Punctuation Marks – English Standard Four

1. Introduction

Punctuation marks are special symbols used in writing. They help us to separate ideas, make sentences clear and show when a sentence ends. They help readers understand written information correctly.

2. Common Punctuation Marks

A. Full Stop (.)

A full stop is used at the end of a statement or a sentence that gives information.

1. I go to school every day.
2. My mother is a teacher.
3. We play football after school.
4. The pupils are reading books.

Remember: Put a full stop at the end of a complete statement.

B. Question Mark (?)

A question mark is used at the end of a sentence that asks a question.

1. What is your name?
2. Where do you live?
3. Are you going to school?
4. How many books do you have?

Remember: A question mark is used when asking a question.

C. Comma (,)

A comma is used to separate items in a list. It can also be used to separate a person’s name when directly addressing them.

1. I have a pen, a pencil, an exercise book and a ruler.
2. We bought bananas, oranges, mangoes and pineapples.
3. My teacher, Mr John, teaches English.
4. Amina, please open the door.

Remember: A comma helps to separate items or parts of a sentence.

3. Capital Letters

A capital letter is not a punctuation mark, but it is an important writing rule used together with punctuation. We use capital letters at the beginning of a sentence, when writing names of people and places, and when writing the word I.

1. My name is Asha.
2. Tanzania is a beautiful country.
3. I live in Arusha.
4. We study English at school.

4. More Punctuation Marks

A. Exclamation Mark (!)

An exclamation mark is used to show strong feelings such as happiness, surprise or excitement.

1. What a beautiful day!
2. Wow! That is a big bus!
3. Hurray! We have won the game!

B. Apostrophe (‘)

An apostrophe is used to show ownership or missing letters in some words.

1. This is John’s book. (Ownership)
2. I am = I’m. (Missing letter)
3. Do not = Don’t. (Missing letter)

5. Comparing the Punctuation Marks

Punctuation mark	Name	Use
.	Full stop	Ends a statement
?	Question mark	Ends a question
,	Comma	Separates items in a list
!	Exclamation mark	Shows strong feelings
‘	Apostrophe	Shows ownership or missing letters

6. Reading Practice

Read the following sentences aloud. Pay attention to the punctuation marks.

1. My name is Juma.
2. Where is your school?
3. I have a bag, a pen and a ruler.
4. Hurray! Our team has won!
5. This is Mary’s exercise book.

7. Classroom Activities

Activity 1: Identify the punctuation marks. A teacher to write sentences on the chalkboard. Pupils to identify the punctuation marks used in each sentence.

Activity 2: Put the correct punctuation marks. A teacher to write sentences without punctuation marks. Pupils to add the correct punctuation marks.

Activity 3: Writing sentences. A teacher to guide pupils to write two statements, two questions and two sentences containing lists.

8. Exercises

Exercise A: Choose the correct answer.

1. Which punctuation mark is used at the end of a question? A. Full stop B. Comma C. Question mark D. Apostrophe
2. Which punctuation mark is used to separate items in a list? A. Comma B. Full stop C. Question mark D. Exclamation mark
3. Which punctuation mark is used at the end of a statement? A. Question mark B. Full stop C. Comma D. Apostrophe
4. Which sentence is correctly punctuated? A. Where are you going. B. Where are you going, C. Where are you going? D. Where are you going!
5. Which punctuation mark shows strong feelings? A. Comma B. Full stop C. Apostrophe D. Exclamation mark

Exercise B: Rewrite the sentences using correct punctuation marks.

1. my name is neema
2. where do you live
3. i have a book a pen and a ruler
4. are you going to school
5. we live in tanzania

Exercise C: Fill in the blanks.

Choose the correct words: comma, full stop, question mark, exclamation mark.

1. A __________ is used at the end of a statement.
2. A __________ is used at the end of a question.
3. A __________ separates items in a list.
4. An __________ shows strong feelings.

9. Answers

Exercise A: 1. C 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. D

Exercise B:

1. My name is Neema.
2. Where do you live?
3. I have a book, a pen and a ruler.
4. Are you going to school?
5. We live in Tanzania.

Exercise C: 1. Full stop 2. Question mark 3. Comma 4. Exclamation mark

10. Assessment

A pupil should be able to identify common punctuation marks, explain the uses of full stops, commas and question marks, use punctuation marks correctly in sentences, and write simple sentences with correct capital letters and punctuation marks.

11. Support for Slow Learners

• A teacher to display punctuation marks on flashcards.
• A teacher to explain one punctuation mark at a time using simple examples.
• Pupils to copy and complete short sentences with guidance.
• A teacher to give extra practice in identifying full stops, commas and question marks.
• A teacher to provide individual support and positive feedback.

12. Learning Outcome

By the end of the lesson, a pupil should be able to use common punctuation marks correctly when writing simple sentences and short paragraphs.