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English lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 60 minutes

Using an ellipsis to shorten a quotation

Punctuation

CCSS L.8.2.BCCSS L.8.2.AEngland: KS3 English (punctuation)England: GCSE English Language (embedding quotations)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Using an ellipsis to shorten a quotation.

  • 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: Dashes and ellipses for effect; Citing textual evidence

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 (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. There was only one thing he feared – the dark. What does the dash do here? (It marks the start of speech. / It joins a prefix to a root word. / It shows missing letters. / It adds emphasis to the final words.) → It adds emphasis to the final words.Prompt: Read the sentence aloud. Where do you pause?
  2. Claim: Ravi is nervous about his speech. A: "Ravi's hands shook as he shuffled his notes." B: "Ravi wore a blue shirt." C: "The hall was full." D: "Ravi's speech was about rainforests." Which sentence best supports the claim? (A / B / C / D) → APrompt: 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? (That the speaker is shouting. / That the sentence is a question. / Hesitation or a trailing pause in speech. / That a word is spelt wrongly.) → Hesitation or a trailing pause in speech.Prompt: Read the sentence aloud. Where do you pause?

Hook · 6 min

  • 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.

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 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.

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.
  1. What does the ellipsis (…) show here? She opened the door slowly and saw… nothing. (words left out of a quotation / a dramatic pause to build suspense / a list / a mistake) → a dramatic pause to build suspensePrompt: 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: "I was nervous, I admit, but I walked onto the stage." • "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage." • "I was … stage." • "I … admit … stage." • "Nervous … but … walked." ("I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage." / "I was … stage." / "I … admit … stage." / "Nervous … but … walked.") → "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."Prompt: An ellipsis (…) shows that words have been left out of a quotation.

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.
  1. What does the ellipsis (…) show here? The report said that the river "rose … to its highest level in fifty years." (a pause in speech / words left out of a quotation / a list / 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: "I was nervous, I admit, but I walked onto the stage." • "I was … stage." • "Nervous … but … walked." • "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage." • "I … admit … stage." ("I was … stage." / "Nervous … but … walked." / "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage." / "I … admit … stage.") → "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."Prompt: An ellipsis (…) shows that words have been left out of a quotation.

Watch out for

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

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Dashes and ellipses for effect.
  • 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-8.

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

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Using an ellipsis to shorten a quotation

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "If only I had listened…" she sighed.

    • A. words left out of a quotation
    • B. an interruption by another speaker
    • C. a sentence trailing off unfinished
    • D. a list

  2. Question 2

    Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "The volunteers, despite the freezing rain, planted over two hundred trees." • "… planted over …" • "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …" • "The volunteers despite … trees." • "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."

    • A. "… planted over …"
    • B. "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …"
    • C. "The volunteers despite … trees."
    • D. "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."

  3. Question 3

    What does the ellipsis (…) show here? The report said that the river "rose … to its highest level in fifty years."

    • A. a sentence trailing off into silence
    • B. a list
    • C. words left out of a quotation
    • D. a pause in speech

  4. Question 4

    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 …"

    • A. "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."
    • B. "The volunteers despite … trees."
    • C. "The volunteers, despite the rain, planted trees …"
    • D. "… planted over …"

  5. Question 5

    What does the ellipsis (…) show here? "I think… no, I'm sure… it was here."

    • A. the end of a question
    • B. a pause or hesitation in speech
    • C. words left out of a quotation
    • D. a list of items

  6. Question 6

    Which shortened quotation uses an ellipsis correctly and keeps the meaning? Original: "I was nervous, I admit, but I walked onto the stage." • "I … admit … stage." • "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage." • "Nervous … but … walked." • "I was … stage."

    • A. "I … admit … stage."
    • B. "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."
    • C. "Nervous … but … walked."
    • D. "I was … stage."

  7. Question 7

    What does the ellipsis (…) show here? She opened the door slowly and saw… nothing.

    • A. words left out of a quotation
    • B. a list
    • C. a mistake
    • D. a dramatic pause to build suspense

  8. Question 8

    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 … still dominates the town." • "… 1270 … town." • "The castle … family … dominates." • "The castle built … town."

    • A. "The castle … still dominates the town."
    • B. "… 1270 … town."
    • C. "The castle … family … dominates."
    • D. "The castle built … town."

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Answer key: Using an ellipsis to shorten a quotation

  1. 1. C. a sentence trailing off unfinished

  2. 2. D. "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."

  3. 3. C. words left out of a quotation

  4. 4. A. "The volunteers … planted over two hundred trees."

  5. 5. B. a pause or hesitation in speech

  6. 6. B. "I was nervous … but I walked onto the stage."

  7. 7. D. a dramatic pause to build suspense

  8. 8. A. "The castle … still dominates the town."