Better Writing & Punctuation By Janet Marsh V1.2

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2 Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 By Janet Marsh V1.2

3 INTRODUCTION The material contained in this pack is meant to supplement and enhance learning at Key Stages 3 or 4. The exercises and worksheets will enable teachers of English to offer practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. In addition, there will be opportunities to access background information where appropriate to enhance understanding and appreciation of texts. Every effort is made to ensure that the information provided in this publication is accurate. It is the policy of Coleridge Press to obtain permission on any copyright material in their publications. The publishers will be glad to make suitable arrangements with any copyright holders whom it has not been possible to contact. Purchasers may photocopy the sheets in this pack provided that they do so only for use within their own institution. ISBN Text by: Janet Marsh & Lesley McDonald Design and Layout by: David Jones Published by Coleridge Press Copyright Coleridge Press 2009 V1.2

4 Contents page 1 Pupil and teacher checklist page 2 1. Recognising verbs pages To be and to have page 6 3. Tenses pages Auxiliaries pages Infinitives pages Participles pages Verb test pages Compound sentences pages Complex sentences pages Adjectival clauses Clauses of reason Clauses of time Clauses of place Clauses of condition Clauses of concession 10. Building sentences pages Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 1 of 36

5 I know and can use the following: Simple verbs in sentences Differences between simple/compound sentences The verbs to be and to have Past tense of verbs Future tense of verbs Irregular verbs Auxiliary verbs Infinitives and participles Complex sentences Adjectival clauses Subordinate clauses My score for: Revision of Book 4 Test on Book 4 I think I have improved on the following I think I still need to work on the following Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 2 of 36

6 You know now that the verb is the key to what makes up a sentence - NO VERB, NO SENTENCE. So how do you spot one? It s easy to say a verb is a doing word when it s full of action like:- run climb sing dive ride Highlight or underline the verb in the following sentences. Put in any other punctuation necessary 1. she clutched her small sister by the hand 2. at the corner stood a little old lady 3. the dog shook the water from its coat 4. the traffic stopped completely at rush hour 5. correct punctuation improves your work 6. she slipped on the icy pavement 7. at gemmas birthday she cut the cake 8. ceri chose a new library book 9. t hey walked over two miles to the village 10. she posted a letter to her friend in germany Remember that not all sentences are simple. Some have more than one part or clause. Those with more than one clause will have more than one verb like this: Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 3 of 36

7 They walked over two miles to the village which lay in the valley Here there are 2 parts to the sentence and 2 verbs In fact you can tell what type of sentence you re looking at by the number of verbs 1 VERB = SIMPLE MORE THAN ONE = COMPOUND OR COMPLEX Now look at these sentences and highlight the verbs. Put in any other punctuation necessary 1. when she fell, she broke her arm 2. the animals went into the ark 3. after hed finished the chips he put the carton into the bin 4. because tom missed the bus he was punished 5. I want that back snapped mr evans 6. if you help me Ill buy you a cinema ticket 7. some people liked him others hated him 8. Ill need someone who helps me regularly on the shop 9. send me a postcard when you get there 10. in the hedge lay a small bird which i picked up Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 4 of 36

8 Now complete these sentences by choosing suitable verbs. Put in any other punctuation necessary 1. they always their gran on saturdays because she on her own 2. simon the ball towards neil who it in the net. the crowd 3. emma her brother five pounds and he then a phone card 4. mrs tomlin the carrots for the carrot cake 5. at the army towards the town a bomb suddenly Even though he for four hours gavin no fish at all and to go home 7. the verb in the sentence so that it out 8. when you bulbs in the ground you a deep hole so that the earth them properly 9. james along the river bank until he at the park 10. that day it heavily but the snowploughs the road and the traffic freely Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 5 of 36

