Punctuating quotations in essays

Punctuation

CCSS L.9-10.2CCSS W.9-10.8England: GCSE English Literature (embedding quotations)England: GCSE English Language (SPaG)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Punctuating quotations in essays.

I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
I can explain each step and say why it works.
I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Speech marks (quotation marks) for dialogue; Colons

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Punctuation cards, A short unpunctuated text, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Speech marks (quotation marks) for dialogue; Colons). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • "Hurry up," said Dad, "or we'll miss the train." • "Hurry up" said Dad "or we'll miss the train." • "Hurry up, said Dad, or we'll miss the train." • "Hurry up," said Dad, "Or we'll miss the train." ("Hurry up," said Dad, "or we'll miss the train." / "Hurry up" said Dad "or we'll miss the train." / "Hurry up, said Dad, or we'll miss the train." / "Hurry up," said Dad, "Or we'll miss the train.") → "Hurry up," said Dad, "or we'll miss the train."Prompt: Speech marks (quotation marks) go around the exact words spoken, including their punctuation.
Which sentence uses a colon correctly? • You will need: three things a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. • You: will need three things a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. • You will need three: things a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. • You will need three things: a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. (You will need: three things a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. / You: will need three things a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. / You will need three: things a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener. / You will need three things: a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener.) → You will need three things: a pencil, a ruler and a sharpener.Prompt: The part before a colon must be a complete sentence (a main clause).
Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • "Can I help," asked the shopkeeper? • "Can I help? asked the shopkeeper." • "Can I help"? asked the shopkeeper. • "Can I help?" asked the shopkeeper. ("Can I help," asked the shopkeeper? / "Can I help? asked the shopkeeper." / "Can I help"? asked the shopkeeper. / "Can I help?" asked the shopkeeper.) → "Can I help?" asked the shopkeeper.Prompt: Speech marks (quotation marks) go around the exact words spoken, including their punctuation.

Hook · 6 min

Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
Share the objective: Punctuating quotations in essays. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
Example: Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal". • The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal. • The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal." • The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
Step 1: Embed short quotations smoothly into your own sentence; use a colon after a full introductory clause. (US style puts the full stop inside the closing quotation mark.)
Step 2: So the answer is: The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
Answer: The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

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

Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming." • The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming. • The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming." • The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming." (The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming." / The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming. / The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming." / The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming.") → The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."Prompt: A short quotation that flows into your sentence needs no comma or colon before it.
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal his guilt. • Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind," reveal his guilt. • Macbeth's words, full of scorpions is my mind, reveal his guilt. • Macbeth's words: "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal, his guilt. (Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal his guilt. / Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind," reveal his guilt. / Macbeth's words, full of scorpions is my mind, reveal his guilt. / Macbeth's words: "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal, his guilt.) → Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal his guilt.Prompt: A short quotation that flows into your sentence needs no comma or colon before it.

You do: independent practice · 17 min

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.

Exit ticket · 7 min

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

Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The poem ends with the line "And the river kept on running". • The poem ends with the line, and the river kept on running. • The poem ends with the line "and the river kept on running." • The poem ends, with the line "and the river kept on running." (The poem ends with the line "And the river kept on running". / The poem ends with the line, and the river kept on running. / The poem ends with the line "and the river kept on running." / The poem ends, with the line "and the river kept on running.") → The poem ends with the line "and the river kept on running."Prompt: A short quotation that flows into your sentence needs no comma or colon before it.
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal his guilt. • Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind," reveal his guilt. • Macbeth's words: "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal, his guilt. • Macbeth's words, full of scorpions is my mind, reveal his guilt. (Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal his guilt. / Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind," reveal his guilt. / Macbeth's words: "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal, his guilt. / Macbeth's words, full of scorpions is my mind, reveal his guilt.) → Macbeth's words "full of scorpions is my mind" reveal his guilt.Prompt: A short quotation that flows into your sentence needs no comma or colon before it.

Watch out for

Using commas where a full stop (period) is needed.
Putting apostrophes in plurals (apple's).

Support and stretch

Support

Review first: Speech marks (quotation marks) for dialogue.
Use concrete materials: punctuation cards.
Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-9.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Punctuating quotations in essays

Name

Date

Score/ 8

1
Question 1
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal." • The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal. • The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal." • The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal".
- A. The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
- B. The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal.
- C. The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal."
- D. The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal".
2
Question 2
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming." • The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming." • The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming. • The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
- A. The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming."
- B. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
- C. The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming.
- D. The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
3
Question 3
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming." • The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming. • The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming." • The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
- A. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
- B. The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming.
- C. The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming."
- D. The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
4
Question 4
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming." • The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming." • The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming. • The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
- A. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
- B. The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming."
- C. The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming.
- D. The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
5
Question 5
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal." • The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal". • The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal. • The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
- A. The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal."
- B. The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal".
- C. The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal.
- D. The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
6
Question 6
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming. • The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming." • The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming." • The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming."
- A. The writer states, the evidence is overwhelming.
- B. The writer states "the evidence is overwhelming."
- C. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
- D. The writer states: The evidence is "overwhelming."
7
Question 7
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal." • The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal." • The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal". • The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal.
- A. The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
- B. The narrator describes the sea as, "a restless grey animal."
- C. The narrator describes the sea as "A restless grey animal".
- D. The narrator describes the sea as: a restless grey animal.
8
Question 8
Which sentence embeds the quotation correctly? • The poem ends with the line "And the river kept on running". • The poem ends with the line, and the river kept on running. • The poem ends, with the line "and the river kept on running." • The poem ends with the line "and the river kept on running."
- A. The poem ends with the line "And the river kept on running".
- B. The poem ends with the line, and the river kept on running.
- C. The poem ends, with the line "and the river kept on running."
- D. The poem ends with the line "and the river kept on running."

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Answer key: Punctuating quotations in essays

1. A. The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
2. B. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
3. A. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
4. A. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
5. D. The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
6. C. The writer states: "The evidence is overwhelming."
7. A. The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."
8. D. The poem ends with the line "and the river kept on running."