The Kingston Academy Year 7 English homework
(November to December 2016)
This half term you will be focusing on….
Week 7 - Commas
Week 8 - Colons
Week 9 - Exclamation and question marks
Week 10 - Speech marks
Week 11 - Apostrophes
Week 12 - Parentheses or brackets
(Week 13 - Reading Challenge)
Please use these websites to help if you get stuck with any piece of punctuation homework
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/
http://www.yourdictionary.com/index.php/pdf/articles/57.punctuationjungle.pdf
Week 7: Monday 31st October 2016 - Commas
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
My task: Write 5 sentences that use commas in a list. Here is an example: At The
Kingston Academy we wear black blazers, charcoal skirt or trousers, green and blue
ties and black shoes.
Core: Explain the differences in meaning between these two sentences. Let’s eat
Grandma! and Let’s eat, Grandma! Look carefully at where the comma is.
Challenge: Write 5 sentences that use commas to separate an embedded
subordinate clause. You may know them as: relative clauses, COMMAS for
CLAUSES or A DROP IN Clause. Here is an example: Mr Allport, who teaches
Drama at The Kingston Academy, is holding auditions for the Shakespeare
production. Underline the subordinate clauses. Tip: start your subordinate clauses
with phrases like: who is.../ who has / which is…/ where I / where she...
Here is another example:
.
Week 8: Monday 7th November 2016 - Colons.
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
Colons come before a list of items, a quotation, or an explanation.
My task: Write 5 sentences that use colons to introduce a list. For example - At The
Kingston Academy you will need: writing equipment for lessons, a PE kit and a
reading book. Core: Write out these sentences with added colons.
a) I’ll tell you my favourite programme The Big Bang Theory.
b) She asked me a very important question “Will you marry me?”
c) One thing is true I miss my family.
d) College is different from school you have to be more independent.
e) There’s only one way to describe TKA amazing.
Challenge: The colon can be used to emphasise and draw attention to a phrase or
single word at the end of a sentence. THINK OF CAR HEADLIGHTS or TWO
spotlights. Here are some examples: Three nutmegs, a 1-2 around the keeper: goal!
After three weeks of deliberation, the jury finally reached a verdict: guilty.
Years of training, months of determination, days of exhaustion: an Olympic gold
medal. Now write 3 more new examples of your own.
Week 9: Monday 14th November 2016 - Exclamation and question marks.
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
My task: Write down 3 rules you already know about using exclamation marks and
question marks. Core: Write down 5 interesting and thoughtful sentences that use
exclamation marks. Challenge: A rhetorical question is a question that doesn’t
require an answer. It often suggests an obvious answer to prove a point and may be
used in advertising. Explain what you think these rhetorical questions mean from a
play called: ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare. Your answer requires
deep thought and therefore write at least 5 sentences explaining your ideas.
Shylock: “If you prick us, do we not bleed?
If you tickle us, do we not laugh?
If you poison us, do we not die?
And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”
Week 10: Monday 21st November 2016 - Speech marks
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
My task: Write down 5 rules you already know about using speech marks in direct
speech. Core: Correct ALL the punctuation mistakes in these sentences by rewriting them carefully. a) “Red card” ! shouted the referee. b) Where are you going?
“She asked” c) “i just dont understand she shouted. Challenge: Write a conversation
between a child and parent starting with: “You’re not going out like that!” It should be
about ½ a page in your book. Be entertaining and accurate.
Week 11 - Monday 28th November 2016 - Apostrophes
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
My task: Explain the difference between an apostrophe of possession, an
apostrophe of omission. Core: Write down 2 sentences; 1 uses its as possession
and 1 uses it’s as a contraction. Here are some examples: The school has
announced its results. (Apostrophe is NOT needed because there is no contraction.)
It’s been a week since I saw you. (Apostrophe IS needed because the words It and
has have been contracted.)
Challenge: Watch the apostrophe song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dY2SE1G900
Make up your own song or chant to help other Year 7 pupils learn the rules. Make
sure it’s memorable and fun to learn. OR: Explain how you would teach apostrophes
to a Year 5 class.
Week 12 - Monday 5th December 2016 - Parentheses or Brackets.
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
Parentheses (always used in brackets) allow a writer to provide more information as
a single word, phrase or complete sentence. My task: Write 3 sentences using
parentheses to add more information. Here is an example: The coach (and her team)
arrived at the stadium. Core: Now write 3 sentences that explain abbreviations. Eg The NSPCC (National Society for the Protection of Children) is a wonderful charity.
Challenge - Write 4 more sentences about famous people you admire using
brackets for more information. For example: Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of the
UK) gave many inspirational speeches.
Week 13 - Monday 12th December 2016 - Reading Challenge.
Spend 40 minutes completing ALL tasks in the back of your exercise book.
Spend at least 40 minutes on the reading challenge by ensuring you have finished
your December book (Horror) and then start a January novel.