better writing & punctuation booklet 5

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Booklet 5

BByy JJaanneett MMaarrsshh

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IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN The material contained in this pack is meant to supplement and enhance learning at Key Stages 3 or 4. The exercises and worksheets will enable teachers of English to offer practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. In addition, there will be opportunities to access background information where appropriate to enhance understanding and appreciation of texts. Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided in this publication is accurate. It is the policy of Coleridge Press to obtain permission on any copyright material in their publications. The publishers will be glad to make suitable arrangements with any copyright holders whom it has not been possible to contact. Purchasers may photocopy the sheets in this pack provided that they do so only for use within their own institution.

ISBN 978-1-907175-34-3

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Design and Layout by: David Jones

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Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 5 Page 1 of 31 www.coleridgepress.com

Contents page 1

Pupil and teacher checklist page 2

1. Further comma use pages 3-12

2. Apostrophes

for omission pages 13-15

for possession pages 16-22

3. Colons pages 23-24

4. Semi – colons pages 24-25

5. Hyphens and dashes pages 26-27

6. Test on pages 28-31

commas

apostrophes

colons

semi – colons

hyphens and dashes


I know and can use the following:

Commas to separate words

Phrases

Clauses

Commas to aid understanding

Apostrophes for omission

Apostrophes for possession

Colons

Semi - colons

Hyphens and dashes

My score for: Test on Booklet 5

I think I have improved on the following _________________

________________________________________________________

I think I still need to work on the following _________________

___________________________________________________________________


, COMMAS, You’ve learnt SOME of the uses of the comma already but now you need to learn more about how to use the COMMA in other ways.

A. COMMAS TO SEPARATE WORDS AND PHRASES

Remember commas for lists?

Jack doesn’t eat spinach, pork, cheese, sprouts or ham.

Commas separate these items

B.COMMAS TO SEPARATE GROUPS OF WORDS

The youth wore jeans with wide turnups, a white polo

shirt with a logo, a base ball cap on back to front and

trainers.

C.COMMAS TO SEPARATE ADJECTIVES

Her latest boyfriend is tall, handsome, talented and

rich.

Hannah’s long, slim, tanned legs were her best

feature.

D.COMMAS TO SEPARATE VERBS

The fans shrieked, shouted, applauded and cheered for their

idol to appear.

E.COMMAS TO SEPARATE ADVERBS

She shouted the words loudly, proudly, confidently.


F. COMMAS TO SEPARATE DIALOGUE FROM THE REST OF THE

SENTENCE.

Auntie Joan’s favourite saying was, “Many hands make light

work.”

Cherie approached the station master and asked,

“What is the name of this station please?”

“Put that on the top shelf,” suggested Billy, “and it’ll

be safe.”

G.COMMAS USED TO SEPARATE THE NAME OF A

PERSON YOU ARE ADDRESSING

“Melanie, I can’t tell you how sorry I am to hear of your

accident,” said Simon.

“I feel that you will do very well in this job, William,” declared

Julia.

H. WHEN YES OR NO FORM PART OF AN ANSWER.

No, I can’t help you.

Yes, I agree with her.

BUT if yes or no are part of an answer, don’t use the comma.

No refund will be given.

I see no reason for cancelling the trip.

H.COMMAS USED WITH SOME EXCLAMATION AND

ASIDES

Oh, you really annoy me, Sarah!

He’ll win the race, naturally.

You’ll come to see us again, won’t you?

Generally speaking, it was a very successful party.


Now put in COMMAS where necessary in the following sentences. All other punctuation marks, except capitals HAVE BEEN PUT IN FOR YOU. 1. they bought crisps apples a mars bar a

bottle of coke and some stamps.

2. frankly i couldn’t care less if annie comes or not.

3. sian begged flattered and bribed her way into the party.

4. julius caesar came saw and conquered britain.

5. does your mother know you’re here sarah?

6. “i’ve no idea” she said”what you’re talking

about.”

7. julie however had other ideas.

