Punctuation
In the final part of this module, we’ll look at punctuation. The importance of punctuation will often
depend on the type of class you are teaching and the specific goals that your students have. For
example, if you’re teaching young learners then you’ll likely be focusing more on listening,
speaking, and reading skills.
However, if you’re teaching a class of adults who intend to use English for professional use –
such as with writing letters and emailing clients – then punctuation could be more important.
Similarly, for high school or university students facing written examinations, knowledge of
punctuation will be essential to help them both understand exam questions and write effective
answers.
Learning how to use certain punctuation will also help students when it comes to forming certain
sentence structures, as we’ll cover in the next module.
Periods (full stops)
Periods (also referred to as “full stops”) are used at the end of sentences, and are probably the
most common form of punctuation that your students will need to use. They can also be placed
at the end of abbreviations, which are used to shorten the names of people, places, common
objects and scientific terms.
I like to ski.
Mr. Mrs. Ph.D. M.D.
Teaching students to place periods at the end of a sentence can be rather simple – explaining
the rule, providing opportunities for them to practice writing basic sentences, and then correcting
any mistakes.
Another form of this type of punctuation can be seen with ellipses, which are used in place of
words that have been left out of the text. One thing to note here is that when an ellipsis is used
instead of the removed words, the sentence must still retain its original meaning, for example:
She knocked on the door and waited for a moment but nobody was home.
She knocked on the door… but nobody was home.
For teaching ellipses, it can often be helpful to teach them through awareness of how they occur
in different situations. By allowing your students to listen to taped speech, you’ll be able to
highlight natural pauses for thought, and show your students where they could use this
punctuation in their own writing.
Commas
Commas are generally used as a break within a sentence. They indicate that the reader needs
to take a breath or a pause before continuing their reading, and greatly affect the tone and flow
of a piece of writing.
In the final part of this module, we’ll look at punctuation. The importance of punctuation will often
depend on the type of class you are teaching and the specific goals that your students have. For
example, if you’re teaching young learners then you’ll likely be focusing more on listening,
speaking, and reading skills.
However, if you’re teaching a class of adults who intend to use English for professional use –
such as with writing letters and emailing clients – then punctuation could be more important.
Similarly, for high school or university students facing written examinations, knowledge of
punctuation will be essential to help them both understand exam questions and write effective
answers.
Learning how to use certain punctuation will also help students when it comes to forming certain
sentence structures, as we’ll cover in the next module.
Periods (full stops)
Periods (also referred to as “full stops”) are used at the end of sentences, and are probably the
most common form of punctuation that your students will need to use. They can also be placed
at the end of abbreviations, which are used to shorten the names of people, places, common
objects and scientific terms.
I like to ski.
Mr. Mrs. Ph.D. M.D.
Teaching students to place periods at the end of a sentence can be rather simple – explaining
the rule, providing opportunities for them to practice writing basic sentences, and then correcting
any mistakes.
Another form of this type of punctuation can be seen with ellipses, which are used in place of
words that have been left out of the text. One thing to note here is that when an ellipsis is used
instead of the removed words, the sentence must still retain its original meaning, for example:
She knocked on the door and waited for a moment but nobody was home.
She knocked on the door… but nobody was home.
For teaching ellipses, it can often be helpful to teach them through awareness of how they occur
in different situations. By allowing your students to listen to taped speech, you’ll be able to
highlight natural pauses for thought, and show your students where they could use this
punctuation in their own writing.
Commas
Commas are generally used as a break within a sentence. They indicate that the reader needs
to take a breath or a pause before continuing their reading, and greatly affect the tone and flow
of a piece of writing.
