THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 1 1. Write down all the adverbs in the sentence below. Quietly the cat followed the mouse and then suddenly pounced on it. 2 marks 2. Choose one word to complete the sentence below. Please wait here... the doctor calls you. (a) during (b) until (c) between (d) while 3. Choose the mostly likely punctuation mark to end the second sentence. That s dangerous. Stop it immediately (a) a full stop (b) a question mark (c) an exclamation mark 4. What punctuation mark do we use to separate the items in a list? (a) full stop (b) comma (c) question mark (d) exclamation mark 5. The sentences below each have an error. The errors are underlined. Write the correction in the space after each sentence. (a) I m sorry, but I don t knew the answer. (b) Yesterday we are taking the train to Margate. (c) If I d had more time, I would help you.
6. In the sentences below, choose whether (a) or (b) is the subordinate clause. 1. Although it was raining heavily, we played the match. (a) (b) 2. We had dinner before we went to the cinema. (a) (b) 7. Complete these sentences by choosing either I or me. (a) Jon and are going to Florida at Easter. (b) The teacher asked to take the register to the office. (c) Between you and, I wouldn t go there. (d) Sit down and listen to. 8. Add a prefix to make each underlined word its opposite in meaning. (a) I m really sorry, but I have to agree with you this time. (b) Nothing s possible if you try hard enough. (c) Stealing is legal. (d) That beautiful vase is replaceable. 9. Complete this sentence with a contraction that makes sense. Dad tried his best but he repair my bicycle. 10. Rewrite the sentence below in the passive voice. Begin with the underlined words. Frank Lampard took the penalty for Chelsea. Challenge question! Explain why a semi-colon has been used in the sentence below.
It rained very heavily; we were all soaked to the skin. THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 2 2 marks 1. In the sentence below, after which two words should a comma be placed. My dog a black and white terrier is called Buster. (a) dog (b) black (c) terrier (d) called 2. In the sentence below, where should an apostrophe be used? Im sad to have to tell you that the dog has broken its leg. 3 Write the correct form of the underlined verb in the sentence below. Hans is learning English for two years now. 4 Write a short question beginning with the words below. How often.? 5. Write the letter S, Q or C most appropriate to describe these sentences. (a) Sit down and stop talking! (b) Madrid is the capital city of Spain. (c) Do you think we ll get there on time? 6. The sentence below is in direct speech. Rewrite the sentence in indirect speech. Begin with the words given. Don t do that, I told him. I told him. 7. Identify whether the nouns below are (a) common (b) proper (c) abstract (d) collective 1. We saw a troupe of monkeys swing through the trees. 2. The capital city of Wales is Cardiff.
3. Stand back and give him some air to breathe. 4. Isaac showed great intelligence in solving the problem. 8. Identify both adjectives in the sentence below. Puzzled, Sherlock Holmes stood beside the lifeless body. 2 marks 9. Complete these sentences by adding an appropriate suffix to each underlined word. (a) Many people say laugh.. is the best medicine. (b) Unbelievable? It s incred! 10. In each sentence below, which two words should be hyphenated? (a) We can t drive down that one way street. (b) Going to Japan was a last minute decision. Bonus questions! 11. Suggest a synonym for each of the underlined words. (a) We ll have to lock him away. He s totally deranged. (b) The wart-nosed witch was really repulsive. (c) You ll need a microscope. The bacteria are minute. 12. Explain why brackets are used in the sentence below. Sally (twin-sister of Suzie) is getting married in July. 13. Suggest the correct word to complete the sentence. To. shall I give this book? (who, whom, which, that) 14. Explain why a colon is appropriate in the sentence below.
