RIC-20800_Teaching_Strategies_for_Writing_BkD_punctuation

Your partner in education 

BOOK D 

TEACHING 

STRATEGIES 

FOR WRITING 

Punctuation 

Australian Primary Publisher 

of the Year 2015 and 2016

Teaching strategies for writing (Book D) 

Published by R.I.C. Publications ® 2018 

Copyright © Diane Henderson and Bruce Tuffin 2018 

RIC–20800 

Titles in this series: 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book A) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book B) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book C) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book D) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book E) 

Teaching strategies for writing (Book F) 

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FOREWORD 

Teaching strategies for writing is series of six books using modelling, guided and independent practice to teach 

students strategies they can use to improve the clarity, correctness and richness of their writing. The focus is on 

sentences, their structure, punctuation and word choices and on developing editing and proofreading skills and their 

habitual use. 

Titles in this series: 

• Teaching strategies for writing (Book A) • Teaching strategies for writing (Book D) 

• Teaching strategies for writing (Book B) • Teaching strategies for writing (Book E) 

• Teaching strategies for writing (Book C) • Teaching strategies for writing (Book F) 

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Teacher notes ........................................................................................................................ iv–v 

Class recording sheets 

Assessment activities ..................................................................................................... vi–ix 

Assessment writing .......................................................................................................... x–xi 

Student writing checklist ........................................................................................................ xii 

Student writing task – self-evaluation .................................................................................. xiii 

WORD CHOICES 

Unit 1 Nouns, noun groups and adjectives ............................................................ 2–7 

Unit 2 Pronouns, confusing pronouns (me/I), which pronoun? ........................... 8–13 

Unit 3 Verbs, descriptive and overused verbs, adverbials ................................. 14–19 

Unit 4 Choosing correct verbs: tense, consistency, 

subject, regular, irregular ......................................................................... 20–25 

Assessment................................................................................................................... 26–29 

SENTENCE STRUCTURE 

Unit 5 Sentences, word order, statements, questions ....................................... 30–35 

Unit 6 Sentence beginnings ............................................................................... 36–41 

Unit 7 Conjunctions ............................................................................................ 42–47 

Unit 8 Paragraphs ............................................................................................... 48–53 

Assessment................................................................................................................... 54–57 

PUNCTUATION 

Unit 9 Using punctuation in sentences .............................................................. 58–63 

Unit 10 Full stops, capital letters, commas, direct speech ................................. 64–69 

Unit 11 Apostrophes in contractions ................................................................... 70–75 

Unit 12 Apostrophes for possession .................................................................... 76–81 

Assessment................................................................................................................... 82–85 

EDITING AND PROOFREADING 

Unit 13 

Unit 14 

Unit 15 

Unit 16 

Spelling (vowel sounds), sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ........................................................ 86–91 

Spelling (more vowel sounds), sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ......................................................... 92–97 

Spelling (suffixes) sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ....................................................... 98–103 

Spelling (homophones), sentence structure, 

punctuation, word choices, editing ..................................................... 104–109 

Assessment............................................................................................................... 110–113 

TEACHING STRATEGIES FOR WRITING (Book D) 

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iii

TEACHER NOTES 

ABOUT WRITING 

A good writer is not simply one who knows about and can 

use text types. A good writer is one with the capacity to 

produce interesting, informative, grammatically correct 

text, for a specific purpose, that achieves any writer’s 

intent – clear, precise communication. 

TEACHING WRITING 

Students can and should be taught strategies that will 

help them to write better. These include improvements 

in word choices, sentence structure, punctuation and 

editing and proofreading. Writing strategies taught 

should be modelled, discussed and then applied, firstly 

with teacher support and then independently. However, 

the emphasis should always be on the writing process, 

which requires forethought, planning and a rational, 

measured approach in order to produce the desired 

outcome. Editing and proofreading are essential 

components of any writing. It is important that students 

edit and proofread habitually, with a specific purpose, 

and concentrate on the careful consideration of each 

sentence, one at a time. Activities provided in this series 

encourage students to think about appropriate aspects 

of their writing before, during and after the process. 

LESSON PROCEDURE 

Introduction 

Discuss the text title with the students. Ask for their 

interpretations of what the title could mean. 

Discuss the text type. Why does it fit into this category? 

What are the specific features of this type of text? 

Guide the discussion to introduce the teaching points/ 

strategies to be covered during the course of the unit. 

For example, check they understand terms such as noun 

group, adverbial, sentence, paragraph and comma. 

Development 

Read and discuss the text, either in groups or as a 

class. Assist students with any unfamiliar vocabulary or 

expressions. 

Differentiation 

Work through the introductory activities with the class 

as a whole, ensuring students understand what is 

required of them. 

Work with those requiring additional assistance while 

the remainder of the class work independently on the 

activities. 

ASSESSMENT 

An assessment is included for each unit in the book. 

Because of the way it is structured, this assessment 

will allow you to see individual student’s understandings 

as well as any common points of weakness which may 

require further assistance. 

FORMAT 

Teaching strategies for writing is organised into four 

sections: 

Word choices 

Punctuation 

Sentence structure 

Editing and proofreading 

Each section has four units of work and one assessment 

unit. 

Teaching units 

Each six-page unit of work has a specific focus, two 

teacher pages and four activity pages. 

Assessment units 

• Following each section is a four-page unit of 

assessment activities–one page for each unit. 

• Answers are provided in the teacher pages for that 

unit. 

• Teacher record sheets – see pages vi–ix. 

Assessment writing tasks 

• A suggested paragraph writing topic for each unit is 

provided on the teacher pages. 

• Teacher recording sheet – see page x–xi. 

• Student writing checklist – see page xii. 

• Student self-evaluation – see page xiii. 

Review 

In pairs or small groups, students review their answers, 

giving their reasoning where required and critiquing the 

longer sentence or paragraph responses. 

iv 


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TEACHER NOTES 

Sample open pages 

Teacher page 1 Teacher page 2 

Activity page 1 Activity page 2 

Activity page 3 Activity page 4 



v

ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES 

CLASS RECORD 

Date: 

Name Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 11 Unit 12 

viii 



ASSESSMENT WRITING 

CLASS RECORD 

Unit: Focus: Date: 

Paragraph topic: 

Name 

Comment 

x 



STUDENT WRITING CHECKLIST 

Name: 

Date: 

Assessment writing topic: 

Paragraph 

I have read the paragraph and it makes sense. .......................................................... 

