Year 5 English Brackets, dashes, commas and hyphens: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Look at the marks.

1. Look at the marks. The marks are round brackets.
   brackets
2. Name the pair. Brackets set off extra information.
   brackets
3. Write the answer.
   brackets

Check. Brackets. ✓

Method. Look at the marks.

1. Look at the marks. The marks are commas.
   commas
2. Name the pair. Commas set off extra information.
   commas
3. Write the answer.
   commas

Check. Commas. ✓

Method. A name used to speak to someone is set off by a comma.

1. Find the name. Ann is spoken to.
   Ann
2. Add the comma. Put a comma before Ann.
   Please sit down, Ann.
3. Write the answer.
   Please sit down, Ann.

Check. Please sit down, Ann. ✓

Method. Think about the meaning.

1. Find the meaning. Cover again is re-cover.
   cover again
2. Choose the spelling. Re-cover has a hyphen.
   re-cover
3. Write the answer.
   re-cover

Check. Re-cover. ✓

Method. Think about the meaning.

1. Find the meaning. Leaving a job is resign.
   leave
2. Choose. Resign has no hyphen.
   resign
3. Write the answer.
   resign

Check. Resign. ✓

Method. Use inverted commas and an exclamation mark.

1. Find the words. Come on is a shout.
   shout
2. Add the punctuation. Inverted commas and an exclamation mark inside them.
   "Come on!" shouted Ruby.
3. Write the answer.
   "Come on!" shouted Ruby.

Check. "Come on!" shouted Ruby. ✓

Method. A question keeps its question mark inside the inverted commas.

1. Find the words. Is the bell ringing is a question.
   question
2. Add the punctuation. Question mark inside the closing inverted commas.
   "Is the bell ringing?" asked Sam.
3. Write the answer.
   "Is the bell ringing?" asked Sam.

Check. "Is the bell ringing?" asked Sam. ✓

Method. Make sure both brackets are there.

1. Find the opening. The opening bracket is there.
   opening
2. Add the closing bracket. Add a closing bracket after wheels.
   My bag (which has wheels) is heavy.
3. Write the answer.
   My bag (which has wheels) is heavy.

Check. The brackets are a pair. ✓

Method. A comma goes after an opening time word.

1. Find the opening word. Yesterday starts the sentence.
   Yesterday
2. Add the comma. Put a comma after Yesterday.
   Yesterday, we visited the museum.
3. Write the answer.
   Yesterday, we visited the museum.

Check. Yesterday, we visited the museum. ✓

Method. Check each mark.

1. Check the speech. The comma follows said.
   comma
2. Check the dashes. The dashes hold the green one.
   dashes
3. Write the answer.
   "The bus is late," said Ali. The old bus – the green one – was always slow.

Check. The punctuation is correct. ✓

Method. Any pair is correct, but the answer must name one.

1. Name a pair. Brackets are one pair.
   brackets
2. Check. A pair sets off extra information.
   pair
3. Write the answer.
   brackets

Check. Brackets. ✓

Method. Think about the meaning.

1. Find the meaning. Get better is recover.
   get better
2. Choose. Recover has no hyphen.
   recover
3. Write the answer.
   recover

Check. Recover. ✓

Method. A name used to speak to someone is set off by a comma.

1. Find the name. Ben is the person spoken to.
   Ben
2. Add the comma. Put a comma before Ben.
   Well done, Ben.
3. Write the answer.
   Well done, Ben.

Check. Well done, Ben. ✓

Method. A question keeps its question mark inside the inverted commas.

1. Find the words. What time is it is a question.
   question
2. Add the punctuation. Question mark inside the closing inverted commas.
   "What time is it?" asked Mia.
3. Write the answer.
   "What time is it?" asked Mia.

Check. "What time is it?" asked Mia. ✓

Method. Use an exclamation mark for a shout.

1. Find the words. Stop is a shout.
   shout
2. Add the punctuation. Exclamation mark inside the closing inverted commas.
   "Stop!" shouted Dad.
3. Write the answer.
   "Stop!" shouted Dad.

Check. "Stop!" shouted Dad. ✓

Method. Use the hyphen to show form again.

1. Find the meaning. Form again is re-form.
   form again
2. Write the word. The word is re-form.
   re-form
3. Write the answer.
   re-form

Check. re-form. ✓

Method. A comma shows that Grandma is spoken to.

1. Add an apostrophe. Let's is the short form of let us.
   let's
2. Add the comma. A comma after eat shows Grandma is spoken to.
   Let's eat, Grandma.
3. Write the answer.
   Let's eat, Grandma.

Check. Let's eat, Grandma. ✓

Method. Put the words in inverted commas and add a comma.

1. Find the words. I will come later is spoken.
   I will come later
2. Add the punctuation. Inverted commas and a comma before the closing marks.
   "I will come later," said Sam.
3. Write the answer.
   "I will come later," said Sam.

Check. "I will come later," said Sam. ✓

Method. Think about the two meanings.

1. Look at the comma. The comma shows Grandma is spoken to.
   spoken to
2. Look at the meaning. Without it, the sentence could mean eating Grandma.
   eating Grandma
3. Write the answer.
   the comma shows the speaker is talking to Grandma; without it the sentence could mean eating Grandma

Check. The comma changes the meaning. ✓

Method. Check the comma and the full stop.

1. Write the speech. Dinner is ready is spoken.
   Dinner is ready
2. Explain the comma. The comma comes after the reporting clause, before the speech.
   before the speech
3. Write the answer.
   Mum said, "Dinner is ready." The comma after said separates the reporting clause from the speech.

Check. The punctuation is correct. ✓