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KS2 · Grammar

Y5.6 Commas for Parenthesis

Calculators not allowed · about 40 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

A Visit to the Natural History Museum

Source written for Revision Library (original, copyright-free). Written specifically for this grammar worksheet pack; not derived from or based on any published work, past paper or copyrighted text.

Our class, buzzing with excitement, arrived at the Natural History Museum just after nine o'clock. Mr Bailey, our class teacher, handed out a trail sheet before everyone went inside. The dinosaur hall, which is the museum's most popular gallery, was already filling with visitors. Priya, who had read three books about dinosaurs that summer, hurried straight to the diplodocus skeleton. The skeleton, an enormous cast almost as long as a bus, towered over the whole hall. Aisha, meanwhile, was drawn to the meteorite display near the entrance. The meteorite, a dark lump of rock older than the Earth itself, had crashed into a field in Yorkshire many years ago. After lunch, the class visited the human biology gallery, a bright room full of models and screens. Finally, Mr Bailey, checking his watch anxiously, called everyone back together for the coach home.

A piece of parenthesis is extra information added into the middle of a sentence. It needs a matching pair of commas: one before it and one after it. Tick the sentence in each set that punctuates the parenthesis correctly.

(a)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) My friend Oliver who plays the trumpet, joined the band this term.
B) My friend Oliver, who plays the trumpet joined the band this term.
C) My friend Oliver, who plays the trumpet, joined the band this term.

(b)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) The old oak tree which stands beside the gate, is over two hundred years old.
B) The old oak tree, which stands beside the gate is over two hundred years old.
C) The old oak tree, which stands beside the gate, is over two hundred years old.

(c)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) Mrs Chen the head of Year 5, organised the whole trip.
B) Mrs Chen, the head of Year 5 organised the whole trip.
C) Mrs Chen, the head of Year 5, organised the whole trip.

(d)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) The library usually so quiet, was suddenly full of noise.
B) The library, usually so quiet was suddenly full of noise.
C) The library, usually so quiet, was suddenly full of noise.

The sentences below are taken from the passage above. Underline the parenthesis, including both commas, in each sentence.

(a)Mr Bailey, our class teacher, handed out a trail sheet before everyone went inside.(1)

(b)The skeleton, an enormous cast almost as long as a bus, towered over the whole hall.(1)

(c)Finally, Mr Bailey, checking his watch anxiously, called everyone back together for the coach home.(1)

Tick the two sentences below where the commas mark parenthesis: extra information that could be removed and the sentence would still make complete sense.

A) Priya packed her lunch, her water bottle and her notebook.
B) The tour guide, a cheerful man in a green uniform, welcomed the class.
C) Aisha, who loves science, asked the most questions.
D) After the visit, the class wrote thank-you letters.

Six phrases are shown in the box below. Some show parenthesis (extra information that could be removed from a sentence) and some show items in a list. Sort each phrase into the correct column of the table.
Word bank: which was painted bright red, | the tallest boy in the class, | who arrived late, | a bicycle, a scooter and a kite | eggs, flour and sugar | pens, pencils and rulers

Parenthesis	Part of a list

(6)

Insert the two missing commas to mark the parenthesis in each sentence below.

(a)My uncle who lives in Leeds is visiting us this weekend.(1)

(b)The recipe an old family favourite needs six eggs.(1)

(c)Mrs Ibrahim our headteacher gave the announcement.(1)

(d)The storm which lasted all night flooded the field.(1)

Rewrite each sentence below, adding the extra information in brackets as parenthesis. Remember to add a comma before it and a comma after it.

(a)The parrot squawked loudly. (the museum's oldest exhibit)(2)

(b)Mr Bailey called the register. (checking each name carefully)(2)

(c)The coach arrived at half past three. (ten minutes late)(2)

Complete each sentence with a suitable piece of parenthesis from the box below. Remember to add a comma before it and a comma after it.
Word bank: the museum's most experienced guide | full of ancient bones | eager to see the dinosaurs

(a)Mr Okon ___ led the group through the entrance hall.(1)

(b)The fossil room ___ smelled faintly of old paper.(1)

(c)Deniz ___ ran straight to the dinosaur gallery.(1)

Join each pair of sentences below into one sentence, turning the second sentence into parenthesis marked by a pair of commas.

(a)Priya studies dinosaurs every weekend. Priya is the youngest in our class.(2)

(b)The meteorite crashed into a field in Yorkshire. The meteorite is older than the Earth itself.(2)

(c)Mrs Ibrahim praised the whole class. Mrs Ibrahim is very proud of Year 5.(2)

Circle the sentence in each pair that punctuates the parenthesis correctly.

(a)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) The bridge, built over a hundred years ago is still standing.
B) The bridge, built over a hundred years ago, is still standing.

(b)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) My sister, who is only six, already reads chapter books.
B) My sister who is only six, already reads chapter books.

(c)Which sentence is correct?(1)

A) The museum shop, busy all afternoon sold out of postcards.
B) The museum shop, busy all afternoon, sold out of postcards.

Each sentence below is missing one comma from its parenthesis. Find the mistake and rewrite the sentence correctly.