I have read it to check for spelling errors. .................................................................. 

I have made corrections. ............................................................................................ 

Punctuation 

I have checked the sentences one at a time for: 

• capital letters to start sentences and proper nouns. ........................................... 

• full stops, question marks, exclamation marks. ................................................. 

• commas. ................................................................................................................ 

• apostrophes for contractions and ownership. ...................................................... 

• speech marks. ....................................................................................................... 

I have made corrections. ............................................................................................ 

Sentences 

I have checked the sentences one at a time for: 

• sense – Does each sentence make sense by itself? ............................................ 

• length – Are any sentences too long? ................................................................... 

Should they be separated? ..................................................................... 

Should some be joined? .......................................................................... 

• beginnings – Have I used interesting beginnings? ............................................... 

Word choices 

I have made changes. ...................................................................... 

verbs – Are they informative and different? ............................................................... 

Have I used the correct verb tense? ............................................................... 

Are there too many boring verbs? .................................................................. 

adverbials – Do some verbs need adverbials to tell how, 

when or where something happened? ................................................... 

noun groups – Are the noun groups descriptive? ...................................................... 

Can I add some descriptive adjectives to tell 

more about nouns and pronouns? ...................................................... 

pronouns – Have I used the correct pronouns? ......................................................... 

I have made changes and corrections. .................................................... 

xii 



STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION 

Name: Unit: Date: 

I wrote a paragraph about: 

My goal was to focus on: 

How well did I achieve my goal? 

Three things I did well in my writing were: 

• 

• 

• 

Next time I write a paragraph I will try to: 

STUDENT SELF-EVALUATION 

Name: Unit: Date: 

I wrote a paragraph about: 

My goal was to focus on: 

How well did I achieve my goal? 

Three things I did well in my writing were: 

• 

• 

• 

Next time I write a paragraph I will try to: 



xiii

TEACHER INFORMATION 

USING PUNCTUATION IN 

SENTENCES 

UNIT 9 

Focus 

Punctuation – using punctuation in sentences 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise specified punctuation from modelled 

examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose appropriate punctuation for sentences, with 

teacher support. 

Use 

Students will correctly punctuate supplied and self-written 

sentences. 

Definition of terms 

A sentence is a set of words that makes sense by itself. It may be 

a statement, a question, an exclamation or a command. 

Capital letters are used at the beginning of a new sentence and 

for proper nouns. 

Proper nouns are nouns used for naming a particular person, 

place or thing. 

A full stop is used at the end of a sentence. 

A question mark is used at the end of a question. 

An exclamation mark is used at the end of an exclamation. 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by using correct punctuation. 

Teacher information 

Punctuation enables a writer to more fully and accurately 

communicate with the reader by making the writing more 

understandable. 

LESSON NOTES AND PLANS 

Introduction 

• Read a teacher-selected short passage to the class, ignoring the 

punctuation and exaggerating the effects. 

• Ask students if they had difficulty understanding the passage. 

• Elicit from students the reason(s) why it was hard to understand. 

• Question how punctuation makes text easier to understand. List 

student responses and discuss. 

Punctuation: do we need it? – Page 60 

• Read the text piece with the class. 

• Set students to work in pairs to complete Question 1. 

• In small groups, discuss their answers. How similar were they? Why? 

• Work with those requiring additional assistance while the remainder 

of the class work independently on the activities. 

Capital letters – Page 61 

• Read and discuss the text. 

• Ask ‘What is missing?’ and list answers. 

• Question students to obtain a clear definition of what full stops and 

proper nouns are. 

• Emphasise that a capital is needed for proper nouns; for example, 

South Lake, Wellstead River, Washington, DC. 

• Explain that mum and dad only need a capital letter when used 

instead of their names; for example, My mum and dad love boating – 

I asked Dad if we could stay longer on the river. 



• Encourage students, in small groups or as a class, to discuss their 

responses to Question 4 (b) and (c). 

Short sentences – Page 62 

• Read the text at the top of the page. 

• Ensure students are familiar with the features of a sentence, a 

command, an exclamation and a question, including their specific 

punctuation. 

• Provide opportunities for students to discuss in pairs their answers 

to Question 3. 

Is it correct? – Page 63 

• Revise with students the punctuation required for beginning and 

ending a sentence, proper nouns, questions, exclamations and 

commands. 



58 





SENTENCES 

UNIT 9 

ANSWERS 

Punctuation: do we need it? – Page 60 

1. (b) It has no punctuation. 

(c) harder 

(d) Answers will vary. 

(e) no 

2. (a)–(b) Teacher check 

(c) apostrophe in Peter’s 

(d) 4; 2 x sentence beginnings and 2 x proper nouns 

3.–4. Teacher check 


1. (a) Teacher check 

(b) 6 

(c) 4 

(d) Johnson, Spain 


4. (a) Proper nouns must have capitals. 

(b)–(c) Teacher check 

ASSESSMENT ANSWERS 

Assessment activity – Page 82 

1. (a) Teacher check 

(b) 8 

(c) Dad, Sunday, Avon River, He, Herdsman Lake, Mum 

(d) starting sentences and proper nouns 


6. (a) May we go boating? 

(b) Let’s go now, Dad. 

(c) How far to East Lake? 

7. (a), (c), (e) and (f) should be ticked 

Class recording sheet – Page viii 


• Paragraph topic – Boats 

• Focus: Punctuation – using punctuation in sentences 

Self-evaluation – Page xiii 

Short sentences– Page 62 

1. (b) a capital letter 

(c) no 

(d) question mark, full stop, exclamation mark 

2. (a) Get me out of here! 

(b) Teacher check 

(c) Teacher check 

(d) Teacher check 


Is it correct? – Page 63 

1. (a) The zoo is in Brown Street. 

