Writing to Entertain - Lesson 1 - Punctuation Predicament Worksheet

Imagine you're planning your next holiday, but the memories of the previous year's trip to Bolton Abbey are still vividly etched in your mind. It wasn't the destination that dampened the spirits; rather, it was an unfortunate series of events. The Seven Oaks Hotel was meant to be a haven for relaxation, yet it fell short of expectations. Despite the weather being tolerable, your mum caught a cold just a couple of days into the holiday, prompting your dad to consider an early return home. To add to the disappointment, your long-anticipated visit to the dungeons in York was thwarted, as you weren't allowed to go. Reflecting on these mishaps, you've made up your mind that next year, staying at home might be the most appealing option.

As you recount this story, you can't help but notice the punctuation predicament that plagues the narrative. The absence of proper capitalisation, the misuse of apostrophes, and the mix-up of homophones like 'whether' and 'weather', 'two' and 'too', or 'aloud' and 'allowed', create a jumble of confusion. The story itself is a tale of holiday woes, but the real predicament lies in the need for punctuation to bring clarity and coherence to the tale. It's a reminder of how the correct use of punctuation is not just a matter of grammatical precision but also a means to ensure that the intended entertainment value of a story is fully realised.