Punctuation Matters

®38-2 (09); release dates: September 19-25from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateThe Key to UnderstandingThe importanceof punctuationEven though rulesmay be changing fortext-messaging ande-mailing, the ruleshave not changed for regular writing.If you are writing school papers,letters or a book, commas and otherpunctuation marks arestill needed. Punctuationmarks help the readerfigure out your message intexts and e-mails too. Usethe punctuation rules thatfit what you’re writing.Advice to kids“The main thing (aboutpunctuation) is to noticeit!” Lynne said. “Readingis not just getting thesense off the page; it’s alsoabout hearing the words;following an argument;listening.”Changing the meaningIf you put a punctuation mark inthe wrong place, it can completelychange the meaning of the sentence.For example, look at these twosentences. How does the commachange the meaning?Call me Tom.Call me, Tom.See how a comma changes themeaning of these two sentences:“Anya walked on herhead, a little higherthan usual.”“Anya walkedon, her head alittle higher thanusual.”from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateMore to ExploreThe Mini Page provides ideas for Websites, books or other resources that willhelp you learn more about this week’s topics.At the library:• Lynne Truss has written two other punctuationbooks for kids: “The Girl’s Like Spaghetti: Why, YouCan’t Manage Without Apostrophes!” and “Twenty-OddDucks: Why, Every Punctuation Mark Counts!”• Another book to explore is “The Word Snoop” byUrsula Dubosarsky.TMPunctuationtry ’nfindWords that remind us of punctuation are hidden in the block below. Somewords are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: COMMA,PERIOD, APOSTROPHE, EXCLAMATION, COLON, SEMICOLON,PLURAL, POSSESSIVE, LANGUAGE, SOUND, TEXT, MARK, SYMBOL,PAGE, READ, END, SENTENCE, PEN, PAY, ATTENTION, WRITE.What’s,wrong, with,this?Basset BrownThe NewsHound’sfrom The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateC C E C N E T N E S E G A P SL O O L A T T E N T I O N P EA R L M P T E X T K R A M L MN P E O M A V X E T I R W U IG E S A N A Y N E P E N D R CU R O V D L K L O B M Y S A OA I U E V I S S E S S O P L LG O N H E H P O R T S O P A OE D D N O I T A M A L C X E NPlease include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® .

®Mini Spy . . .Mini Spy is working on the punctuation in her notes.See if you can find:• sailboat • question mark • word MINI • carrot• olive • letter B • safety pin • ring• book • kite • letter Z • letter E• bell • letter D • arrow • banana• tin can • exclamation mark • commaTMfrom The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicatephoto courtesy Warner Brothers PicturesTM38-3 (09); release dates: September 19-25Rookie Cookie’s RecipeBroccoli With Orange SauceYou’ll need:• 1 medium broccoli crown• 1 cup water• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 2 tablespoons orange juiceWhat to do:1. Cut broccoli into florets. Place in microwave bowl with water; coverand steam for 31/2 minutes.2. Combine olive oil, orange juice and marmalade in a small saucepan.Cook over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble slightly.3. Drain broccoli, chop as desired, and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.4. Pour orange sauce over broccoli. Top with chopped walnuts.Makes 4 side servings.You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateMeet Jon CryerJon Cryer stars as Dad Thompson in themovie “Shorts.” He is best known for his roleas Alan Harper in the TV series “Two and aHalf Men.” He has acted in several movies,including “Pretty in Pink.” He has alsoco-written, produced and directed moviesand TV shows.Jon, 44, grew up in New York City. Hisfather, David Cryer, is an actor, and his mother, GretchenCryer, is an actor and writer.Jon acted in his first commercial when he was 4 years old.He went to a summer acting camp when he was a child. Helater went to school for acting in London.• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade• 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped walnuts(optional)• sprinkle of salt and pepperfrom The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateNEW!The Mini Page ® Book of StatesThe Mini Page’s popular series of issues about eachstate is collected here in a 156-page softcover book.Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluableresource contains A-to-Z facts about each state, alongwith the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorfulphotographs and art, and complete with updatedinformation, The Mini Page Book of States will be afavorite in classrooms and homes for years to come.To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage andhandling for each copy. Make check or money order (U.S.funds only) payable to Universal Press Syndicate. Send toThe Mini Page Book of States, Universal Press Syndicate,P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206. Or call toll-free800-591-2097 or go to www.smartwarehousing.com.Please send ______ copies of The Mini Page Book of States(Item #0-7407-8549-4) at $20.99 each, total cost. (Bulk discount informationavailable upon request.)Name: _____________________________________________Address: ____________________________________________City: ______________________________________________State: __________________________ Zip: ________________TMAll the following jokes have something in common.Can you guess the common theme or category?from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicatePatton: What did the student say when the teacher asked himto use the word “cousin” in a sentence?Paul: “I put on my mittens ‘cousin’ thewinter my hands get cold!”Penny: What makes a point without a finger?Polly: An exclamation point!Perry: How did one punctuation mark invite theother to his house?Pam: “Please comma over today!”Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® .

