YOU

HAVE BEEN
SELECTED TO…
PLAY ON THE
GAME SHOW:
VIP!!
WAIT – THERE IS MORE…
 THE GRAND PRIZE
IS A DREAM
VACATION TO A
SECRET LOCATION!
ARE YOU READY TO PLAY VIP?
GRAB YOUR ALL ACCESS PASS
THIS PASS IS YOUR KEY
TO WINNING THE VI P
GRAND PRIZE VACATION!
HOW WILL YOU WIN?
WORK HARD TO SHOW
OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF…
 STUDENT DIRECTIONS
In this lesson, you will be learning and practicing how to correctly use end
marks, capitalization, commas, quotation marks, italics, parentheses, and
dashes in your writing. Your work in this lesson will prepare you for the
game show and a chance to win a secret vacation!

1. Use the VIP (Very Important Punctuation) presentation (on slides 6 - 14) to
learn and review punctuation rules.

2. Complete the All Access Pass (on slides 15 - 18) using what you learned in the
presentation. This pass is your ticket to the punctuation game show!
• END MARKS
• CAPITALIZATION
• COMMAS
• QUOTATION MARKS
• ITALICS
• PARENTHESES
• DASHES
Punctuation is important to organize your
writing and provide clarity for the reader.
 Did you know?
Periods are NOT u
sed in postal
abbreviations for
the United States
(ND = North Dako
ta)

Ella ordered a slice of pizza

PERIODS with mushrooms and black
Used at the end of declarative olives.
(statement) and imperative (command)
sentences. They are also used in many Please include a side of fries
common abbreviations (Dr., St., U.S.). with my order.

Sasha won first place out of

5,000 students! EXCLAMATION POINTS
Used at the end of exclamatory sentences.
Hurry! Change the answer to They are also used after interjections and
problem number four. exclamatory words that express emotion.

QUESTION MARKS When do we have our

next grammar quiz?
Used at the end of a question.
 Use a capital letter for
all of the following:

FIRST WORD IN A SENTENCE

Jameson is making himself a peanut butter PROPER
and jelly sandwich for lunch.
NOUN OR
CARDINAL ADJECTIVE
Have you eaten at
THE DIRECTIONS the new restaurant
PRONOUN I Most of Jonathan’s family
on Sanchez Street
in San Francisco?
Sarah and I plan to was born in the North.
meet on Tuesday
afternoon to finish our
math project. FIRST WORD OF EVERY LINE
IN MOST POEMS & SONGS
It was many and many a year ago,
MAIN WORDS In a kingdom by the sea,
IN A TITLE That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
Have you read To Kill a
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Mockingbird by Harper Lee?
Than to love and be loved by me.
 ITEMS IN A SERIES Lillian is studying British Literature,
Commas are used to astronomy, and calculus this semester.
separate words or groups of
Lillian is studying British Literature,
words (phrases or clauses) in
astronomy, and calculus this semester.
a series of three or more.

Suddenly, the man rushed out

of the room.
INTRODUCTORY
Suddenly, the man rushed out
of the room.
ELEMENTS
Commas are used to
Watching and waiting, the scientist was separate an introductory
eager to see the new species appear. word or group of words from
Watching and waiting, the scientist was the rest of the sentence.
eager to see the new species appear.
 YES & NO
Yes, I finished my homework before dinner.
Commas are used to set off
Yes, I finished my homework before dinner. the words yes and no from
the rest of the sentence.

TAG QUESTION Mrs. Kepler is a kind

teacher, isn’t she?
Commas are used to set
off a tag question from Mrs. Kepler is a kind
the rest of the sentence. teacher, isn’t she?

Mom, can I stay the night DIRECT ADDRESS

at Kara’s house? Commas are used to set
Mom, can I stay the night off a direct address from
at Kara’s house? the rest of the sentence.
 “I’m so glad I live in a world
QUOTATIONS with ice cream,” five-year-old
Quotation marks are used when setting Ella said.
off quotations. These marks are used
before and after every complete “I’m so glad,” five year-old-Ella
quotation and before and after every said, “I live in a world with ice
part of a divided quotation.
cream.”
Commas are used to set off short direct quotations from the remainder of the sentence. Make sure
the comma goes inside the quotation marks. If there is an exclamation point or a question mark that is part
of the quotation, these also go inside the quotation marks.

“Down South at Nana’s TITLES

Lake House” is a short story Quotation marks are used around titles
all about my summer of songs, short stories, poems, magazine
adventures while visiting and newspaper articles, and specific
my grandma at her lake episode titles of a TV series.
house in Georgia.
 I am rereading The Great
Gatsby this June, just like I TITLES
do every summer. Italics are used for titles of
books, magazines, newspapers,
I am rereading The Great movies, plays, operas, TV series,
Gatsby this June, just like I and even works of art.
do every summer.

