punctuation skills for year 3 and 4 exams

7/27/2019 Punctuation skills for year 3 and 4 exams

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You will not get good grades in any written tests andexams unless you punctuate your writing correctlyand skilfully. This is particularly important inEnglish Language and English Literature, where you

will not get high grades without good, accuratepunctuation. Make sure your marker is not distracted

from your good work by poor punctuation!

! ? ; : _ ( )

When we talk, we punctuate naturally - through pauses, through the toneof voice and through body language. When we write, we have to help our

reader by using a range of punctuation. The greater your knowledge of

punctuation, and the more different types of punctuation you can use, thebetter you will express yourself. Students who, for instance, use semi

colons and colons, will make their work stand out from that of studentswho just rely on full stops and commas.

Sentence patterns1. Simple sentence:Teachers are concerned about poor punctuation.

2. Compound Sentence with a coordinating conjunction. There are sevencoordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.

Teachers are concerned about poor punctuation and try to help students.3. Compound Sentence with a semicolon.Teachers are concerned about poor punctuation; they try to help students.4. Compound Sentence with an independent marker. Examples of

independent markers are: therefore, thus, consequently, regardless,also.

Teachers are concerned about poor punctuation; therefore, they try to help

students by giving examples. 5. Complex Sentence with a dependent marker. Examples of dependent

markers are: although, though, because, before, since, while, if, until,

when, after, unless, as.Teachers try to help students by giving examples of good punctuation,because they are concerned about poor punctuation. 6. An independent clause with an embedded non-essential clause or

phrase. A non-essential clause or phrase is one that can be removedwithout changing the meaning of the sentence or making it

ungrammatical. The non-essential clause or phrase gives additionalinformation, but the sentence can stand alone without it.

Teachers, both primary and secondary, try to help students by givingexamples of good punctuation, because they are concerned about poor

punctuation. 7. An independent clause with an embedded essential clause or phrase.

An essential clause or phrase cannot be removed without changing theoverall meaning of the sentence.

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Punctuation skills for KS3

and KS4 exam revision



Many teachers who are concerned about poor punctuation, try to helpstudents by giving examples of good punctuation.

Punctuate this extract from David Copperfield. The capital letters will helpyou!

I was born with a caul which was advertised for sale in the newspapers atthe low price of fifteen guineas Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time or were short of faith and preferred cork jackets Idon't know all I know is that there was but one solitary bidding and that

was from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business who offeredtwo pounds in cash and the balance in sherry but declined to be

guaranteed from drowning on any higher bargain Consequently theadvertisement was withdrawn at a dead loss—for as to sherry my poordear mother's own sherry was in the market then—and ten yearsafterwards the caul was put up in a raffle down in our part of the country

to fifty members at half-a-crown a head the winner to spend five shillings I

was present myself and I remember to have felt quite uncomfortable andconfused at a part of myself being disposed of in that way

Answer

I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale, in the newspapers,

at the low price of fifteen guineas. Whether sea-going people were short of money about that time, or were short of faith and preferred cork jackets, I

don't know; all I know is, that there was but one solitary bidding, and thatwas from an attorney connected with the bill-broking business, who offeredtwo pounds in cash, and the balance in sherry, but declined to beguaranteed from drowning on any higher bargain. Consequently the

advertisement was withdrawn at a dead loss—for as to sherry, my poordear mother's own sherry was in the market then—and ten years

afterwards, the caul was put up in a raffle down in our part of the country,to fifty members at half-a-crown a head, the winner to spend five shillings.I was present myself, and I remember to have felt quite uncomfortable andconfused, at a part of myself being disposed of in that way.





Think about these questions:

1. Why is good punctuation necessary?

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

2. List five places where you would use capital letters.

______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________3. Which of these words need capital letters?

a. the mediterraneanb. februaryc. autumnd. the importance of being earnest

e. children

f.

itvg. secondary schoolh. st john’s schooli. road j. elgin avenue

4. Put the correct punctuation in these sentencesa. whats the time susan asked

b. my favourite book is alice in wonderlandc. charles dickensd. we would like to go to spain for our easter holiday

1. Which of these words need capital letters?

a. The Mediterraneanb. Februaryc. autumnd. The Importance of Being Earnest

e. childrenf. ITVg. secondary school

h. St John’s Schooli. road j. Elgin Avenue

2. Put the correct punctuation in these sentencesa. “What’s the time?” Susan asked.b. My favourite book is Alice in Wonderland.c. Charles Dickens

d. We would like to go to Spain for our Easter holiday.

punctuation skills for year 3 and 4 exams

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