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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.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 5.2.1.1 · commas, colons, semicolons 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 Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, 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: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

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 sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • Mom said “Dinner is ready”.
    • Mom said, “Dinner is ready.”
    • Mom said “Dinner, is ready.”
    • Mom said, Dinner is ready.”

  2. Question 2

    Which word correctly completes the sentence?

    ____ going to snow tonight.

    • Its
    • It's
    • Its'

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • You will need two tools: a hammer and a saw.
    • You will need: two tools a hammer and a saw.
    • You will need two tools, a hammer: and a saw.
    • You: will need two tools a hammer and a saw.

  4. Question 4

    Which shows bowls that belong to several cats?

    • the cats's bowls
    • the cat's bowls
    • the cats' bowls
    • the cats bowls

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • For example plants, need sunlight.
    • For example, plants need sunlight.
    • For example plants need, sunlight.
    • For, example plants need sunlight.

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

    • The recipe needs: only three ingredients flour, water and salt.
    • The recipe needs only three ingredients flour: water and salt.
    • The recipe: needs only three ingredients flour, water and salt.
    • The recipe needs only three ingredients: flour, water and salt.

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