To use CSS, you must understand its basic structure.
Every CSS rule follows a simple pattern.
Basic CSS Rule Structure
A CSS rule has three main parts:
- Selector
- Property
- Value
In this example:
- p is the selector.
- color is the property.
- red is the value.
What Is a Selector
A selector tells CSS which HTML element to style.
Examples of selectors:
- h1 selects all main headings
- p selects all paragraphs
- body selects the whole page
What Is a Property
A property defines what you want to change.
Examples of properties:
- color
- font-size
- background-color
What Is a Value
A value sets how the property should look.
Examples of values:
- red
- 16px
- blue
One selector can have many properties.
Why CSS Syntax Matters
Correct syntax makes sure your styles work properly.
Even small mistakes can stop CSS from working.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Forgetting curly braces
- Missing semicolons
- Spelling property names wrong
Why This Matters for Jobs
Every frontend developer must write clean CSS.
Understanding syntax is the foundation of professional styling.
Practice Task
Write a CSS rule to:
- Change text color of headings
- Increase font size of paragraphs
What You Will Learn Next
In the next lesson, you will learn different ways to add CSS to a web page.