How many kinds of sentences are there?

Answer:
There are five ways that sentences are classified:

10 according to basic pattern
4 according to structure (may be only 3)
4 according to use
3 according to style (may be 4)
7 according to variety
 

Types by pattern (3 being, 2 linking, 5 action)

  1. Subject - Being Verb - Adverb
  2. Subject - Being Verb - Adjective (Predicate Adjective)
  3. Subject - Being Verb - Noun (Predicate Nominative)
  4. Subject - Linking Verb - Adjective (Predicate Adjective)
  5. Subject - Linking Verb - Noun (Predicate Nominative)
  6. Subject - Action Verb (Intransitive)
  7. Subject - Action Verb - Direct Object (Transitive)
  8. Subject - Action Verb - Indirect Object - Direct Object (to or for, what)
  9. Subject - Action Verb - Direct Object - Adjective (Object Complement)
  10. Subject - Action Verb - Direct Object - Noun (Object Appositive)

A briefer version uses only 7 sentence patterns:
  1. S+V / (subject-intransitive verb)
  2. S+V+SP / (subject-linking verb-adverb)
  3. S+V+A / (subject-linking verb-adjective)
  4. S+V+DO / (subject-transitive verb-direct object
  5. S+V+IO+DO / (subject-transitive verb-indirect object-direct object)
  6. S+V+O+A / (subject-transitive verb-direct object-adverb)
  7. S+V+DO+OP / subject-transitive verb-direct object-object complement
 

Types by structure:

  1. SIMPLE
  2. COMPOUND
  3. COMPLEX
  4. *COMPOUND-COMPLEX
 

Types by use:

  1. DECLARATIVE
  2. INTERROGATIVE
  3. IMPERATIVE
  4. EXCLAMATORY
 

Types by style:

  1. Loose sentence - the main point is stated, with following clauses
  2. Periodic sentence - the main point is in a preceding dependent clause
  3. Balanced sentence - two parts of the sentence compared in the same form

(sometimes) 4. Cumulative sentence - main point presaged by description
First answer by Jac-jac17. Last edit by Dfoofnik. Contributor trust: 2553 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 5 [recommend question].