What you learned
A telling sentence tells the reader something. Older students call it a statement.
Every telling sentence starts with a capital letter on the first word. It ends with a period after the last word.
Three things to keep straight
| What people think | What is true |
|---|---|
| Every sentence ends with a period. | Telling sentences do. A sentence that asks something ends another way. |
| Important words get a capital letter. | Only the first word does. “Leo Painted A Blue Boat.” is wrong. |
| A period marks a breath. | It marks the end of a whole idea. Two ideas need two periods. |
Splitting a crowded line
“the sun came out we went outside”
Two whole ideas. Put a period after the first one. Then put a capital letter on the word that starts the second.
“The sun came out. We went outside.”
Quick warm-up before the check
Write each one correctly.
- “the bread is warm”
- “My Cat Sleeps All Day.”
- “it snowed we stayed home”
Answers
- “The bread is warm.”
- “My cat sleeps all day.”
- “It snowed. We stayed home.”
Now take the final check below.
Where to go next
- Asking Sentences and Question Marks: the other kind of sentence and its end mark
- Exclamations and Exclamation Points: sentences that show strong feeling
- Capital Letters and End Marks: choosing among all three end marks
- Special Names and Titles for People: the other words that always get a capital