(b) I want to see the lions. 

(c) Six ducklings arrived on Thursday. 

(d) The penguins are my favourites. 

(e) May I feed the monkeys? 

(f) Don’t tease them, John! (Accept full stop also.) 

(g) Watch out! 

2. Teacher check. Full punctuation: 

For the rest of that day, the Johnston family had fun. Although it 

was hot, they spent more time in the cool water of the York River 

than in the boat. ‘No, not yet, not yet!’ the children complained 

when Dad said that it was time to leave. 

3. (a) true 

(b) false 

(c) true 

(d) false 

4. (a), (b), (d), (e), (g) and (h) should be ticked 



59

UNIT 9 

PUNCTUATION: DO WE NEED IT? 

Boat trip 

it was a really hot day so hot that the air burnt peters skin 

and it seemed hard to breathe any movement he made 

was an effort and everyone was bad-tempered the johnson 

family decided to take their boat out on the river to escape 

the intense heat 

1. (a) Read ‘Boat trip’ aloud to a partner. 

(b) Why is this text different? 

(c) Did this make it easier or harder to read? 

(d) Why? 

(e) Was it easy to understand? 

2. (a) Add the missing full stops and capital letters using a red coloured pencil or pen. 

(b) Add one comma in the first sentence. 

(c) What other punctuation mark did you add in the first sentence? 

(d) How many capital letters did you add altogether? 

What did you need them for? 

3. (a) Read the text to a partner again. 

(b) Did you find it easier to read this time? 

(c) Explain your answer. 

(d) Do you think your partner found it easier to understand this time? 

4. Write two sentences about punctuation. What is your opinion? Is it a nuisance and 

a waste of time or is it useful? 

60 



UNIT 9 

CAPITAL LETTERS 

Capital letters are used at the beginning of a new sentence and for proper nouns. 

Proper nouns are nouns used for naming a particular person, place or thing. 

For example: Doctor Robert Smith London Bridge New Year’s Eve 

The boat ramp 

when the johnson family arrived at the boat ramp it seemed 

that everyone in spain who owned a boat must have had the 

same idea there were people boats and trailers everywhere 

the people all looked hot and bothered they just wanted to 

get their boats in the water and be off 

1. (a) Use a red pencil or pen to put capital letters in the text. 

(b) How many capital letters did you need to add? 

(c) How many sentences are in the text? 

(d) Write the proper nouns from the text. 

2. (a) Write two sentences about a place someone you know likes to visit. Use capital 

letters to name the place and the person who enjoys going there. 

(b) How many proper nouns did you use in your sentences? 

3. Write a proper noun that tells you: 

a day of the week a month a city 

a river a continent a title Smith 

4. (a) What is our rule about proper nouns and capitals? 

(b) Do you think our rules about capitals for proper nouns 

should be changed? 

(c) What would you like to see happen to them? 



61

UNIT 9 

SHORT SENTENCES 

Go to sleep! Where is it? That’s amazing! Look at me! 

Don’t do it! Let’s go! Stir well. Add milk slowly. 

Hop in. Be quick! What is it? 

Close that door! Get me out of here! 

1. (a) Read the short sentences. They are all sentences because they make sense. 

(b) What do they all start with? 

(c) Do they all use the same punctuation mark at the end? 

(d) What are the three punctuations used at the end of these sentences? 

2. (a) Write the longest sentence. 

(b) Write one of the exclamations. 

(c) Write one of the commands. 

(d) Write one of the questions. 

3. (a) Write a question with fewer than five words. 

(b) Write an exclamation with three words. 

(c) Write a command with four words. 

4. Which punctuation marks did you use in Question 3 and why did you use them? 

Punctuation 

Reason 

62 



UNIT 9 

IS IT CORRECT? 

1. Find the punctuation error(s) in each sentence. Write the sentence correctly. 

(a) The zoo is in brown street. 

(b) I want to see the lions? 

(c) six ducklings arrived on thursday 

(d) The penguins are my favourites 

(e) May I feed the monkeys! 

(f) Don’t tease them, john? 

(g) Watch out. 

2. Read the paragraph. Find and circle the punctuation errors. Write the paragraph 

correctly. 

for the rest of that Day, the johnston Family had fun? although it was hot they 

spent more time in the cool water of the york river than in the boat no not yet, 

not yet the children complained when Dad said that it was time to leave. 

3. Write ‘true’ or ‘false’ after each statement. 

(a) Capital letters are needed for the days of the week. 

(b) The words ‘summer’ and ‘winter’ need capitals. 

(c) The title ‘doctor’ needs a capital letter. 

(d) The word ‘doctor’ always needs a capital letter. 

4. Put a tick in the box if the punctuation is correct. 

(a) the mountain range (b) Mount Erebus (c) The Ural mountains 

(d) our local street cafe (e) Henry’s Cafe (f) Cafe royal 

(g) Mount Margaret (h) our school library (i) School crossing 

School 



63


FULL STOPS, CAPITAL LETTERS, 

COMMAS, DIRECT SPEECH 

UNIT 10 

Focus 

Punctuation – full stops, capitals, commas, direct speech 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise specified punctuation from modelled 

examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose appropriate punctuation for sentences, with 

teacher support. 

Use 

Students will correctly punctuate supplied and self-written 

sentences. 


A sentence is a set of words that makes sense by itself. It may be 

a statement, a question, an exclamation or a command. 

Quotation marks are used to set off the actual words said or 

thought. 

A clause is a group of words that contains a verb and a subject; 

e.g. He (subject) walks (verb). 

A main clause is one which stands as a simple sentence in its own 

right; e.g. If it rains, you will get soaking wet. 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by using correct punctuation. 



communicate with the reader. 

Note: There is more than one method of punctuating direct speech. 

(Two different methods are given in the Answers.) Whichever 

method is chosen, it must be consistently used. 

