Telling and Asking Sentences Chart
A sentence is a complete thought. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a mark.
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How to do it
- Look at the end mark: a period tells, a question mark asks.
- Check that the sentence says who and what they do.
- Use a question word to start an asking sentence.
Teaching tip
Read a sentence aloud with a telling voice, then turn it into a question together. This sheet is aligned with Common Core L.1.1j.
About this chart
Telling and asking sentences with their end marks, how to spot a complete sentence, and the six question words.
What kids practice
A telling sentence shares an idea and ends with a period. An asking sentence is a question and ends with a question mark. A complete sentence tells who it is about and what happens. First graders learn to tell the difference, to build their own sentences, and to answer questions with a whole sentence.
Watch for
- Writing a fragment like "The big red ball." and calling it a sentence.
- Using a question word but ending with a period.
- Answering with one word instead of a whole sentence.
- Putting words in an order that doesn't make sense.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full telling and asking sentences guide for 1st grade.
More sheets in this set
2. Telling or Asking?Ten sentences to sort into telling and asking, then finish with the right end mark.
3. Build a SentenceFive sets of scrambled word cards. Put them in order and write the sentence.
4. Is It a Sentence?Ten word groups. Some are complete sentences and some are missing a part.
5. Question WordsEight questions missing their first word. Choose who, what, where, when, why or how.
6. Ask and TellFour questions to answer with full telling sentences, using a sentence starter.