H A T I F I AM
W
D W R I T I NG?
HAN
UNDERLINE!
If you are handwriting a title I am rereading The Great Gatsby this
of a book, magazine, June, just like I do every summer.
newspaper, movie, play,
opera, TV series, or work of I am rereading The Great Gatsby this
art, instead of italicizing, June, just like I do every summer.
simply underline them!
 Parentheses are used to separate nonessential
information from the rest of the sentence.

This information is
referred to as a
WHY INCLUDE nonrestrictive or
NONESSENTIAL parenthetical element.
It can be removed
INFORMATION? from the sentence or
Additional information can add to the reader’s added to a sentence
understanding of the sentence’s meaning, but and not change the
basic meaning.
cannot change it. This extra information can
add to the flair of the sentence and make your
writing more interesting.

Parentheses Base Sentence: Ralph is my dad’s best friend.

tend to take the
emphasis Ralph (who I have known since I was born) is
AWAY from the my dad’s best friend.
information Does not change
they contain. sentence’s meaning
if removed.
 Dashes are used to interrupt the sentence
and insert additional information.
This information is
Dashes bring a STRONG emphasis to the referred to as a
nonrestrictive or
information they contain and clearly set
parenthetical element.
it apart from the rest of the sentence. It can be removed
from the sentence or
Base Sentence: I would drive the car home if I added to a sentence
was sixteen. and not change the
I would drive the car home if I was sixteen – but basic meaning.
I am not.

CAN COMMAS BE USED TO

Base Sentence: Her
grandpa looks just
SET OFF NONESSENTIAL
like Santa. INFORMATION?
YES! A comma can be used just as
Her grandpa, who just
parentheses and dashes are. Commas tend
turned ninety, looks
just like Santa. to have a NEUTRAL emphasis on the
additional information. Commas are placed
on either side of the parenthetical element.
 1. Why is punctuation important?

TYPE HERE

2. What do you already know about the punctuation

listed below?

End Marks:
TYPE HERE

Capitalization:

TYPE HERE

Commas:
TYPE HERE

Quotation Marks:
TYPE HERE

Italics:
TYPE HERE
TYPE HERE

Parentheses:
TYPE HERE

Dashes:

TYPE HERE
 Correctly rewrite the sentences below. Add needed commas to the passage.

1. Have you been to detroit, michigan! “Maura will you sit with me on the airplane?”
TYPE HERE Shelby requested.
2. make sure to clean your room
TYPE HERE “Sure! You know that everything will be fine right? I

3. she saw maria at the mall have flown a million times. It’s not so bad.”
TYPE HERE
”Yes I know. I’m just worried about getting sick.
4. Do we need to head north or south on the interstate.
TYPE HERE You remember the time I got car sick don’t you? What if

5. watch out for that car that happens again? Luckily my mom has done a ton of
TYPE HERE
research and has packed me things that will help.”
6. my baby brother loves “twinkle twinkle little star?”
Shelby reached into her bag and pulled out a giant bag
TYPE HERE
of mints a wristband that helps with motion sickness and
7. mr. rogers assigned the one and only ivan for our book
some noise cancelling headphones.
study
TYPE HERE Smiling Maura nodded her head. “Let’s focus on
8. i live around the corner on adams street our destination. A week at Disney World is worth it isn’t
TYPE HERE
it?”
9. he just stole my cell phone?
TYPE HERE Shelby answered, “Yes of course!”
10. my mom has a tikTok account
TYPE HERE
Add needed punctuation to the sentences below.
1. I just saw you at the movie theatre Jack exclaimed. What purpose do italics and underlining have in writing?

TYPE HERE
2. Did you see Megan’s new puppy David asked.

What is the difference between italics and underlining?

3. She is listening to the article Hawks Point for her
TYPE HERE
research project.

4. Watch out Noah yelled that car almost hit you! Use the following in a correctly punctuated sentence.

5. MC Hammer’s U Can’t Touch This makes me want to 1. SpongeBob SquarePants

dance. TYPE HERE

6. Help she cried I can’t get up!

7. We are going to study mummies Mr. Gentry explained

2. The New York Times

and learn about Egyptian pharaohs.
TYPE HERE

8. We read The Road Not Taken in class I told Dad it is a

classic poem.
 Explain the similarities and differences between dashes
What is the purpose of parentheses in a sentence? and parentheses.
TYPE HERE
TYPE HERE

How can you identify nonessential information in a

sentence? What other punctuation mark can be used to set off extra
information in a sentence?
TYPE HERE
TYPE HERE

Add the punctuation shown in italics to set off the extra

Underline the nonessential information in each sentence information in each sentence.
and place parentheses appropriately.
1. She was my best friend that school year. (dash)
1. George Washington 1732-1799 was the first president

of the United States of America. 2. Helen my oldest sister has long, red hair. (commas)

2. George found a calf baby cow alone in the field. 3. We finally arrived at the hotel after getting lost in the big

city. (dash)
3. Mrs. Polk my favorite teacher used to live in Hawaii

and moved here when she got married. 4. My neighbor a nosy woman is always asking too many

questions. (commas)