Quotations Homework

Due Friday 13th March

For each of the quotations given below, underline the words that are ‘working the hardest’ to help create an image of the stranger or the Pied Piper. It may be a quotation that describes what he looks like, or it may tell the reader something about his personality, character or actions.

Label the words you have chosen with your interpretation of what the words mean. Think deeply about why the writer selected that particular word – what may they have been suggesting? You may be able to label the types of words chosen, or the technique that the writer has used.

Do this in your books, so that you have room to write the quotation in the centre of your page. An example has been done for you. 

TIP: It can be helpful to use a dictionary or thesaurus to look up the words you underline. Even if you know what they mean, it can give you alternative  words to use in your analysis, or make you think about the effect the writer wanted to create

1.    STRANGER: And everyone has so much to say, so much that they care about. But I wonder… who cares about Becky… and who cares about Jan?

2.    “And I chiefly use my charm

On creatures that do people harm”

3.    “And he himself was tall and thin,

With sharp, blue eyes, each like a pin.”

4.    STRANGER: But don’t worry, I know what it’s like. I was always the one who didn’t fit in. But it didn’t bother me – don’t let it bother you. You don’t need the likes of them. You’ve got more to offer than them. 

8YNE Semi-Colon homework sheet 2

Using Semi-Colons and Colons Sheet 2

 

How did you get on with the questions for your homework? How is your understanding of these punctuation marks now? This homework requires you to mark your own work, consolidate (strengthen) your understanding and assess how much more work you need to do in this area.   

 

Ron and Hermione were a very good audience; they gasped in all the right places and, when Harry told them what was under Quirrell’s turban, Hermione screamed out loud.

 

Q: This is a good example of where a semi-colon has replaced a connective. What connective words or phrases could you have used instead?

 

A: The semi-colon in the sentence above could be replaced by ‘because’ or ‘as’. The fact that they ‘gasped in all the right places’ shows that they were a good audience.

 

Ron and Hermione were a very good audience because / as they gasped in all the right places and, when Harry told them what was under Quirrell’s turban, Hermione screamed out loud.

 

Although using a connective still makes sense here, you can see that the original sentence is stronger. The pause caused by the semi-colon slows the sentence down and allows us to take on board the full meaning.

 

A little extra: Notice that commas are used to add an optional phrase in this sentence: if you take out what’s inside the commas, it still make sense.

 

Ron and Hermione were a very good audience because they gasped in all the right places and Hermione screamed out loud.

 TASK ANSWERS:

 

1.    Answer the following questions in your exercise books, using full sentences for your answers.

a.    Instead of a semi-colon, you can use either a full-stop or a connective.

b.    There must be a main clause either side of the semi-colon.

c.    Semi-colons are never necessary. You can choose to use them, or you can choose to stick with a full-stop or a connective.

d.    A colon is a signal that you are going to introduce something.

e.    Here are 4 things that a colon can introduce: an example, a list, a quotation and an explanation.

 

2.    For each of the sentences below, decide whether the gap needs filling with a comma, full-stop, semi-colon or colon.

a.    Clare is a lovely girl: gentle and kind.

b.    Clare is a lovely girl, a smashing cook and a thoughtful parent.

c.    Clare is a lovely girl; she knows just what to say in a crisis.

d.    Clare is a lovely girl. I think I will have to marry her. OR Clare is a lovely girl; I think I will have to marry her.

Here are some possible answers to the next questions. The ones with an asterisk (*) are ones you may not have thought of, but I have included them here to show you how much you can play around with sentences.

 

a)     The girl was obsessed with television there was no wonder her parents were worried.

The girl was obsessed with television. There was no wonder her parents were worried.

The girl was obsessed with television so there was no wonder her parents were worried.

* There was no wonder her parents were worried: the girl was obsessed with television.

 

b)   As I turned round, I heard a loud thump the cat had upset the goldfish bowl.

As I turned around, I heard a loud thump. The cat had upset the goldfish bowl.

As I turned around, I heard a loud thump because the cat had upset the goldfish bowl.

*I heard a loud thump. As I turned around I saw that the cat had upset the goldfish bowl.

 

c)    The hill was covered in wild flowers it was a beautiful sight.

The hill was covered in wild flowers; it was a beautiful sight.

The hill was covered in wild flowers. It was a beautiful sight.

The hill was covered in wild flowers so it was a beautiful sight.

*It was a beautiful sight: the hill was covered in wild flowers.   

 

d)   The dog snarling and growling snapped at me.

The dog, snarling and growling, snapped at me.

*Snarling and growling, the dog snapped at me.

 

3.    * Optional task. If you attempted this task, go back to it now and proof-read it carefully. Read it out loud, paying attention to every single punctuation mark. Put a tick above the ones you are certain are correct. Correct any that you know you have got wrong, and put a question mark above those you are unsure of.

How did you do? Tick one of the following boxes so I can measure how much work we need to do on this:

 

¨ I am a punctuation wizard. There is nothing I don’t know.

¨ I am fairly confident that I can amaze Mrs Desai with my punctuation power.

¨ I understand more than I did before but my punctuation powers need a bit more work.

¨ I am confused.com. Please save me from punctuation panic.

