1. Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes
Grade 8 | Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes

2. What do you Notice? Full of high sentence, but Then I said softly to
a bit obtuse; myself -
At times, indeed, almost “That must have been the
ridiculous – Sun”!
Almost, at times, the Fool. But how he set – I know
I grow old… I grow old… not -
I shall wear the bottoms There seemed a purple
of my trousers rolled. stile
--T S Eliot, That little Yellow boys and
The Love Song of J Alfred Prufock girls
Were climbing all the
while.
-- Emily Dickinson,
I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose
Grade 8 | Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes

3. Invitation to Compare and Contrast
Read the originals and then read the versions without punctuation. What is the
Effect with the commas, ellipses, and dashes?
Full of high sentence but Then I said softly to
a bit obtuse myself
At times indeed almost That must have been the
ridiculous Sun
Almost at times the Fool But how he set I know
I grow old I grow old not
I shall wear the bottoms There seemed a purple
of my trousers rolled stile
--T S Eliot, That little Yellow boys and
The Love Song of J Alfred Prufock girls
Were climbing all the
while
-- Emily Dickinson,
I’ll Tell You How the Sun Rose
Grade 8 | Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes

4. Invitation to Revise
Revise the following passages by inserting a variety of commas,
ellipses, or dashes where pauses seem effective.
The Moon has left the sky
Lost is the Pleiads’ light
It is midnight
And time slips by
But on my couch alone I lie.
2. The news like Squirrels ran
The Hills untied their Bonnets
The Bobolinks begun
Grade 8 | Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes

5. Invitation to Edit
What’s wrong? Then I said softly to myself – “That must have been the Sun”! 1. Then I said soft to myself- 2. Then I said softly to That must have been 3. Than I said softly to
Grade 8 | Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes

6. Invitation to Write
Compose a short text message to a friend about one of the
following topics. You must use all three types of punctuation
for pauses where pauses would be most effective.
Option One: You had an argument with a friend. Compose a text to explain your side or ask forgiveness.
Option Two: You are texting a boy or girl for the first time asking him or her to go to the movies.
Grade 8 | Pauses with Commas, Ellipses, Dashes