A comma is used before the coordinating conjunction (the Oxford 

comma or serial comma) in some publications. It is not incorrect 

to use it this way, but it is more common to not include the comma; 

e.g. I bought potatoes, tomatoes, beans and sprouts, rather than 

I bought potatoes, tomatoes, beans, and sprouts. However, it is 

acceptable in cases where there may be ambiguity or a need for 

clarification; e.g. I dedicate this book to Mum and Dad, Kate Mara 

and Iron Man. Since it is unlikely the writer really means ‘Mum and 

Dad’ are Kate Mara and Iron Man, it can be rewritten as I dedicate 

this book to Mum and Dad, Kate Mara, and Iron Man. 


Introduction 

• Discuss the text title. 

• Elicit from students the pets they have and list these on the board. 

Make a class tally. 

• Read the text with or to the class. 

• Ask students to identify the text type and discuss the features of 

narrative text. 

• Discuss the punctuation used. 

• Discuss how difficult it would be to read without punctuation. 

• Note that there is more than one method of punctuating direct 

speech. (Two different methods are given in the Answers.) Whatever 

method is chosen, it must be consistently used. 

• Explain to students that they will see a comma used before the 

coordinating conjunction (the Oxford comma or serial comma) in 

some publications. It is not incorrect to use it this way, but it is more 

common to not include the comma. 

Full stops – Page 66 

• Read and discuss the definition of full stops. 




• Read and discuss the information about the use of capital letters. 

• Revise the definition of a sentence with students. 

• Read with the class the statement about proper nouns. Ask for 

further examples and list them on the board. 

• Emphasise that a capital is needed for names; hence ‘my uncle’ but 

‘Uncle Harry. 

• Explain that mum and dad only need a capital letter when used 

instead of their names; for example, My mum and dad love animals – 

I asked Mum and Dad if I could have a pet. 

• Encourage students to write and share Mum and Dad’s response to 

Caleb’s request in Question 2(f). 

Commas – Page 68 

• Read the information given about commas. 

• Provide opportunities for students to read aloud and discuss in pairs 

the sentences in Question 2. Reading aloud will provide the natural 

pauses indicating the need for a comma. 

Direct speech – Page 69 

• Discuss the information given about direct speech. 

• Emphasise that it is the actual words used. Elicit further examples. 

• Examine and discuss with the class the placement of punctuation in 

the example given. Ask why the punctuation is placed where it is. 

64 






UNIT 10 

ANSWERS 

Full stops – Page 66 

1. (a) and (c) need full stops 

2. (a) Jaime brought her cat to school. Whiskers is the cat’s name. 

(b) It was Show Your Pet Day at school. Caleb brought a mouse. 

(c) I did have a pet to show. I don’t have one anymore. 


1. (a) No 

(b) Yes 

(c) Yes 

2. (a) Jaime’s pet cat, Whiskers, was a Siamese cat. 

(b) Caleb bought his mouse, Mr Bobbles, from a pet shop. 

(c) Jaime’s cousin, Luke, who lives in North America, also has a 

pet cat. 

(d) The best pet shop Jaime had ever seen was in Los Angeles, 

California. 

(e) Caleb told Jaime he was going to report her to the RSPCA. 

(f) Caleb said he would ask Mum and Dad if he could buy a new 

mouse. 

Commas – Page 68 

1. (a) Mary has a cat, goldfish, bird and rabbit for pets. 

(b) Jacob feeds his rabbit grass, hay, broccoli and celery. 

(c) Class pets included cats, dogs, birds, fish and even a frog. 



1. (a) full stop 

(b) blank 

2. It’s not fair. Mum and Dad said they wouldn’t buy me a mouse. 

3. The nearest pet shop, called Animal World, is at 47 High Road. 

4. (a) The pet shop shopping list included biscuits, treats, a new 

lead and a tin of cat food. 

(b) My dog, which is named Bozo, is very playful. 

5. (a) No 

(b) Yes 

(c) No 

6 (a) ‘Quick! Catch my mouse!’ Caleb shouted. 

(b) ‘Too late!’ Jamie cried. ‘He’s already under the wall.’ 



• Paragraph topic – Show your pet 

• Focus: Punctuation – full stops, capitals, commas, direct speech 


2. (a) If you are going to take your dog for a walk, you will need a 

raincoat. 

(b) Tommy, who was holding an empty dog lead, was crying. 

(c) Waiting patiently by the door, Sienna’s puppy wagged his tail 

furiously. 

(d) When you go to the pet shop, we need more cat food. 

Direct speech – Page 69 

1. (a) ✘ 

(b) ✓ 

(c) ✓ 

(d) ✘ 

2. (a) ‘I did tell you to bring a pet’, said the teacher. /‘I did tell you 

to bring a pet,’ said the teacher. 

(b) ‘I must remember to brush Whiskers tonight’, Jaime 

thought./‘I must remember to brush Whiskers tonight,’ Jaime 

thought. 

(c) Caleb asked, ‘Dad, could I have some extra pocket money, 

please?’ 

(d) ‘Sorry, son,’ Dad replied, ‘but the answer is not until next 

week’./‘Sorry, son,’ Dad replied, ‘but the answer is not until 

next week.’ 

3. Teacher check. Answers will vary. 



65

UNIT 10 

FULL STOPS 

Show your pet 

It was Show Your Pet Day at school. For homework, the students had to bring 

in a pet. Jaime brought in her pet, a cat, and Caleb brought in his pet, a mouse. 

The teacher asked Jaime to show her pet. 

‘This is my pet cat. Her name is Whiskers. She is very spoilt and likes to sleep 

on my bed at night.’ 

‘That’s lovely, Jaime. Now, Caleb, would you like to tell everyone about your 

pet?’ 

Caleb said he didn’t have anything to show. 

‘Why not?’ asked his teacher. ‘You’re supposed to have 

brought in a pet for homework.’ 

‘I know that. I did, but then Jaime’s homework chased my 

homework under the school!’ 

A full stop (.) is used to show the end of a sentence. 

