Three kinds, three marks
Every sentence you write does one of three jobs. Each job has its own mark at the end.
| The sentence | What it does | End mark | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| telling | gives you something | period | The bus is here. |
| asking | wants an answer | question mark | Is the bus here? |
| strong feeling | shows how the writer feels | exclamation point | The bus is leaving without us! |
Look at the examples. All three are about a bus. All three start with a capital letter. Only the job changes, and the mark follows the job.
Most sentences are telling sentences
Open any book and count. Page after page of periods. A question mark or an exclamation point turns up now and then.
Your own writing should look the same. The other two marks work because they are the rare ones.
What all three have in common
- a capital letter on the first word
- a naming part and a telling part
- exactly one mark at the end
Only the mark changes. Everything else stays the same.
Your turn
Say which mark each sentence needs.
- “My library book is due today”
- “Where did you find it”
- “A wasp is on my sandwich”
- “We have gym after lunch”
Check your answers
- Period. It tells something.
- Question mark. It wants an answer.
- Exclamation point. That is worth some feeling.
- Period. It tells something.
Remember
- Telling sentences take a period.
- Asking sentences take a question mark.
- Sentences with strong feeling take an exclamation point.