Punctuation And Mechanics: Reading And Language Arts Terms Explained

Plain-language definitions of every punctuation and mechanics term your child meets in school, each with kid-friendly explanations, worked examples, and common mistakes to watch for.

Ellipsis

An ellipsis is a punctuation mark made of three dots (...) that shows words have been left out or that a thought or sentence trails off.

End punctuation

End punctuation is the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence, usually a period, question mark, or exclamation point, that shows the sentence is finished and tells how it should be read.

Exclamation point

An exclamation point is a punctuation mark (!) used at the end of a sentence or word to show strong feeling, surprise, excitement, or a command.

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