Two marks, one sentence
Every telling sentence you write needs both of these:
- a capital letter on the first word
- a period after the last word
The capital letter shows the reader where to start. The period shows where to stop.
“The soup is hot.”
Only the first word
This is where children slip. The capital letter goes on the first word and no others.
| Written | Right or wrong? |
|---|---|
| Leo painted a blue boat. | Right |
| leo painted a blue boat. | Wrong. No capital at the front. |
| Leo Painted A Blue Boat. | Wrong. Only the first word gets one. |
| Leo painted a blue boat | Wrong. No period at the end. |
Names are a special case. “Leo” keeps its capital wherever it sits in a sentence, because it is somebody’s name. You will learn more about that later.
Where the period goes
The period goes right after the last word of the sentence, with no space in front of it.
Sentence: “the bread is warm”
The last word is “warm”, so the period goes there.
“The bread is warm.”
Not after “bread”. Not in the middle. The idea is not finished until the last word.
Your turn
Write each one correctly.
- “my dog ran fast”
- “The Kite Flew High”
- “six ducks swim in the pond”
Check your answers
- “My dog ran fast.”
- “The kite flew high.”
- “Six ducks swim in the pond.”
Remember
- Capital letter on the first word only.
- Period after the last word.
- Both marks, every time.