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5th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 7 of 11

Punctuation Power

Commas, colons and apostrophes

What your child practices

Placing commas after introductory words, using colons before lists, writing possessives and contractions, choosing its/it's and their/there/they're, and punctuating dialogue.

Alabama Course of Study content standard: 5.40 · commas, colons and apostrophes

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Put a comma after an opening word or phrase: “Yes, I can come.”
  2. Use a colon before a list: “Bring three things: a hat, a bottle and a snack.”
  3. its = belonging to it, it’s = it is. their = belonging to them, there = a place, they’re = they are.

Example: Which shows a classroom that belongs to many students? Many students: the plural is students. It already ends in s, so add just an apostrophe. Answer: the students’ classroom

Punctuation Power in Alabama

In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 7 of 11 in 5th grade English Language Arts, after Complex Sentences and before Media Smarts.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which word correctly completes the sentence?

    ____ leaving for the airport at noon.

    • Their
    • There
    • They're

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • Jay asked, Where is my backpack?”
    • Jay asked, “Where is my backpack”?
    • Jay asked “Where, is my backpack?”
    • Jay asked, “Where is my backpack?”

  3. Question 3

    Which is the correct contraction for “they are”?

    • theyr'e
    • they're
    • there
    • their

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • Our garden grows four vegetables, beans: peas, carrots and squash.
    • Our garden grows four vegetables: beans, peas, carrots and squash.
    • Our garden: grows four vegetables beans, peas, carrots and squash.
    • Our garden grows: four vegetables beans, peas, carrots and squash.

  5. Question 5

    Which word correctly completes the sentence?

    ____ coats are hanging by the door.

    • They're
    • Their
    • There

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • Let's go to the park,” said Priya.
    • “Let's go to the park,” said Priya.
    • “Let's go to the park” said, Priya.
    • “Let's go to the park, said Priya.”

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