• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Dashes and ellipses for effect; Citing textual evidence). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. I opened the box slowly – it was empty. What is the effect of the dash? (It shows a list is coming. / It joins two words into one. / It shows the words are a quotation. / It creates a pause before a surprising reveal.) → It creates a pause before a surprising reveal.Prompt: Read the sentence aloud. Where do you pause?
2. Claim: The new park has been popular. A: "The park opened in May." B: "The park has a pond." C: "Over 2,000 people visited in the first week." D: "The park was designed by a local artist." Which sentence best supports the claim? (A / B / C / D) → CPrompt: First decide what the answer to the question is.
3. "I think… I think I've seen this place before," she whispered. What does the ellipsis (…) show? (Hesitation or a trailing pause in speech. / That a word is spelt wrongly. / That the sentence is a question. / That the speaker is shouting.) → Hesitation or a trailing pause in speech.Prompt: Read the sentence aloud. Where do you pause?

• Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
• Share the objective: Using an ellipsis to shorten a quotation. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "I was nervous, I admit, but I walked onto the stage." • "I was … stage." • "Nervous … but … walked." • "I … admit … stage." • "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."
• Step 1: Use an ellipsis to remove unnecessary words from a quotation, keeping it grammatical and faithful to the original.
• Step 2: The ellipsis removes 'I admit' and the rest still makes sense.
• Step 3: So the answer is: "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."
• Answer: "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "I think… no, I'm sure… it was here." (the end of a question / a list of items / words left out of a quotation / a pause or hesitation in speech) → a pause or hesitation in speechPrompt: Is the ellipsis inside a quotation from a text, or in a character's speech or narration?
2. Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The volunteers, despite the freezing rain, planted over two hundred trees." • "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees." • "The volunteers despite … trees." • "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …" • "… planted over …" ("The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees." / "The volunteers despite … trees." / "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …" / "… planted over …") → "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."Prompt: An ellipsis (…) shows that words have been left out of a quotation.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "I think… no, I'm sure… it was here." (words left out of a quotation / a pause or hesitation in speech / the end of a question / a list of items) → a pause or hesitation in speechPrompt: Is the ellipsis inside a quotation from a text, or in a character's speech or narration?
2. Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The castle, built in 1270 by a powerful local family, still dominates the town." • "… 1270 … town." • "The castle … still dominates the town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "The castle built … town." ("… 1270 … town." / "The castle … still dominates the town." / "The castle … family … dominates." / "The castle built … town.") → "The castle … still dominates the town."Prompt: An ellipsis (…) shows that words have been left out of a quotation.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-8.