(a)The tour guide a retired teacher, knew every fact about the museum.(1)

(b)The old clock, the pride of the entrance hall still keeps perfect time.(1)

(c)Jamal my closest friend, wants to be a scientist.(1)

(d)The gift shop, tucked beside the cafe was busy all day.(1)

The paragraph below is missing three commas that mark parenthesis. Find and correct the three errors.

Our tour guide, a cheerful woman called Mrs Patel met us at the entrance. The gift shop, run by two volunteers was already busy. Jamal, the tallest boy in the class waited patiently at the back.

(3)

The sentence below uses only one comma, but a piece of parenthesis in the middle of a sentence always needs a matching pair. Rewrite the sentence correctly, then explain in one sentence why a single comma was not enough.

The dinosaur hall, the busiest gallery was full of visitors.

(2)

Find three more examples of parenthesis marked by commas in the passage above, not already used in Question 2. Do not use ', our class teacher,', ', an enormous cast almost as long as a bus,' or ', checking his watch anxiously,' - these already appeared in Question 2.

(3)

In the passage, the writer describes the meteorite as 'a dark lump of rock older than the Earth itself', set off by commas as parenthesis. Explain the effect of this description on the reader.

(2)

Read the two sentences below.

A) After lunch, the class visited the human biology gallery a bright room full of models and screens.
B) After lunch, the class visited the human biology gallery, a bright room full of models and screens.

Tick the sentence that is correctly punctuated, then explain in one sentence why only one comma is needed for this parenthesis.

A) After lunch, the class visited the human biology gallery a bright room full of models and screens.
B) After lunch, the class visited the human biology gallery, a bright room full of models and screens.

Write two sentences of your own, each including a piece of parenthesis marked by a pair of commas: one giving extra information about a person, and one giving extra information about a place or an object.

(2)

Write a short paragraph (three to four sentences) about a school trip of your own choosing. Your paragraph must include at least two examples of parenthesis marked by a pair of commas. Underline each example of parenthesis in your paragraph.

(4)

Mark scheme · Y5.6 Commas for Parenthesis

Question 1

(a) B1 C ticked cao
(a) Answer: C) My friend Oliver, who plays the trumpet, joined the band this term.
(b) B1 C ticked cao
(b) Answer: C) The old oak tree, which stands beside the gate, is over two hundred years old.
(c) B1 C ticked cao
(c) Answer: C) Mrs Chen, the head of Year 5, organised the whole trip.
(d) B1 C ticked cao
(d) Answer: C) The library, usually so quiet, was suddenly full of noise.

Question 2

(a) B1 , our class teacher, underlined cao
(a) Answer: , our class teacher,
(b) B1 , an enormous cast almost as long as a bus, underlined cao
(b) Answer: , an enormous cast almost as long as a bus,
(c) B1 , checking his watch anxiously, underlined cao
(c) Answer: , checking his watch anxiously,

Question 3

B1 B ticked (The tour guide, a cheerful man in a green uniform, welcomed the class.) cao
B1 C ticked (Aisha, who loves science, asked the most questions.) cao
Answer: B and C

Question 4

B1 which was painted bright red, sorted as Parenthesis cao
B1 the tallest boy in the class, sorted as Parenthesis cao
B1 who arrived late, sorted as Parenthesis cao
B1 a bicycle, a scooter and a kite sorted as Part of a list cao
B1 eggs, flour and sugar sorted as Part of a list cao
B1 pens, pencils and rulers sorted as Part of a list cao
Answer:
Parenthesis Part of a list
which was painted bright red, a bicycle, a scooter and a kite
the tallest boy in the class, eggs, flour and sugar
who arrived late, pens, pencils and rulers

Parenthesis	Part of a list
which was painted bright red,	a bicycle, a scooter and a kite
the tallest boy in the class,	eggs, flour and sugar
who arrived late,	pens, pencils and rulers

Question 5

(a) B1 commas inserted after uncle and after Leeds cao
(a) Answer: My uncle, who lives in Leeds, is visiting us this weekend.
(b) B1 commas inserted after recipe and after favourite cao
(b) Answer: The recipe, an old family favourite, needs six eggs.
(c) B1 commas inserted after Ibrahim and after headteacher cao
(c) Answer: Mrs Ibrahim, our headteacher, gave the announcement.
(d) B1 commas inserted after storm and after night cao
(d) Answer: The storm, which lasted all night, flooded the field.

Question 6

(a) B1 comma inserted directly after parrot, before the parenthesis cao
(a) B1 comma inserted directly after exhibit, before squawked cao
(a) Answer: The parrot, the museum's oldest exhibit, squawked loudly.
(b) B1 comma inserted directly after Bailey, before the parenthesis cao
(b) B1 comma inserted directly after carefully, before called cao
(b) Answer: Mr Bailey, checking each name carefully, called the register.
(c) B1 comma inserted directly after coach, before the parenthesis cao
(c) B1 comma inserted directly after late, before arrived cao
(c) Answer: The coach, ten minutes late, arrived at half past three.