I have only one question to ask: what do we do now? 15. Rewrite the sentence below in the passive voice. Then didn t build Rome in a day. THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 3 You may be asked questions like these in SATS. Make sure you understand why the correct answer is correct. 1. Say if each of these sentences is a (a) Statement (b) Command (c) Question# 1. Stop that immediately! 2. It s raining quite heavily now. 3. Do you understand the question? 3 marks 2. Complete these sentences with I or me. 1. Help move these books, please. 2. Amy and are going to the cinema tonight. 3. They ll give the prize to either you or I. 3 marks 3. In these sentences suggest a contraction for each blank space. Contractions: don t = do not doesn t = does not didn t = did not won t = will not can t = cannot haven t = have not 1. I had my dinner yet, have you? 2. Adam really understand the question.
3. The bus be here on time, will it? 3 marks 4. An ADJECTIVE is a DESCRIBING word. Suggest better adjectives than the boring adjectives in italics. 1. This trifle is nice. Can I have some more, please? 2. I love you madly, said Romeo in Juliet s ear. 3. Don t go near that stray dog. I think it could be nasty. 3 marks 5. Use the correct TENSE - past, present, future. These sentences each have an underlined error. Can you spot the error and correct it? 1. Last Sunday Sally buys a new dress for the disco. 2. Tomorrow morning we caught the train for Margate. 3. Hans is learning English for three years now. 3 marks 6. Add a PREFIX to the word in italics to make the sentence make sense. 1. The children were very happy when the teacher gave extra homework. 2. That clock is weird. Its hands are going round clockwise. 3. Don t you dare obey me. You naughty Labrador! 3 marks 7. An ADVERB adds information to a verb. It tells us HOW something was done. Pick out the adverbs in these sentences. 1. Carefully, Sherlock Holmes examined the body. 2. Suzie plays the piano very well.
3. My cat can run as fast as a cheetah! 3 marks 8. NOUNS are NAMING words. Common - Proper - Abstract - Collective. What kind of nouns are the nouns in italics. 1. We watched a family of dolphins swimming the bay. 2. Put everything on that table over there, please. 3. The soldier showed great courage during the battle. 4. I m reading The Hobbit at the moment. 4 marks 9. Change from ACTIVE to PASSIVE Example: The cat ate the mouse. (active) The mouse was eaten by the cat. (passive) 1. Eva will sing the next song. 2. Joel answered all the questions correctly. 3. Our teacher is teaching us grammar. 3 marks 10. SPOT ONE MISTAKE IN EACH LINE OF THE STORY ONLY A DREAM In the middle of the night, Mummy herd little Johnny crying, so she jumped out of her bed and ran to his room. Little Johnny was sitting up in his bed rubing his eyes and cryng. Why are you crying, littel Johnny? she asked. Oh, mummy, sed little Johnny, I was dreaming. I dreamed you gave me away to a very rich cuple millionaires! They adopted me and gave me everything in the world what I asked for.
Oh, little Johnny, said mummy. We would never give you away. Were going to keep you forever. And dont forget. It was only a dream. Little Johnny looked at mummy and said: Yes, mummy, I no it was only a dream. And thats why I was crying. 12 marks THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 4 1. oliver twist was written by charles dickens. (a) Which four words in the sentence above should start with a capital letter? 2 marks (b) What is the correct name for these kinds of nouns? nouns (c) Is the sentence written in the active or passive voice? voice 2. An exclamation mark is often used to (a) end a statement (b) indicate a question (c) add emphasis (d) none of these 3. Complete the sentence below with appropriate connectives. (a) We missed the train we ran all the way to the station. (b) We missed the train running all the way to the station. 4. Which pair of pronouns best complete this sentence?
After finished playing, Dad took home in the car. (a) I/we (b) we/us (c) us/we (d) I/we 5. Which two sentences use the correct form of the plural? (a) The dog chased both sheeps into the farmyard. (b) Our cat loves hunting for mice. (c) Mum bought two loaves of fresh bread at the bakers. (d) It s time to put both babys to bed. 6. Look at the sentence below. Then explain why two commas have been used. 2 marks Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have reached the semifinals. 7. You are looking over your work and you decide to replace the word ran in the sentence below. Write a more suitable word in the space below. The dog grabbed the juicy bone and ran off with it. 8. Complete the sentence below in your own words. How often? 9. Look at the example: happy - unhappy Add a prefix to the word below to turn each word into its opposite meaning. (a) possible (b) equal (c) correct each 10. Add a subordinate clause in the space between the commas.
