Punctuation Basics

1The Period (.)

A period ends a statement sentence. It says "I am telling you something." Example: "The sky is blue." The period tells the reader to stop.

Use a period for facts, descriptions, and calm statements. "My cat is orange." "I like pizza." "We go to school on weekdays."

2The Question Mark (?)

A question mark ends a question. It says "I want to know something." Example: "What time is it?" The voice goes up at the end of a question.

Question words often start a question: who, what, where, when, why, how. "Where do you live?" "Why is the sky blue?" "How old are you?"

3The Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark shows strong feeling — excitement, surprise, anger, or joy. "Wow!" "Watch out!" "I won!" The voice is loud and energetic.

Use exclamation marks for special moments. Too many makes writing feel shouty. Save them for when you really mean it!

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