Writing a conversation II

Writing a conversation II

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about writing a conversation using speech marks.
Use the words in the speech bubbles to write sentences to show what each person said and who said it. 
 
Remember to add speech marks and any other punctuation that is needed.
 
The first one has been done for you.
 
a)
           

Question 1Change answer

b) 
     

Question 1Change answer

c) 

Question 1Change answer

d) 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper and online.
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
English, Creating meaning, Writing
Key Competencies: 
Using language, symbols, and texts
Keywords: 
punctuation, direct speech, speech marks, grammar use
Description of task: 
This task assesses the initial understanding needed to punctuate direct speech, by asking students to re-write words in speech bubbles as direct speech and insert the necessary punctuation.
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: 

 

   

Y4 (09/2001)
Given a)   Given given

1 mark
(speech marks)
1 mark
(punctuation)
1 mark
(speech marks)
1 mark
(punctuation)

 b)

i)
 
 
 
ii)

"I've nearly finished my project!" said Grace.
 
 
 
"So have I. I just need to glue on my pictures," said Amelia.

easy
 
moderate
 
moderate
 
moderate

1 mark
(speech marks)
1 mark
(punctuation)
1 mark
(speech marks)
1 mark
(punctuation)

 c)

i)
 
 
 
ii)

"You look upset Jack. What's wrong?" asked Stacey.
 
 
 
"This computer is driving me crazy!" said Jack.

moderate
 
moderate
 
easy
 
moderate

1 mark
(speech marks)
1 mark
(punctuation)
1 mark
(speech marks)
1 mark
(punctuation)

 d)

i)
 
 
 
ii)

"What is your book about?" asked Rawiri.
 
 
 
"It's about a boy. He gets lost in the bush," said Jason.

easy
 
moderate
 
moderate
 
moderate

NOTE:

  • Award 1 mark each time the student has used speech marks to enclose only the words directly spoken, without adding any unnecessary speech marks.
  • Award 1 mark each time the student has included appropriate punctuation between the direct speech and the words that indicate who has spoken, e.g.,!" said Grace. To get this mark the punctuation needs to be correctly placed inside the speech marks.
Diagnostic and formative information: 
  Common errors
b) - d) 24-32% of students did not insert any speech marks for each example of direct speech.
b) - d) 35-57% of students did not insert any punctuation to separate the words spoken from the speaker. Students were more likely to omit punctuation in those instances in which a comma was needed, e.g., For Amelia in b) (50%) and for Jason in d) (57%).
b) Amelia:

  • 32% of students inserted an incorrect type of punctuation such as a full stop within the speech marks to separate the words spoken from the speaker.
  • 12% of students placed speech marks around each sentence spoken by Amelia, and so included extra speech marks unnecessarily, e.g., "So have I." "I just need to glue on my pictures."
d) Jason:

  • 26% of students inserted an incorrect type of punctuation such as a full stop within the speech marks to separate the words spoken from the speaker.
  • 6% of students placed extra speech marks around each sentence spoken by Jason and so included extra speech marks unnecessarily, e.g., "It's about a boy." "He gets lost in the bush."