Practice in Forming Declarative Sentences

This exercise will give you practice in changing word order and (in some cases) verb forms as you convert 12 interrogative sentences (questions) into declarative sentences (statements).

After completing this exercise, you can also try forming interrogative sentences.

Instructions

Rewrite each of the following sentences, turning the ​yes-no question into a statement. Change the word order and (in some cases) the form of the verb as necessary. When you're done, compare your new declarative sentences with the sample answers below.

1. Is Sam's dog shivering?
2. Are we going to the football game?
3. Will you be on the train tomorrow?
4. Is Sam the first person in line?
5. Was the stranger calling from the clinic?
6. Does Mr. Amjad think that I will be waiting for him at the airport?
7. Do the best students usually take themselves too seriously?
8. Does Ms. Wilson believe that everybody is watching her?
9. Am I the first person to make fun of the idea of calorie counting?
10. Before going away on vacation, should we cancel the newspaper?
11. Wasn't the boy in the snack bar wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and a cowboy hat?
12. Whenever you leave a young child with a babysitter, should you give her a list of all emergency phone numbers?

Answers to the Exercise

Here are sample answers to the exercise. In all cases, more than one correct version is possible.

1. Sam's dog is shivering.
2. We are going to the football game.
3. You will be on the train tomorrow.
4. Sam is the first person in line.
5. The stranger was calling from the clinic.
6. Mr. Amjad thinks that I will be waiting for him at the airport.
7. The best students usually don't take themselves too seriously.
8. Ms. Wilson believes that everybody is watching her.
9. I am not the first person to make fun of the idea of calorie counting.
10. Before going away on vacation, we should cancel the newspaper.
11. The boy in the snack bar was wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt and a cowboy hat.
12. Whenever you leave a young child with a babysitter, you should give her a list of all emergency phone numbers.