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Primary 1 · English · Language

Question marks and exclamation marks

Knowing that sentences can tell, ask or show strong feeling, and choosing a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark to match.

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. How we review

These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to Singapore levels by age (Primary 1 is the first year of primary school). They are not aligned to MOE syllabuses or the PSLE, so check them against the syllabus your child is working towards.

Learning goals

Learners will

  • Recognise that sentences can tell, ask or show strong feeling.
  • Choose a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark to end a sentence.
  • Read sentences aloud with expression that matches their punctuation.

Success looks like

  • I can end a telling sentence with a full stop.
  • I can end an asking sentence with a question mark.
  • I can end a sentence that shows strong feeling with an exclamation mark.

The big idea

Every sentence ends with a mark that tells the reader what kind of sentence it is and how to read it.

  • A statement tells something and ends with a full stop: 'The cat is asleep.'
  • A question asks something and ends with a question mark: 'Where is the cat?'
  • An exclamation shows strong feeling and ends with an exclamation mark: 'The cat is on the roof!'

Questions often start with a question word: who, what, where, when, why or how. They can also start with words like can, do, is or are: 'Can you swim?' 'Is it raining?' If the sentence needs an answer, it is a question.

Exclamations are said with strong feeling, often in a louder or more excited voice. 'Watch out!' 'We won!' 'Ouch!' Encourage your child not to overuse exclamation marks. One at the end of a sentence is plenty, and most sentences in a story are statements.

A helpful trick is to read the sentence aloud. If your voice asks something, use ?. If you say it with big feeling, use !. If you are simply telling, use .

Worked examples

Choosing the end mark

Which mark ends this sentence: 'What is your name'

  1. Read it aloud. It starts with the question word 'what'.
  2. It asks something and needs an answer.
  3. Add a question mark: 'What is your name?'

Answer: ?

Strong feeling

Which mark ends this sentence: 'Help, the bath is overflowing'

  1. Read it aloud with feeling. It is urgent and surprising.
  2. It is not asking anything.
  3. Use an exclamation mark: 'Help, the bath is overflowing!'

Answer: !

Turning a statement into a question

Change 'You can ride a bike.' into a question.

  1. Move 'can' to the front: 'Can you ride a bike'.
  2. Start with a capital letter.
  3. End with a question mark: 'Can you ride a bike?'

Answer: 'Can you ride a bike?'

Practice check

Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.

  1. 1.Which mark goes at the end of a question?
  2. 2.Which sentence needs a question mark?
  3. 3.Which sentence needs an exclamation mark?
  4. 4.Which mark should end this sentence: 'Can you swim'
  5. 5.What does an exclamation mark show?
  6. 6.Type the mark that should end this telling sentence: 'The bus is late'
  7. 7.Type the mark that should end this sentence: 'What time is it'
  8. 8.Type the mark that should end this sentence: 'Hooray, we won the game'
Answer guide for parents

  1. Which mark goes at the end of a question?

    ? — A question mark (?) ends a question.

  2. Which sentence needs a question mark?

    Where is my hat — 'Where is my hat?' asks something.

  3. Which sentence needs an exclamation mark?

    Watch out, a ball is coming — 'Watch out, a ball is coming!' is a warning said with strong feeling.

  4. Which mark should end this sentence: 'Can you swim'

    ? — It asks something, so it needs a question mark.

  5. What does an exclamation mark show?

    strong feeling such as surprise or excitement — Exclamation marks show strong feeling.

  6. Type the mark that should end this telling sentence: 'The bus is late'

    . — It tells us something, so it ends with a full stop.

  7. Type the mark that should end this sentence: 'What time is it'

    ? — It asks something, so it ends with a question mark.

  8. Type the mark that should end this sentence: 'Hooray, we won the game'

    ! — It shows excitement, so it ends with an exclamation mark.

Watch out for

  • Putting a question mark after any sentence that has a question word in it, such as 'I know where it is?'. This sentence tells, so it ends with a full stop.
  • Using lots of exclamation marks ('We went to the park!!!'). One is enough, and only for strong feeling.
  • Forgetting the end mark altogether. Ask your child to read their writing aloud and listen for where each sentence stops.

Tips for parents

  • Read aloud with lots of expression so your child can hear the difference between a question and an exclamation.
  • Hold up a . ? or ! card and have your child make up a sentence to match it.
  • When reading together, ask your child to point to the end mark and read the sentence the way it shows.

Go further

  • Write a short comic strip with speech bubbles that use all three end marks.
  • Play 'Punctuation actions': stamp for a full stop, shrug for a question mark and jump for an exclamation mark as you read sentences aloud.
  • Interview a family member: write three questions with question marks, then write their answers as statements.

About 25 minutes

Make a lesson planAssign to my child

You'll need

  • Three cards showing . ? and !
  • Paper strips with sentences that are missing their end mark
  • A picture book with speech and exclamations

Key words

statement
A sentence that tells something. It ends with a full stop.
question
A sentence that asks something. It ends with a question mark (?).
exclamation
A sentence that shows strong feeling such as surprise, excitement or fear. It ends with an exclamation mark (!).
full stop
A dot (.) that ends a telling sentence.
punctuation
Marks such as . ? and ! that help readers understand writing.
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