8. he stormed into the room pushed onlookers aside

charged up to the counter thumped loudly for attention

and demanded to see the manager.

9. yes i’m absolutely sure i’ve made the right decision.

We’re not finished with commas yet! Commas are also necessary

I. To separate SUBORDINATE CLAUSES (REMEMBER THOSE?)

If you have the day off, we can go to the match.

After he had decided on a plan of action, he called his

father.


Note. If the subordinate clause is at the end of the sentence, you DON’T use a comma

We can go to the match if you have the day off.

He called his father after he had decided on a plan

of action.

Now put COMMAS where necessary into the following sentences. All the other punctuation except CAPITAL LETTERS has been given to you. 1. although he was nervous about starting his new job he

was thrilled to be earning some money again.

2. i can’t wait until my pen friend comes over from

germany.

3. andy played the clarinet and john played

keyboards.

4. if you run for the full ninety minutes you will be exhausted.

5. until he had reached the age of fifteen he had never left

his home town.

6. sarah climbed the steep slopes of the

mountain and stood on the ridge,

7. on the other hand you may have already

decided who will get your vote.


8. i will do the test again although I don’t think it will

improve my mark.

9. when the wind caused the windows to fly open and the

curtains to flap wildly mike and kate almost died of fright.

J. COMMAS IN PAIRS TO SEPARATE PHRASES THAT GIVE

US MORE INFORMATION i.e. ADJECTIVAL PHRASES

Mrs. Lewis, my next door neighbour, has won the lottery.

The tiger, a beautiful animal, is almost extinct.

You can see that the phrase in bold tell us more about the nouns MRS LEWIS and THE TIGER.

Look at the following sentences and put in COMMAS where necessary. Also put in capital letters

I. the dog a spaniel looked up at me with soft

brown eyes.

J. he threw a book “a short history of the

world”at his brother a quarrelsome boy constantly in

trouble.

K. sally a pretty girl of about sixteen was chosen to appear

in the school production of “west side story”.


L. italy a country famous for its delicious pizzas is one

of my favourite holiday destinations.

M. he took us to the boating lake a dingy stretch of

brown water near the gas works.

N. i ordered the cd a compilation of dance tracks

from top belgian dance acts.

O. he painted his room in a shade called blue grotto

a deep turquoise colour that reminded him of the sea in

cornwall.

P. they sat down for their meal the last

that they would eat before the long

journey across the desert where food

and water would be hard to come by.

Q. the new girl quiet and shy but very clever sat on her own

at the back of the class.

R. he ordered the special a mixed grill with a large

selection of vegetables


K. SOMETIMES IT’S AN ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE THAT NEEDS THE

PAIR OF COMMAS

The band, whose concert at the Stadium

had been a sellout, were greeted with

enthusiastic cheering from their fans.

The little town, which is huddled at the foot

of the mountains, provided an ideal hiding place for the

wanted man.

THE TEST TO SEE IF YOU NEED THE COMMAS IS MENTALLY TO REMOVE THE PART INSIDE THE COMMAS. YOU SHOULD THEN BE LEFT WITH A COMPLETE SENTENCE - BUT ONE WHICH IS LESS INTERESTING i.e.

The band were greeted with enthusiastic cheering by their

fans

The little town provided an idea hiding place for the wanted

man.

If the bit between the commas DEFINES part of the sentence, you should not use the pair of commas e.g.

The gun dogs that had been out since early

morning came back tired and muddy.

The gun dogs, when they came back tired

and muddy, made a mess of the living room

carpet. Now decide WHERE and IF you should put the commas in the following sentences. Put in ALL other necessary punctuation. 1. she of course was late

2. the story which was published in the magazine was

written by me

3. ryans party the first hed ever given was a huge success


4. i really enjoyed myself all things considered

5. the new film a thriller with an

unexpected twist at the end was a

huge box office success

6. the luxury liner which was

due to sail to the caribbean was suddenly

withdrawn from service

7. to be honest i was so bored i nearly fell asleep

8. henry a small boy with ginger hair and a lopsided grin

opened the door to us

9. why said ellen did you ever agree to it

10. i just couldn’t say no replied her sister apologetically they

were always so nice to me

So, now you know a lot more about COMMAS. There are rules about their use, but remember some usage of commas is A MATTER OF TASTE and not simply a question of right and wrong.

