You have learned four kinds of sentences: telling, asking, exclamations and commands. Each one needs an end mark. Here is how to choose.
| The sentence… | End mark | Example |
|---|---|---|
| tells something | . | The cake is in the oven. |
| tells someone to do something | . | Please wash the bowl. |
| asks something | ? | Can I lick the spoon? |
| shows strong feeling | ! | Wow, that cake is huge! |
Key idea
Read the whole sentence. Does it tell, ask or show strong feeling? Then choose the period, question mark or exclamation point.
Why it works
End marks tell the reader how to say a sentence: calm, asking, or with feeling. The same words can mean different things: “You ate the cake.” and “You ate the cake?” and “You ate the cake!”
Worked example: Don’t stop at the first word
“What a big cake”
- It starts with What, like many questions.
- But nobody can answer it. It shows surprise.
- So it ends with an exclamation point.
Answer: “What a big cake!”
Worked example: A question word inside
“I know where the spoon is”
- It has the word where in it.
- But it tells what I know. It does not ask.
- So it ends with a period.
Answer: “I know where the spoon is.”
Common mistake
Choosing the mark from the first word alone. “What a big cake!” starts like a question, but it shows surprise. “I know where it is.” has a question word, but it tells. Read to the end before you choose.
For the grown-up. Read sentences aloud in three voices: calm, asking and excited. Children hear the difference before they can explain it. A command like “Look at the cake” can take a period or, said with excitement, an exclamation point.