Full stops
The mark that ends most sentences, and how to hear where one sentence stops and the next begins.
The answer
A full stop (.) is the dot that ends a statement or a calm command, showing the reader where one sentence finishes.
Examples
The cat is asleep.
A statement.
Please shut the door.
A calm command.
We went to the park. It was sunny.
Two sentences, two full stops.
Mr Khan teaches Year 5.
In British English, Mr, Mrs and Dr usually have no full stop.
How to spot it
- Read your writing aloud. Where your voice drops and you pause for a breath, a sentence has often ended.
- After a full stop, the next word starts with a capital letter.
- Questions end with a question mark, and exclamations with an exclamation mark, not a full stop.
The common mistake
Running two sentences together, or joining them with a comma.
‘We went to the park it was sunny’ and ‘We went to the park, it was sunny’ both need a full stop: ‘We went to the park. It was sunny.’
When it is taught
- First met
- Year 1
- On the pupil word list
- Year 1, as “full stop”
Year 1 names full stop and uses capital letters and full stops to mark sentences. Year 2 keeps using them to demarcate sentences in longer writing.
Try a question
Add the missing full stop and capital letter.
the rain stopped we went outside to play.
Show the answer
Answer: The rain stopped. We went outside to play.
The rain stopped is a complete sentence, so it needs a full stop, and the next sentence starts with a capital letter.
Related terms
- Practise the 11+ skill: Mark a sentence boundary
More grammar terms
Questions parents ask
Does a command end with a full stop?
Usually, yes: Please sit down. A shouted or urgent command can end with an exclamation mark instead.
Does a full stop go inside the speech marks?
Yes, when the spoken words end the sentence: Mum said, “Time for bed.”
Should Mr and Dr have a full stop?
In British English they usually do not: Mr Jones, Dr Patel. Some older books add one.
Grammar turns up in 11+ English too
Many 11+ English papers include grammar and punctuation questions alongside comprehension. The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.