CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

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gameon
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:28 am

CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by gameon »

Hi all,

Does CEM questions contains punctuation correction? All the English (shop bought) test papers have some kind punctuation correction questions. My DS pretty bad and he gets frustrated. I never seen these kind of questions in CEM test, so should I just avoid them?

Gameon.....
Turtlegirl
Posts: 521
Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:54 pm

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by Turtlegirl »

So far it seems not. But past papers are not necessarily an indication of future questions. CEM like to change things about. Punctuation is an important life skill. There's a big difference between 'Eats, shoots and leaves' and 'Eats shoots and leaves'....
Daogroupie
Posts: 11099
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:01 pm
Location: Herts

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by Daogroupie »

I don't really understand how you can be bad at punctuation? It just follows a set of rules. Really a lot easier than some maths topics. What is it he finds hard?
gameon
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:28 am

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by gameon »

Yes, it is simple, but he seem to miss it.
When there is no mistake in the sentence, he tries to finds them and gets it wrong. When writing them he is fine, but when it comes to identifying them, he struggles.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by mystery »

Similar here. Yes it's conceptually easy and she understands it - but doing it herself or spotting errors she is not 100% accurate - quite hit and miss.

I think that one of the things she needs to do is to look at it differently - e.g. look for lists, possessives, questions, subordinate clauses, speech, new sentences etc etc - then consider what the punctuation needs to be having found those clues. Just looking directly for the punctuation doesn't always work for her.
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by southbucks3 »

Proof reading is a skill, quite different from adding your own punctuation in your own writing. I found the best way is to try and get into the mind set that you are writing it yourself, to begin this technique even try re-writing the line from scratch, but obviously this would be too slow in a test.

Even if proof reading does not occur in any 11+ tests it is good practise for the year six curriculum, and good practise for checking their own English work in the future, or spotting nasty errors on word docs. (Ha ha..I wish..I can live in hope)
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by mystery »

You just ended with a bracket!
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by southbucks3 »

I also had lots of dots ........see.....informal text :lol:
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by mystery »

What is that large yellow full stop you have used?
gameon
Posts: 129
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 10:28 am

Re: CEM Test – questions on punctuation?

Post by gameon »

Good advice here, thanks to you all, and indeed he will need them for rest of his life.
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