2 句子的分类。——句子可按其用途和结构分类。
2.1 按用途分类。——按照句子用途，可以将其分为四类：陈述句(declarative)，疑问句(interrogative)，祈使句(imperative)，感叹句(exclamative或exclamatory)。
2.1.1. 陈述句(declarative)。——表达一种判定的句子(即，一种肯定或否定)：例如——
(1) Man is mortal. 人类是凡人(终有一死)。
(2) Into the jaws of death rode the three hundred. (300人骑着马进了鬼门关。)
(3) If it were so，it were a grievious fault. (如果是这样，那就是一个严重的错误。)
2.1.2. 疑问句(interrogative)。——表达一种疑问的句子：例如——
(1) Is man mortal?
(2) Did the three hundred ride into the jaws of death?
2.1.3. 祈使句(imperative)。——表达一种命令(a command)或者一种乞求(a entreaty)的句子：例如——
(1) Come when the heart beats high and warm. (来吧，当你的心跳加快变得温暖的时候。)
(2) Put money in thy purse. (thy=your) (把钱放在你的钱包里。)
2.1.4. 感叹句(exclamative或exclamatory)。——以一种感叹的方式表达一种想法：例如——
Oh! that this too，too solid flesh would melt! (哎呀！这太结实的肉也会融化！)
下面这段话摘自Patrick Henry的一篇著名的演讲，提供了一个令人钦佩的按用法分类的几种句子分类的例证：
“They tell us, sir, that we are weak—unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger! Will it be the next week, or the next year? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction？Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone:it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. The war is inevitable一and let it come. Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle¥Is life so dear,or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, Almighty God ! I know not what course others may take ; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death !”
2.2 按结构分类。——按照句子结构，句子可以分为简单句(simple)，复杂句(complex)，复合句(compound)。
2.2.1. 简单句(simple)。——简单句由一个独立主题组成(无从句)。
一定不能认为简单句只是包括几个单词。不管主语，谓语，或者两者有多少修饰语，只要句子仅包含一个主语和一个谓语，它就是简单句。“Birds fly.”是简单句，包括两个单词。下面的句子，尽管包括61个单词，也是简单句：
“About fourscore years ago there used to be seen sauntering on the pleasant tcrraces of Sans Souci, for a short time in the afternoon, or driving in a rapid, business manner on the open roads, or through the scraggy woods and avenues of that intricate, amphibious Potsdam region, a highly interesting, lean, little old man, of alert, though slightly tooping figure”(Carlyle: Frederick the Great.)
2.2.2. 复杂句(complex)。——复杂句由一个独立主题(或主要元素)和若干个从句组成：例如——
(1) When morning dawned [从句] ALL FEARS WERE DISPELLED [主题].
(当天亮之后，一切恐惧都烟消云散了。)
(2) WE KNOW NOT [主题]whence it comes [从句] or whither it goes [ 从句].
(我们不知道它从那儿来，要到那儿去。)
2.2.3. 复合句(complex)。——复合句由两个或多个独立主题组成：例如——
(1) [All fears were dispelled], AND [we saw the land within a few leagues of us].
(所有的恐怕都消失了，我们看到了离我们不远的陆地。)
在复合句中，句子成员仅仅是堆在一起(put together)(con and ponere)，而在复杂句中，它们是交织在一起(woven together)(con and plectere)。
来源：<<英语文法和写作>> William Swinton，1879 年版。
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