Using apostrophes

Using apostrophes

Auto-markingPencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about using apostrophes.
Josh wrote a story about a fight that happened at lunchtime. He wrote a good story, but he forgot to use apostrophes ( ' ).
 
Read his story and select the correct words to go in all the places they are needed.
 
boys-fighting.png

Question 1Change answer

 
At lunchtime there was a fight outside the boysboy'sboys' toilets. It all started when Tim stole BensBen'sBens' cap. Ben tried to get the cap back. He grabbed Tim'sTimsTims' shirt. By mistake he ripped the shirtsshirt'sshirts' pocket. Then Tim threw the cap into the girlsgirls'girl's toilets. Ben got so mad that he went into the classroom, picked up TimsTim'sTims' favourite comic book and ripped the booksbook'sbooks' cover completely off. Things just went from bad to worse. I went to find one of the teachers on duty. I couldn't find anyone so I went to the staff room. I was too scared to go in because there was a teachersteacher'steachers' meeting in there. Just then the bell went and all the kids went back to class. Our teacher gave us a big talking to. She thinks that the childrenschildren'schildrens' behaviour at our school is usually pretty good but sometimes one or two people let the rest of us down. There is a parentsparent'sparents' evening at school tonight and Tim is worried that his mum will find out he was in a fight. I would be worried too if I were him.
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online with auto-marking.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
punctuation, apostrophes
Description of task: 
This task assesses students' understanding of the conventions surrounding the use of apostrophes to indicate ownership. Students are required to read a short story and insert apostrophes in the places they are needed.
Curriculum Links: 
This resource can be used to help to identify students’ ability to create texts to meet the writing demands of the New Zealand Curriculum.
 

Links to the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing:
This resource helps to identify students’ ability to:
  • use basic punctuation that is mostly correct, including punctuation of dialogue
as described in the Literacy Learning Progressions for Writing at: http://www.literacyprogressions.tki.org.nz/The-Structure-of-the-Progressions.
Learning Progression Frameworks
This resource can provide evidence of learning associated with
Writing meaningful text: encoding, set 5
Writing meaningful text: text features, set 4
within the Writing Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Read more about the Learning Progressions Frameworks.
Answers/responses: 
   

Y6 (11/2002)
boys'
Ben's
Tim's
shirt's
girls'
Tim's
book's
teachers'
children's
parents'		 difficult
moderate
moderate
moderate
moderate
moderate
difficult
moderate
moderate
moderate
 

At lunchtime there was a fight outside the boys' toilets. It all started when Tim stole Ben's cap. Ben tried to get the cap back. He grabbed Tim's shirt. By mistake he ripped the shirt's pocket. Then Tim threw the cap into the girls' toilets. Ben got so mad that he went into the classroom, picked up Tim's favourite comic book and ripped the book's cover completely off. Things just went from bad to worse. I went to find one of the teachers on duty. I couldn't find anyone so I went to the staff room. I was too scared to go in because there was a teachers' meeting in there. Just then the bell went and all the kids went back to class. Our teacher gave us a big talking to. She thinks that the children's behaviour at our school is usually pretty good but sometimes one or two people let the rest of us down. There is a parents' evening at school tonight and Tim is worried that his Mum will find out he was in a fight. I would be worried too if I were him.