1. Put a full stop in the box after a complete sentence. Leave it blank if it is not. 

(a) For Show Your Pet Day at school, Jaime brought in her cat, Whiskers 

(b) The teacher asked Caleb 

(c) The teacher was not very happy 

(d) Likes to sleep on my bed at night 

2. Rewrite the sentences. Put full stops where needed. 

(a) Jaime brought her cat to school Whiskers is the cat’s name 

(b) It was Show Your Pet Day at school Caleb brought a mouse 

(c) I did have a pet to show I don’t have one anymore 

66 



UNIT 10 

CAPITAL LETTERS 

A capital letter is used to start a sentence. 

1. Does the statement need to start with a capital letter? 

(a) eating my lunch Yes No 

(b) are you eating your lunch? Yes No 

(c) we have all eaten our lunch Yes No 

Proper nouns are names for particular people, places or things. They need a capital 

letter. 

For example: Malcolm, North Atlantic Ocean, High Street. 

2. Rewrite the sentence using a capital letter for proper nouns. 

(a) jaime’s pet cat, whiskers, was a siamese cat. 

(b) caleb bought his mouse, mr bobbles, from a pet shop. 

(c) jaime’s cousin, luke, who lives in north america, also has a pet cat. 

(d) The best pet shop jaime had ever seen was in los angeles, in california. 

(e) caleb told jaime he was going to report her to the rspca. 

(f) caleb said he would ask mum and dad if he could buy a new mouse. 



67

UNIT 10 

COMMAS 

A comma is used to separate items in a list. 

For example: ‘He ate ham, cheese, bread and fruit for lunch’. 

There is no comma needed before the conjunction (‘and’) in a list. 

1. Rewrite the sentence, putting in commas where needed. 

(a) Mary has a cat goldfish bird and rabbit for pets. 

(b) Jacob feeds his rabbit grass hay broccoli and celery. 

(c) Class pets included cats dogs birds fish and even a frog. 

A comma is used to show a pause in a sentence to make it easier to understand. 

For example: ‘Before I go to bed tonight, I’m going to have a hot chocolate’. 

2. Add commas to the sentences. 

(a) If you are going to take your dog for a walk you will need a raincoat. 

(b) Tommy who was holding an empty dog lead was crying. 

(c) Waiting patiently by the door Sienna’s puppy wagged his tail furiously. 

(d) When you go to the pet shop we need some more cat food. 

68 



DIRECT SPEECH 

UNIT 10 

Direct speech is the actual words or thoughts used by people. Direct speech must 

be enclosed with quotation marks. 

For example: ‘What is the matter?’ asked Maureen. ‘You’re very grumpy.’ 

1. Read the sentence. If it contains direct speech and needs quotation marks, put a 

tick in the box. If it doesn’t need quotation marks, put a cross in the box. 

(a) Caleb said he was too tired to go to the pet shop. 

(b) Why are you looking so unhappy? Mum asked Caleb. 

(c) Your cat chased Mr Bobbles away! Caleb shouted. 

(d) Mum didn’t think Caleb should yell at his sister. 

2. Add quotation marks where needed. 

(a) I did tell you to bring a pet, said the teacher. 

(b) I must remember to brush Whiskers tonight, Jaime thought. 

(c) Caleb asked, Dad, could I have some extra pocket money, please? 

(d) Sorry, son, Dad replied, but the answer is not until next week. 

3. Using direct speech, write what Caleb says to Dad to try to persuade him. 



69


APOSTROPHES IN CONTRACTIONS 

UNIT 11 

Focus 

Punctuation – apostrophes in contractions 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise apostrophes in contractions in modelled 

examples. 

Choose 

Students will write contractions correctly, with teacher support. 

Use 

Students will write contractions correctly in supplied and selfwritten 

sentences. 


Contractions are new words made by joining two words and 

leaving out some letters. 

Apostrophes are punctuation marks used to show where 

letters are missing in contractions. They are also used to show 

possession. 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by using apostrophes correctly. 




Contractions in most cases only present difficulty for writers, the 

exception being could’ve, would’ve and should’ve which are often 

pronounced as though followed by ‘of’ instead of ‘have’. 


Introduction 

• Discuss apostrophes–what they are, where they are placed and why 

they are used; i.e. in contractions and to indicate possession. 

• Explain that the focus in this section will be on apostrophes in 

contractions and give some examples. 

• Explain that contractions are quicker and easier to say, and discuss 

and model a variety of examples. 

Apostrophes in contractions – Page 72 

• Read and discuss the definitions at the top of the page. 

• Read the phrases and ask the class to expand each contraction. 

• Work through the activities with the class, ensuring they understand 

what is required of them. 

• After they have completed Question 3, ask the students to explain 

their answers. 

Using contractions – Page 73 

• Explain that answers to Question 1 will not all be the same, but that 

they must fit in the sentence. 

• Explain that some words used in contractions are shortened in the 

same way; for example, It is (it’s) a pleasure – It has (it’s) been a 

pleasure. 

• Provide opportunities for students to share their sentences from 

Question 4. 

• Before completing Question 5, remind the class that apostrophes 

can also be used to show that something is owned by someone or 

something. 

It’s or its? – Page 74 

• Read and revise with the class the information given at the top of the 

page. 

• Emphasise that it’s easy to work out which to use by asking the 

simple question, ‘Can I say “it is” here?’ If the answer is ‘yes’, an 

apostrophe is needed. Note: It has is also contracted to it’s. 

• Discuss students’ answers to Question 1. 

• Students can share the sentences they wrote in Questions 4 and 5. 

Could have, would have and should have – Page 75 

• Discuss the illustration at the top of the page and explain that would, 

could and should must be followed by the verb have and must never 

be followed by the shark (of). 

• Share the sentences written in Question 1. The three words are all 

to be followed by ‘ve’, but what word have they written next? Is it a 

verb? 

• Students should share their sentences for Question 2. 

70 





UNIT 11 

ANSWERS 

Apostrophes in contractions – Page 72 

Contraction Two words Missing letters 

I’ve I have h, a 

can’t can not n, o 

he’s he is i 

I’m I am a 

it’s it is i 

he’ll he will w, i 

I’ll I will w, i 

1. (a)–(c) See chart 

2. (a) We didn’t have sport today. 

(b) She’s my best friend. 

(c) You’re late for school. 

