Capitals and Stops
Name three things that always require a capital letter.
The first letter in a sentence; Proper nouns (names, places, brands, days, months); The word "I"; The first word of dialogue; Main words in titles
Commas are used to separate three or more of these in a list.
Items
This is the only meaning of the word it’s (with an apostrophe).
"It is"
This error occurs when two sentences are joined by a comma and nothing else.
Comma splice
This punctuation mark acts like a "bridge" to join two equally important sentences.
Semicolon (;)
In dialogue, where does the full stop go in relation to the speech marks?
Inside the Speech Marks
You should use a comma after one of these clauses at the start of a sentence.
Introductory clauses.
These are the two main reasons to use an apostrophe.
Contractions and Possession.
This error occurs when two sentences are joined with no punctuation at all.
Run-on sentence
This punctuation mark acts like a "signpost" to show something important is coming.
Colon (:).
This punctuation mark is used for strong emotions or forceful commands.
Exclamation mark (!)
Name the acronym used for coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so).
FANBOYS.
True or False: You should use an apostrophe for plurals like "cats" or "shoes.
False (Never use apostrophes for plurals).
Name two of the three ways to fix a comma splice or a run-on sentence.
Use a full stop; Use a conjunction; Use a semicolon.
Use this punctuation mark to separate items in a list that already contains commas.
Semicolon
Fix this: “Are you sure you want to do this,” asked Minnie?
“Are you sure you want to do this?” asked Minnie. (The question mark goes inside the speech marks)
Commas are used to surround this kind of "non-essential" information in a sentence.
Non-essential information
Turn "will not" into a contraction with the correct apostrophe placement.
Won't
Fix this run-on: I love coffee I drink it every morning.
I love coffee. I drink it every morning. (OR use a semicolon/conjunction)
Use a colon to connect two sentences when the second sentence does one of these three things
Explains, summarises, or expands on the first.
What is the rule about using a space before or after a question mark?
No space before; one space after.
Where does the comma go when using a "reporting clause" like Aisha said before a quote?
After the reporting clause (e.g., Aisha said, “...”).
Name two types of words that NEVER use apostrophes.
Plurals and Possessive Pronouns
Fix this comma splice: The dog barked loudly, I jumped in fright.
The dog barked loudly; I jumped in fright. (OR use a full stop/conjunction)
True or False: You should always use a capital letter after a colon or semicolon.
False (unless another capitalisation rule applies).