• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Brackets, dashes and commas for parenthesis). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees. • My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees). • My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees. (My (uncle who lives in Wales) keeps bees. / My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees. / My uncle (who lives in Wales keeps bees). / My uncle who (lives in Wales) keeps bees.) → My uncle (who lives in Wales) keeps bees.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.
2. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • Our cat, a grumpy old tabby, sleeps all day. • Our cat, a grumpy old tabby sleeps all day. • Our cat a grumpy, old tabby sleeps all day. • Our, cat a grumpy old tabby, sleeps all day. (Our cat, a grumpy old tabby, sleeps all day. / Our cat, a grumpy old tabby sleeps all day. / Our cat a grumpy, old tabby sleeps all day. / Our, cat a grumpy old tabby, sleeps all day.) → Our cat, a grumpy old tabby, sleeps all day.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.
3. Which sentence uses parenthesis correctly? • The – test thankfully – was easy. • The test – thankfully was easy. • The test – thankfully – was easy. • The test thankfully – was easy –. (The – test thankfully – was easy. / The test – thankfully was easy. / The test – thankfully – was easy. / The test thankfully – was easy –.) → The test – thankfully – was easy.Prompt: Parenthesis is extra information. If you remove it, the sentence should still make sense.

• Read a short passage with no punctuation and let the class hear why it's confusing.
• Share the objective: Hyphens to avoid ambiguity. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: What does the hyphen tell us this sentence means? The fast-moving river was dangerous.
• Step 1: Hyphens join words or a prefix to a word to make the meaning clear.
• Step 2: So the answer is: the river moved quickly
• Answer: the river moved quickly
• 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 hyphen tell us this sentence means? There were twenty-odd people at the party. (twenty strange people / about twenty people) → about twenty peoplePrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.
2. What does the hyphen tell us this sentence means? We saw a man-eating shark. (a man who is eating shark meat / a shark that eats people) → a shark that eats peoplePrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.

• 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 5 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 hyphen tell us this sentence means? The fast-moving river was dangerous. (the river moved quickly / the river was fast and also moving house) → the river moved quicklyPrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.
2. What does the hyphen tell us this sentence means? She is a little-used book collector. (she is a small person who collects used books / she collects books that are not used much) → she collects books that are not used muchPrompt: The hyphen joins words into one describing word.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-5.