Starting and Ending Sentences
Begin sentences with a capital letter and end them with the appropriate mark (full stop, question mark, or exclamation mark); recognise and name end punctuation
Suggested ages 5–8
Learning journey
Your child is learning the building blocks of writing — how to make complete sentences, use capital letters and punctuation marks correctly, and understand basic word types like nouns and verbs.
Evidence of understanding
- Write sentences beginning with a capital letter
- Choose and use the correct end punctuation for statements, questions, and exclamations
- Identify and name full stops, question marks, and exclamation marks when reading
Assessment prompt
When Starting and Ending Sentences writes a sentence like "the cat sat on the mat", do they remember to use a capital letter at the start and a full stop at the end — without needing a reminder?
Standards alignment
L.1.2a
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 1
L.1.2b
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 1
L.2.2a
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 2
L.2.2b
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 2
L.K.2a
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · K
L.K.2b
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · K
Sentence demarcation
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Sentence demarcation
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Punctuating sentences
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key stage 1