Most modern writers for example, use far fewer commas than, say Dickens or Jane Austen. Look at this example of an extract from Dickens’s “Nicholas Nicklebly”. Commas are use here far more frequently than you might find in the work of a modern writer like Robert Swindells or Louis Sachar.


It needed a quick eye to detect, from among the huddled

mass of sleepers, the form of any given individual. As they

lay closely packed together, covered, for warmth’s sake,

with their patched and ragged clothes, little could be

distinguished but the sharp outlines of pale faces, over which

sombre light shed the same dull, heavy colour, with here and

there a gaunt arm thrust forth, its thinness hidden by no

covering, but fully exposed to view, in all its shrunken

ugliness.

Most of us would feel that the commas here INTRUDE a little into the writing but others would say that the commas HELP US UNDERSTAND the sentence more easily and that brings us to the last use of the COMMA

K. COMMAS TO AID UNDERSTANDING Don’t think that punctuation is some kind of torture that English teachers put you through just to make life difficult. It

really does serve a purpose because it helps us understand

what we read more clearly.

For instance, a comma can make all the difference to the meaning of a sentence. Look at the following sentences. Put commas in the sentences to change their sense - or to suggest different meanings. 1. According to Lisa James is the successful candidate.

2. He knows I think she’s pretty.

3. The prisoner said the magistrate is guilty.


4. Stephen played on the

game becoming fast and

furious.

5. James waited for us to go shopping.

6. I drove to the beach with my brother and

my hamster in a cage.

7. He left us to watch “Eastenders.”

8. No children please.

9. David my son was on “Pop Idol.”

10. Ladies and gentlemen the Queen.


APOSTROPHES There are 2 uses of the apostrophe

APOSTROPHES FOR OMISSION These indicate when/where a letter or letters have been left out of a word e.g.

I didn’t instead of I did not

It’s raining instead of it is raining

Usually the apostrophe stands for1 letter left out, but sometimes it is more than 1 e.g.

I shan’t =I shall not

I can’t = I can not

Rewrite the following sentences putting in the APOSTROPHES where needed 1. He hasnt seen me in ages 2. Isn’t it an amazing game? 3. We werent al all surprised by the score 4. I simply couldnt believe hed done it 5. Itll be good to be home again. Sometimes there is confusion over the following words which contain apostrophes

This is usually because they are very similar to other words in English.

THEY’RE

IT’S

WHO’S


THEY’RE is a shortened form of THEY ARE e.g.

They’re going to miss the train if they’re not careful.

Don’t confuse this with THEIR which means belonging to

them or THERE meaning place where or part of THERE IS or

THEREARE

Their boots were filthy after their walk.

Put that parcel down there for me.

I don’t think there is any point in visiting her if there are no

trains running that day.

IT’S is a shortened form of IT IS- the apostrophe stands

for the missing “T”

It’s ages since I saw Granddad.

Don’t confuse it with ITS meaning belonging to it.

The dog wagged its tail when it saw its owner.

WHO’S is a shortened form of WHO IS e.g.

Who’s knocking on the door?

Don’t confuse this with WHOSE which means belonging to whom e.g.

This is the girl whose brother won the award.

Now decide where to put APOSTROPHES FOR OMISSION in the following sentences. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. i shouldn’t do that if I were you

2. the city was celebrating its three hundredth birthday and

there were flags hung all along its streets

3. my neighbour whos sometimes a real

nuisance kept me talking for hours


4. the blackbird lays its eggs on the ground

5. jenny whose friend was in hospital was very

upset

6. you werent to know that their house was empty when

they were on holiday

7. there was virtually no difference between the two

skateboards except their price

8. whos to know if we dont tell them?