9 THE VERBS to be and to have These are not so easy to spot because they are not ACTIONS e.g. I am we are You are they are I have we have You have they have They have Underline the being and having verbs in the following sentences. Put in any other punctuation necessary 1. the meal was cold 2. i am so sorry 3. they were very sorry for their bad behaviour 4. he has a terrible cold 5. mr jones was in a happy mood to-day 6. kate had dozens of presents for her birthday 7. you were very brave 8. i am sure you will like it 9. it is a long time since I saw you 10. when they left i was all on my own Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 6 of 36

10 VERBS AND THEIR TENSES If the action of the verb is happening NOW, we say it is in the PRESENT tense He goes she sings they know I am If the action of the verb has already happened, we say the verb is in the PAST tense If the action of the verb is going to happen in the future, we say that the verb is in the FUTURE tense. Usually in English the past tense is formed by adding ed to the main part of the verb e.g. love-loved walk- walked But sometimes the verb is an irregular verb and forms its past tense in a different way e.g. have - had spend - spent hear - heard Rewrite these sentences by changing the verb in brackets to the past tense. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. i (play) basketball for my college 2. ill (buy) new trainers with my birthday money 3. darren (drinks) a whole can of sprite in ten seconds Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 7 of 36

11 4. when jack (sees) an opportunity he (goes) for it 5. alice (puts) all her efforts into the game 6. aisha (breaks) the window when she (throws) a ball against it 7. when sam (takes) a chance it (pays) off 8. when i read a book I always (like) a happy ending 9. if he (fights) his brother he always (comes) off worse 10. helen (sends) a parcel to her friend who (lives) in the united states Now you can see that some verbs are regular in the past tense and some are irregular i.e. that don t just add ed Look at this list and write in the PAST tense of each of the verbs PRESENT PAST PRESENT PAST skip drink grow spend see jump catch sit stroll am push find receive fight is prove fall hear swim reads Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 8 of 36

12 THE FUTURE TENSE This is quite simple. You just add either SHALL or WILL in front of the INFINITIVE e.g. I go I shall go We read we shall read He sees he will see They are they will be You speak you will speak I and we are followed by SHALL and all other forms of the future use WILL Write the following sentences in the FUTURE tense. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. joanne teaches her little brother martin all the words to the song 2. i am fourteen in may 3. ryan played at right back on Saturday 4. it is the best birthday ever 5. you spent the day with your parents Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 9 of 36

13 AUXILIARIES- THE HELPERS To put a verb into another tense, you often need the help of another verb e.g. You will speak tells us that this action will happen in the future They have met shows us that this action took place in the past I am digging a hole tells us the action is in the present These AUXILIARY or helping verbs are formed from the verb TO BE and TO HAVE Is are was were shall be have been will In the following sentences, underline/highlight the 2 parts of the verb. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. susie is cooking a cake for tomorrow 2. i have seen her brother on television 3. she had introduced me to her cousin earlier that day 4. under the hedge we had found a bird s nest 5. we shall remember all their good deeds 6. raj and his sister are going to delhi next month 7. at midnight it will be a new year 8. tina had never known her grandmother 9. you will soon be home 10. pop idol had been his favourite programme all year Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 10 of 36

14 should would may might are also helping verbs, part of the CONDITIONAL mood. They suggest the POSSIBILITY of something happening I might come if I m free There should be enough places He may be given an award However, the form COULD OF WOULD OF MIGHT OF SHOULD OF does not exist. DO NOT USE IT!! What you need to write is MIGHT HAVE or MIGHT VE SHOULD HAVE or SHOULD VE MAY HAVE or MAY VE WOULD HAVE or WOULD VE Put the correct form of the CONDITIONAL into the following sentences. Add any other punctuation that is needed. 1. It..be possible to go to florida this summer if we save enough money 2. Jonathan.won the competition if he had entered it 3. If the film had been on at the cinema we.have gone to see it Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 11 of 36

