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First Year Writing Program
Teaching Resources: Grammer
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Grammar Top Ten | Teach Each Other | Passive and Active Voice | Punctuation | Grammar Game
The Importance of Correct Punctuation
(From Games Magazine 1984)Time: 30-40 minutes
Skills: Punctuation
This activity can be used to stress the importance of using correct punctuation in their writing. Depending on how you punctuate the paragraph below, it can be read as either a love letter, or a “Dear John” letter.
- Before assigning your students this activity, have a brief review of punctuation marks and their uses, especially those that your class seems to struggle with (semi-colon and colon use is typically problematic).
- Then, break your class into small groups to punctuate the first paragraph to read as a love letter and the second paragraph to read as a “Dear John” letter.
- Afterwards, reconvene as a large group to discuss the results. Make sure you ask students to explain their punctuation choices.
DEAR JOHN:
I WANT A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT YOU ARE GENEROUS KIND THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE YOU ADMIT TO BEING USELESS AND INFERIOR YOU HAVE RUINED ME FOR OTHER MEN I YEARN FOR YOU I HAVE NO FEELINGS WHATSOEVER WHEN WE’RE APART I CAN BE FOREVER HAPPY WILL YOU LET ME BE YOURS
GLORIA
DEAR JOHN:
I WANT A MAN WHO KNOWS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT YOU ARE GENEROUS KIND THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE YOU ADMIT TO BEING USELESS AND INFERIOR YOU HAVE RUINED ME FOR OTHER MEN I YEARN FOR YOU I HAVE NO FEELINGS WHATSOEVER WHEN WE’RE APART I CAN BE FOREVER HAPPY WILL YOU LET ME BE YOURS
GLORIA
Answer Key to Dear John Letter
Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy—will you let me be yours?
Gloria
Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Gloria
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