Telling vs Asking Sentences
Statements & Questions • CBSE / ICSESome sentences tell. Some sentences ask. Here is how to spot the difference every time.
📖 Let’s learn telling and asking sentences
Two jobs a sentence can do
Every sentence has a job
Some sentences tell you something — like “I have a dog.” These are telling sentences. Your teacher may also call them statements.
Other sentences ask you something — like “Do you have a dog?” These are asking sentences, or questions. They wait for an answer, and they end with a different mark.
💡 The rule
Telling sentence: gives information and ends with a full stop ( . )
Asking sentence: wants an answer and ends with a question mark ( ? )
🎯 Key concept
🗣️ Telling: Rahul has a cat.
❓ Asking: Does Rahul have a cat?
👀 Watch out — the full stop is not the whole story
A command also ends with a full stop, but it is not a telling sentence. “Sit down.” does not give you information — it tells you what to do. So always ask yourself: is this sentence giving information, or asking for it?
📋 Quick guide
Four things that give a sentence away
Gives information. Ends with a full stop.
Wants an answer. Ends with a question mark.
“You are tall.” → “Are you tall?” The word moves to the front.
What, Where, When, Why, Who, How — a sentence starting with these is asking.
🗣️ Examples to read
The same idea, told and then asked
Telling sentences
Asking sentences
How to change: tell → ask
Questions that start with a question word
📢 Read them out loud
Your voice does two different things
Voice goes UP
Questions you answer with yes or no
Voice goes DOWN
Telling sentences and questions starting with a question word
Try each one twice — once going up, once going down. One of them will sound right.
✏️ Quick check
Full stop or question mark?
1. “I love mangoes.” is a ___ sentence.
2. “Where is my book” needs a ___ at the end.
3. “Solapur is a city” needs a ___ at the end.
4. “Close the door.” is a ___ — it tells you what to do.
5. Change “They like dosa.” into a question: “___ they like dosa?”
🎯 Sort the sentences
Choose for each one, then check
Choose Telling or Asking for each sentence.
📝 Flip it yourself
Cover the right side and try before you look
Telling: It is sunny. → Asking: Is it sunny?
Telling: He likes mangoes. → Asking: Does he like mangoes?
Telling: They are coming. → Asking: Are they coming?
Telling: Meera can swim. → Asking: Can Meera swim?
Telling: We ate roti. → Asking: Did we eat roti?
Telling: The bus is late. → Asking: Why is the bus late?
🧠 Memory trick
One question to ask yourself every time
Does it want an answer?
If the sentence wants an answer back, it is asking — put a ? at the end. If it just gives you information, it is telling — put a . at the end.
Wants an answer → ? · Gives information → .🎮 Telling vs asking quiz
Eight questions — see how much you remember
Which one is a telling sentence?
Which one is an asking sentence?
Telling sentences end with…
Asking sentences end with…
Change this into a question: “She is sad.”
Change this into a question: “He runs fast.”
Your voice goes UP at the end when you ask…
“Sit down.” ends with a full stop. Is it a telling sentence?
🎉 Quiz complete
0/8🌟 Fun facts
Two things to remember
English has four kinds of sentences. You have learnt two of them today.
In Hindi, Marathi and many other Indian languages you can turn a sentence into a question just by changing your voice. English usually does that and changes the word order too — that is why “You are tall” becomes “Are you tall?”
🧠 Tips for parents
Three things to try this week
Flip the sentence
Say a telling sentence and ask your child to turn it into a question: “He is tall” → “Is he tall?” Then swap and let them give you one.
Spot it in a book
While reading together, point at a full stop or a question mark and ask: “Is this one telling us something, or asking us something?”
Two voices
Say “It is raining.” then “Is it raining?” — let your child hear the voice rise on the yes/no question. Then try “When is it raining?” — that one falls, like a telling sentence.