Fix It Writing 02

Writing and punctuating sentences SESSION 02: ENDING SENTENCES

Objectives:

• to mark the beginnings and endings of sentences correctly

• to recognise and write units of sense (sentences)

• to understand the purpose of basic punctuation marks.

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​Objectives

ENDING SENTENCES

​Using full stops

It is very easy to keep writing, and to forget to include all the full stops we need in our writing. Here is an example:

The fair wasn’t crowded we could go on all the big rides because there were no queues.

This sentence is actually two sentences, but there is no punctuation between the two sentences. Where would you put the full stop?

ENDING SENTENCES

What is a sentence?

A sentence is a group of words which are grammatically connected to each other and usually includes a subject and a verb. It may not tell you everything you need to know, but it makes sense. For example, this is a sentence:

People shrieked on the rides.

This sentence has a ‘doer’ (a subject) People and an action (a verb) shrieked.

​Sort out the sentences

​Read through the pairs of sentences that follow and add the punctuation that is needed. You will need to use full stops and capital letters.

Work with your partner!

Open Ended

more and more people arrived It got much more crowded and it felt lively

More and more people arrived. It got much more crowded and it felt lively.

Open Ended

people laughed and shrieked on the rides or gobbled pizza and ice-cream from the food stands Music was blaring from the loud speakers

People laughed and shrieked on the rides or gobbled pizza and ice-cream from the food stands. Music was blaring from the speakers.

Open Ended

the queues for the rides went past the entrance gates people ate snacks and sat on the floor while they waited

The queues for the rides went past the entrance gates. People ate snacks and sat on the floor while they waited.

Open Ended

a bell rang to let everyone know a show was starting at the lake the acrobats fell from high above

  A bell rang to let everyone know a show was starting at the lake. The acrobats fell from high above.

Open Ended

it started to rain so people headed to the exit they stopped at the shop for souvenirs on their way out

  It started to rain so people headed to the exit. They stopped at the shop for souvenirs on their way out.

Open Ended

all the lights came on as darkness fell I had had a great time

All the lights came on as darkness fell. I had had a great time

ENDING SENTENCES

​Some problems:

​• Run-on sentences, where students omit full stops such as the ones omitted in this exercise.

• Comma-splicing, where students write in commas rather than full stops (which is also covered in Chapter 3, Commas).

• Misuse of capital letters, where these occur unnecessarily mid-sentence.

ENDING SENTENCES

​Sentences sometimes end with exclamation marks or question marks. Exclamations are used at the end of sentences to show a strong emotion such as surprise, horror or excitement, or which include a command or order. Question marks are used at the end of sentences which ask a question.

There are four sentences below. End each of these with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.

1.      How much did the ice-cream cost

2.      More and more people arrived

3.      Look out

4.      What an enormous queue

Open Ended

How much did the ice-cream cost

Open Ended

1.      More and more people arrived

Open Ended

Look out

Open Ended

What an enormous queue

ENDING SENTENCES

​Your own sentences

Now write out some of your own sentences about a fairground. Practise writing a range of sentences, so that you include questions and exclamations too.

Use exclamation marks (!), question marks (?) and full stops (.) to end the sentences.

Open Ended

Now write out some of your own sentences about a fairground. Practise writing a range of sentences, so that you include questions and exclamations too.

Open Ended

Now write out some of your own sentences about a fairground. Practise writing a range of sentences, so that you include questions and exclamations too.

Open Ended

Now write out some of your own sentences about a fairground. Practise writing a range of sentences, so that you include questions and exclamations too.

Open Ended

Now write out some of your own sentences about a fairground. Practise writing a range of sentences, so that you include questions and exclamations too. Use exclamation marks, question marks and full stops to end the sentences.

Open Ended

Now write out some of your own sentences about a fairground. Practise writing a range of sentences, so that you include questions and exclamations too. Use exclamation marks, question marks and full stops to end the sentences.

What have you learned?

Write down two important things you have learned in this session.

Say how you will use that learning before the next session.

I will check through longer writing tasks in my exercise books. If there are sentences missing full stops, I will write these in.

​I can use full stops at the end of sentences

Open Ended

What have you learned?