This document provides information about punctuation lessons for Year 8 students over 12 weeks. It introduces capital letters, full stops, exclamation marks, commas, semi-colons, colons, apostrophes and speech marks. Each week focuses on one punctuation mark and how to use it correctly, and assigns a reading homework to be completed by the following week.

1. Punctuation
Year 8

2. Week beginning 16th April 2012
Capital Letters, Full Stops and
Exclamation Marks.
Test Opens: Saturday 21st April
Test Closes: Friday 27th April.

3. CAPITAL LETTERS are used:
• At the beginning of a sentence.
• At the beginning of a proper
noun- the name of a person,
place, or object. For example,
London, Priya, Biro.

4. FULL STOPS are used:
• To mark the end of a sentence.
• After initials, for example,
John F. Kennedy.
4. Following an abbreviation
(shortened word), for example,
Jan. (January)
Rev. (Reverend)

5. How to use Exclamation Marks
1. To show surprise, excitement, fear/shock or
anger.
2. To show something is being shouted.
3. To show an order is being given
For example:
I can’t wait to meet the Queen!
Stop!
How lovely to see you!
*You must not over-use exclamation marks,
otherwise they lose their impact.

6. Week beginning 23rd April 2012
Reading Homework
You must do one of the following:
• Read the next chapter in the book that you are currently
reading
• Get a book from the library to begin reading
• Read a non-fiction text
Once you have done this, you must:
2. Log on to Fronter and go to our class’ English page.
3. Click on the ‘Reading Review Homework’ link
4. Then enter a brief review of what you have read so far.
I will check the Fronter discussion forum at the end of that week and
anyone who has not completed the review will receive a ‘2’ for not
completing homework.
Completion Date: Week beginning 30th April

7. Week beginning 30th April 2012
How to use Commas correctly
Test Opens: Saturday 5th May
Test Closes: Friday 11th May

8. Using COMMAS correctly
1. To separate three or more items in a list.
For example:
They ate pears, apples, plums, grapes and
blueberries.
5. To separate clauses (parts) of a sentence.
For example:
The cat, which was grey, hid behind the bins.

9. Week beginning 7th May 2012
Reading Homework
You must do one of the following:
• Read the next chapter in the book that you are currently
reading
• Get a book from the library to begin reading
• Read a non-fiction text
Once you have done this, you must:
2. Log on to Fronter and go to our class’ English page.
3. Click on the ‘Reading Review Homework’ link
4. Then enter a brief review of what you have read so far.
I will check the Fronter discussion forum at the end of that week and
anyone who has not completed the review will receive a ‘2’ for not
completing homework.
Completion Date: Week beginning 14th May

10. Week beginning 14th May 2012
The Semi-colon
Test Opens: Saturday 19th May
Test Closes: Friday 25th May

11. How to use a SEMI-COLON
• To separate two simple sentences, where you might
have used and, or , but, then to link them to make a
compound sentence. Both parts either side of the
semi-colon MUST make complete sense on their own.
For example:
I only ate one cake for dessert; I wish I had
eaten two.
• To separate groups of more than one word in a list.
For example:
I took two books; four or five pens; a long ruler; and a set
of colour pens.

12. Week beginning 21st May 2012
Reading Homework
You must do one of the following:
• Read the next chapter in the book that you are currently
reading
• Get a book from the library to begin reading
• Read a non-fiction text
Once you have done this, you must:
2. Log on to Fronter and go to our class’ English page.
3. Click on the ‘Reading Review Homework’ link
4. Then enter a brief review of what you have read so far.
I will check the Fronter discussion forum at the end of that week and
anyone who has not completed the review will receive a ‘2’ for not
completing homework.
Completion Date: Week beginning 11th June

13. Week beginning 11th June 2012
The Colon
Test Opens: Saturday 16th June
Test Closes: Friday 22nd June

14. How to use a COLON
• To introduce a quotation. For example:
The writer uses a simile to show how much he
loves her: “My love for you is as deep as the
ocean,” which shows…
• Before dialogue in a script. For example:
Krina: What’s for lunch?
Isobel: Pasta with tomato sauce.
• To introduce a list. For example:
You will need: paper, pens, pencils and a
sharpener.

15. Week beginning 18th June 2012
Reading Homework
You must do one of the following:
• Read the next chapter in the book that you are currently
reading
• Get a book from the library to begin reading
• Read a non-fiction text
Once you have done this, you must:
2. Log on to Fronter and go to our class’ English page.
3. Click on the ‘Reading Review Homework’ link
4. Then enter a brief review of what you have read so far.
I will check the Fronter discussion forum at the end of that week and
anyone who has not completed the review will receive a ‘2’ for not
completing homework.
Completion Date: Week beginning 25th June

16. Week beginning 25th June 2012
How to use Apostrophes
Test Opens: Saturday 30th June
Test Closes: Friday 6th July

17. How to use APOSTROPHES
1. To show ownership of an object/ a noun.
For example:
Emily’s hat
Ibrahim’s tennis racket
6. To show that letters have been missed out
(contraction).
For example:
I don’t know what happened.
She’ll have to catch up with the homework.

18. The Amazing Apostrophe
• Watch this video and then try taking the
test to check your understanding of how to
use apostrophes.
http://www.curriculumbits.com/prodimages/detai

19. Week beginning 2nd July 2012
How to use Speech Marks
No Test

20. How to use SPEECH MARKS
1. Placed around what is being said
(dialogue).
For example: Lydia said, “You sit there.”
4. Placed around a quotation from a text.
For example:
The writer uses the simile, “As slow as a
tortoise”, to suggest…

21. Week beginning 9th July 2012
Reading Homework
You must continue to read over the
summer holidays, so that you are ready
for next year!
It will improve your spelling, vocabulary and
sentence structure and stop you from
becoming rusty!