What is Punctuation?
Imagine you’re telling a story to your friend. When you speak, you naturally pause, raise your voice for questions, and show excitement in your voice. Punctuation marks are special symbols that help us show these same things in our writing! They are like traffic signs for readers, telling them when to stop, pause, or show emotion.
Meet the Punctuation Family!
Full stop (.)
The period is like a red traffic light – it tells us to stop. We use it at the end of a complete thought.
Example: My dog loves to play in the park.
The Question Mark (?)
When we ask something, we use a question mark. It’s like raising our voice at the end of a sentence to show we’re asking something.
Example: Would you like to play with me?
The Exclamation Mark (!)
This mark shows strong feelings like excitement, surprise, or anger. It’s like adding a burst of energy to your words!
Example: Wow! I won first prize in the art contest!
The Comma (,)
The comma is like a yellow traffic light – it tells us to pause briefly. We use it:
– To separate items in a list
Example: I packed my lunch box with a sandwich, an apple, cookies, and juice.
– To separate parts of a sentence
Example: After the movie ended, we went for ice cream.
Quotation Marks (” “)
These marks are like little houses for the exact words someone says. They show when we’re repeating someone’s words.
Example: “Please remember to clean your room,” said Mom.
