Period or exclamation point?
Every sentence that tells something needs one of these two at the end. Ask yourself one question:
Do I feel something strong about this?
- Yes. Use an exclamation point.
- No, I am just saying it. Use a period.
Most of the time the answer is no, and that is fine.
Watch it work
| Sentence | Strong feeling? | End mark |
|---|---|---|
| The library opens at nine | no | The library opens at nine. |
| A bee landed on my arm | yes | A bee landed on my arm! |
| My desk is by the window | no | My desk is by the window. |
| The soup is boiling over | yes | The soup is boiling over! |
Checking your writing
- Read one sentence at a time.
- Ask whether you feel something strong about it.
- Put the mark that matches.
- Count your exclamation points. If most sentences have one, change some back to periods.
- Check that no sentence has more than one mark.
Step four catches the most common problem. Not sure which sentence deserves the mark? Pick the one moment you would tell somebody about first.
A warning sentence
Some exclamations are warnings. They matter, and they usually take the mark.
“Watch out for the ice!”
Written with a period, it sounds like a mild suggestion. The feeling is part of the message.
Your turn
Add the mark that fits best.
- “My library book is due on Monday”
- “The kite got stuck in the tree”
- “I sit next to Ava”
- “A spider is crawling up my leg”
Check your answers
- “My library book is due on Monday.”
- “The kite got stuck in the tree!”
- “I sit next to Ava.”
- “A spider is crawling up my leg!”
Remember
- Strong feeling means an exclamation point.
- Just saying it means a period.
- Count them afterward and take some back.