3. (a) informal 

(b) imaginative 

(c) speaking 

Using contractions – Page 73 

1. (a) I’ve 

(b) they’ll/you’ll/we’ll 

(c) she’d/he’d/we’d/they’d/I’d 

(d) I’ll/He’ll/They’ll/She’ll/We’ll/You’ll 

(e) you’ve 

2. (a) is 

(b) has 

(c) is 

(d) has 

(e) is 


5. (a) Jim’s busy 

(b) the bird’s flying 

(c) Bob’s running 

(d) Sarah’s sleeping 

Could have, would have and should have – Page 75 




1. (a) can not 

(b) That is 

2. (a) We’ve been away. 

(b) He’s very tall. 

3. You’ve 

4. has 

5. (a) It’s, its 

(b) it’s, its 

6. Teacher check 

7. (a) Teacher check: ‘would’ and could’ must be followed by a 

verb; ‘of’ is not a verb 

(b) ‘I would have gone with you. You should have asked me.’ 

8. Teacher check 



• Paragraph topic – Something I should have done 

• Focus: Punctuation – apostrophes in contractions 


It’s or its? – Page 74 

1. (a) no, yes, no 

(b) Teacher check 

2. (a) it’s – its 

(b) It’s – its 

(c) it’s – its 

(d) It’s – its 

3. (a) it’s 

(b) It’s 

(c) It’s – its 

(d) It’s – it’s 

4.–5. Teacher check. Answers will vary. 



71

APOSTROPHIES IN CONTRACTIONS 

UNIT 11 

Contractions are new words made by joining two words and leaving out some 

letters. 

An apostrophe is used in a contraction to show that some letters are missing. 

For example: I have – I’ve. 

That’s all! 

It’s all over 

He’s mine 

I’m back! 

We’ve moved 

She’ll never forget 

Contraction Two words Missing letters 

I’ve I have h, a 

1. Circle all the contractions and add them to the chart above. 

(a) Peter can’t go to school today because he’s not well. 

(b) I’m sorry because I think it’s his birthday. 

(c) Hopefully, he’ll be better tomorrow and I’ll see him then. 

2. Rewrite the sentences using contractions. 

(a) We did not have sport today. 

HAPPY 

BIRTHDAY 

(b) She is my best friend. 

(c) You are late for school. 

3. (a) Are the sentences you wrote with contractions 

in Question 2 more formal or informal? 

(b) Would you be more likely to use contractions 

in imaginative or informative text? 

(c) Would you use contractions more in 

writing or speaking? 

72 



UNIT 11 

USING CONTRACTIONS 

1. Use a suitable contraction to complete the sentence. 

(a) 

forgotten my homework. 

(b) I think 

all be in my team. 

(c) Mum was worried that 

be late. 

(d) 

need to try harder next year. 

(e) We noticed that 

been wearing your new shoes. 

2. Which verb has been used in the contraction? Write ‘is’ or ‘has’ on the line. 

(a) Mia’s a very good artist. 

(b) She’s won some prizes for her art. 

(c) Her brother’s better at sport, though. 

(d) He’s played in the top football team every year. 

(e) Sam’s her older brother. 

3. Write a sentence using the contraction of: 

(a) he is 

(b) she has 

(c) we are 

4. The contraction ‘they’d’ can be used for ‘they had’ and ‘they would’ and the 

contraction ‘we’d’ can be used for ‘we had’ and ‘we would’. Write a sentence for 

each. 

(a) they had 

(b) they would 

(c) we had 

(d) we would 

5. Which one is a contraction? Circle it. 

(a) Jim’s busy – Jim’s bag 

(c) Bob’s bicycle – Bob’s running 

(b) the bird’s nest – the bird’s flying 

(d) Sarah’s sleeping – Sarah’s pillow 



73

UNIT 11 

IT’S OR ITS? 

The word ‘it’s’ only needs an apostrophe if it is a contraction. 

For example: ‘It’s raining’ (It is raining). 

1. (a) Could the words it’s or its be a problem when you are: (Tick ‘Yes’ or ‘No’) 

speaking? Yes No 

writing? Yes No 

both? Yes No 

(b) Explain your answer. 

2. Circle the correct words. 

(a) Unless (it’s, its) a sunny day, my dog stays in (it’s its) kennel. 

(b) (It’s, Its) fun to watch my dog chase (it’s, its) tail. 

(c) If (it’s, its) really hungry, a dog will gulp (it’s, its) food down. 

(d) (It’s, its) not important to a cat where (it’s, its) owner is. 

3. Add ‘it’s’ or ‘its’. 

(a) I hope going to be fine for your party! 

(b) a worry! 

(c) true! A bird sits on eggs for weeks. 

(d) not fair to be punished when not your fault. 

4. Use ‘it’s’ in a sentence about: 

(a) an event 

(b) a sport 

5. Use ‘its’ in a sentence about: 

(a) a book 

(b) an aircraft 

74 



COULD HAVE, WOULD HAVE, 

SHOULD HAVE—BEWARE! TAKE CARE! 

UNIT 11 

should 

could 

would 

have 

have 

have 

have 

of 

have 

have 

have 

The words ‘would’, ‘could’ and ‘should’ can only be followed by a verb. ‘Have’ is a 

verb; ‘of’ is NOT a verb. 

1. (a) Write a sentence with ‘would’ followed by one of the verbs swimming in the water. 

(b) Use ‘could’ in a sentence followed by one of the verbs above. 

(c) Use ‘should’ and one of the verbs above. 

Question: Why are so many people using would, could and should followed by the 

‘of’ shark? 

Answer: If you say ‘would’ve’, ‘could’ve’ and ‘should’ve’ fast, the ‘ve’ SOUNDS 

like ‘of’. 

Your ears could be fooled, but not your eyes. These words are NEVER followed by ‘of’! 

2. Write interesting sentences using the contractions of would have, could have, 

should have. 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 



75


APOSTROPHES FOR POSSESSION 

UNIT 12 

Focus 

Punctuation – apostrophes for possession 

Progression 

Recognise 

Students will recognise possessive apostrophes from modelled 

examples. 

Choose 

Students will choose appropriate possessive apostrophes for 

sentences, with teacher support. 

