Standard 5: Language

Students will apply knowledge of grammar and rhetorical style to reading and writing. 

5.5.W.1 Students will write using correct mechanics with a focus on commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks as needed for dialogue and quoted material.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will write using correct mechanics with a focus on commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks as needed for dialogue and quoted material.

• Teachers explain and model the correct usage of mechanics, especially commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, as necessary for dialogue and quoted material.
• Teachers provide opportunities for students to write using correct mechanics, especially commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, as necessary for dialogue and quoted material.
• Teachers monitor and provide opportunities for students to receive feedback when using correct mechanics, especially commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, as necessary for dialogue and quoted material.

Supporting Resources 

Teacher Insights 

• Khan Academy/quotation marks (video)
• Capella University: Grammar Handbook pg 40-65 (webpage)
• Khan Academy/commas and apostrophes (video)
• Quotation Marks and Dialogue Mechanics (webpage)
• Punctuating Compound and Complex Sentences (webpage)
• Extended Rules for Commas (webpage)
• Dialogue Tags Mini-Lesson (webpage)
• Thoughtshots Can Bring Characters to Life (webpage) 
• Writing a Movie Lesson (webpage) 
• Reader's Theatre (webpage) 
• And I Quote (mini-lesson) 
• Exploring Plagiarism, Copyright, and Paraphrasing (webpage) 
• Inside or Outside? Mini-Lesson on Quotation Marks (webpage) 

• Use commas to:   

• Separate time words

• Separate location words

• Set off dialogue

• Make meanings clear

• Set off greetings and closings in a letter

• Set off words, phrases, or clauses

• Use apostrophes to:

• Form contractions

• Form the possessive singular and plural nouns

• Form the plurals of letters, symbols, and numbers

• Dialogue is conversation between two or more people as a feature of a book, play, or movie.

• Rules for Quotation Marks:

• Use quotation marks at the beginning and end of the speaker’s words to separate what the speaker said from the rest of the sentence. The quotation is spoken and should always have quotation marks around it.

• Do not use quotation marks around the attribution (i.e., said, declared, stated, etc.)

• Use a new paragraph to indicate new speakers.

• Use a comma to separate the quotation from the attribution.

• Ex.:  Mom said, “Come to the kitchen.”

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.