B. Foundations of Language · Reading Words: Sounds, Patterns and MeaningReading Sentences: Sentence Types, Punctuation and Pronouns
B3.1 B3.2 B3.3 B2.5About 40 minutes
Learning goals- I can tell telling, asking, command and exclamation sentences apart and read each one with the right voice.
- I can find the two ideas in a compound sentence joined by and, but, so or or.
- I can use commas, quotation marks and apostrophes to help me understand what I read.
- I can figure out who or what a pronoun like he, she, it or they is talking about.
Words to know
statement
A telling sentence. It ends with a period (.).
question
An asking sentence. It ends with a question mark (?).
command
A sentence that tells someone to do something. It ends with a period or an exclamation mark.
exclamation
A sentence that shows strong feeling. It ends with an exclamation mark (!).
compound sentence
Two complete sentences joined by a word like and, but, so or or.
quotation marks
The marks " " that go around the exact words someone says.
pronoun
A word that takes the place of a noun, like he, she, it, we or they.
Punctuation is a reading map
Punctuation marks are like road signs for readers. They tell you when to stop, when to pause, when to ask, and when to get excited.
When you follow the signs, your reading sounds smooth and natural, and you understand more.
| Kind of sentence | What it does | Ends with | Example | How it sounds |
|---|
| Statement (telling) | Tells a fact or idea | . | The snow is deep. | Calm voice, drops at the end |
| Question (asking) | Asks something | ? | Is the snow deep? | Voice often rises at the end |
| Command | Tells someone to do something | . or ! | Put on your boots. | Firm, clear voice |
| Exclamation | Shows strong feeling | ! | Wow, the snow is so deep! | Excited or strong voice |
Worked exampleLet's read each kind
Read these with the right voice:
- We are going to the sugar bush.
- Are we going to the sugar bush?
- Get in the car.
- Hooray, we're going to the sugar bush!
- Sentence 1 ends with a period and tells something: a statement. Read it calmly.
- Sentence 2 ends with a question mark and asks: a question. Let your voice rise at the end.
- Sentence 3 tells someone what to do: a command. Read it in a clear, firm voice.
- Sentence 4 shows strong feeling and ends with !: an exclamation. Read it with excitement!
Same topic, four kinds of sentences, four different voices.
Compound sentences: two ideas in one
A compound sentence joins two complete sentences with a joining word. There is usually a comma before the joining word.
- It was cold, so we wore our toques.
- I like hockey, and my sister likes ringette.
- Dad wanted to skate, but the rink was closed.
- Do you want hot chocolate, or do you want apple cider?
When you read one, find the two ideas and how they connect.
What the joining word tells you
- and: adds another idea
- but: something different or surprising
- so: what happened because of the first part
- or: a choice
Commas, quotation marks and apostrophes
Commas in a list tell you to take a tiny pause between items: We packed mittens, scarves, snacks and a thermos.
Quotation marks " " show the exact words someone says. When you read them, use the character's voice: "Let's build a fort!" said Kai.
An apostrophe + s ('s) can show that something belongs to someone: Mia's sled means the sled that belongs to Mia.
Capital letters in the middle of a sentence often mean a name, called a proper noun: We drove to Sudbury on Monday to see Grandma Lee.
Worked exampleLet's use punctuation to understand
Read: "Where is Ben's hat?" asked Ms. Roy.
Who is talking? What do they want to know? Whose hat is it?
- The quotation marks go around Where is Ben's hat? Those are the exact words said.
- asked Ms. Roy tells us who is talking: Ms. Roy.
- The ? shows she is asking a question, so read her words with a rising voice.
- Ben's has an apostrophe + s, so the hat belongs to Ben.
Ms. Roy is asking where Ben's hat is. The hat belongs to Ben.
Pronouns: who is it?
Writers don't want to say the same name over and over. So they use pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, them.
Lila got a puppy. She named it Maple.
To understand, ask: **Who is she? (Lila.) What is it?** (The puppy.)
Also watch for is/are and was/were. They tell you when: The geese are flying (now). The geese were flying (before).
Worked exampleLet's track the pronouns
Read: Omar and Jen built a snowman. They gave him a carrot nose. Then Omar's dog knocked him over!
- They: more than one person. Look back: Omar and Jen.
- him: one boy or man. Here the writer talks about the snowman as if it were a person, so him is the snowman.
- him again: what got knocked over? The snowman.
