Year 1 English: Three end marks: telling, asking and feeling
Part of the Year 1 English questions and exclamations chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Three end marks: telling, asking and feeling
Every sentence ends with a mark. The mark tells the reader what kind of sentence it is.
A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something: The bus is red.
A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something: Is the bus red?
An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling, like surprise or joy: The bus is red!
Key ideas
- A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
- A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something.
- An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling.
- The end mark goes straight after the last word, with no space before it.
Key words. A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.Sam has a red bike ___
- Decide what it does. It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.It is telling something.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.full stop (.)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Most sentences end with a full stop. Do not use a question mark or exclamation mark just because the sentence is short.
Key words. A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.Can you help me ___
- Decide what it does. It asks us something, so it ends with a question mark.It is asking something.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.question mark (?)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds like a question. ✓
Watch out. A question still needs a question mark, even when it is short.
Key words. An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.Yippee, we won ___
- Decide what it does. It shows a strong feeling, so it ends with an exclamation mark.It is showing a strong feeling.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.exclamation mark (!)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds excited or strong. ✓
Watch out. Use an exclamation mark only for a strong feeling. Most sentences do not need one.
Watch out
Watch out: a sentence with the word is or can is not always a question. The cat is asleep. tells us something, so it ends with a full stop. A question asks something.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read a sentence together and ask: “Is it asking, telling, or showing a feeling?” Let your child point to the mark that fits. Think of the three marks as three jobs.
Exercise 7A Telling, asking and feeling
Key words. A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.Mia likes cake ___
- Decide what it does. It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.It is telling something.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.full stop (.)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Most sentences end with a full stop. Do not use a question mark or exclamation mark just because the sentence is short.
Key words. A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.Where is the ball ___
- Decide what it does. It asks us something, so it ends with a question mark.It is asking something.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.question mark (?)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds like a question. ✓
Watch out. A question still needs a question mark, even when it is short.
Key words. An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.Hooray, it is my birthday ___
- Decide what it does. It shows a strong feeling, so it ends with an exclamation mark.It is showing a strong feeling.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.exclamation mark (!)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds excited or strong. ✓
Watch out. Use an exclamation mark only for a strong feeling. Most sentences do not need one.
Key words. A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
Method. Read the sentence first, then decide what it does.
- Read the sentence, leaving out its end mark. Look at what the words say.The dog is big ___
- Decide what it does. It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.It is telling something.
- Name the mark. Each end mark has its own name.full stop (.)
Check. Add the mark to the end and read it aloud. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Most sentences end with a full stop. Do not use a question mark or exclamation mark just because the sentence is short.
Key words. A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.Dogs can swim
- Decide what it does. It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.It is telling something.
- Add the end mark. The full stop goes straight after the last word.Dogs can swim.
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Most sentences end with a full stop. Do not use a question mark or exclamation mark just because the sentence is short.
Key words. A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.Can Ali come to the park
- Decide what it does. It asks us something, so it ends with a question mark.It is asking something.
- Add the end mark. The question mark goes straight after the last word.Can Ali come to the park?
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds like a question. ✓
Watch out. A question still needs a question mark, even when it is short.
Key words. An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.Wow
- Decide what it does. It shows a strong feeling, so it ends with an exclamation mark.It is showing a strong feeling.
- Add the end mark. The exclamation mark goes straight after the last word.Wow!
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds excited or strong. ✓
Watch out. Use an exclamation mark only for a strong feeling. Most sentences do not need one.
Key words. A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.We went to the beach
- Decide what it does. It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.It is telling something.
- Add the end mark. The full stop goes straight after the last word.We went to the beach.
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Most sentences end with a full stop. Do not use a question mark or exclamation mark just because the sentence is short.
Key words. An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.Yippee, I can swim
- Decide what it does. It shows a strong feeling, so it ends with an exclamation mark.It is showing a strong feeling.
- Add the end mark. The exclamation mark goes straight after the last word.Yippee, I can swim!
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds excited or strong. ✓
Watch out. Use an exclamation mark only for a strong feeling. Most sentences do not need one.
Key words. A full stop (.) ends a sentence that tells something.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.Ruby likes green grapes
- Decide what it does. It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.It is telling something.
- Add the end mark. The full stop goes straight after the last word.Ruby likes green grapes.
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Most sentences end with a full stop. Do not use a question mark or exclamation mark just because the sentence is short.
Key words. A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.Do you like ice cream
- Decide what it does. It asks us something, so it ends with a question mark.It is asking something.
- Add the end mark. The question mark goes straight after the last word.Do you like ice cream?
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds like a question. ✓
Watch out. A question still needs a question mark, even when it is short.
Key words. An exclamation mark (!) ends a sentence that shows a strong feeling.
Method. Decide what the sentence does, then choose its end mark.
- Read the sentence aloud. Listen to what it is saying.What a big cake
- Decide what it does. It shows a strong feeling, so it ends with an exclamation mark.It is showing a strong feeling.
- Add the end mark. The exclamation mark goes straight after the last word.What a big cake!
Check. Read it aloud. It sounds excited or strong. ✓
Watch out. Use an exclamation mark only for a strong feeling. Most sentences do not need one.
Key words. A question mark (?) ends a sentence that asks something.
Method. Look at the end of each sentence. Ask what each one does.
- Read both sentences. Look at the end of each one.A: Is it time for lunch. B: Is it time for lunch?
- Decide what the right one does. It asks us something, so it ends with a question mark.It is asking something.
- Pick the sentence with the right end mark. The other one has the wrong end mark for what it does.B: Is it time for lunch?
Check. Read both out loud. It sounds like a question. ✓
Watch out. Look at the end of the sentence, and ask what it does.
Method. Ask: is it asking, showing a feeling, or telling?
- Read the sentence. Listen to what it says.Mum made a cake
- Decide what it does. It tells us what Mum did.It is telling something.
- Write the answer. It does not ask anything, and it does not show a strong feeling.A full stop, because it tells something.
Check. Say it aloud: Mum made a cake. It sounds finished. ✓
Watch out. Telling sentences often say what someone did, like made or ran.