The 2012 Olympics, Challenging questions!, were a huge success. 11. Choose the correct form to complete the sentence. Between, I wouldn t like to be in his shoes. (a)ourselfs (b) our selves (c) ours elfs (d) ourselves 12. Add both a prefix and a suffix to the word happy to create an abstract noun. 13. Identify the common, proper, abstract and collective nouns in the sentence below. There was great excitement amongst the crowd when Gerard scored the winning goal. 2 marks 14. Name the adverb in this sentence: I hope we all do well in SATS! 15. The teacher s book is on the desk. Does the apostrophe in the sentence above contain an apostrophe of omission on an apostrophe of possession? THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 5 1. Choose the appropriate connectives to complete the sentences below.... it started to rain, we continued playing the match. We stopped,...,... lightning started to flash across the sky. (a) as soon as (b) although (c) however 2. Change the underlined nouns to the plural form. (a) I saw the wolf in the forest. (b) I can see the child over there. (c) Don t touch the tomato. (d) Please peel the potato for me. 2 marks 3. Place the commas in the correct places in these sentences.
(a) Please answer the phone for me Sally. (b) I d like chips an egg sausages but no peas. 1 mark (c) Fortunately Liverpool scored in the last minute and won the match. 1 mark (d) It s rather chilly today isn t it? 1 mark 4. You are looking over your work and you decide to replace the word yummy in the sentence: The cupcakes were absolutely yummy. 5. Underline the subordinate clauses in these sentences. (a) I ve lost the book you wanted to borrow from me. (b) Because Jon felt so ill, he stayed at home for the day. 1 mark (c) No one knows whom to blame for disaster. (d) My cat, who is ten years old now, can still catch mice. 1 mark 6. What kind of nouns are used in the sentence below: common - proper - collective - abstract? 2 marks thing. Miss Smith always told the class that a little knowledge is a dangerous 7. Insert the missing inverted commas in the sentences below. (a) Please sit down he told the children. (b) The nurse said, I m going to take your temperature. (c) I m not sure, said David, but I think I know the answer. (d) May I go now? asked Suzan.
8. Which word is furthest in meaning to sensible in the sentence below? I think you ve made a very sensible decision. (a) foolish (b) wise (c) reasonable (d) sound 9. Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence below. Both children absent from school yesterday. (a) was (b) are (c) is (d) were 10. Chance the sentence below from a command to a polite request. Get my coat now! Challenging questions! 11. Complete this sentence correctly. Please give the money to it belongs. (a) whomever (b) whoever 12. Underline the subject of the sentence below. Singing in the Rain is one my favourite movies. 13. Underline the error in the sentence below. Let s share the money between you and I. 14. Underline all the adverbs in the sentence below. Bravely, our troops fought as hard as they could, and eventually triumphed even better than expected. 2 marks 15. Which of these sentences is grammatically correct? (a) None of the children is here. (b) None of the children are here. THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 6 1. Write down both adverbs that appear in the sentence blow.
Amy played the piano quickly but well. 2. Identify the connective in the sentence below. Since it had snowed during the night we were able to go skiing. (a) Since (b) during (c) were (d) skiing 3. Rewrite the sentence below in the active voice. Both goals were scored by Messi during extra time. 4. In the sentence below, after which word should a comma appear? However hard we tried we just couldn t get the door to open. 5. In the sentence below which verb is in the wrong tense? It was a lovely day so we went to the park and have a picnic. 6. How many words in the sentence below require a capital letter? we visited the eiffel tower in paris during out trip to france. 7. The word sweet has more than one meaning. Write two sentences that show two different meanings. 8. Rewrite the sentence below using two contractions. I do not like garlic so I will not eat it. 2 marks 9. Correct the grammar in the sentence below. We shared the sweets between ourself. 10. Identify and write down all the prepositions in the sentence below. Please put it on the desk, under the desk or even in the desk. Challenging questions!
