Writing with Sharon Watson-Easy-to-use Homeschool Writing and Literature Curriculum

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Unlocking the Secrets of Writing and Literature

Practical, easy-to-use writing and literature courses for homeschools, Christian schools, and co-ops by Sharon Watson

Punctuation in Dialog

Punctuation in Dialog

SHARON’S BLOG

punctuation in dialogWelcome to the third in a series of grammar tutorials! You can find the first one on commas in compound sentences here.

The second one teaches the position of commas, periods, colons, and semicolons when used with quotation marks. What could be more exciting?!

Dialog punctuation tutorial

Do you have students who love to hide in their bedrooms and write story after story?

Most likely, they are hoping to be published one day, their stories read and loved by millions, their names on the covers of sought-after books.

One thing editors look for in a new writer is proficiency in grammar and punctuation. Granted, it’s not a huge thing; it’s more important to know how to write a great story. But grammar is an indicator of how well the writer knows the language and its conventions, and it is something that editors take into account when determining whom to publish.

Let’s make sure our students have access to the skills they need to get published.

A tiff between Tarzan and Jane in this fun tutorial will guide your students through the punctuation-in-dialog jungle.

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What Would You Walk Across Your Country For?

What Would You Walk Across Your Country For?

HIGH SCHOOL PROMPTS

Eric Peters was a 23-year-old U.S. Army veteran when he spent seven months walking across America. He began in Clark, New Jersey, and ended in California. Along his trek, he talked to reporters, DJs, other veterans, and anyone willing to listen.

Why?

Peters, recently back from a tour in Afghanistan, suffers from

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Where to Put the Comma, Period, Colon, and Semicolon When Using Quotation Marks

Where to Put the Comma, Period, Colon, and Semicolon When Using Quotation Marks

SHARON’S BLOG

punctuation This compelling grammar lesson answers such thorny questions as this one: “Mom, does a period go before or after the last quotation mark?”

You can find the first in the series of grammar tutorials here; it’s all about compound sentences, coordinating conjunctions, and commas. And if that doesn’t create some excitement in the classroom, I don’t know what will.

Punctuation and quotation marks tutorial

This week’s tutorial includes the following:

  1. An infographic to teach the material
  2. A set of sentences your students can correct to reinforce the material
  3. The answers to the sentences

There are only two rules (can you believe it?), and they are easy (again, is it to be believed?).

This lesson does not cover quotation marks in dialog. Tarzan is in charge of that here.

As you’ll notice by the infographic,

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