15 THE INFINITIVE THE STEM All verbs are formed from THE INFINITIVE, the root of a verb, which in English is the main bit of the verb with the word to in front of it to win to run to climb to be Now put in a suitable form of the infinitive into each of the following sentences. Use whichever TENSE seems best. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. samantha l a new boy band who come from her home town (TO LIKE) 2. harry a six slices of birthday bake (TO EAT) and was immediately sick 3. the school g a thousand pounds to charity (TO GIVE) 4. the travellers l their way (TO LOSE) out in the countryside because it w (TO BE) so dark 5. i b (TO BEGIN) my new year resolution as soon as it (TO BE) january the first 6. my dad b (TO BUY) a brand new laptop Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 12 of 36

16 7. to be or not to be that i (TO BE) the question 8. neil t (TO TRY) out his new football boots at the game last Saturday 9. when I c (TO CLOSE) the door the sounds (TO STOP) immediately 10. their new single c (TO CLIMB) to the top of the charts straightaway Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 13 of 36

17 PARTICIPLES a. The PRESENT PARTICIPLE ends with the letters ing and is found after the auxiliary e.g. I am going they were reading Ann was leaving When these two parts of the verb appear together, the verb is complete or FINITE Underline only the present participle in the following sentences. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. the flood was already reaching their house on the river bank 2. harry was watching his local football team when the storm began 3. i am travelling to florida for christmas this year 4. i am having trouble with these verbs 5. they called for me when i was having a bath 6. she interrupted me when i was working 7. i ll get you one when i am ordering mine 8. nathan will be spending some time in detention if he gets into any more trouble Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 14 of 36

18 9. as she was hurrying to get the picture finished, she dropped water on it 10. i was pretending I hadnt seen him If a participle appears without an auxiliary, it isn t a complete or FINITE verb e.g. Running up the hill, I got a stitch Here the participle is on its own and is a shortened form of AS I WAS RUNNING UP THE HILL. Sometimes when you are asked to write a description, there is a tendency to use present participles and not the full verb e.g. The sun rising over the hills and spreading its beams over the countryside. Sounds good but this isn t actually a sentence. It should be: The sun was rising over the hill and spreading its beams over the countryside. A verb is only complete or FINITE if we have some idea of the tense or when the action occurred. But the present participle can be very useful on its own, especially to start to start a sentence e.g. Knowing him to be an early riser, I rang him at seven. You could have written this as I knew he was an early riser so I rang him at seven Or Because he was an early riser, I rang him at seven Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 15 of 36

19 Now rewrite these sentences replacing the parts in bold with a present participle e.g. He strolled along the beach. He found a bottle Strolling along the beach, he found a bottle Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. he parked the car too quickly. He hit a concrete post. 2. they whistled a song. They marched along 3. she flung the door wide open. She ran inside 4. i helped at the school play. I was given some free tickets. 5. they were bleeding from their injuries. They were helped into an ambulance. 6. she clasped my hand and she whispered in my ear. She told me where the treasure as hidden. 7. i hit my head in the low doorway. I passed out 8. i realised he hadn t seen me. I waved to him 9. he swerved to avoid a deep oily puddle. He narrowly missed another car 10. she rang up her friend. They had a good chat Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 16 of 36

20 b. THE PAST PARTICIPLE comes after I have seen We were summoned to the Head s office Jane had been in Spain Put in suitable past participles in the following sentences Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. she had all her money on a new top 2. I have not the new film at the Odeon 3. rhys and kyle have their work so miss shaw allowed them to go early 4. did you that box there I nearly fell over it 5. after the gardener had the new vegetable patch, mrs williams planted cabbages. Sometimes people use the wrong part of the verb, especially when speaking. e.g. I goes to the Youth Club Correct the following sentences by writing the correct form of the verb in the brackets. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. I have took her temperature ( ) 2. you must of been very annoyed ( ) 3. ben and sam said they never seen him at the party ( ) 4. I never done it honestly ( ) 5. She leant me ten pounds to buy the cd ( ) ( ) Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 17 of 36