11. Insert a comma and a semi-colon in the sentence below to clarify its meaning. Ian enjoys apples oranges and pears I prefer bananas. 12. Add a subordinate clause that makes sense to the sentence below. You should also add the necessary punctuation. This book is really great. 2 marks 13. Add both a prefix and a suffix to the root below to complete the sentence. One thing I really don t like is kind. 2 marks 14. Indicate whether these sentences are Simple (S), Compound (Com) or Complex (Comp). (a) If at first you don t succeed, try, try again! (b) Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. (c) Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall. 15. Identify the figures of speech used in the sentences below alliteration - simile - metaphor - personification - onomatopoeia (a) The wind battered the window like a hammer battering a nail. 1 mark (b) Ding dong merrily on high In heaven the bells are ringing. (c) The Moon was a bright, gold coin in the dark sky. (d) Five flags fluttered and flapped in the breeze. (e) The telephone screamed, Will someone please answer me?
THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 7 Levels 3 5 1. Circle all the adverbs in the sentence below. I carefully and quietly closed the door behind me. 2. Circle one word to complete the sentence below. Bill and Ben played cards waiting for their dinner. (a) which (b) while (c) during (d) between 3. Complete each sentence with the most likely punctuation. Choose from.?! (a) (b) Stop or I will shoot It was snowing yesterday (c) Do you think it will snow today 4. The sentences below each have an error. The errors are underlined. Write the correction, making sure the verb matches the tense. (a) Yesterday Humpty Dumpty fall of a wall. (b) We had roast chicken and chips every Sunday. (c) The children play in the park at the moment. 5. Put the teacher s words into direct speech. Be careful with the punctuation. The teacher politely told the children to close their books. 2 marks
6. Look at this sentence. Amy invited Eva, Sam, Sally and Joe to her birthday party. (a) What is the name of the punctuation mark used after Eva and Sam? (b) Why is this punctuation mark needed in the sentence? 7. Complete the sentences below using either I or me. (a) Please turn on the TV for. (b) Neither you nor know the answer. (c) Let s keep this a secret between you and. (d) Trust. I know what I m doing. 2 marks 8. Write out this sentence putting in all the punctuation that s needed. Come here said Miss Jones and wait quietly. 9. Complete the sentence below with a contraction that makes sense. If I were you, I touch that cable. It might be live! 10. Add a suffix to the underlined word to make it an adjective. I think you re making a dread mistake. 11. Add a prefix to the underlined word to make the opposite meaning. Don t be so happy. Everything s going to be all right. 12. Underline the subordinate clause in each sentence below. (a) (b) (c) (d) Although we tried our hardest, we didn t quite make it. Do you know to whom this book belongs? After drinking his hot chocolate, Sam went off to bed. Mum asked Dad to turn up the heating because it got quite cold.
(e) We turned on the alarm before leaving for the cinema. 2 marks Level 6 1. Rewrite these sentences, changing them from the active to the passive voice. (a) Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist. (b) Nobody gave the correct answers. 2 marks 2. Add a subordinate clause to each of the following sentences. (a) Ben s Auntie Susan lives in Dover. (b) We walked,, all the way to the park. 2 marks 3. Insert a comma and a semi-colon to clarify the meaning of this sentence. I m going to have chicken chips and peas you can have whatever you want. 4. Label each of the underlined nouns below as common, proper, abstract or collective. As we pulled out of Dover, there was great excitement as the children watched a school of dolphins frolic around the ferry. 2 marks 5. Underline the adjectives in the sentence below which should be hyphenated? That cross eyed baboon is really vicious and bad-tempered. 2 marks 6. Add a prefix to the underlined words in these sentences so that they make sense. (a) Susan s cupcakes are quite resist. (b) Billy couldn t hide his happiness when he failed miserably (c) Moving a pawn backwards is legitimate in chess. (d) That watch must be faulty. The second hand is going clockwise! 2 marks 7. Explain why a colon has been used in the sentence below. There s only one thing I have to say to you: Drop dead! 8. Add the word that completes the sentence below correctly. After had my dinner, I watched TV for while. 9. Hyphenate the adjective where required in the sentence below.
