English lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 60 minutes
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? • "Let's go to the park, said Mia." • "Let's go to the park" said Mia. • Let's go to the park," said Mia. • "Let's go to the park," said Mia. ("Let's go to the park, said Mia." / "Let's go to the park" said Mia. / Let's go to the park," said Mia. / "Let's go to the park," said Mia.) → "Let's go to the park," said Mia.Prompt: Speech marks (quotation marks) go around the exact words spoken, including their punctuation.
- Which sentence uses a colon correctly? • There was only one: problem we had no map. • There was only one problem we: had no map. • There was only one problem: we had no map. • There: was only one problem we had no map. (There was only one: problem we had no map. / There was only one problem we: had no map. / There was only one problem: we had no map. / There: was only one problem we had no map.) → There was only one problem: we had no map.Prompt: The part before a colon must be a complete sentence (a main clause).
- Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • "Let's go to the park," said Mia. • "Let's go to the park, said Mia." • "Let's go to the park" said Mia. • Let's go to the park," said Mia. ("Let's go to the park," said Mia. / "Let's go to the park, said Mia." / "Let's go to the park" said Mia. / Let's go to the park," said Mia.) → "Let's go to the park," said Mia.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 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? • 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.
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? • 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.
- 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." (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.") → The narrator describes the sea as "a restless grey animal."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