Remediation: Punctuation Quiz

Remediation: Punctuation Quiz Please choose one of the prompts and respond to it. You must use all eight of the punctuation marks in your essay. Highlight the punctuation so I can easily find it! Write in complete sentences and use correct conventions: Capitalization, spelling, grammar and end punctuation. If you are writing a complete response that fully addresses the prompt, it will most likely be ¾ of a page or more. You may e-mail this to me or turn it in on paper by Monday at 5 p.m. in order to make the progress report.

Choose ONE prompt and respond using at least one semicolon, colon, apostrophe, hyphen, dash, ellipses, set of parentheses, set of brackets. Highlight the punctuation marks. An alien wants to imitate you! First, it needs information. Write a procedural text that gives clear instructions on how to get ready for school. The alien should be able to impersonate you exactly and not get caught. Is your home town/area/neighborhood a good place to live? Write a persuasive text that takes a stand on this question. Remember to back up your opinion with plenty of support.

Choose ONE prompt and respond using at least one semicolon, colon, apostrophe, hyphen, dash, ellipses, set of parentheses, set of brackets. Highlight the punctuation marks. Write a story in which two characters are trading very original insults. Before you begin, think over what they are arguing about (love, money, schoolwork, friends). Be sure to use proper dialogue form. Get as mean as you want in these insults but make sure they are school-appropriate. And be sure to have them apologize to one another at the end!

Choose ONE prompt and respond using at least one semicolon, colon, apostrophe, hyphen, dash, ellipses, set of parentheses, set of brackets. Highlight the punctuation marks. Write an expository essay in which you describe a fantasy room – think of your favorite kind of room. The description can be as wild and fanciful as you want. Feel free to invent machines and gizmos that don’t exist. Imagine your school administration has decided to institute a new homework policy. From now on, each day students will be required to complete three hours of homework, and four hours each weekend. Write an expository essay telling how you and your fellow students feel about this policy.

Choose ONE prompt and respond using at least one semicolon, colon, apostrophe, hyphen, dash, ellipses, set of parentheses, set of brackets. Highlight the punctuation marks. Write an expository essay in which you describe a fantasy room – think of your favorite kind of room. The description can be as wild and fanciful as you want. Feel free to invent machines and gizmos that don’t exist. Imagine your school administration has decided to institute a new homework policy. From now on, each day students will be required to complete three hours of homework, and four hours each weekend. Write an expository essay telling how you and your fellow students feel about this policy.

Choose ONE prompt and respond using at least one semicolon, colon, apostrophe, hyphen, dash, ellipses, set of parentheses, set of brackets. Highlight the punctuation marks. Write a story that revolves around the discovery and handling of a strange object that was found somewhere near your school. Imagine if you woke up this morning the size of a blueberry (feeling like a blueberry, looking like a blueberry, etc.). What would your day be like? Tell of your adventures and how the day turned out. Write about a time when food or other objects come to life. What would they say? What would your town or school be like?

You will need to use all eight of these punctuation marks correctly, at least once in your composition, to get full credit. Semicolons Colons Hyphens Apostrophes Parentheses Brackets Ellipses Dashes

Semicolons: To join independent clauses that don’t have FANBOYS To join independent clauses that have conjunctive adverbs or transitions. To separate items in a list that already have commas. Colons: - after an independent clause to introduce a list - to introduce a long or formal quotation - don’t use after a verb or preposition Hyphens: - when you write two-word numbers from 21 to 99 - when using a fraction as an adjective but not when you use a fraction as a noun - after prefix that’s followed by a proper noun/adj. - in words w/the prefix all-, ex- and self- and the suffix -elect - to connect 2 or more words used as one compound word (secretary-treasurer, editor-in-chief) - to connect a compound modifier before a noun, but not one that ends in –ly (well-worn shoes, up-to-date design)

Apostrophes: - with an –s to show possession (my dog’s toy) - to show the possessive case of plural nouns (bears’ den) - add an apostrophe + -s to the last word of a compound noun (my sister-in-law’s car, Girl Scouts’ cookie sale) - with indefinite pronouns (anyone’s guess) - to show omitted letters in a contraction (won’t, couldn’t) - to create plural forms of a letter or number (mind your p’s and q’s) Parentheses: - to set off explanations or info that’s related to the sentence - information within parentheses should not begin with a capital letter or end with a period. - If a sentence in parentheses stands on its own, it should have a capital letter and end mark. (This is a complete thought.) Brackets: - to enclose an explanation within a quote that was not part of the original quote. - to enclose an explanation within parentheses

Ellipses: - to show where words have been omitted from a quoted passage - to mark a pause in dialogue or speech - You don’t have to use them at the beginning of quoted material, even if you have omitted any information that came before the words you are quoting. - in the middle of a sentence to show an omission, pause, interruption, or incomplete statement - at the end of a sentence to show an omission, pause, or incomplete statement Dashes: - to show a strong, sudden break in thought or speech - in place of in other words, namely, or that is before an explanation