Question 7

(a) B1 the museum's most experienced guide chosen with a comma before and after cao
(a) Answer: Mr Okon, the museum's most experienced guide, led the group through the entrance hall.
(b) B1 full of ancient bones chosen with a comma before and after cao
(b) Answer: The fossil room, full of ancient bones, smelled faintly of old paper.
(c) B1 eager to see the dinosaurs chosen with a comma before and after cao
(c) Answer: Deniz, eager to see the dinosaurs, ran straight to the dinosaur gallery.

Question 8

(a) B1 the youngest in our class inserted as parenthesis directly after Priya, with a comma before and after cao
(a) B1 rest of sentence kept accurate (studies dinosaurs every weekend) cao
(a) Answer: Priya, the youngest in our class, studies dinosaurs every weekend.
(b) B1 older than the Earth itself inserted as parenthesis directly after meteorite, with a comma before and after cao
(b) B1 rest of sentence kept accurate (crashed into a field in Yorkshire) cao
(b) Answer: The meteorite, older than the Earth itself, crashed into a field in Yorkshire.
(c) B1 very proud of Year 5 inserted as parenthesis directly after Ibrahim, with a comma before and after cao
(c) B1 rest of sentence kept accurate (praised the whole class) cao
(c) Answer: Mrs Ibrahim, very proud of Year 5, praised the whole class.

Question 9

(a) B1 B circled cao
(a) Answer: B) The bridge, built over a hundred years ago, is still standing.
(b) B1 A circled cao
(b) Answer: A) My sister, who is only six, already reads chapter books.
(c) B1 B circled cao
(c) Answer: B) The museum shop, busy all afternoon, sold out of postcards.

Question 10

(a) B1 comma inserted after guide cao
(a) Answer: The tour guide, a retired teacher, knew every fact about the museum.
(b) B1 comma inserted after hall cao
(b) Answer: The old clock, the pride of the entrance hall, still keeps perfect time.
(c) B1 comma inserted after Jamal cao
(c) Answer: Jamal, my closest friend, wants to be a scientist.
(d) B1 comma inserted after cafe cao
(d) Answer: The gift shop, tucked beside the cafe, was busy all day.

Question 11

B1 comma inserted after Patel cao
B1 comma inserted after volunteers cao
B1 comma inserted after class cao
Answer: Our tour guide, a cheerful woman called Mrs Patel, met us at the entrance. The gift shop, run by two volunteers, was already busy. Jamal, the tallest boy in the class, waited patiently at the back.

Question 12

B1 comma inserted after gallery, giving The dinosaur hall, the busiest gallery, was full of visitors cao
B1 valid explanation given, e.g. one comma only opens the parenthesis; a second comma after gallery is needed to close it and show where the extra information ends (oe)
Answer: The dinosaur hall, the busiest gallery, was full of visitors. A single comma only opens the parenthesis; a second comma is needed after gallery to show where the extra information finishes.

Question 13

B1 one correct example of parenthesis identified from the passage, e.g. ', buzzing with excitement,', ', which is the museum's most popular gallery,', ', who had read three books about dinosaurs that summer,', ', meanwhile,', ', a dark lump of rock older than the Earth itself,' or ', a bright room full of models and screens'
B1 a second, different correct example of parenthesis identified from the passage
B1 a third, different correct example of parenthesis identified from the passage
Answer: Any three of: ', buzzing with excitement,', ', which is the museum's most popular gallery,', ', who had read three books about dinosaurs that summer,', ', meanwhile,', ', a dark lump of rock older than the Earth itself,', ', a bright room full of models and screens'.

Question 14

B1 identifies that the parenthesis adds vivid, precise detail about the meteorite's age and appearance
B1 identifies an effect on the reader, e.g. emphasises how extraordinary and ancient the object is, or helps the reader picture it clearly (oe)
Answer: It adds a vivid, precise detail about the meteorite's age and appearance, emphasising how extraordinary and ancient the object is and helping the reader picture it clearly.

Question 15

B1 B ticked cao
B1 valid reason given, e.g. the parenthesis comes at the very end of the sentence, so the full stop closes it and only one comma is needed to open it (oe)
Answer: B; only one comma is needed because the parenthesis comes at the very end of the sentence, so the full stop marks where it finishes instead of a second comma.

Question 16

B1 sentence using a correctly punctuated pair of commas to mark parenthesis about a person
B1 sentence using a correctly punctuated pair of commas to mark parenthesis about a place or an object
Answer: My grandad, a retired firefighter, tells the best stories. The treehouse, a wobbly wooden platform, is my favourite place to read.

Question 17

B1 first example of parenthesis correctly punctuated with a comma pair and underlined
B1 second example of parenthesis correctly punctuated with a comma pair and underlined
B1 both examples give genuine, removable extra information rather than list commas or fronted adverbials
B1 paragraph is written in connected, coherent sentences about a school trip
Answer: Last spring, our class visited the city farm on the edge of town. Mr Dutta, our usual bus driver, let us choose the radio station on the way there. The goats, always the noisiest animals, ran straight to the fence when we arrived. Everyone agreed it had been a brilliant day out.

Commas for Parenthesis - Worksheets, Questions and Revision