Use 

Students will correctly use possessive apostrophes in supplied 

and self-written sentences. 


A possessive apostrophe is a punctuation mark used to show 

ownership. 

Introduction 

Good writers improve their writing by using apostrophes correctly. 




Possessive apostrophes show who or what possesses the noun 

referred to; e.g. The man’s hand. 


Introduction 

• Discuss the rules for ownership and apostrophe placement. 

• Work with the class to ensure these concepts are fully understood. 

• Work through the examples with the class. 

• Allow more capable students to work in small groups or pairs to 

create further examples, while directly assisting those who need 

greater explanation and help. 

Who owns what? – Page 79 

• Revise with the class the two rules of apostrophe placement for 

possession. 

• Revise how ownership can be deduced from the placement of the 

apostrophe. 

• Work the first question as a group, with teacher support, to ensure 

understanding. 



How many owners? – Page 80 

• Read the information at the top of the page. 

• Work through an example on the board with the class as a whole. 

• Work through Question 1 with students, providing support or 

additional information where needed. 

• Continue to work with those requiring additional assistance while the 

remainder of the class work independently on the activities. 

Practise using apostrophes – Page 81 

• Read and revise with the class the two rules of apostrophe 

placement for possession. 

• Revise the concept of ownership as a pair–e.g. Jock and Donna’s 

homework–and the placement of the apostrophe. 

• Allow students to work through the exercises, assisting as required. 

• In pairs or small groups, encourage students to discuss their 

answers to Question 5, since these will vary. 

76 





UNIT 12 

ANSWERS 

Apostrophes for ownership – Page 78 

1. All examples should have ‘Yes’ marked. 

Who owns what? – Page 79 

1. (a) Mary 

(b) Humpty Dumpty 

(c) The pigs 

(d) Miss Muffet 

(e) Jack and Jill 

(f) My grandfather 

2. (a) The bears ✓ ✓ 

(b) Miss Polly ✓ ✓ 

(c) Grandmother ✓ ✓ 

(d) Cinderella ✓ ✓ 

(e) The stepsisters ✓ ✓ 

(f) The prince ✓ ✓ 

3. (a) The first little pig’s house ✓ ✓ 

(b) The big, bad wolf’s eyes ✓ ✓ 

(c) The three men’s sailing boat ✓ ✓ 

(d) The spider’s web ✓ ✓ 

How many owners? – Page 80 

1. (a) the girls – p 

(b) the teacher – s 

(c) the chefs – p 

(d) the sons – p 

(e) the man – s 

(f) the boys – p 

(g) the doctors – p 

(h) the birds – p 



1. (a) after 

(b) before or after 

2. (a)–(b) Yes 

3. (a) the jet ✓ ✓ 

(b) the President ✓ ✓ 

(c) the babies ✓ ✓ 

4. (a) the farmer’s tractor 

(b) the bears’ cave 

5. (a) planets’ 

(b) lions’ 

6. (a) bicycle’s 

(b) ship’s 




• Paragraph topic – Lost 

• Focus: Punctuation – apostrophes in possession 


2. (a) girls’ 

(b) gardens’ 

(c) lions’ 

(d) birds’ 

3. (a) cat’s 

(b) tree’s 

(c) rockstar’s 

(d) jet’s 


Practise using apostrophes – Page 81 




77

UNIT 12 

APOSTROPHES FOR OWNERSHIP 

Apostrophes can be used to show ownership. Some people find it difficult to know 

where the apostrophe should go. But, if you follow the simple rules, it’s easy! 

Rule 1 

An apostrophe is placed after the owner or owners. 

Rule 2 

There must be an ‘s’ before or after the apostrophe. 

Simon 

LOST AND FOUND 

GLENWAY 

SPORTS 

CLUB 

max 

taj 

tom 

chloe 

Sarah 

1. Check the last sentence. Does it 

follow Rules 1 and 2? 

The watch belongs to Simon. 

Simon owns the watch. 

It is Simon’s watch. Yes No 





The caps belong to the boys. 

The boys own the caps. 

They are the boys’ caps. Yes 



No 

The waterbottles belong to Chloe and 

Sarah. 

The girls own the waterbottles. 

They are the girls’ 

waterbottles. Yes No 



The shirt belongs to Taj. 

Taj owns the shirt. 

It is Taj’s shirt. Yes No 

The ball belongs to the brothers. 

The brothers own the ball. 

It is the brothers’ ball. Yes No 



The towels belong to Max and Tom. 

Max and Tom own the towels. 

They are Max and Tom’s 

towels. Yes No 

78 



UNIT 12 

WHO OWNS WHAT? 

Rule 1 

Rule 2 



1. Write the name of the owner or owners. 

(a) Mary’s lamb 

(b) Humpty Dumpty’s wall 

(c) The pigs’ houses 

(d) Miss Muffet’s spider 

(e) Jack and Jill’s hill 

(f) My grandfather’s clock 

2. Write the name of the owner or owners. Put a tick or cross to show if it follows 

both rules. 

(a) The bears’ picnic Rule 1 Rule 2 

(b) Miss Polly’s dolly Rule 1 Rule 2 

(c) Grandmother’s eyes Rule 1 Rule 2 

(d) Cinderella’s slippers Rule 1 Rule 2 

(e) The stepsisters’ gowns Rule 1 Rule 2 

(f) The prince’s ball Rule 1 Rule 2 

3. Use an apostrophe to show the owners. Check and tick the rule boxes. 

(a) the house belonging to the first little pig 

(b) the eyes belonging to the big, bad wolf 

(c) the sailing boat belonging to the three men 

(d) the web belonging to a spider 

wall 

sweet 

wall 

Rule 1 Rule 2 

Rule 1 Rule 2 

Rule 1 Rule 2 

Rule 1 Rule 2 



79

UNIT 12 

HOW MANY OWNERS? 

It is easy to work out if there is only one single owner or if there are plural owners. 

Just follow the steps. 

Step 1 Find the apostrophe 

Step 2 Find the owner (What is written just before the apostrophe?) 