9. if theyre coming to the show, I dont want to come as I

cant stand them

10. theres no need to catch the early train if theyre not

arriving until two o clock

11. you mustve noticed hed left the lesson before it was

over

12. haven’t I done enough to help you sobbed her mother

13. its quite clear to me you simply cant make up your mind

bethan exclaimed mrs briggs the french teacher

14. the little puppy was wagging its tail in greeting a very

pleasant sight to anna after her return from holiday


APOSTROPHES TO SHOW POSSESSION This is a more difficult rule to grasp, but basically the rule is a follows: if there is one owner write the word for the owner place an apostrophe after it add “s”

ONE OWNER=APOSTROPHE BEFORE THE “S”

Jill’s bag A bird’s feather

The judge’s wig My husband’s car

Sometimes we leave out the wordt hat is being owned eg

The grocer’s is on the corner (ie the grocer’s shop)

I am going to Kayleigh’s after school (i.e. Kayleigh’s house)

Sam was going on a week’s holiday (i.e. the

holiday of a week/lasting a week)

In a fortnight’s time I’ll be back from Paris (i.e. in the

time of a fortnight)

If there is more than one owner so the word ends with an “S”, an apostrophe must be placed AFTER the final “S”

Write the plural word, ending with an “S” Place the apostrophe at the end of the word, after the final “s”

MORE THAN ONE OWNER=APOSTROPHE AFTER THE “S”

My brothers’ (plural) socks

The pupils’ (plural) work

The gardens’ (plural) fences

Now decide if you need to add APOSTROPHES and where

they ought to go in the following sentences.


1. i had to take my sons football kit into school as he had

forgotten it

2. the girls hockey sticks were stored in the gym

3. his sons birthday was celebrated by the whole family

4. maria grabbed her dogs collar as he tried to run after

the ducks

5. my mothers birthday is on march the second

6. The kittens chased their tails until we all felt quite dizzy

7. The books cover was damaged which meant its value

was decreased

8. mrs sims collected in all her pupils coursework at the end

of the lesson

9. the schools in my area are tenford high and leabrook

comprehensive

10. jodies little brothers shoe had fallen off as mum was

pushing him in his pushchair

11. the recipes main ingredients were eggs, flour and

cheese


IRREGULAR PLURALS

Most words in English make their plurals by adding “s” but

some don’t e.g. man=men child=children.

If there is plural ownership not ending in an”s”,

Write the word for the owner

Place an apostrophe after ir Add ”s”

The children’s faces lit up in delight.

The shop sold men’s clothes.

Now add apostrophes where needed to the following

sentences. Add any other punctuation needed too. 1. the horses riders were exhausted when they reached the

town

2. davids bedroom was a total mess

3. the headmasters decision was very unpopular

4. Its difficult to keep up with womens fashions

5. Ill meet you at jonathans after school

6. mrs mathews ran the chemists on the corner of our street

7. the citys inhabitants rioted in the street when they heard

the news

8. its all in a days work for superman

9. before I left the job I had to give two weeks notice


10. the doctor ordered jake to take two weeks off after his

accident

NAMES ENDING WITH “S” When people’s names end with an “s” you have a choice.

EITHER

Write the word, put an apostrophe after it e.g.

James’ bedroom Keats’ poetry

OR

Write the word, put an apostrophe, then add “s” This rule only applies to NAMES. It doesn’t apply to common nouns ending in “s” or “ss” e.g.

You’ve torn the new atlas’s cover

The air hostess’s uniform was immaculate.