You can t drive down that narrow road; anyway, it s a one way street. 10. Write one sentence indicating the correct use of the dash -. THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 8 for each correct answer 1. Where should the commas be placed in the following sentences? (a) (b) (c) (d) Haggis when prepared properly is very tasty. Adam the son of John and Sally has passed his driving test. I was born and raised in Edinburgh the capital city of Scotland. Scrooge was a cruel cold-hearted miser until the ghosts visited him. (e) Having finished the mini-marathon I was ready for a hot bath. 2. Go back to Question 1. Which three sentences contain a subordinate clause? 3. Where are capital letters required in the following sentences? (a) (b) we re going to france in august. i love learning french and so does my brother leo. (c) the tower of london is an exciting place to visit. 4. Change the following sentences from the active to the passive. (a) (b) That dog has just bit me. The police will eventually catch the thief. (c) Most pupils made a couple of mistakes in the test. (d) The news shocked us.
(e) Who might have taken the money? 5. Change the following direct speech to indirect speech. The first one is done for you. (a) He ll be here tomorrow. She told me he would be here next day. (b) I don t understand the question. He said he the question. (c) Open that window! He told me that window. (d) I haven t done my homework. Sally said she her homework. (e) Eve didn t say that at all. Adam said that Eve that at all. 6. Replace the underlined words with personal pronouns. Then first one is done for you. (a) Ben is over there. Give the book to Ben. He is over there. Give it to him. (b) The girls gave apples to Miss Smith. gave to. (c) My brother and I both like Heavy Metal music. both like. (d) Actually, the pupils quite enjoy grammar. Actually, quite enjoy. 7. Add prepositions in the blank spaces to complete the Squirrel s Tale.
Squirrel Nutty ran the oak tree and shook a pawful delicious acorns. Then he scrambled the tree, gathered the nuts and found a place to bury them. He dug a hole his sharp claws and buried the nuts a rose bush that was blooming a hundred red roses. Unfortunately, when Squirrel Nutty returned the winter, he couldn t find the bush; all the roses had withered and fallen, so every bush looked exactly the same as every other bush. What do you suggest he should do? 8. Complete each of these sentences so that they make good sense. (a) How long have you...? (b) How well does...? (c) How much money...? (d) How often do the children...? (e) How long has David...? 9. Complete these sentences with there, they re or their. (a) (b) (c) (d) Tell the children to put jackets over. Are you looking for the cakes? over. Were many people at the game? Yes. were. not coming tonight. car has broken down. 10. Use a prefix or a suffix or both to complete these sentences.
(a) That s not legal. In fact, it s down right. (b) Max isn t sane. In fact, he s clearly suffering from. (c) (d) The therapy I recommend for you is called therapy. Boy and girl both happen during hood. THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION - TEST 9 for each correct answer 1. Complete each of these sentences with.? or! (a) (b) (c) Oh no, it s raining again It s raining again Are you tell me it s started raining again 2. Add all the end stops and capital letters required in these sentences. (a) stop that immediately someone could get hurt (b) amy doesn t understand the question neither do i (c) where s the tower of london it s in london of course 3. Reminder! Use a comma where it helps your reader to understand what you re writing about. Now add commas to these sentences. (a) (b) Our cats are called Fizzy Funky Fifi and Fred. Come here Ben.
