Question and Exclamation Marks — Year 1 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: English — Writing: use question marks correctly when required (Year 1); use exclamation marks (Year 2)
Overview
Pupils learn to use question marks and exclamation marks to punctuate sentences appropriately. They explore the difference between a statement, a question, and an exclamation, and practise identifying which punctuation mark is needed for each sentence type.
Learning Objectives
- Identify questions, statements, and exclamations as different types of sentence.
- Use a question mark at the end of a question sentence.
- Use an exclamation mark to show strong feeling or a command.
- Read sentences aloud with appropriate expression to match the punctuation.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Read three sentences aloud with exaggerated expression: a statement, a question, and an exclamation. Ask: which one was asking something? Which showed excitement? Collect ideas.
Introduce the three sentence types with examples. Explain when each mark is used: full stop for statements, question mark for questions (often start with What, Where, Why, Who, When, How), exclamation mark for exclamations and commands. Model writing one of each type.
Pupils sort a set of sentence cards into three groups: statements, questions, exclamations. Then add the correct punctuation mark to the end of each.
Pupils write one statement, one question, and one exclamation about a shared topic (e.g. a class trip), using the correct end punctuation for each.
Pupils read their sentences to a partner with the right expression. Partner guesses which punctuation mark was used before seeing it written.
Common Misconceptions
- Pupils often use exclamation marks on every sentence because they find writing exciting — teach that exclamation marks are for strong emotion or commands, not for general enthusiasm.
- Confusing questions with statements: if the word order is subject-verb (e.g. 'The dog ran'), it is a statement, not a question.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Ability to write sentences with capital letters and full stops.
- Familiarity with the terms statement and question from spoken language.
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