclamation mark. Wow, the snow is so deep!

compound sentence
Two complete sentences joined with a joining word like and, but, or or so.

conjunction
A joining word, like and, but, or, so and because.

Remember from Grade 1

A sentence tells a complete idea. It starts with a capital letter and ends with an end mark.

You learned four kinds of sentences. In Grade 2 we also learn their grown-up names!

Kind	Grown-up name	What it does	Example	End mark
Telling	declarative	tells a fact or idea	The rink opens today.	.
Asking	interrogative	asks a question	When does the rink open?	?
Command	imperative	tells someone to do something	Lace up your skates.	. or !
Exclamation	exclamatory	shows strong feeling	I can't wait to skate!	!

Four kinds of sentences

Four kids, four kinds of sentences, all about the rink. Look at the end mark in each speech bubble.

Commands are bossy

A command often starts with an action word, and the person (you) is hidden: (You) Shut the door.

A strong command can end with !: Stop! The ice is thin!

Compound sentences: two ideas in one

Short sentences are good, but too many in a row sound choppy:

I like winter. My brother likes summer.

We can join two complete sentences with a joining word (conjunction). This makes a compound sentence:

I like winter, but my brother likes summer.

Writers often put a comma before the joining word.

Joining word	Use it when...	Example
and	adding another idea	I made a snowman, and Dad made a fort.
but	the ideas are different or surprising	It was sunny, but it was very cold.
or	there is a choice	We can go sledding, or we can go skating.
so	the second idea happens because of the first	It was snowing, so we wore our boots.

Pick the joining word that fits the meaning

A compound sentence is like a train: two complete sentence cars joined in the middle.

Telling why with "because"

The word because joins two ideas and tells why:

We stayed inside because it was too windy.

The part after because is the reason. It can't be a sentence on its own (Because it was too windy. leaves you waiting for more!).

Worked example

Let's join two sentences

Join these with the best joining word: The puppy was tired. + It took a nap.

Read both sentences. Are they both complete? Yes.
How do they connect? The puppy took a nap because it was tired. The second thing happened as a result of the first.
That's a job for so.
Write it with a comma before the joining word, and only one period at the end.

The puppy was tired, so it took a nap.

Just for fun

Which kind of sentence is the bossiest at breakfast?

The command: "Pass the maple syrup!" 🥞

Worked example

Let's sort sentences

What kind of sentence is each one? Do you like pizza? / Close the window. / Our team won the game!

Do you like pizza? asks something and ends with ? → asking (interrogative).
Close the window. tells someone to do something → command (imperative).
Our team won the game! shows excitement → exclamation (exclamatory).

interrogative, imperative, exclamatory

Hands-on activity

Sentence building with cards

You need: 8 strips of paper, 4 small cards, a pencil.

On the small cards, write and, but, or, so.
On the strips, a grown-up helps you write 8 short sentences about your family. Examples: Mom likes tea. / Dad likes coffee. / It is raining. / We will play inside.
Pick two strips and a joining card. Read them together. Does it make sense?
When you find a good match, write the compound sentence. Remember: capital at the start, comma before the joining word, one end mark.
Bonus: turn one of your sentences into a question, a command and an exclamation.

Your turn

What kind of sentence is Where is my toque?

What kind of sentence is Wash your hands.

Write a telling (declarative) sentence about snow.

Join with and: I have a cat. + I have a dog.

Join with but: The hill is big. + I am not scared.

Which joining word fits? We can have soup, ___ we can have sandwiches.

Finish the sentence: I wore mittens because...

More practice: warm-up

What end mark goes on an asking sentence?

What end mark goes on an exclamation?

Is Sit down. a command or a question?

Which joining word shows a choice: or or so?

What kind of sentence is We ate pancakes.?

More practice: on your own

Join with so: It was dark. + We turned on the lights.

Change this telling sentence into an asking sentence: The bus is late.

Which is a compound sentence? (a) I ran fast. (b) I ran fast, and I won the race.

Pick the best joining word: I wanted to play outside, ___ it was raining.

Write a command a teacher might say.

Challenge

Fix this: we went to the beach it was hot we swam all day

Write one compound sentence using so and one using but about your favourite food.

Why is Because the ice was thin. not a complete sentence? Fix it.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which is an interrogative (asking) sentence?

Which is an imperative (command) sentence?

Which joining word fits? I was hungry, ___ I ate an apple.

Which is a compound sentence?

Which end mark fits? Wow, that firework was huge___

Which joining word shows a choice?

Which sentence uses because correctly?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 2 students identify and construct declarative, imperative, interrogative and exclamatory sentences, including compound sentences (B3.1), and understand how conjunctions join ideas (B3.2). There are no brand-new sentence types this year. Grade 2 is about using them confidently and writing longer, more connected sentences.

How to help at home:

When your child writes a string of short sentences, ask: "Can you join two of these? Which joining word fits?"
Play "Change it": say a telling sentence and have your child turn it into a question or command.
Use joining words in conversation: "It's cold, so we need hats."

Common difficulties:

Run-on sentences ("and then... and then..."). Read it aloud without pauses and ask where one idea stops.
Fragments starting with because. Ask: "What happened because...?"
Choosing a joining word that doesn't fit (It was cold, and I was warm). Talk about the meaning of but vs and.
Commas in compound sentences. Nice to see, but not required at this stage. Focus on complete ideas and end marks.