• 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 think… I think I've seen this place before," she whispered. What does the ellipsis (…) show? (That a word is spelt wrongly. / That the speaker is shouting. / Hesitation or a trailing pause in speech. / That the sentence is a question.) → Hesitation or a trailing pause in speech.Prompt: Read the sentence aloud. Where do you pause?
2. Claim: The village depended on the river. A: "The river was wide." B: "Villagers drank from it, fished in it and watered their crops with it." C: "A bridge crossed the river." D: "The river froze one winter." Which sentence best supports the claim? (A / B / C / D) → BPrompt: First decide what the answer to the question is.
3. We packed sandwiches, crisps, juice, fruit… everything we could carry. What does the ellipsis suggest here? (That the sentence is a command. / That the list could go on even longer. / That the speaker has forgotten what to say. / That two clauses are being contrasted.) → That the list could go on even longer.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? The report said that the river "rose … to its highest level in fifty years." (a list / words left out of a quotation / a pause in speech / a sentence trailing off into silence) → words left out of a quotationPrompt: 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: "Our school, like many others in the region, has started a breakfast club." • "Our school … started … club." • "Our school … has started a breakfast club." • "Our school, like many others … club." • "… school … breakfast …" ("Our school … started … club." / "Our school … has started a breakfast club." / "Our school, like many others … club." / "… school … breakfast …") → "Our school … has started a breakfast club."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. 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." • "The castle built … town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "… 1270 … town." • "The castle … still dominates the town." ("The castle built … town." / "The castle … family … dominates." / "… 1270 … town." / "The castle … still dominates the town.") → "The castle … still dominates the town."Prompt: An ellipsis (…) shows that words have been left out of a quotation.
2. What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "If only I had listened…" she sighed. (an interruption by another speaker / a list / a sentence trailing off unfinished / words left out of a quotation) → a sentence trailing off unfinishedPrompt: Is the ellipsis inside a quotation from a text, or in a character's speech or narration?

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