Self-assessment on sentence-level punctuation
[2016 note: Unfortunately the individual links to answers no longer work, but the total answer file may be helpful.]
- Back to the main discussion of sentence-level punctuation
- Sentence markers: Full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
- Commas
- Colons and semi-colons
———————————————————————————
Sentence markers: full stops, question marks and exclamation marks
Select an appropriate punctuation mark at each of the places highlighted in the following KS3 passage (which is given with its original punctuation).
Farewell dear Romeo [. | ? | ! ] I hope to God we will meet again [. | ? | ! ] But what if this vial does not work [. | ? | ! ] What would I do then [. | ? | ! ] I will not be married tomorrow morning to Paris [. | ? | ! ] I’m married to my beloved Romeo [. | ? | ! ] I could kill myself before the morning if it does not work [. | ? | !]
Commas
In each of the following extracts from KS3 writing, a single comma is missing. Click on the place where it should be.
1. Plenty of room_ to play games: e.g._ football, tennis_ even baseball_ or rounders.
2. The younger children_ on the street_ call her_ ‘Old lady Mary.’ They shout_ at her_ and teeze her_ which upsets me.
3. When I see her_ in the street_ I try to make an effort_ to speak to her, or even a smile_ and I feel good about myself_ for the rest of the day.
4. He is horrified_ and disgusted_ at what he sees_ a sight_ that fills him_ with dread.
5. Little was said_ about what she did, and all most people cared_ for_ was the horse died, who actually won in the end_ and that she didn’t kill, but hurt_ the jockey.
Colons and semicolons
Click on the place in each of the following KS3 extracts where either a colon or semi-colon could have been used, and indicate which would have been appropriate:
1. The prize was £50,000 pound and to meat Ronaldo, you had to ring up to enter[: | ;] that is how I got away with my age.
2. The narrator uses words that give no personality to the martian[: | ;] he uses words like “it”, he describes “something” emerging from the craft, he describes grey glistening inhuman flesh.
3. We have a holiday for a famiely of four and there is a lot four the familes too do[: | ;] there is a big water complects near by[: | ;] there is a huge theme park just up the road which has some enormose roller coster for the famlie with a zoo near by.
