Level 6.1Studies in Punctuation

1

KISS Grammar

Level 6.1Studies in Punctuation

Free, from the KISS Grammar Web Site

KISSGrammar.org

Note: You probably do not want to print this entire book. Unlike the Grade-Level books, this book includes the exercise (sometimes in more than one format) followed by the analysis key.

© Ed Vavra

July 2, 2012

Contents

Note: You probably do not want to print this entire book. Unlike the Grade-Level books, this book includes the exercise (sometimes in more than one format) followed by the analysis key.

Introduction

General Punctuation Exercises

For KISS Level 1

Based on The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter

From The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White

For KISS Level 2

The Tiger

For KISS Level 3

Based on “The Story of the First Moles”

The Opening of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

For KISS Level 4

Two Selections from Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Punctuation for Meaning and Style

From A Dog of Flanders by Ouida

A Study in Punctuation and Ellipsis, based on “The Lagoon,” by Joseph Conrad

The Logic and Punctuation of Main Clauses

From Lassie, Come Home by Eric Knight (#1)

The Opening Paragraph of Persuasion by Jane Austen

Other Uses of Semicolons

From “The Lost Phoebe” by Theodore Dreiser (Semicolons in a Series of Appositives)

From Robert L. Heilbroner’s The Worldly Philosophers

Other Uses of Colons and Dashes

A Review of Restrictive and Non-restrictive Modifiers

Editing for Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar

The Writing of Third Graders

Five Samples of Third Graders’ Writing

The Writing of Fourth Graders

“A Surprise Breakfast,” by a Fourth Grade Writer

“Mertle Beach,” by a Fourth Grade Writer

Bending and Breaking the Rules

Comma Splices and Other Questions about Commas

Stories of Robin Hood Told to the Children, by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall

The Opening Paragraphs of Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities

Fragments

“Thoreau,” by Henry Seidel Canby

Mixed and Other

A Colon, and Two semicolons That Separate Finite Verb Phrases

Research Projects on Punctuation

Mark Twain’s “Corn-pone Opinions” —A Study in Semicolons

Background Information

The KISS Approach to Teaching Punctuation

An Essay on John Dawkin’s “Teaching Punctuation as a Rhetorical Tool”

This is a collection of additional exercises on punctuation. For basic material on punctuation, see:

KISS Level 1.7This section includes the basic instructional material and exercises.
KISS Level 3.1.1 - Compound Main Clauses Because many students have problems with sentence fragments, comma-splices, and run-ons, and with the logic involved in their punctuation, this is probably the most important section for students.

Basic exercises on punctuation are also included among exercises on adjectives, adverbs, S/V/C patterns, and several other constructions. For punctuation directly related to quoting and research papers, see KISS Level KISS Level 6.7.

Introduction

I once read that someone wrote a book that gives 39 rules for the use of commas. Does anyone seriously believe that professional writers obey these 39 rules? Does anyone seriously believe that students would find such rules informative? Beyond some very basics (such as the ending punctuation of sentences), punctuation is an art. Rules?—No. Norms?—Yes. But what these norms are can only be learned by observing how writers use the marks of punctuation.

And the norms are not simple. Trying to organize materials for such observation is worse than trying to herd cats! New ones keep creeping out of the pages. Under what organizational category does each example belong? All I can say is that I’m trying my best. This book is therefore organized into the following categories. (The on-line version of Level 6.1 includes many exercises that are not included here.

General Punctuation Exercises

These are the famous (or infamous) KISS originals—sentences or short passages from which the punctuation and capitalization have been stripped, and students are asked to “fix” them. After they have done so, the most important learning takes place as the students discuss how and why they punctuated the selections.

Some of these exercises, taken from longer texts, include an “Original Text” page that you can use as a regular identification exercise after doing the punctuation exercise, or, if you wish, you can use these first and have the students not only analyze the passage, but also to prepare to discuss the punctuation and capitalization.

This section is sub-divided into the four basic KISS Levels so that students working at KISS Levels 1 and 2 will not become too confused by advanced constructions.

Punctuation for Meaning and Style

This is a new KISS category. It will focus on a limited number of exercises that show how punctuation adds meaning and style.

The Logic and Punctuation of Main Clauses

KISS presents this question in Level 3.1, but no matter the grade level at which students do Level 3.1, their sentences (and the sentences that they read) will become longer and more complex. I suggest that each year after students have done Level 3.1, they should do one of these exercises. (See also:”Research Projects on Punctuation,”below.)

For the use of semicolons, colons, and dashes in writing comparison/contrast or general-to-specific see KISS Level 6.6 - Syntax and Writing.

Other Uses of Semicolons

Whereas the preceding section focuses specifically on main clauses, this section explores how semicolons are used in other ways.

Other Uses of Colons and Dashes

Currently empty, this section will focus as its title suggests.

