Year 3 English: Checking, proof-reading and presenting neatly
Part of the Year 3 English writing non-fiction chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Checking, proof-reading and presenting neatly
Writers evaluate first: does the text do its purpose, and will the audience understand it? Then they edit, changing words, order or sentences to make the writing clearer. Then they proof-read, checking spelling, capital letters, full stops and verbs. Last, they present the writing neatly.
When you check someone else's writing, suggest a helpful improvement. Use the grammar words for the text, such as imperative verb, full stop and formal, so that your suggestion is clear.
Neat handwriting is even and joined where it is easy to join. Tall letters reach the top line, and tails go below the line. Handwriting is practised on paper, with a grown-up, so the grown-up tip below is for paper.
Ruby's first draft of the instructions (draft, not yet checked)
Put a damp sponge in a clear pot. Put the bean on the top of the sponge. Put the pot on the windowsil. waters it every day. Check it each morning, and see if the bean has sprouted. Its leaves will grow soon, and then we can show the class.
Key ideas
- Evaluate: does the text do its purpose for its audience?
- Edit: improve the words, the order and the sentences.
- Proof-read: check spelling, capital letters, full stops and verbs.
- Present neatly: write evenly, with joins where they are easy and tails that do not touch the line below.
- When you check someone else's writing, suggest a helpful change.
Method. Look for a word for a window ledge that is spelt wrongly.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: spelling.spelling
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Put the pot on the windowsil.
- Write the answer. windowsil
Check. The word should end with two l letters: windowsill. ✓
Watch out. The correct spelling is windowsill.
Method. Look for the sentence that starts with a command, and check the verb.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: verb form.verb form
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:waters it every day
- Write the answer. waters
Check. An instruction uses the command form, Water. ✓
Method. Correct the capital letter and the verb.
- Fix the capital letter. Every sentence starts with a capital letter.W
- Fix the verb. An instruction uses the command form, Water, not waters.Water it every day.
- Write the answer. Water it every day.
Check. It is now a correct instruction. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: changing one word can change the grammar around it. After you change a verb, check the whole instruction again.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip (practise on paper). Ask your child to write jump on paper, joining the letters where the join is easy. Then look at the tails of j and p: do they touch the line below? Copy one sentence from Ruby's draft neatly, with even spacing between words.
Exercise 11F Practice: checking and presenting
Method. Check the spelling of this word for a window ledge.
- Look at the end. A window ledge is spelt with two l letters at the end.windowsill
- Write the word. The correct spelling is windowsill.windowsill
- Write the answer. windowsill
Check. Two l letters at the end. ✓
Method. Look at the middle of each word.
- Look at each word. Seperate has an e in the middle, but separate has an a.e; a
- Choose the correct one. The correct spelling is separate.separate
- Write the answer. separate
Check. Separate has the a in the middle. ✓
Method. Every sentence ends with a full stop, unless it is a question or an exclamation.
- Find the end. This is an instruction, so it ends with a full stop.the end
- Add the full stop. Put the full stop after day.day.
- Write the answer. Water the cotton wool every day.
Check. The full stop ends the sentence. ✓
Method. Check the first letter of the sentence.
- Look at the first letter. Every sentence starts with a capital letter.w
- Change the letter. Change w to W at the start.Water it every day.
- Write the answer. Water it every day.
Check. The sentence starts with a capital letter. ✓
Method. An instruction uses the command form, which is the same as the base verb.
- Look at each form. Puts and putting are not used to give a command.Puts; Putting
- Choose the command form. Put starts an instruction, such as Put the cup on the table.Put
- Write the answer. Put
Check. Put is the command form. ✓
Method. Think about the grammar word for a command.
- Think about the word. A command verb is the imperative verb.imperative verb
- Write the word. The grammar word is imperative.imperative
- Write the answer. imperative
Check. Imperative is the grammar word. ✓
Watch out. Also accept: imperative verb.
Method. Check whether the word means it is.
- Find the mistake. Its without an apostrophe means belonging to it. Here the sentence means it is, so it needs It's.Its a
- Correct it. Write It's, short for it is.It's a sunny day for the bean.
- Write the answer. It's a sunny day for the bean.
Check. It's means it is. ✓
Method. Think about what the reader needs to know to do the step.
- Find what is missing. The step does not say how much water, or how often.how much; how often
- Suggest the change. Add a how often and a how much.each day; until it is damp
- Write the answer. Accept any: say how much water and how often, for example: Water the cotton wool each day, until it is damp.
Check. The improvement tells the reader what to do. ✓
Method. Look at the line the letters sit on, then at the tails.
- Find the baseline. Most letters sit on the baseline.baseline
- Find the tails. The j and the p have tails that go below the baseline.j and p
- Write the answer. j and p
Check. The tails of j and p go below the baseline. ✓
Method. Think about where the writing sits.
- Look at the picture. The baseline is the solid line under the letters.the solid line
- Explain it. Letters sit on the baseline, so their bottoms line up.their bottoms line up
- Write the answer. Accept any: the line that most letters sit on, so the bottoms of the letters line up.
Check. The baseline is where writing sits. ✓
Method. Think about the time a neat copy takes.
- Think about the mistakes. A mistake in a neat copy must be rewritten.rewritten
- Think about the order. Fixing the mistakes first saves time and keeps the copy neat.saves time
- Write the answer. Accept any: so mistakes are found and fixed first, because a neat copy takes longer to rewrite.
Check. Check first, copy neatly last. ✓