(c) (d) (e) (f) William usually called the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings. Eva said I think it s going to be hot this afternoon. I hope you re right said Vida. If at first you don t succeed try try again. 4. Place the inverted commas the direct speech marks to show the actual words the speaker said. Add any necessary punctuation. (a) The Red Queen shouted Off with their heads! (b) That s a bit harsh said Alice. (c) Mind your own business the Red Queen shrieked. (d) Alice stuck out her tongue and said I will not! (e) That s what you think shouted the Red Queen. Off with her head, too! 5. Rewrite the following text. Use contractions to shorten the underlined words. My English is getting better. Before these lessons began, I did not know how to use full stops correctly, and I was not sure about capital letters. However, I have been working with my partner and I am more confident now. My teacher is patient with me and explains things carefully. I would like to say thank you for all the help we have been getting. I had better stop now or I will burst into tears with happiness! 6. Reminder! An apostrophe (upstairs comma) can be used to show possession or belonging. Add apostrophes to these sentences. 1) Here's Leos pencil. 2) Sally is my sisters best friend. 3) Both cars bumpers got bashed. 4) Who took the mens jackets? 5) The poor birds wing is broken. 6) The childrens minibus has arrived.
7) Why is Louis brother crying? 8) All the mices tails were cut off. 9) Jamess answer is correct. 10) That s the foxs den. 11) It s the bosss problem. Not mine. 12) The ladies room is over there. 7. In the active voice we focus on the doer. In the passive voice we focus on what was done. Say whether these sentences are in the active or in the passive. (a) Both windows were broken by those naughty girls. (b) Mrs. Mulligan is teaching us about active and passive sentences. (c) The next Olympics will be staged in Brazil. (d) Mum s making lasagna for dinner. (e) Horse meat has been found in the burgers! 8. Use the verb in the brackets to complete these sentences. Remember to choose the appropriate tense. (a) Elliot to Anfield to watch Liverpool once a month. (go) (b) Last weekend Dad us to Howlett s Zoo. (take) (c) I doing my homework. Have you? (finish) (d) Dinner ready in ten minutes, said mum. (be) (e) If I were you, I the opportunity. (grab) 9. Nouns can be common, proper, abstract or collective. What kind of nouns are the highlighted words? (a) We watched a pride of lions feasting on a gazelle. (b) Joe and Gabe both scored from the penalty spot. (c) Please help me move the tables and chairs for the Bingo tonight. (d) Few things are more important than a good education. (e) The seagulls down at the harbour make a terrific racket. (f) We watched the ferry entering Dover Harbour.
(g) There s a coven of witches in the play Macbeth. (h) For me, kindness is more important than most things. 10. An adjective is a describing word. Pick out all the adjectives in these sentences. (a) Who ll buy my red, round, rosy apples? called out the delightful apple-seller. (b) Jack has lovely, forget-me-not blue eyes. (c) Puzzled, I gazed down at the bloody knife sticking out of the corpse. (d) I don t care if it s got horsemeat in it; it s delicious anyway! (e) Year 6 is probably the most intelligent group in the entire school. 11. Adverbs are words that we use to describe other words, especially verbs. For now, think of an adverb as word that tells us HOW or WHEN or HOW OFTEN something was done. Pick out all the adverbs in these sentences. (a) Sometimes Amy plays the piano well, but sometimes badly. (b) Carefully, Rooney place the ball expertly in the far corner. (c) Recklessly, Joel rode his bicycle too fast down the avenue. (d) Work hard and you will succeed. (e) We frequently have afternoon tea in the garden if it s warm. (f) Suzie always does her homework as soon as she gets home. (g) Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play. (h) Let s unpack first. Later we can wander through the village. 12. A sentence has a main clause that can stand on its own.
