Foundation · English · Language
What is a sentence?
Learning that a sentence is a complete idea that starts with a capital letter, uses finger spaces between words and ends with a full stop.
Awaiting educator review. This material was drafted by our content team with AI assistance and is waiting for review by a qualified educator. Please check it suits your child before using it. Created 10 October 2026.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Recognise that a sentence is a group of words that makes complete sense.
- Begin a sentence with a capital letter and end it with a full stop.
- Leave a space between words when writing.
Success looks like
- I can tell if a group of words makes sense.
- I can start my sentence with a capital letter.
- I can put a full stop at the end of my sentence.
- I can leave spaces between my words.
The big idea
A sentence tells a whole idea. 'The dog ran.' is a sentence: we know who did something and what they did. 'The dog' on its own is not a sentence, because it does not tell us what happened.
Written sentences follow three simple rules:
- Start with a capital letter.
- Leave a finger space between words.
- End with a full stop (for a telling sentence).
Words in a sentence need to be in an order that makes sense. 'Ran dog the.' uses real words, but in a jumbled order, so it is not a sentence.
Point out capital letters and full stops when you share a picture book. Ask your child to put their finger on a full stop and read the sentence back to it together.
Worked examples
Does it make sense?
Is 'Mum has a red car.' a sentence?
- Read the words aloud.
- Ask: does it tell a whole idea? Yes, it tells us what Mum has.
- Check the start: 'Mum' has a capital M.
- Check the end: there is a full stop.
Answer: Yes. It makes sense, starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
Fixing a sentence
Fix this sentence: 'i can hop'
- Read it aloud. It makes sense.
- Change the first letter to a capital: 'I'.
- Add a full stop at the end.
Answer: I can hop.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Which one is a sentence?
The cat is big. — 'The cat is big.' makes sense, starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
What goes at the end of a telling sentence?
a full stop — A telling sentence ends with a full stop.
Which sentence starts correctly?
We went to the park. — A sentence starts with a capital letter, so 'We' needs a capital W.
Which one has finger spaces between the words?
I saw a bird. — 'I saw a bird.' has a space between every word.
Which group of words is NOT a sentence?
under the — 'under the' does not tell a whole idea.
Does a sentence start with a capital letter or a small letter? Type 'capital' or 'small'.
capital — Every sentence starts with a capital letter.
How many words are in this sentence? 'I can run.' Type a number.
3 — The words are I, can, run: three words.
Put these words in order to make a sentence: 'sun. hot The is' Type the first word.
The — The sentence is 'The sun is hot.' It begins with 'The'.
Watch out for
- Thinking a sentence is a line of writing. A sentence can be shorter than a line or run onto the next line; it ends at the full stop.
- Putting a full stop at the end of every line instead of at the end of the idea. Read the writing aloud and stop only where the idea finishes.
- Using capital letters randomly inside words. Show that capitals belong at the start of sentences and names.
Tips for parents
- Write a sentence your child says, then read it together, pointing to each word.
- Cut a written sentence into separate words and let your child rebuild it.
- Celebrate one correct feature at a time (for example, 'You remembered your full stop!').
Go further
- Draw a picture and write one sentence about it each day for a week to make a mini diary.
- Play 'sentence or not?' by saying word groups aloud and giving a thumbs up for complete sentences.
- Use playdough to make a full stop and press it at the end of a sentence written on paper.