- Check by rereading with the names: Omar and Jen gave the snowman a carrot nose. Omar's dog knocked the snowman over. ✔
They = Omar and Jen. him = the snowman (both times).
Just for funWhy was the comma so calm?
It always remembered to take a little pause. ⏸️
Hands-on activityPunctuation voices
You need: paper, a marker, and a favourite picture book.
- Write one short sentence: The cat is on the roof.
- Add a different end mark each time and read it aloud: The cat is on the roof. / The cat is on the roof? / The cat is on the roof! How does your voice change?
- Open your book. Find one sentence of each kind: a statement, a question, a command and an exclamation. Read each one with the right voice.
- Find quotation marks in the book. Read the talking part in a character voice!
What to look for: rising voice for questions, excitement for exclamations, a tiny pause at commas.
Your turn
1What kind of sentence is this? Close the door.
A command. It tells someone to do something.
2What kind of sentence is this? Do you like snow?
A question. It asks something and ends with ?
3Read with the right voice: We won the game!
Read it with excitement. It is an exclamation (strong feeling, ends with !).
4Find the two ideas: It started to rain, so we went inside.
Idea 1: It started to rain. Idea 2: we went inside. so shows the second happened because of the first.
5Who is talking? "I found a feather!" shouted Ava.
Ava. Her exact words are inside the quotation marks.
6What does Sam's mitten mean?
The mitten that belongs to Sam.
7The kids ran outside. They made snow angels. Who are they?
More practice: warm-up
1What mark ends a question?
2What kind of sentence is this? The bus is yellow.
A statement (telling sentence).
3Read: We need eggs, milk, bread and apples. Where do you pause a little?
At each comma: after eggs, milk and bread.
4Which word is a pronoun: dog, she, run?
5Why does Toronto have a capital letter?
It is the name of a place (a proper noun).
More practice: on your own
1Find the joining word and tell what it shows: I wanted to go sledding, but my boots were wet.
but. It shows something different from what was wanted: the boots being wet got in the way.
2Read: "Can we make pancakes?" asked Leo. What did Leo say, and how should his words sound?
Leo said, "Can we make pancakes?" It is a question, so your voice rises a little at the end.
3Grandpa gave Tia a book. She read it before bed. Who is she and what is it?
She is Tia (the only girl or woman named), and it is the book.
4Is this happening now or in the past? The children were at the museum.
The past. were tells us it already happened. (are would mean now.)
5What is the difference? The dog's ball and The dogs ran.
dog's has an apostrophe: the ball belongs to the dog. dogs with just s means more than one dog.
Challenge
1Turn this statement into a question and an exclamation: The lake is frozen.
Question: Is the lake frozen? Exclamation: Wow, the lake is frozen! (Other good answers are fine if the question asks and the exclamation shows strong feeling.)
2Read: "Stop!" yelled the crossing guard, and the cars waited. Which part is a command? How do you know?
"Stop!" is a command. The crossing guard is telling the cars what to do, and it ends with !. The rest tells what happened.
3Read: Jay and Ana went to the library. He picked a book about bears, and she picked one about stars. Who picked the book about stars? How do you know?
Ana. she is a pronoun for one girl, and Ana is the only girl named. He means Jay.
Quiz
1. Which sentence is a question?
2. Which sentence is a command?
3. In It was windy, so we flew a kite, what does so show?
4. What do quotation marks show?
5. What does Kim's skates mean?
6. The birds flew south. They will come back in spring. Who are they?
Big idea: Language conventions help with reading too. Grade 2 students learn to recognize statements, questions, commands and exclamations and compound sentences (B3.1), track pronouns and forms of to be (B3.2), and use commas in lists, quotation marks, possessive apostrophes and capitals for proper nouns (B3.3) to read with understanding and expression (B2.5). Writing these sentences is practised in the writing unit.
How to help at home:
- When reading together, pause at a pronoun and ask "Who is he?"
- Let your child read the dialogue parts of a book in character voices.
- Point out punctuation: "Look, a question mark. How should that sound?"
Common difficulties:
- Reading straight through periods. Have your child tap the table at each period.
- Not knowing who is talking. Find the quotation marks and the words said or asked nearby.
- Losing track of pronouns in longer texts. Reread and replace the pronoun with the name.
- Confusing possessive 's with plural s. Ask, "Is it more than one, or does it belong to someone?"