Apostrophes and speech punctuation revision | English

Starter quiz

Match the words to their synonyms.
- local
  
  ⇔
  
  nearby ✓
- common
  
  ⇔
  
  ordinary ✓
- juicy
  
  ⇔
  
  succulent ✓
- rough
  
  ⇔
  
  coarse ✓
Choose the right prefix to create an antonym of each word.
- dis
  
  ⇔
  
  contented ✓
- un
  
  ⇔
  
  believable ✓
- im
  
  ⇔
  
  mortal ✓
- mis
  
  ⇔
  
  fortune ✓
Which word from this word family could complete the sentence? 'His __________ overwhelmed him and he sunk to his knees.'
- sad
- sadly
- sadness ✓
- sadity
What does the word 'them' refer to in this sentence? 'Me and Sam saw Alex and Jun and I waved at them.'
- I
- me
- Alex and Jun ✓
- Me and Sam
What word class is 'hers' in this sentence? 'That's my flat and this one is hers.'
- a subordinating conjunction
- a possessive pronoun ✓
- a relative pronoun
- a preposition
What are the three prepositions in this sentence? 'For three days, we worked on our essays and then we went to the beach.'
- for ✓
- we
- on
- our ✓
- to ✓

Tick the sentences that use an apostrophe for a contracted form.
- She'll be here in a minute. ✓
- The boy's hat was all askew.
- They've given me a lot to think about. ✓
- The children's coats were hung on their pegs.
- It's ridiculous how often I have to say this! ✓
Which of these contracted forms have the apostrophe in the correct position?
- theyd'
- should've ✓
- should'nt
- wasn't ✓
Which sentence is the most formal?
- Let's get a move on, guys.
- I suggest we move more quickly now. ✓
- Shall we get going?
- Time to get your things together, people!
Match each sentence to the possession it shows.
- The girls' shoes were black.
  
  ⇔
  
  There is more than one girl. ✓
- The girl's beliefs were odd.
  
  ⇔
  
  There is only one girl. ✓
- The tree's branches broke.
  
  ⇔
  
  There is only one tree. ✓
- The trees' leaves fell off.
  
  ⇔
  
  There is more than one tree. ✓
Which speech sentences are punctuated correctly?
- "Can I go out asked Jun."
- "When will you be ready?" asked Alex. ✓
- Sam asked "can we leave yet?"
- Sofia wondered, "Is it time to go?" ✓
Which version of the sentence is correctly punctuated?
- Mr Martinez is always saying, "Just do your best"
- Mr Martinez is always saying, "just do your best!"
- Mr Martinez is always saying, "Just do your best!" ✓
- Mr Martinez is always saying "just do your best!"

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An apostrophe is an important punctuation mark with more than one purpose.
Speech sentences can be punctuated a variety of ways: speech first, speech second and speech interrupted.
When we avoid using apostrophes for contraction and use serious language, we can create a formal tone.

Pupils may struggle to correctly use the apostrophe for plural possession.

Remind pupils that whenever the noun doing the possessing ends in s, the apostrophe goes after the s.

Apostrophe for contraction - a punctuation mark used to contract two words together
Apostrophe for possession - a punctuation mark used to show if a noun belongs to another noun
Inverted commas - a pair of punctuation marks that signal direct speech to the reader
Direct speech - the term used for a character speaking out loud in a text
Formal tone - the effect created by choosing serious, factual language