Interrogative, Exclamatory, and Imperative Sentences
Rules of Transforming Assertive into Interrogative Sentences:
1. In case of auxiliary verb:
Example:
Affirmative: Smoking is a bad habit.
Interrogative: Isn’t smoking a bad habit?
2. Affirmative sentence without auxiliaries are changed into interrogative with ‘Wh’
question word + Do/did/Does:
Example:
Affirmative: All hates a liar.
Interrogative: Who doesn’t hate a liar?
3. Nobody/none/never/no are changed into who + affirmative verb, and anybody/ever
are changed into who + negative verb:
Example:
Assertive: None can deny the truth.
Interrogative. Who can deny the truth?
Assertive: Anyone can do it.
Interrogative: Who can’t do it?
4. Questions with ‘do/did/does’:
Example:
Negative: He said nothing about the matter.
Interrogative: Did he say anything about the matter?
5. ‘There is no.../nothing but’ becomes ‘who/what is...’:
Example:
Negative: There is no use of this book.
Interrogative: What is the use of this book?
Negative: Our life is nothing but a struggle.
Interrogative: What is our life but struggle?
Rules of Transforming Assertive to Imperative Sentences:
1. Starting with a verb:
Example:
Affirmative: You are ordered to go there.
Imperative: Go there.
Negative: You are forbidden to drink.
Imperative: Don’t drink.
2. Starting with ‘let’:
Example:
Affirmative: You are commanded to let him go.
Imperative: Let him go.
Rules of Transforming Affirmative to Exclamatory Sentences:
1. What a/how:
Affirmative: It is a great river.
Exclamatory: What a great river it is!
2. If I were/If had....:
Affirmative: I wish I were a king.
Exclamatory: If I were a king!
Affirmative: We regret that man is dead.
Exclamatory: Alas! The man is dead.
Exercise A
Change the sentences from Affirmative into Interrogative
1. Nobody can do it.
2. I can never forget you.
3. You are a coward.
4. He can do the work.
5. Everybody wants to be win.
Exercise B
Change the sentences from Affirmative into Exclamatory
1. The night is very beautiful.
2. It is a very wonderful scene!
3. I wish I were a king.
4. I wish I had the wings of a bird.
5. You draw very well.
Exercise C
Change the sentences from Affirmative into Imperative
1. You should do the work.
2. He should do the work.
3. You should always speak the truth.
4. You are requested to help me.
5. We should not break the rules of the company.
Answer Key
A
1. Who can do it?
2. Can I ever forget you?
3. Aren’t you a coward?
4. Can’t he do the work?
5. Who doesn’t wish to be win?
B
1. How beautiful the night is!
2. What a wonderful scene it is!
3. If I were a king!
4. Had I the wings of bird!
5. How well you draw!
C
1. Do the work.
2. Let him do the work.
3. Always speak the truth.
4. Please, help me.
5. Let us not break the rules of the company.