We use a capital letter at the beginning of every sentence. We also use capital letters for names of people and places.

Example:

• bonjour je m'appelle asha → Bonjour, je m'appelle Asha.

Notice how "Bonjour" and "Asha" both start with capital letters.

We use lowercase letters for all common words that are not names.

Example:

• Elle va à l'école. — "elle", "va", "à", "l'école" are all lowercase.
• Tu habites où ? — "tu", "habites", "où" are all lowercase.

A full stop (.) goes at the end of a statement — a sentence that tells us something.

Example:

• Ça va. (It is fine.)
• Je suis dans la classe. (I am in the classroom.)
• Elle est professeure. (She is a teacher.)

A question mark (?) goes at the end of a question — a sentence that asks something.

Example:

• Tu t'appelles comment ? (What is your name?)
• Où est mon pantalons ? (Where is my trousers?)
• Ça va ? (How are you?)

Here is a sentence that needs punctuation. Let's add all the correct marks:

Original: bonjour je m'appelle amina

Corrected: Bonjour, je m'appelle Amina.

• "Bonjour" is at the beginning → capital B
• "Amina" is a name → capital A
• The sentence tells us something → full stop at the end

Another example:

Original: tu t'appelles comment

Corrected: Tu t'appelles comment ?

• At the beginning of the sentence → capital T
• It is a question → question mark at the end

When you write a French sentence, ask yourself:

• Is the first word a capital letter?
• Are names (people, places) written with capital letters?
• Is it a statement? → Use a full stop (.)
• Is it a question? → Use a question mark (?)

When you write a short message in French to a friend in Tanzania — for example, "Bonjour, je m'appelle Rajabu" — you use capital letters for the greeting and the name, and a full stop at the end. If you ask "Comment ça va ?" you use a question mark. Knowing these marks helps you write clearly so others can understand your message, whether in class, on a school project, or when writing a short note to a friend.