8YNE Commas homework sheet 2

Don’t Splice me!

Comma homework answer sheet

How did you get on with the questions for your homework? How is your understanding of the comma now? This homework requires you to mark your own work, consolidate (strengthen) your understanding and assess how much more work you need to do in this area.  

Here are some suggested answers to the questions on last week’s homework. Each of the suggestions below is correct (there is more than one way to write a sentence!) You don’t have to have written all of the ones that I have, but the ones you have written need to be correct. Mark your work and pay attention to the ones you get wrong. If you don’t get any wrong, well done!

 

1.      I went to the market to buy some wool, it was really busy.

a.      I went to the market to buy some wool but it was really busy.

b.      I went to the market to buy some wool. It was really busy.

 

2.      Commas were a real problem, they kept getting them wrong.

a.      Commas were a real problem because they kept getting them wrong.

b.      Commas were a real problem as they kept getting them wrong.

c.       Commas were a real problem. They kept getting them wrong.

d.      Commas were a real problem: they kept getting them wrong.

 

3.      He crept up the stairs slowly, he could hear the wind howling outside.

a.      He crept up the stairs slowly. He could hear the wind howling outside.

b.      He crept up the stairs slowly with the wind howling outside.

c.       He crept up the stairs slowly as the wind howled outside.

 

4.      Slowly, she entered the room, everyone was waiting for her.

a.      Slowly, she entered the room. Everyone was waiting for her.  (Note – the first comma is correct as it is a fronted adverbial)

b.      Slowly, she entered the room whilst everyone was waiting for her.

c.       Slowly, she entered the room because everyone was waiting for her.

5.      I went to the medical room, I had hurt my shoulder during Rugby.

a.      I went to the medical room because I had hurt my shoulder during Rugby.

b.      I went to the medical room. I had hurt my shoulder during Rugby.

c.       I went to the medical room as I had hurt my shoulder during Rugby.

d.      I went to the medical room after I had hurt my should during Rugby.

 

2.  Here is the paragraph, with the correct punctuation. Mark your own version and see if you got it right.  

They walked up to the ancient ruin. It was twilight and the shadows were gathering fast.  It was very difficult to make out the footpath that led up to the grand portcullis of the castle.  The rickety drawbridge groaned in the evening wind and swung eerily over the empty moat. It was tempting to just turn and go home. They did not want to go there but they had no choice. In the castle their host was awaiting them.

 

How did you do? Tick one of the following boxes so I can measure how much work we need to do on this:

 

¨ I am a punctuation wizard. There is nothing I don’t know.

¨ I am fairly confident that I can amaze Mrs Desai with my punctuation power.

¨ I understand more than I did before but my punctuation powers need a bit more work.

¨ I am confused.com. Please save me from punctuation panic.

 

Spelling Homework for library lesson

Spelling homework until Easter

Spend 20 minutes over the week (4 blocks of 5 minutes is better than 1 block of 20 minutes) learning 5 spellings until you are completely confident with them.

Week 1: Take 5 spellings from your English book that have been marked as incorrect. Write down the correct spelling on your spelling sheet. Use a dictionary to make sure you have copied it correctly. Practice them using a method that works well for you. If you do not have enough incorrect spellings in your book, or you want to push yourself, there is a list of common spelling errors below. You will be tested in the library lesson.

Week 2: If you got all of week 1’s spellings correct, take 5 more from your book. If not, keep the ones you got wrong on your list, then make it up to 5 with more from your book, or from the list below.

Week 3/4: Continue as above.

Super-hard Spellings: 1. Embarrassment 2. Fluorescent 3. Accommodate 4. Psychiatrist 5. Occasionally   6. Necessary 7. Questionnaire 8. Mischievous 9. Rhythm 10. Minuscule 11. Conscience  12. Xylophone 13. Pronunciation 14. Graffiti 15. Millennium 16. Occurrence 17. Exhilarate 

18. Restaurant 19. Accessory 20. Guarantee 21. License 22. Separate 23. Believe 24. Colleague 

25. Definite 26. Humorous 27. Weird 28. Symphony 29. Illicit                   30. Species 31. Appearance 32. Possession 33.  Vacuum 34. Changeable 35. Queue   36. Acquire 37. Receipt 38. Receive 39. Difficulty 40. Foreign 41. Discipline                    42. Equipment 43. Business 44. Relevant 45. Beautiful 46. Technology                            47. Neighbour 48. Friend 49. Religious 50. Government

 

Ways of remembering spellings

1.      Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

2.      Write out repeatedly (joined up writing helps with this process)

3.      Finger spell in the air

4.      Find a word in a word (separate… a rat )

5.      Use a mnemonic: big elephants can’t always use small exits

6.      Use scrabble tiles. Jumble, then rearrange

7.      Draw pictures inside the word (accommodation)

8.      Pronounce it in an exaggerated way: Feb-roo-ary

9.      Break it down into syllables (different colour for each syllable can help)

10.   Find the root word – what are the prefixes and suffixes? Antidisestablishmentarianism

11.   Write the word vertically instead of horizontally

12.   Write the word, missing a letter each time

13. Use a rhyme / say the letter names aloud: mississipi, difficulty