We can also add subordinate clauses to the main sentence. There are lots of different kinds of subordinate clauses. Underline the subordinate clauses in these sentences. (a) A sentence has a main clause that can stand on its own. (b) Although I was very tired, I decided to run all the way home. (c) Oscar, who is only 5, has started reading Harry Potter books! (d) After finishing dinner, we went for a stroll along the beach. (e) Here s the book I borrowed from you. (f) The vampire stayed in his coffin until darkness fell on the town. (g) As soon as she saw the spider, Miss Muffet took off like a rocket. (h) Louis grabbed all the licorice, which annoyed all his classmates. (i) I honestly have no idea what you re blethering about. (j) Unless you finish that lasagna, there will be no pudding for you. Reminder: A complex sentence is formed when you add a subordinate clause to a main clause. 13. Complete these sentences by adding a prefix to the underlined word. (a) I love my puppy even when he s a little obedient. (b) On this occasion, I just have to agree with you. (c) Dan likes apples nearly as much as he likes pears. (d) Your heartbeat is just a little bit regular. (e) The magician made the rabbit suddenly appear. (f) Parking on a double yellow line is legal. (g) fortunately, he lost his winning Lottery ticket. (h) Now you re just being responsible. (i) I m coming! I m coming. Don t be so patient. (j) You might believe it, but I believe it!
(k) You re being quite logical, Mr. Spock told Captain Kirk. 14. Complete these sentences by adding a suffix to the underlined word. (a) The new armchair is very comfort. (b) Thank you for your kind and help. (c) I love to hear the sound of children s laugh. (d) That story is not only incred ; it s imposs. (e) Jesus had to spend 40 days and nights in the wild. (f) Let s take the radio with us. It s not heavy. It s port. THE TEN-MINUTE TEST - GRAMMAR & PUNCTUATION - TEST 10 for each correct answer 1. The colon can be used in a number of ways: before a list of words or phrases to signal to the reader something important is coming in the 24 hour clock
In the following sentences, insert a colon in the appropriate places. 1. To be or not to be that is the question. 2. Our flight is leaving at 1530 hours. 3. On safari we saw these animals elephants lions cheetahs and jackals. 4. Juliet murmured Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo. 5. We re lost what do we do now? 2. The semi-colon links two sentences that are closely related. The semi-colon can be used instead of a full stop. The semi-colon is used in the place of a connective. In the following sentences, insert a semi-colon in the appropriate places. 1. It was raining cats and dogs everyone got soaked to the skin. 2. The horses had been sadly neglected they were in a dreadful state. 3. Boys are from Mars girls are from Venus that s a scientific fact. 4. Phone me tomorrow I ll give you my answer then. 5. I thought semi-colons were difficult they re actually quite easy to use. 3. We use the dash to show a sudden break or shift in your train of thought. Use a dash to show something has suddenly occurred to you.
Complete these sentences by adding a comment after the dash. 1. I ve just realised it s nearly six o clock - 2. My mum says broccoli is good for me - 3. That dog looks really vicious - 4. They want 100 for those trainers - 5. I ve got lots and lots of homework - 4. The hyphen looks like a small dash but we use it to make compound words. Here are some examples: a one-way street, a bad-tempered cat, Connor is football-crazy. a clean-shaven man Add hyphens where they are needed in these sentences. 1. I m a little over weight; you re a little under weight. 2. Swimming in a fast flowing river can be life threatening. 3. Adam is my brother in law. Eve is my sister in law. 4. That was a match winning goal. 5. We made a last minute decision to have a holiday in sun drenched Spain.
5. We use round brackets (also known as parentheses) when we want to add some extra information without breaking into a sentence. This is useful when it s only a little amount of information we want to add. Think of some extra information you might pop in these brackets. 1. Many people ( ) think dogs are better pets than cats. 2. The Hobbit ( ) has been made into a movie. 3. Suzie is absent from school again ( ). 4. Our school ( ) is one of the best in the area. 5. Brackets ( ) can be quite handy. 6. Ellipsis is three dots in a row, and we can use them in different ways; 1. to create a feeling of suspense. And the winner is 2. to show that a sentence has been left unfinished because it has simply trailed off. Watch this space... 3. to show that part of a quotation has been left out. The teacher told us, Collect your books, tidy your desks... go home. What the examiner expects from you! Level 1 full stops - capital letters at the start of a sentence Level 2 full stops question marks capital letters Level 3.?,! capital letters Level 4.?,! capital letters apostrophes Level 5.?,! capital letters apostrophes Level 5 dash hyphen brackets colon semi-colon ellipsis