21 6. They drunk most of the coke and all the dr pepper 7. When he studys he forgets all about time ( ) 8. We was watching tv when there was a power cut ( ) 9. yesterday the guide lead them into the caves and they were amazed at what they saw ( ) 10. they always trys to arrive on time but sometimes the train do let them down and don t arrive ( ) 11. he must of been thrilled to of been chosen for the first team match on Saturday ( ) 12. kayleigh often looses her dinner money and has to lend it off her friend ( ) 13. I might of come with you to town on Saturday if id knowed you was going ( ) 14. he seen his sister with her new boyfriend ( ) 15. as I come through the door I seen it lieing on the floor ( ) Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 18 of 36

22 REVISION OF VERBS - TEST A. Underline/ highlight the verbs in the following Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. the early bird catches the worm 2. simon is a fan of manchester united 3. i chose a birthday card for fiona and paid for it at the desk 4. you might slip on this icy pavement 5. did you remember her name i didn t 6. i cant wait for the next harry potter book 7. he asked if he could help me 8. bacon and eggs is my favourite breakfast 9. every cloud has a silver lining 10. the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog B. Rewrite each of the following with the verb in the PAST tense. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. i am going to auntie nitas after school today 2. little tommy tucker sings for his supper 3. at eleven o clock every night mr toms puts the cat out locks all the doors and switches off all the lights before he goes to bed Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 19 of 36

23 4. i shall be glad when it is all over 5. amy is writing so quickly nobody can read her writing 6. you are a good friend and you are always on my side 7. will you come to stay with us in cornwall 8. are you swimming in the pool or in the sea 9. saima wants a part in the play which is called a christmas carol 10. I am changing the tense into the past as you ask me to do C. Put suitable verbs in the gaps in the following sentences. Use whichever tense fits best. The rain..heavily for an hour as we..through the woods. At about eleven o clock,, the sun.through the clouds and began to.the muddy puddles. Jamie..us that we were not far from our destination and we..there by midday. Now write 3 sentences of your own IN THE PAST TENSE about Your favourite TV programmes e.g. I loved Postman Pat when I was younger Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 20 of 36

24 a. where you were born b. what you did last saturday c. what you did in first lesson this morning d. how you spent yesterday evening Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 21 of 36

25 D. Below is a list of INFINITIVES but they are quite dull and uninteresting. Choose 3 more interesting infinitives which mean the same and write them down To walk to stroll to to to to speak to to to to eat to to to to hit to to to Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 22 of 36

26 COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES Now you know about verbs, it s time to look at how COMPOUND AND COMPLEX SENTENCES are formed. Remember the rule: One finite verb = simple sentence More than one = compound or complex COMPOUND SENTENCES Jack slammed his sports bag on the table and stormed out of the room In this sentence there are two verbs and two clauses of equal importance in meaning. This is a compound sentence, one of the easiest to write. The COMPOUND sentence uses the joining words or CONNECTIVES and but so or Be careful not to overuse AND - it can be quite boring. It should also be used ONLY when the two clauses linked have strong connections, not just as a last add on to a simple sentence e.g. Meena met her friends in town and they went shopping makes a strong link between Meena s visit to town and the shopping, whereas Meena met her friends in town and it was almost Christmas. does not give us a close link between both parts of the sentence. Now add closely connected clauses of your own to the following 1. we took our purchases to the cash desk and 2. suddenly the boat struck a rock and 3. harry fell heavily on the black ice and Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 23 of 36

27 4. the teacher punished the girl for her bad behaviour and 5. dan cleaned his father s car and 6. the motor cycle came round the corner and 7. across the valley the storm was brewing and 8. i decided to leave my mobile at home and 9. the removal van pulled up outside the empty house and 10. the parcel was an awkward shape and The connective BUT is used to suggest a contrast e.g. The band wasn t very good but we enjoyed the party. I put on my raincoat but I still got wet. Complete these sentences by adding a clause to the following. Put in any other punctuation necessary. 1. but it did not matter Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 24 of 36

