Courseversity

Sentence types

Primary EducationGrade 2English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G02-ELA-U06-L0745–60 min

You will learn

  • Name four sentence types.
  • Use correct end punctuation.
  • Write each type.
  • Read each type with the right voice.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. A statement tells something and ends with a full stop.
  2. A question asks and ends with ?.
  3. A command tells someone what to do.
  4. An exclamation shows strong feeling and ends with !.

Words to know

statement
a sentence that tells something
question
a sentence that asks
command
a sentence that tells someone to do something
exclamation
a sentence that shows strong feeling

1. Discover: Four sentences

Ama says, “The sun is hot.” Kofi asks, “Can we swim?” The teacher says, “Put on your hats.” Tolu shouts, “What a lovely day!”

Think: Which sentence tells, asks, commands and shows feeling?

2. Understand: Types of sentences

Idea 1: Statement and question

A statement tells something and ends with a full stop. A question asks and ends with a question mark.

Idea 2: Command

A command tells someone to do something. It usually ends with a full stop: Put on your hats. A strong command may end with !.

Idea 3: Exclamation

An exclamation shows strong feeling and ends with an exclamation mark: What a lovely day!

Remember: There are four sentence types: statement (.), question (?), command (. or !) and exclamation (!).

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Statement

The sun is hot. Which type?

  1. It tells.

Answer: statement

Example 2 (We do it together): Question

Can we swim? Which type?

  1. It asks.

Answer: question

Example 3 (You try): Command

Put on your hats. Which type?

Show the steps and answer
  1. It tells to do.

Answer: command

Did you know?

We speak all four sentence types every day.

Why this matters

Using the right sentence type and punctuation makes your meaning clear.

4. Explore: Sentence sort

Sort sentences by type.

  1. Read the sentences.
  2. Decide the type.
  3. Add punctuation.
  4. Read with the right voice.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can sort sentence types.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • A statement ends with ___.
  • A question ends with ___.
  • A command tells you to ___.
  • An exclamation ends with ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. Type of: Can we swim?

question

Question 2. Type of: What a day!

exclamation

Question 3. Type of: Sit down.

command

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A sentence that tells is a ___.
  2. A sentence that asks is a ___.
  3. A sentence that tells someone to do something is a ___.
  4. A sentence with strong feeling is an ___.
  5. A question ends with a question ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Write a statement.
  2. Write a question.
  3. Write a command.

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Which ends with ! ?
  2. Does a statement end with ?
  3. Can a command end with !

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write four sentences, one of each type.

Show a sample answer

four sentences

Another one. Find each type in a story.

Show a sample answer

examples

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Using . after a question.
Fix: Use ?
Another mistake: Forgetting !
Fix: Use ! for feeling.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can name four sentence types.
  • I can use correct end punctuation.
  • I can write each type.
  • I can read each type.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A statement ends with a ___.

2. A question ends with a ___.

3. An exclamation ends with a ___.

4. A command tells someone to ___.

5. “The sun is hot.” is a ___.

6. “Can we swim?” is a ___.

7. “Put on your hats.” is a ___.

8. “What a lovely day!” is an ___.

9. Which is a question?

10. Which is a command?

11. Which is a statement?

12. Which is an exclamation?

Challenge 1. Which sentence has the right punctuation?

Challenge 2. Which is a command?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Statements tell.
  • Questions ask.
  • Commands tell what to do.
  • Exclamations show feeling.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Subject and predicate. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. Name the four sentence types. [4 marks]
  2. What does a question end with? [1 mark]
  3. Write a command. [1 mark]
  4. Punctuate: What a lovely day [1 mark]
  5. Explain the sentence types. [3 marks]

Total: 10 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. statement [1]; question [1]; command [1]; exclamation [1]
  2. question mark [1]
  3. valid [1]
  4. !
  5. tell/ask/command [1]; exclamation feeling [1]; end marks [1]

Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A telling sentence is a ___.
  2. An asking sentence is a ___.
  3. A doing sentence is a ___.
  4. A feeling sentence is an ___.
  5. A question ends with a ___ mark.
  6. True or false: a statement ends with ?
  7. True or false: an exclamation ends with !
  8. Write a statement.
  9. Write a question.
  10. Write a command.

Homework

Write four sentences, one of each type.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A telling sentence is a ___. statement 1
2. An asking sentence is a ___. question 1
3. A doing sentence is a ___. command 1
4. A feeling sentence is an ___. exclamation 1
5. A question ends with a ___ mark. question 1
6. True or false: a statement ends with ? false 1
7. True or false: an exclamation ends with ! true 1
8. Write a statement. I like rice. 1
9. Write a question. Do you like rice? 1
10. Write a command. Eat your rice. 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 statement; 2 question; 3 command; 4 exclamation; 5 mark. Level 2: 1 The sky is blue.; 2 What is your name?; 3 Close the door.. Level 3: 1 exclamation; 2 no; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Name four sentence types Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Use correct end punctuation Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Write each type Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Read each type with the right voice Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Using . after a question. Use ?
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Use sentence cards.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child learns four sentence types. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Speak all four types.
  • Spot them in books.
  • Praise punctuation.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: name four sentence types; use correct end punctuation; write each type; read each type with the right voice.

Prerequisite knowledge. Adverbs.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Review punctuation.

Explanation (10 min). Teach types.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise.

Independent activity (10 min). Check.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. Does it tell, ask, command or show feeling?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use picture cues. Extension. Use all four in a story.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Using . after a question. Use ?

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Use sentence cards. Enrichment. Write a short play with all four. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.2.1f (produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences) and L.2.2b; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (grammar and punctuation). These sources informed the lesson.

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