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Learning how to use periods and question marks to show when a sentence is finished.
Imagine if your favorite book never stopped for a breath and all the words ran together like a giant noodle! How would you know when one idea ends and a new one begins?
When we talk, we take little breaths between our ideas. When we write, we use a period to show those breaths. A period looks like a tiny dot (.) at the very end of a sentence. We use it for statements. A statement is a sentence that tells us something. Think of the period as a tiny stop sign for your eyes. It tells the reader, 'This thought is finished!'
Let's turn a group of words into a real sentence: 1. Start with the words: The cat is big 2. Ask: Is this telling us something? Yes! 3. Add the period: The cat is big.
Quick Check
What is the name of the tiny dot we use to end a 'telling' sentence?
Answer
A period.
Sometimes we don't want to tell something; we want to ask something! When a sentence is looking for an answer, it is a question. Questions need a question mark (?). It looks like a little hook with a dot at the bottom. You often use a question mark when a sentence starts with 'asking words' like Who, What, Where, When, Why, or How.
Let's fix this asking sentence: 1. Look at the words: Can you play 2. Ask: Does this need an answer? Yes! 3. Add the question mark: Can you play?
Quick Check
If a sentence starts with the word 'Where,' what mark does it usually need at the end?
Answer
A question mark.
Every sentence needs a 'tail' at the end. To pick the right one, listen to your voice. If your voice stays flat or goes down, you are likely telling (.). If your voice goes up at the end, you are likely asking (?). Using the right mark helps your friends understand exactly what you mean when they read your writing!
See how the mark changes the meaning: 1. Telling: You are home. (This means I see you are there.) 2. Asking: You are home? (This means I am surprised or checking if you are there.)
Which mark goes at the end of this sentence: 'I like apples'
Which mark goes at the end of this sentence: 'Where is my hat'
A question mark looks like a little hook.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow morning, look at a cereal box or a book. Can you find one period and one question mark?
Practice Activity
Draw a picture of your favorite animal. Write one sentence telling what color it is, and one question asking what it likes to eat. Don't forget your ending marks!