Punctuation (tanda baca) works in Malay just as it does in English. A sentence begins with a capital letter (huruf besar) and ends with a full stop (noktah), a question mark (tanda soal) or an exclamation mark (tanda seru). Commas (koma) separate the items in a list.
What your child will learn
- Begin a sentence with a capital letter
- End statements with a full stop and questions with a question mark
- Use commas in a list
- Use an exclamation mark for strong feeling
Stop, ask or shout
A statement ends with a full stop: “Saya suka membaca.” A question ends with a question mark: “Siapakah nama kamu?” A cry of surprise or pain ends with an exclamation mark: “Wah, cantiknya!”
In a list, put a comma after each item except the last two, which are joined by “dan”: epal, oren dan pisang.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Tanda baca yang manakah melengkapkan ayat? “Kucing itu sedang tidur_”
🐱- ,
- :
- .
- ?
Show answer
Answer: .. Ayat itu ayat penyata, jadi perlu noktah.
2. Ayat yang manakah ditulis dengan betul?
- siapakah nama kamu?
- Siapakah nama kamu
- Siapakah nama kamu?
- Siapakah nama kamu.
Show answer
Answer: Siapakah nama kamu?. Ayat tanya berakhir dengan tanda soal.
3. Betul atau salah? Tanda soal digunakan di hujung ayat tanya.
❓- Salah
- Betul
Show answer
Answer: Betul. Setiap soalan diakhiri dengan tanda soal.
Tips for grown-ups
- Read a page aloud together and let your voice stop, rise or exclaim at each mark.
- Write a shopping list as one sentence and add the commas together.