Restrictive/Non-restrictive Modifiers

Also currently empty, this section will expand the distinction that begins in Level 3.2 on restrictive and non-restrictive clauses. The distinction, by the way, is followed up in Level 5.4 on appositives.

Editing for Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar

Many state Departments of Education put samples of assessed student’s writing on their web pages. These make excellent exercises for editing for punctuation, spelling , and grammar exercises. This section includes some that are used by KISS. For many more of these, see “Writing Samples from State Standards” at the bottom of the KISS “Printable Books” page.

Bending and Breaking the Rules

As noted above, punctuation is an art. This section includes exercises that illustrate how well-know writers bend or break the rules that are in the typical textbooks.

Research Projects on Punctuation

Students should not be asked simply to believe whatever teachers say about punctuation. This section explains research projects that students can do to help them decide for themselves.

General Punctuation Exercises

For KISS Level 1

Based on The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter

/

Directions: In addition to their clothes, the kittens lost the punctuation and capitalization in the following text. Please fix it (right on this page).

once upon a time there were three little kittens their names were mittens tom kitten and moppet

they had dear little fur coats of their own and they tumbled about the doorstep and played in the dust

but one day their mother expected friends to tea she fetched the kittens indoors

first she scrubbed their faces

then she brushed their fur

then she combed their tails and whiskers

tom was very naughty and he scratched

Notes for
Based on The Tale of Tom Kitten, by Beatrix Potter

This is a somewhat simplified version of the opening of the original text. The primary objectives for second and third graders are the capitalization of the first word in a sentence, the capitalization of names, closing punctuation at the end of the sentence, and commas to separate items in a series. Potter used a semicolon plus “and” after “own.” This combination can be found frequently in nineteenth century writing, but it is no longer the norm. (I would not even introduce second and third graders to semicolons.)

Note that these punctuation exercises can easily and quickly be done in class, especially if you make an overhead of the exercise. You could have the students copy the text and fix the punctuation, and then review it in class, or you could simply have them do it orally, as a group, while you mark the changes with a washable ink pen. I would certainly not collect and grade most of these exercises. Doing so is much too time-consuming, and ultimately not productive.

Once upon a time there were three little kittens. Their names were Mittens, Tom Kitten, and Moppet.

They had dear little fur coats of their own, [#1] and they tumbled about the doorstep and played in the dust.

But one day their mother expected friends to tea. She fetched the kittens indoors.

First she scrubbed their faces.

Then she brushed their fur.

Then she combed their tails and whiskers.

Tom was very naughty, and he scratched.

Note

1. A period and capital “A” on “and” would also be acceptable here.

An Exercise in Punctuation

From The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White

The Description of Sam /

Directions:All the punctuation marks and capital letters have been removed from this passage. On this sheet, put in punctuation marks and make letters that should be capital capital.

sam was eleven his last name was beaver he was strong for his age and had black hair and dark eyes like an indian sam walked like an indian too putting one foot straight in front of the other and making very little noise the swamp through which he was traveling was a wild place there was no trail and it was boggy underfoot which made walking difficult every four or five minutes sam took his compass out of his pocket and checked his course to make sure he was headed in a westerly direction canada is a big place much of it is wilderness to get lost in the woods and swamps of western canada would be a serious matter

The Description of Sam,

from The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White

Note that many of the “general” punctuation exercises on the KISS site can also be used as passages for analysis. The following is the original text.

Sam was eleven. His last name was Beaver. He was strong for his age and had black hair and dark eyes like an Indian. Sam walked like an Indian, too, putting one foot straight in front of the other and making very little noise. The swamp through which he was traveling was a wild place—there was no trail, and it was boggy underfoot, which made walking difficult. Every four or five minutes Sam took his compass out of his pocket and checked his course to make sure he was headed in a westerly direction. Canada is a big place. Much of it is wilderness. To get lost in the woods and swamps of western Canada would be a serious matter.

The Description of Sam, from The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White
Analysis Key

Samwaseleven (PA). | His lastnamewasBeaver (PN). | Hewasstrong(PA){for his age}andhadblackhair (DO)anddarkeyes (DO){like an Indian}. |Samwalked{like an Indian}, too, putting one foot straight [#1]{in front} {of the other}and makingvery little noise [#2]. | Theswamp[Adj. to "swamp {through which}hewastraveling] wasa wildplace (PN)| -- therewasnotrail (PN), | anditwasboggy(PA)underfoot, [[#3] whichmade walking difficult [#4]]. | Everyfour or fiveminutes [NuA]Samtookhiscompass (DO){out of his pocket} andcheckedhiscourse (DO) tomake sure [#5][ [#6] hewas headed{in a westerly direction}]. | Canadaisa bigplace(PN). | Much{of it}iswilderness (PN). | To get lost[#7]{in the woods and swamps}{of western Canada}would bea seriousmatter (PN). |

Notes

1. I would accept at least two different explanations here. Perhaps the simplest is to consider “foot” as the direct object of “putting,” which is a gerundive that modifies “Sam.” “Straight” is an adverb. However, some students might see “foot” as the subject of an ellipsed infinitive, with “straight” as its predicate noun -- “foot *to be* straight.” The infinitive phrase would then function as the direct object of “putting.” I would certainly not tell these students that they are wrong.

