unit10 Punctuation
objectives
At the end of the unit you will be able to
1. understand more dearly the function of punctuation;
2. know how to end a sentence,how to join sentences,and how to punctuate a sentence;
3. know how to write a condusion for a short composition.
Part1 Warm-up Activities
1. Work in pairs to punctuate the short essay below.student A looks at file1 and student B looks at file2.
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File 1 Punctuate the first half of the passage and check your punctuation with your partner. Best teacher I ever had Mr. Whitson taught sixth grade science on the first day of class he gave us a lecture about a creature called the cattywampus an ill adapted nocturnal animal that was wiped out during the ice age he passed around a skull as he talked we all took notes and later had a quiz. When he returned my paper I was shocked.There was a big red x through each of my answers I hand failed. There had to mistake I had written down exactly what Mr. Whitson said Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed What had happened. Very simple Mr. Whitson explained, He had made up all that stuff about the cattywampus There had never been any such animal The information in our notes was therefore incorrect Did we expect credit for incorrect answers Needless to say we were outraged.What kind of test was this And what kind of teacher We should have figured it out,Mr. Whitson said. After all,at the very moment he was passing around the cattywampus skull(in truth.a cat’s),hadn’t he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained? He had described its amazing night vision,the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldn’t have known.He had give the animal a ridiculous name, and we still had not been suspicious. The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book, he said.And they were. Mr. Whitson said hehoped we would learn something from this experience. Teachers and textbooks are not infallible. In fact, no one is. He told us not to let our minds go to sleep, and to speak up if we ever thought he or the textbook was wrong. Though I haven’t made any great scientific discoveries in my life,Mr. Whitson’s class gave me and my classmates something just as important: the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they are wrong.
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PARTⅡ Focus
Functions of punctuation
In the warm_up Activities you’ve tried to punctuate part of a passage. Compare the punctuated version with the unpunctuated one and see how each affects comprehension. What do you think is the purpose of punctuation?
Punctuation can facilitate comprehension. Punctuation marks offer the reader the hesitations,pauses,whispers,and shouts that are common to speech. More importantly,they show the relationships between ideas and emphasize those ideas that are important.
As a writer, we should keep in mind that our primary goal of using punctuation is for clarity:our readers should be able to understand our intentions without stumbling over excess punctuation marks or passing over pauses that should have been signaled by additional punctuation smooth,uncluttered sentence containing just the necessary punctuation is what every writer should strive for.
How to end a sentence
1.Work in pairs and write down the punctuation marks that can be used to end a sentence. Lustrate the usage of each punctuation mark with a sentence.
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2.End the following sentences with appropriate punctuation marks.
1) I asked:”Do you know who he is”
2) The author mentions his aunt in the novel, but who is his aunt
3)She wants to know how to get in touch with him now
4) He asked me if you would like to come tot the party next week
3.What is wrong with the note below? Work in pairs to revise it.
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Sam, You can never imagine how excited I was when I opened the gift! An MP4 player of the latest model! That’s really amazing! You do know me! Thanks a million times for the gift! Whish you a fair journey! Kelly |
How to join sentences of equal weight
Work in pairs to punctuate the sentences below if necessary.
1) The picture dimmed the sound faded the lights failed.
2) For fifteen years the photograph had been kept in the attic even Mom forgot it.
3) I labored hard on an essay and after handing it in I waited anxiously for the teacher’s response.
4) It was impossible to stand up straight so like Isabel I stayed in a crouched position.
5) The bell rang and everyone left.
6) The accountant checked the figures again as a result, the mistake was discovered.
7) The teacher marked the mistakes in the compositions however no student paid attention to the marks.
8) Granddad’s Irish heritage came out in his love for the language during the week he used“everyday talk” but on Saturday he spoke only the finest English.
Now, can you summarize the rules of the punctuation marks used for joining sentences?
How to punctuate within a sentence
A. Sentence beginners
1. Work in pairs and punctuate the sentences below if necessary.
1) Well you know what I mean.
2) On Old Johnson Street there is a house of circus.
3) The short man dressed in black Richard invited the three of us to watch his family set up their temporary fall camp.
4) Last summer we went to Xinjiang for holiday.
5) In 2002 Shanghai won the bidding to host the World Expo 2010.
6) Before the car had stopped rolling over the officers went out with their hands on their guns.
Now, can you summarize the rules of setting off sentence beginners with punctuation marks?
2. Work in pairs to punctuate the sentences below and make changes where necessary.
1) Several countries participated in the rescue operation Italy Belgium France and Luxembourg
2)What we want are the primary colors red blue and yellow.
3)The President began with an announcement “Ladies and gentlemen we feel honored to have Mr. Kofi Annan Secretary General od the UK with us today”
4)The marketing strategies have proven ineffective we have failed to attract as many new customers as expected though we have exceeded our budget.
Now, can you summarize the rules of the punctuation mark based on the above sentences?
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B. Parentheses
1.Work in pairs to punctuate the sentences below.
1) The local hospital has been and always is at the heart of the community.
2)The book I regret to say needs revising.
3) My tutor who had to sign the program card was hard to find.
4) There pictures an oil a drawing and a watercolor hung on the east wall.
5)By the time the speech was over it lasted almost three hours I was dozing in my chair.
6) His last film The Rainbow lacks imagination
7) Each of the flats there are two bedrooms in each hours some ten students.
Now, can you summarize the rules of the punctuation marks for parentheses?
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