Punctuation | Year 6 English PDF Download

Why do you need punctuation?

• Punctuation plays a crucial role in our writing. It prevents our sentences from becoming chaotic strings of letters and words and helps readers navigate text smoothly.
• Full stops are essential at the end of most sentences. They signal the reader to pause, take a breath, and transition to the next sentence. They help structure information clearly.
• However, sentences can end with other punctuation marks too, such as question marks or exclamation marks.

Role of Full Stops

• Full stops are essential at the end of most sentences as they signal the reader to pause, take a breath, and prepare for the next sentence.
• They help in dividing information into manageable chunks, aiding in comprehension.
• Example of Full Stops
  • 'I love tennis.'
  • 'I love rugby.'
  • 'I love lots of other sports.'

Sentences

Full stops are versatile in creating various sentence lengths and types, each affecting the reader differently.

• Longer sentences are employed for detailed descriptions or explanations.
• Shorter sentences, on the other hand, are used for impact, emphasizing points, or building tension, such as "She stopped suddenly."

Using Commas

Commas play various roles:

• They help create a list.
• They indicate a pause in the sentence.
• They break up long sentences into more manageable parts.

Creating Lists

• Lists are helpful for grouping related items or topics together.
• For example: "I enjoy playing tennis, rugby, and other sports."
• The order of items in a list can impact the sentence's emphasis. For instance, "Jessica aimed to pass her exams, attend University, and become a doctor."

Indicating Pauses

• Commas can change the meaning of a sentence significantly.
• For example: "Let's eat, Lucy." (inviting Lucy to eat) vs. "Let's eat Lucy." (suggesting eating Lucy).
• When unsure about comma placement, try reading the sentence aloud and place commas where you would naturally pause.

Breaking Up Lengthy Sentences

• Commas are useful for separating additional information in long sentences, making them easier to understand.
• A clause forms the basis of a sentence, and commas can help segment sentences with multiple clauses for clarity.
  • 'When Josh saw the food, his stomach started to grumble.'
  • 'Josh used to stay up late playing video games, but then his mum found out.'
• A subordinate clause consists of a subject and a verb but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. Subordinate clauses are dependent on the main clause for context and meaning, hence the need for a comma to connect them.

Question Marks

• Question marks are punctuation marks placed at the end of sentences to indicate that a question is being asked. They are essential for conveying queries and seeking information.
• Questions typically begin with words like "who," "what," "where," "when," or "why." These words signal to the reader that an inquiry is being made.
• For example: "Where is the nearest library?"

Exclamation Marks

• Exclamation marks, on the other hand, are used to express strong emotions such as surprise, excitement, force, or anger. They help convey the tone and sentiment behind a sentence.
• By using exclamation marks, writers can make it clear to readers the intensity of certain emotions or actions within the text.
• For example: "Wow! That was an amazing performance!"