Year 3 English Punctuation: check-up and practice test questions
Part of the Year 3 English punctuation chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Exercise 5Z Check-up
Method. Put the spoken words in inverted commas, then the reporting clause after them.
- Find the spoken words. These are the words that are said. They go inside the inverted commas."Hi"
- Put the end mark inside the closing inverted commas. The exclamation mark belongs to the spoken words, so it goes before the closing inverted commas."Hi!"
- Find the reporting clause. It tells us who spoke. It sits outside the inverted commas.said Sam
- Finish with a full stop. The whole sentence is a statement, so it ends with a full stop after the reporting clause."Hi!" said Sam.
- Write the answer. "Hi!" said Sam.
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma, question mark or exclamation mark goes inside the closing inverted commas, not after them.
Method. Write the reporting clause, a comma, then the spoken words in inverted commas.
- Find the reporting clause. It tells us who speaks, and it comes first.Mum asks
- Put a comma after the reporting clause. A comma separates the reporting clause from the spoken words.Mum asks,
- Put inverted commas round the spoken words. The opening inverted commas come before the first spoken word."Are you hungry?"
- Keep the end mark inside. The question mark goes inside the closing inverted commas, so no full stop comes after them.Mum asks, "Are you hungry?"
- Write the answer. Mum asks, "Are you hungry?"
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. Do not add a full stop after the closing inverted commas when the end mark is already inside them.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts of the spoken words.Wait for me | and I will be quick
- Put inverted commas round the first part. The first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Wait for me,"
- Find the reporting clause. It tells who spoke. It sits outside the inverted commas.called Ali
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."and I will be quick."
- Write the answer. "Wait for me," called Ali, "and I will be quick."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. Check the end mark of the first part, which goes inside its closing inverted commas, and the capital letter of the second part.
Method. Put one comma straight after the fronted adverbial.
- Find the fronted adverbial. It comes first in the sentence and tells when.In the morning
- Find the verb of the main clause. The main clause has its own verb and makes sense on its own.is
- Put a comma after the fronted adverbial. The comma shows where the adverbial stops and the main clause starts.In the morning, the bus is late.
- Write the answer. In the morning, the bus is late.
Check. The comma comes straight after In the morning. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the adverbial, not after the verb.
Method. Put a comma after each item, except the last two. Put and before the last item.
- Count the things in the list. There are 4 things. The word and sits before the last one.a tent, a torch, a map and a compass
- Put a comma between the items. Put a comma after each item except the last two. Do not put a comma before and.We need a tent, a torch, a map and a compass.
- Write the answer. We need a tent, a torch, a map and a compass.
Check. There are 2 commas, one after each item except the last two. ✓
Watch out. Do not put a comma before and. Two things are joined by and only.
Method. Join the two words, leave out the missing letters, and put an apostrophe in their place.
- Find the two words. The two words can be joined into one short form.cannot
- Find the letter that is left out. The letters no are left out, so the apostrophe takes their place.no
- Write the short form with an apostrophe. The apostrophe shows where the letters were.can't
- Write the answer. can't
Check. Say it aloud: can't. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letter was, not at the end of the word.
Method. Put the owner first, then the thing, and add the apostrophe to the owner.
- Find the owner. The owner is the one who has the thing.the snail
- Find the thing that is owned. The thing belongs to the owner.the shell
- Add the apostrophe to the owner. One owner, so add apostrophe and s after the owner.the snail's shell
- Write the answer. the snail's shell
Check. The owner comes first, with the apostrophe: the snail's shell. ✓
Watch out. Put the apostrophe before the s for one owner: the dog's bone, not the dogs bone.
Method. Put the owner first, then the thing, and add the apostrophe to the owner.
- Find the owner. The owner is the one who has the thing.the pupils
- Find the thing that is owned. The thing belongs to the owner.the homework
- Add the apostrophe to the owner. More than one owner, and the owner word ends in s, so the apostrophe goes after the s.the pupils' homework
- Write the answer. the pupils' homework
Check. The owner comes first, with the apostrophe: the pupils' homework. ✓
Watch out. Put the owner first. Ask how many owners there are before you choose the apostrophe.
Method. It is cold, so the short form needs an apostrophe.
- Read Its. Its with no apostrophe means belonging to it, but here it is cold.Its = it is
- Write the short form. It's is the short form of it is.It's cold
- Write the answer. It's cold, so Mia wears her coat.
Check. Read it aloud: It's cold. ✓
Watch out. Its with no apostrophe does not mean it is.
Method. Think about what each word means.
- Its. Its shows that something belongs to it, with no apostrophe.The dog wagged its tail.
- It's. It's is short for it is, so it has an apostrophe.It's raining.
- Write the answer. Its shows that something belongs to it, as in: The dog wagged its tail. It's means it is, as in: It's raining.
Check. Both examples are correct. ✓
Watch out. Also accept any sentence that uses its for ownership and it's for it is.
Total 18 marks. Allow about 18 minutes.
Exercise 5X Practice test questions
Method. Direct speech is written in a special way.