2. “Noise” is the direct object of “making,” which is a geurndive that modifies “Sam.” Grammarians might get into long discussions about “little.” Is it an adverb here, or is it a pronoun that functions as an adverb? The question is probably not worth the time spent debating it.

3. This is a fairly frequent, but not very frequent case in which an adjectival clause modifies the idea of a preceding clause, i.e., the fact that it was boggy underfoot made walking difficult. See the section in Level Three on “The ‘Witch’ in ‘Which’.”

4. “Walking” is a gerund that functions as the subject of an ellipsed infinitive (*to be*); “difficult” is a predicate adjective in that infinitive phrase. The phrase functions as the direct object of “made.”

5. “To make” is an infinitive that functions as an adverb to “checked.” A simple explanation of the “he ... direction” clause is in note 2 of the key for level three. There are probably several more complicated explanations within the KISS framework for this construction, but the one I like best is to say that it involves an ellipsed “to be” and a delayed subject of the ellipsed infinitive. “Sure” then becomes a predicate adjective after the ellipsed infinitive. In effect, he makes it *to be* sure [certain] that he was headed in a westerly direction. This differs from the adverbial explanation of the “he” clause given in level three in that the “he” clause does not modify “sure,” it is sure.

6. Here again, especially because of the complex infinitive construction “to make sure,” I would not expect students to give a good explanation of this clause until they were studying KISS Level Five. With students who are not at that level, I would accept (or suggest) the explanation of the clause as an adverb to “sure.” Then I would move on. Note that “make sure + a clause” is an idiomatic expression -- “Make sure you are home by supper time.” It is not, in other words, a grammatical construction that students need guidance in using. A more complex explanation of this clause is offered in the key for level four, as part of the explanation of “sure.”

7. “To get lost” is an infinitive phrase that functions as the subject. “Lost” is a predicate adjective after “to get,” which here means “to become.”

For KISS Level 2

/

The Tiger

[From McGuffey's Second Reader]
Directions:The punctuation and capitalization in the following text was lost. Please fix it (right on this page).

the tiger is a giant cat his body is nearly covered with black stripes

unlike the lion he runs so fast that the swiftest horse can not overtake him he goes over the ground by making bounds or springs one after another

by night as well as by day the tiger watches for his prey with a frightful roar he will seize a man and carry him off

have you ever though what use whiskers are to cats lions have great whiskers and so have tigers and all other animals of the cat kind

whenever you find an animal with whiskers like the cat's you may be sure that animal steals softly among branches and thick bushes

by the slightest touch on the tigers whiskers he knows when there is anything in his road

a few years ago some english officers went out to hunt when coming home from their days sport they found a little tiger kitten

they took it with them and tied it with a collar and chain to the pole of their tent it played about to the delight of all who saw it

one evening just as it was growing dark they heard a sound that frightened them greatly it was the roar of a tiger

the kitten pulled at the chain and tried to break away with a sharp cry it answered the voice outside

all at once a large tigress bounded into the middle of the tent she caught her kitten by the neck and broke the chain which bound it

then turning to the door of the tent she dashed away as suddenly as she had come

/ The Tiger
[From McGuffey's Second Reader]
The Original Text

Directions

1. Place parentheses ( ) around each prepositional phrase.

2. Underline every finite verb twice, its subject(s) once, and label any complements (“PA,” “PN,” “IO,” or “DO”).

The tiger is a giant cat. His body is nearly covered with black stripes.

Unlike the lion, he runs so fast that the swiftest horse can not overtake him. He goes over the ground by making bounds or springs, one after another.

By night, as well as by day, the tiger watches for his prey. With a frightful roar, he will seize a man, and carry him off.

Have you ever though what use whiskers are to cats? Lions have great whiskers, and so have tigers and all other animals of the cat kind.

Whenever you find an animal with whiskers like the cat’s, you may be sure that animal steals softly among branches and thick bushes.

By the slightest touch on the tiger’s whiskers, he knows when there is anything in his road.

A few years ago, some English officers went out to hunt. When coming home from their day’s sport, they found a little tiger kitten.

They took it with them and tied it, with a collar and chain, to the pole of their tent. It played about, to the delight of all who saw it.

One evening, just as it was growing dark, they heard a sound that frightened them greatly. It was the roar of a tiger.

The kitten pulled at the chain and tried to break away. With a sharp cry, it answered the voice outside.