28 2. but i couldn t find the answer 3. but he was caught by the police 4. but she couldn t afford it 5. but it rained all day 6. but the train had already left 7. but by that time they had none left 8. but the queues were too long. OR and SO These are useful connectives but don t overuse them. It can be very boring to read a piece of writing where the only joining words used are AND and SO e.g. They had a really good time at Christmas and enjoyed the good food and presents. They went to Grandma s house on Christmas Day for lunch so they had to open their presents before they left home. Jamie had a Playstation and Sophie had lots of new clothes so she put a new top on before leaving. Their parents had invited some friends round in the morning so even more presents were exchanged and there was a bit of a rush to get to Gran s by one o clock. Varying the connectives you use and the way you write your sentences makes a considerable difference to your level or grade Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 25 of 36

29 COMPLEX SENTENCES So far we have looked at clauses that have been of equal importance. Now we re going to look at clauses that are less important than the main clause or SUBORDINATE. You can see that you can build up a sentence from one simple sentence or MAIN CLAUSE and add different types of CLAUSES to make COMPLEX sentences. Adjectival Clauses These tell you more about a noun in a sentence and using these correctly is one of the best way to develop your sentences. She bought the shoes is a simple sentence and a main clause. You can use another clause to tell us something about the shoes She bought the shoes which were red. She bought the shoes which were like Maxine s. She bought the shoes which she d wanted for ages. The dog barked loudly. Or The dog whose name was Rusty barked loudly. The dog who had been tied up in the yard barked loudly. Other useful CONJUNCTIONS are who whom whose which that These introduce RELATIVE CLAUSES which tell us more about a noun in the main clause. o This is the man who lives next door. Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 26 of 36

30 o o o He put down the parcel which he was carrying. You can use these RELATIVE PRONOUNS to join short sentences but sometimes you need to change the words a little e g.: I tried out the new recipe. My mother gave it to me. o I tried out the new recipe WHICH my mother gave me. o I bought her some tulips for Mothers Day. It is on March 14 th. o I bought her some tulips for Mothers Day WHICH is on March 14 th. NOW TRY THIS Add ADJECTIVAL CLAUSES to the following main clauses to extend the sentence 1. there goes the girl 2. the rabbit ran away quickly. 3. the book had sold out in Waterstones. 4. they went to see the film 5. she finally got a job 6. the meal was set out beautifully in the dining room 7. i picked up the newspaper 8. the watch was a birthday present 9. i hurried past the house 10. nobody likes the new girl Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 27 of 36

31 REASON Using the CONJUNCTIONS/CONNECTIVES for as since because. This tells us WHY something happens she drank the cup of tea gratefully for she hadn t had a drink since breakfast time we saved all our pocket money as we were going on holiday soon since it was very cold, she put on boots and a scarf before leaving the house You did it because you had to Now add your own clause of REASON to the following main clauses 1. the prize was given to him because 2. as maria she saved up all her money 3. I will not go out with him because 4. I decided to wait for her as 5. because james stood in the bus shelter Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 28 of 36

32 TIME Using the CONJUNCTIONS before since as while when until after This tells us WHEN something happens o i haven t seen her since she moved into our neighbourhood o o o o As the bus was pulling away, she jumped on He did his homework while he listened to his new CD. Until I see you next, I ll be thinking of you. When I rang the number, it was engaged. Now add a clause of TIME to each of these main clauses. 1. we were not allowed to leave our seats while 2. they managed to get tickets for the gig after 3. while, they sat on the deck 4. i will pick you up in the car when 5. you must not move it until Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 29 of 36

33 6. when my brother went scuba diving 7. they applauded the singers while 8. the children waited in the car while 9. when, he booked a summer holiday for the whole family 10. after.they gave all their collection to children in need Add your own clauses of TIME to the following main clauses 1. the car ran out of control when 2. until he is not allowed out in the evening 3. you must mix the ingredients thoroughly before 4. the sun appeared from behind the clouds after Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 30 of 36