Step 3 Ask yourself if there is one or more than one of them. 

1. Underline the owner or owners. How many owners are there? Write ‘s’ for singular 

and ‘p’ for more than one. 

(a) the girls’ party (b) the teacher’s cars 

(c) the chefs’ hats (d) the sons’ game 

(e) the man’s choice (f) the boys’ team 

(g) the doctors’ surgery (h) birds’ babies 

2. Change the single owner to multiple owners by moving 

the apostrophe. 

(a) one girl’s parents many parents 

(b) one garden’s flowers many flowers 

(c) one lion’s mane many manes 

(d) one bird’s cage many cages 

3. Change multiple owners to a single owner by moving the apostrophe. 

(a) the cats’ toys one toys 

(b) the trees’ leaves one leaves 

(c) the rockstars’ photos one photos 

(d) the jets’ engines one engines 

4. Write a sentence showing one owner of ‘letters’. 

5. Write a sentence showing many owners of ‘hay’. 

80 



UNIT 12 

PRACTISE USING APOSTROPHES 

Rule 1 

Rule 2 



1. (a) Write the name of a boy in your class. 

(b) What is something he owns? 

(c) It is . 

2. (a) Write the names of two ladies. 

(b) What is something they own? 

(c) It is the two . 

3. (a) Write the names of two farmers. 

(b) Write one thing they both grow. 

(c) It is the two . 

4. (a) Write Mum and Dad’s names. 

(b) Write something your parents use together. 

(c) It is my . 

5. Write a sentence telling about: 

(a) seeing some tanks owned by the army. 

(b) collecting some eggs owned by the hens. 

(c) the uniform worn by a football team. 

(d) borrowing some pencils owned by Jack and Mia. 



81


SENTENCES 

ASSESSMENT UNIT 9 

Name: 

Date: 

dad said sunday was too crowded for boating he thought the avon river or 

herdsman lake might be better mum agreed with him 

1. (a) Use a red pen or marker to add the missing capital letters 

and full stops. 

(b) How many capital letters did you need? 

(c) Where did you place the capital letters? 

(d) Why did you place them there? 

2. Write a proper noun that tells you: 

(a) a person’s title 

(b) a country 

(c) a lake 

(d) an ocean 

3. Write two short exclamations. 

4. Write two short questions. 

5. Write two short commands. 

6. Correct the punctuation error(s). 

(a) may we go boating. 

(b) let’s go now, dad? 

(c) how far to east lake! 

7. Put a tick in the box if the punctuation is correct. 

(a) the Mona Lisa 

(c) Astor Theatre 

(e) Lake Superior 

(b) an agatha Christie book 

(d) the Eiffel tower 

(f) the United Nations 

82 






Name: 

Date: 

1. Put a full stop in the box after a complete sentence. Leave it blank otherwise. 

(a) Take your dog for a walk 

(b) Eats carrots, celery and lettuce 

2. Rewrite the sentence. Put full stops where needed. 

It’s not fair Mum and Dad said they wouldn’t buy me a mouse 

3. Rewrite the sentence. Put capitals where needed. 

the nearest pet shop, called animal world, is at 47 high road. 

4. Rewrite the sentence. Put commas where needed. 

(a) The pet shop shopping list included biscuits treats a new lead and a tin of cat 

food. 

(b) My dog which is named Bozo is very playful. 

5. Does the sentence need quotation marks? 

(a) Our teacher said we all had some interesting pets. Yes No 

(b) Can you buy some Doggy Treats, please? Mum asked. Yes No 

(c) I asked Mum how big a bag of treats she wanted. Yes No 

6. Rewrite the sentence. Add quotation marks where needed. 

(a) Quick! Catch my mouse! Caleb shouted. 

(b) Too late! Jaime cried. He’s already under the wall. 



83



Name: 

Date: 

1. Circle the contractions. Write them as two words. 

(a) No, you can’t watch TV yet. 

(b) That’s a good maths result! 

2. Rewrite the sentences using contractions. 

(a) We have been away. 

(b) He is very tall. 

3. Use a suitable contraction to complete the sentence. 

Silly boy, 

torn your shirt. 

4. Which verb has been used in the contraction? Write ‘is’ or ‘has’ on the line. 

It’s been a long, hot summer. 

5. Circle the correct words. 

(a) (It’s, Its) fun to see my dog do (it’s, its) tricks. 

(b) See if (it’s, its) going to be fine when the ship starts (it’s, its) voyage. 

6. Use both it’s and its in a sentence about a train. 

7. (a) What is wrong with the sentence? 

‘I would of gone with you. You should of asked me.’ 

(b) Rewrite the sentence correctly. 

8. Use the contractions in a sentence. 

(a) would have 

(b) could have 

(c) should have 

84 





Name: 

1. Complete the rules. 

Date: 

Rule 1: An apostrophe is placed the owner or owners. 

Rule 2: There must be an ‘s’ or the apostrophe. 

2. Is the apostrophe correct? Tick yes or no. 

(a) Those rulers belong to the twins. The twins own the rulers. 

They are the twins’ rulers. Yes No 

(b) The cap belongs to our teacher. Our teacher owns the cap. 

It is our teacher’s cap. Yes No 

3. Write the name of the owner or owners. Put a tick or cross to show if it follows 

both rules. 

(a) The jet’s engine Rule 1 Rule 2 

(b) The President’s plane Rule 1 Rule 2 

(c) The babies’ nappies Rule 1 Rule 2 

4. Rewrite, using an apostrophe to show the owner(s). 

(a) the tractor belonging to the farmer 

(b) the cave belonging to the bears 

5. Change the single owner to multiple owners by moving the apostrophe. 

(a) one planet’s moons many moons 

(b) one lion’s prey many prey 

6. Change multiple owners to a single owner by moving the apostrophe. 

(a) the bicycles’ wheels one wheels 

(b) the ships’ funnels one funnels 

7. (a) Write the name of your best friend. 

(b) What is something he or she owns? 

(c) It is . 

8. Write a sentence telling about some anchors owned by the ship. 



85

RIC-20800_Teaching_Strategies_for_Writing_BkD_punctuation

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