Put in the apostrophes (with “s” if needed) where necessary in the following sentences. 1. wilkinsons kick made englands fans erupt in delight

2. the eye witness account made up the jurys mind

3. jesus disciples followed him throughout his life

4. st pauls cathedral was rebuilt after the great fire of

London

5. julie borrowed marcus book to copy up the maths

homework


6. the duchess servants were lined up outside the palace

ready to greet their mistress carriage

7. dickens last novel was unfinished

8. the beckhams photographs were on the front pages of

all the newspapers

9. thomas rugby boots were covered in mud from

tuesdays game,

10. The romans new leader was julius caesar

11. the head mistress study was being

redecorated so the governors had to have their meeting

in the English departments rooms

12. in one weeks time I shall expect you all to have finished

your assignments stated mr Thomas in wednesdays lesson

13. its been a hard days night and Ive been working like a

dog

(lennon and mccartney 1963)


Lots of problems occur when APOSTROPHES are put in WHERE

THEY ARE NOT NEEDED

Watch out for these - they’re everywhere. They’re

wrong because:

No letters have been left out

No possession is indicated How many of the following use the APOSTROPHE correctly? Put a tick next to the ones that do and a cross by the incorrect ones 1. 2.

TOMATOES’ 40p per Kilo


PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE THE

CABBAGE LEAVE’S

3.

4. 5. 6.

7. 8. 9.

10.


: COLONS : The colon tells the reader that something is coming, such as a list or a quotation.

George examined the contents of his pocket: two coins,

a packet of chewing gum, a train ticket and a screwed

up tissue.

One of the best known Shakespeare quotations is:

“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

In addition, you will find in play script the colon separating the character from the words they say e.g.

Sally: Why can’t you ever get anywhere on time?

Joe: Because my alarm clock doesn’t work.

A colon can also be used to divide one half of a sentence from another when the second half: Explains Expands Summarises the first half

Tom had only one rule for success in life: never mix

business with pleasure.

Maria’s mind was made up: she would apply for the job

right away.

Examples of his unreliability are all around: last week he

missed a vital meeting with our main client.

You can test if you are using the colon correctly if you think

of it as standing for the word NAMELY.

Try this out with the following examples. In which of them is the colon used correctly? Put a tick by the correct ones.

1. I sat down to watch television: the phone rang.


2. When I start to bake a cake I need the

following: flour, margarine, sugar and a

baking tin.

3. There was only one explanation for it: the wiring must

have been faulty.

4. A storm had blown up overnight: trees had been

blown down and roof tiles lay scattered

everywhere.

5. Jane had three sisters: they all arrived at the door at the

same time.

; SEMI-COLONS; The semi - colon links equal statements e.g.

I am the semi- colon; I link equal statements

To use a semi colon correctly, each statement of either side of the semi- colon must be a sentence in its own right I is also used A semi- colon can be used to introduce contrasts e.g.

Elizabeth Bennett is her father’s favourite daughter: Jane, her

elder sister is the beauty of the family.

Even though you have been taught to use commas for lists, you need the semi –colon to introduce PHRASES in a list e.g.

Jill had numerous ideas for her holiday: sunbathing on a

popular beach on the Cost del Sol; white

water rafting in the Brecon Beacons: scuba

diving in the Caribbean; none of them

actually happened, however.


Now punctuate the following sentences putting in ONLY Full stops Colons Semi-colons where you think they should go. 1. Kyle wondered whether he should visit Jamie in

hospital.

2. Andy had a good job at the factory his father was

Managing Director.

3. Reading is an education in itself it helps you

develop a wide vocabulary.

4. I want to emphasise this we all support your proposal.

5. It was mid- October the sun was shining there was a

feel of rain in the air.

6. Alison didn’t feel well she came to school however.

7. Kelly never liked dogs she preferred to own a cat.

8. It was a hot windy day but I still worked in the garden.

9. Although I have never been to Mexico I have always

wanted to travel.


- HYPHENS/ DASHES The Hyphen is a short dash which links some compound words together (words that are made up of two parts) e.g.

semi-detached left –handed punch- drunk

It can also be used to add prefixes to words e.g.

Pre- nineteenth century anti- hunting

It can join different parts of surnames e.g.