34 5. you can t possibly carry all those boxes while PLACE Using the CONJUNCTIONS where wherever This tell us WHERE something happens o You must look carefully to see where you are going. o Wherever he goes he makes friends. Now add clauses of PLACE to the following main clauses 1. they put the box where 2. is this the shop where 3. wherever he he buys souvenirs of his travels 4. please watch where 5. sue had no idea where Now add a MAIN clause to these clauses of PLACE 1. where I caught the flu 2. where the ship wreck was discovered Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 31 of 36

35 3. wherever the pied piper went 4. wherever the pop star appeared in public 5. where he met a friend from his school CONDITION Using the CONJUNCTIONS if whether This tells us ON WHAT CONDITION something might happen o o If you follow the instructions carefully you will succeed Mary didn t know whether she would be allowed to go Add clauses of CONDITION to the following main clauses 1. he would look quite handsome if 2. i asked him whether 3. the shop will be closed if 4. if there is room 5. i will be buying a new computer game if Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 32 of 36

36 CONCESSION Using the CONJUNCTIONS although in spite of however This shows us A CONTRAST BETWEEN WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT TO HAPPEN AND WHAT IN FACT OCCURS o He got full marks in the test although he was the youngest in the class. o However hard he tried, he simply couldn t make it into the team. Add clauses of CONCESSION to the following 1. he did not come to her party although 2. the ambulance did not arrive although 3. although Dale, he was very popular in school 4. she simply could not understand the maths homework, however 5. the prisoner was not sent to prison although Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 33 of 36

37 NOTE The CONJUNCTION which introduces a SUBORDINATE clause can be used at the beginning of the sentence or in the middle: o Although he didn t want to, he got up early to catch the train. o He got up early to catch the train although he didn t want to. REMEMBER! Use a mixture of SIMPLE and COMPLEX sentences Use some ADJECTIVAL CLAUSES to add interest to your sentences Don t overuse AND as a CONJUNCTION Never use COMMAS to join sentences NOW TRY THIS A. See if you can build up COMPLEX sentences of your own based on the following formulae e.g. MAIN CLAUSE + ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 34 of 36

38 I bought the game that had been recommended in the magazine. a) CLAUSE OF TIME+ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE b) CLAUSE OF CONDITION+MAIN CLAUSE+ADJECTIVAL c) MAIN CLAUSE+ MAIN CLAUSE d) MAIN CLAUSE+ CLAUSE OF PLACE e) CLAUSE OF CONCESSION+ MAIN CLAUSE f) MAIN CLAUSE+ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE g) MAIN CLAUSE+ CLAUSE OF CONDITION+CLAUSE OF TIME h) MAIN CLAUSE+ ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE i) CLAUSE OF REASON+MAIN CLAUSE j) CLAUSE OF TIME+ ADJECTIVAL CLAUSE+MAIN CLAUSE B. Now make up a simple sentence of your own a compound sentence a paragraph of 4 sentences using a mixture of simple, compound and complex sentences. Remember your paragraph must make sense and sentences must connect with each other. Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 35 of 36

39 DON T BE AFRAID TO USE SOME SIMPLE SENTENCES! o o o as the opening sentence in a paragraph to create impact and tension in your writing for variety when use alongside complex sentences He just stood there. His matted hair was wet and tangled. Strands of it stuck to his damp forehead. His clothes were shiny with the rain that dripped regularly on to the carpet where he stood. JANE woke from her troubled sleep suddenly and, sitting bolt upright in bed, listened to the soft scraping sound outside he door. Her heart thumped against her ribcage. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. Was she about to find out the identity of the mysterious night prowler at last? She hoped not. NOW TRY THIS Using a mixture of different types of sentences, write the opening paragraph of the following stories: Home Alone The House on the Hill Trapped! Better Writing & Punctuation Booklet 4 Page 36 of 36