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As a parent or caregiver, you play a vital role in supporting your child’s language development. Accordingly, one essential aspect of Year 3 grammar that might require your support is punctuation. Punctuation is not only necessary for students hoping to surpass Australia’s English literacy requirements, but it is also vital for understanding how to communicate clearly and effectively.
In this article, we will explore the top fourteen “must know” punctuation marks for Year 3 grammar students. Feel free to check out the entire article, or simply use the links below to skip straight to the punctuation mark of your choice!
A full stop marks the end of a sentence. Full stops usually indicate the end of a complete idea, thought or statement, and give the reader time to pause and take in the information they just read.
a) The sun is shining brightly.
A question mark is used at the end of interrogative sentences. In other words, it signifies that a question is being asked.
a) How are you today?
An exclamation mark signifies that a statement is being expressed with emphasis or a strong emotion (such as joy, excitement, urgency, surprise, or pain).
a) What a beautiful day!
b) Ouch! That hurt!
A comma is a versatile punctuation mark used to create pauses within a sentence. Comma’s are a common source of confusion among Year 3 grammar students, due quite simply to their versatility. A comma can be used to:
i) separate items on a list.
a) I bought an apple, a banana, and two pears.
The “Oxford comma” (or “serial comma”) is an optional comma that is placed after the second last item on a list of three or more items. The above example INCLUDES the Oxford comma, while the statement, “I bought an apple, a banana and two pears,” EXCLUDES the Oxford comma.
Both these sentences are grammatically correct, and the inclusion of the Oxford comma is a matter of personal style. While different publications disagree on whether the Oxford Comma is necessary, it does often add clarity to a sentence. That being said, the most important thing is for writers to remain consistent (for example, if you choose to use the Oxford Comma, make sure you use it throughout your writing, not just in one place).
ii) separate adjectives that modify the same noun.
a) He wore a soft, comfortable sweater.
iii) separate two independent clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction (such as “and”, “but”, “so”, or “or”).
a) I wanted to go to the shops, but my mother said no.
b) I really like vegetables, so I ate my broccoli quickly.
iv) separate introductory words or a dependent clause from the main clause.
a) Despite the interruption, I still managed to finish my project on time.
b) However, you may take photos if you turn your flash off.
c) If you need an assistance, I am here to help.
v) add in clarifying/non-essential information (such as appositives or non-restrictive clauses).
a) Shruthika, the doctor who performed my surgery, said I should rest in bed for the next few days.
b) Caroline, the one you met at the party last week, says she likes you.
c) Nintendo, a company well-known for producing quality video-games, is set to release a new title next week.
vi) separate quoted or direct speech from the rest of a sentence.
a) “I just wanted ice-cream,” he sniffled, climbing into the back of the car.
While the application of the comma is clearly varied, the most important thing to remember is that it always marks a brief pause in a sentence (either for emphasis or clarity). Fortunately, for those Year 3 grammar students who are struggling with this particular punctuation mark, there is a surprising solution; sometimes, the simplest way to decipher whether a comma is due is to read a sentence aloud. Read it once with a brief pause where you think the comma should be, and then once without, and see which feels the most natural!
An apostrophe signifies possession or a contraction.
a) The dog‘s tail wagged happily. (possession; the tail belongs to the dog)
a) Mandy‘s wife‘s brother is having a party this weekend. (possession)
a) It‘s a sunny day. (contraction; “it‘s” is a contraction of “it is”)
a) They‘re home sick today. (contraction)
Quotation marks are used to enclose direct speech or quotations from other sources.
a) “I love reading books,” the man said.
b) Mary said the second movie “wasn’t as good” as the first one.
Since quotation marks are used for signifying direct speech, they are essential for Australian Year 3 grammar students, particularly when writing imaginative or persuasive texts (as is required in both NAPLAN and the HSC). By including direct speech in quotation marks, students can correctly structure character dialogue in their short stories, as well as include direct quotes from experts when trying to compose a convincing argument.
A colon is used to precede a list of items, a quotation, an elaboration, or an explanation. It tells a reader that you are about to supply them with an item you just foreshadowed or introduced. In other words, colons are typically used when the preceding clause or sentence introduces or sets up what follows after the colon.
a) She needed three things from the store: a mango, pistachio nuts, and a block of Kit Kat Gold.
b) The rule is simple: treat others with compassion.
A semicolon separates two closely related independent clauses. It is stronger than a comma, but less final than a full stop. Importantly, the two clauses that are separated by a semicolon MUST be complete sentences, meaning they should make full grammatical sense on their own.
a) She wanted to go; he preferred to stay.
b) Let’s study at the library; it’s pretty quiet there.
c) I had cheesecake for dessert; life is too short for counting calories.
A hyphen connects words or parts of words within a compound word or a phrase.
a) I heard a high–pitched bark.
b) My mother–in–law is visiting this weekend.
Keep in mind, not all horizontal line punctuation marks are hyphens! While hyphens (-) are the smallest horizontal line, there are also “en dashes” (–), which get their name from being roughly the width of the letter “n”, and “em dashes” (—), which are roughly the width of the letter “m”.
An “en” dash signifies a range between two items and is synonymous with the word “to”.
a) Please read page 132–139
b) The Sydney–Tokyo flight is delayed by two hours.
An “em” dash is used to add in clarifying or non-essential information (just like a comma!), or in place of a colon, or semi-colon. It can also be used to signify a sudden break or interruption.
a) The movie—the one we saw last night—was fantastic.
b) I’m just heading to the shops to—wait… do you smell something burning?
Parentheses, or simply “brackets”, are used to enclose additional or explanatory information.
a) The concert (which was held in a large stadium) was a huge success.
b) The World Health Organization (WHO) released new COVID-19 guidelines.
c) Desdemona (I know, weird name), is Othello’s love interest.
An ellipsis indicates an omission or a pause. It is often used to signify tension/mystery/suspense, an incomplete/concurrent thought, or the “trailing off” of speech.
a) I was thinking… maybe we shouldn’t go?
b) I’m not sure I… oh never mind!
c) No one heard from them ever again…
An ellipsis can also be used to indicate a section of text has been removed from a direct quote when it appears in square brackets. For example, consider this text:
My name is Sasha, and my English speech is about my favourite animal in the world. I love dogs. Like, really really really love dogs. They are such loyal companions. My brother prefers cats, which I really don’t understand. Why would he like an animal that bites and scratches for no reason?
If a writer wanted to cut a section out of this text, they could quote the speaker as saying:
“I love dogs. […] They are such loyal companions.”
As seen in the above example, square brackets are used to enclose editorial changes that have been made to quoted text. Content within square brackets does not appear in the original text, but instead contains context or paraphrasings that have been retroactively added.
Importantly, the content of square brackets is introduced for the purpose of clarity, and should never alter the original meaning of a quote. For example, consider this text:
My name is Sasha, and my English speech is about my favourite animal in the world. I love dogs. Like, really really really love dogs. They are such loyal companions. My brother prefers cats, which I really don’t understand. Why would he like an animal that bites and scratches for no reason?
If a writer wanted to quote only a section from this text, they could use square brackets to preserve relevant context:
“Why would [my brother] like an animal that bites and scratches for no reason?”
Understanding square brackets is vital, not only for Year 3 grammar students, but for anyone pursuing journalism or academia. In a high school and university, students will be required to quote from academic sources, and these quotes will likely require editorial adjustments to make sense in their new essay contexts.
Clearly, understanding and using punctuation correctly is crucial for effective writing and clear communication. By familiarising ourselves with the most common punctuation marks and their applications, we can support our Year 3 grammar students in becoming confident writers.
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