Joan Hunter- Dunne Stratford – upon- Avon

It is sometimes used to make meaning more clear e.g.

twenty- odd people (not twenty odd people)

I am going to re-cover an old arm chair (not recover

an old armchair because it’s been lost!) Hyphen are used less frequently than they were and in many cases their use can be optional,

Dashes are longer than a hyphen and are used to show

an additional thought in a sentence e.g.

They were out without the children — the first time in

years.

Imagine it — forgetting your money when there were so

many bargains.


Using dashes when you’re writing speech can suggest excitement or confusion e.g.

Put it down here – no, not there on the floor,

on the table. Wait — there’s not enough

room—on the bench will do. Now what did I

do with that tape measure?

Put hyphens or dashes where you think they are needed n the following sentences. All other punctuation has been done for you. 1. I wanted to show you the room no lets do this first

2. Jill’s results and they were outstanding were the talk of

the school.

3. The ice cold wind hit him immediately as he

stood in the drive trying to deice his windscreen.

4. I asked you to get a pint of semi skimmed milk at least

you could have made the effort!


APOSTROPHES, COMMAS, SEMI - COLONS AND

HYPHENS

A. Put any APOSTROPHES needed (adding an “s” if

required) in the following sentences. All other punctuation has been put in.

1. He wouldn’t touch the plate of faggots and

mushy peas Id put in front of him.

2. I shant be able to keep a straight face when she asks me

if she looks nice.

3. Don’t you think you’ve done enough now?

4. It mustve been difficult getting time off for your

holiday in India.

5. Weren’t you surprised to hear from him?

6. Jack drove his fathers car into a ditch but luckily he

wasnt hurt.

7. The womens study group met on Thursdays at Sallys

mothers house.

8. The fire in the factory burned all the employees files.


9. This stretch of the river is the salmons favourite haunt.

10. I like Mr. Jones lessons cos hes such a laugh.

B. Put any COMMAS where you think necessary in the

following sentences. All other punctuation has been put in for you.

1. He pulled out tomatoes pasta cheese onions and garlic

from his carrier bag.

2. Going on holiday means booking your hotel checking

your passport buying the currency if your

destination is abroad and packing your case.

3. Jill how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?

4. I rang Mary after lunch but she was out unfortunately.

5. The committee agreed to his proposal thank goodness,

6. After she had her eyes tested the optician said

she would need new glasses.

7. Whenever he went to his aunt’s house which

was in Dorchester he came home very depressed

because she was very ill.

8. Unless you tell me exactly what Jodie said I’m not going

to be your friend any longer Kim.


9. He began his speech as he always did thanking

everybody for attending and complimenting the chef

who was his sister’s fiance incidentally on the meal they

had just eaten.

10. Naturally we didn’t speak to them another reason for

them to get very cross.

C. Put in any COMMAS, HYPHENS, COLONS or SEMI-COLONS

you think are necessary. All other punctuation has been done for you.

1. Men are from Mars women are form Venus.

2. Tim lived in a semi detached house in Manchester Cheryl

his sister shared a flat with student friend in Bournemouth.

3. In pre war Britain jobs were hard to come by many

people were unemployed.

4. I’ve left you my contribution to the jumble sale

some old clothes a stuffed giraffe seven

saucepans with odd lids and a broken toaster,

5. When Juliet says “Wherefore art thou Romeo” she is

not asking him where he is but why he has to be called

Romeo a name she hates.


D. Now use all you have learnt about ALL punctuation and

punctuate the following passage. rain fell on the dirty wet rubbish strewn streets of

oxchester causing gutters to stream and cars to

splash past pedestrians matt trudged along the ill lit

street hands thrust into his pockets and coat collar up what

he couldnt understand was this why had jason left him out of

the team for saturdays game hed played amazingly well last

week scoring two of the three goals wasnt that good

enough admittedly hed been slow to get going narrowly

avoiding scoring an own goal in the fifth minute of play but

some of the other boys hadnt been much good either he just

couldnt understand it once he got to his brothers house (he

hoped theyd both be in) he would ring jason and ask him

outright why didnt I get picked for saturday

better writing & punctuation booklet 5

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