- Look at the words. Direct speech shows the exact words that are said, in inverted commas.exact words
- Name the type. This is called direct speech.direct speech
- Write the answer. direct speech
Check. Direct speech: the exact words a speaker says. ✓
Watch out. Direct speech is written inside inverted commas.
Method. Put the spoken words in inverted commas, then the reporting clause after them.
- Find the spoken words. These are the words that are said. They go inside the inverted commas."Good night"
- Put the end mark inside the closing inverted commas. The comma belongs to the spoken words, so it goes before the closing inverted commas."Good night,"
- Find the reporting clause. It tells us who spoke. It sits outside the inverted commas.said Mum
- Finish with a full stop. The whole sentence is a statement, so it ends with a full stop after the reporting clause."Good night," said Mum.
- Write the answer. "Good night," said Mum.
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. The comma, question mark or exclamation mark goes inside the closing inverted commas, not after them.
Method. Put one comma straight after the fronted adverbial.
- Find the fronted adverbial. It comes first in the sentence and tells when.Last week
- Find the verb of the main clause. The main clause has its own verb and makes sense on its own.found
- Put a comma after the fronted adverbial. The comma shows where the adverbial stops and the main clause starts.Last week, Ali found a snail.
- Write the answer. Last week, Ali found a snail.
Check. The comma comes straight after Last week. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the adverbial, not after the verb.
Method. Join the two words, leave out the missing letters, and put an apostrophe in their place.
- Find the two words. The two words can be joined into one short form.we have
- Find the letter that is left out. The letters ha are left out, so the apostrophe takes their place.ha
- Write the short form with an apostrophe. The apostrophe shows where the letters were.we've
- Write the answer. we've
Check. Say it aloud: we've. ✓
Watch out. The apostrophe goes where the letter was, not at the end of the word.
Method. Put the owner first, then the thing, and add the apostrophe to the owner.
- Find the owner. The owner is the one who has the thing.the hamster
- Find the thing that is owned. The thing belongs to the owner.the cage
- Add the apostrophe to the owner. One owner, so add apostrophe and s after the owner.the hamster's cage
- Write the answer. the hamster's cage
Check. The owner comes first, with the apostrophe: the hamster's cage. ✓
Watch out. Put the apostrophe before the s for one owner: the dog's bone, not the dogs bone.
Method. Put the owner first, then the thing, and add the apostrophe to the owner.
- Find the owner. The owner is the one who has the thing.the babies
- Find the thing that is owned. The thing belongs to the owner.the toys
- Add the apostrophe to the owner. More than one owner, and the owner word ends in s, so the apostrophe goes after the s.the babies' toys
- Write the answer. the babies' toys
Check. The owner comes first, with the apostrophe: the babies' toys. ✓
Watch out. Put the owner first. Ask how many owners there are before you choose the apostrophe.
Method. Split the spoken words at the reporting clause, then punctuate each part.
- Find the two parts of the speech. The reporting clause sits between the two parts of the spoken words.Come inside | it is getting dark
- Put inverted commas round the first part. The first part ends with a comma inside its closing inverted commas."Come inside,"
- Find the reporting clause. It tells who spoke. It sits outside the inverted commas.said Mum
- Put inverted commas round the second part. The second part starts with a small letter, because the same sentence goes on."it is getting dark."
- Write the answer. "Come inside," said Mum, "it is getting dark."
Check. Read it aloud: only the spoken words are inside the inverted commas. ✓
Watch out. Check the end mark of the first part, which goes inside its closing inverted commas, and the capital letter of the second part.
Method. Put a comma after each item, except the last two. Put and before the last item.
- Count the things in the list. There are 4 things. The word and sits before the last one.eggs, milk, bread and cheese
- Put a comma between the items. Put a comma after each item except the last two. Do not put a comma before and.We bought eggs, milk, bread and cheese.
- Write the answer. We bought eggs, milk, bread and cheese.
Check. There are 2 commas, one after each item except the last two. ✓
Watch out. Do not put a comma before and. Two things are joined by and only.
Method. Look at the end of the spoken words.
- Find the end of the speech. The speech is followed by the reporting clause, so a comma goes inside the marks."Dinner is ready"
- Add the comma. The comma goes before the closing inverted commas."Dinner is ready," said Mum.
- Explain the change. The only change is the comma inside the closing inverted commas.one comma added
- Write the answer. "Dinner is ready," said Mum. I put a comma inside the closing inverted commas, before said.
Check. Read it aloud with a pause after ready. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: a comma added inside the closing inverted commas, before said.
Method. Put the fronted adverbial first, then the reporting clause and the speech.
- Fronted adverbial. Later that day tells when, and it comes first, with a comma after it.Later that day,
- Reporting clause and speech. Ben shouted, then the speech in inverted commas with an exclamation mark inside.Ben shouted, "Come and see the kite!"
- Write the answer. Any correct answer, for example: Later that day, Ben shouted, "Come and see the kite!"
Check. Each mark is in the right place. ✓
Watch out. Check the comma after the fronted adverbial and the mark inside the speech.