®38-4 (09); release dates: September 19-25from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateAt the endThe period, question mark andexclamation point all come at the endof a sentence. They tell the readerabout the writer’s or speaker’s tone ofvoice.Theperiodshows thewriter is making asimple statement.“Ali did herhomework as soonas she got home.”The question mark isexactly what it sounds like:It showssomeone isasking aquestion.“Ali, have youdone yourhomeworkyet?”Theexclamationpoint showssomebody issurprised orexcited. “Yahoo! Iam all done withmy homework!”The Punctuation MarksNext week The Mini Page is aboutfirefighters battling wildfires.Look through the articles and ads in yournewspaper. Pick a few sentences. Howdoes the meaning change if you changethe punctuation?The important little comma“The comma is the mostimportant mark, after theperiod,” Lynne said. “I liketo think of it as a helpful sheepdog,rounding up the words that gotogether, and penning them safelyaway from the words that wouldconfuse things.“I think of the comma as a littlered flag planted in the sentenceat the right spot to say, ‘Hey, payattention here. This sentence is doingmore than you might think.’”Lynne said, “The simplest use ofthe comma is in a list.” For example,“The colors ofthe flag arered, white, andblue.”The colon and semicolonThe colon and semicolon “are veryuseful marks,” Lynne said. “Evenmore than the comma, they say,‘Stop here a minute and look around.’Both of them are ways of joining bitsof a sentence.”With a colon, thesecond part of thesentence explainsthe first part. Forexample, “Becky couldn’tspeak: She was so shy.”A semicolonlinks two thoughtstogether. Forexample, “IrememberBecky when she waslittle; now she’s sogrown-up.”The apostropheApostrophes are used toshow words are possessive, asin “the cat’s paws,” (one cat)or “the dogs’ leashes” (two or moredogs). (They are not used to makewords plural.)Apostrophes are also used to showletters have been taken out of aword, as in “don’t” instead of “do not.”The dogs like mydad.The dog’s like mydad.The Mini Page StaffBetty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - ArtistPlease include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® .

Read allaboutpunctuationin®Distributed by Universal Press Syndicateby Betty DebnamAppearing in yournewspaper on ______.from The Mini Page© 2009 Universal Press Syndicate(Note to Editor: Above is cameraready,one column-by-3 1 /2-inch adpromoting Issue 38.)release dates: September 19-25 38-5 (09)from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate®Standards Spotlight:Punctuation MattersMini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each week weidentify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer activities that will help yourstudents reach them.This week’s standard:• Students apply knowledge of language conventions, e.g., punctuation.(Language Arts)Activities:1. Write a question mark at the top of a piece of paper. Turn five newspaperheadlines into questions. Write them on the paper.2. Race with a friend to find punctuation in news stories: period, comma, semicolon,question mark, exclamation mark.3. Describe the action in a comic strip, but don’t use punctuation. Ask a friend toput in punctuation.4. Which punctuation mark (a) shows possession, (b) separates items in a series,and (c) links two thoughts?5. Interview friends who text-message a lot. Discuss the punctuation they use intheir messages. Have them compare their text punctuation with their schoolpunctuation. Write a paragraph discussing what they say.(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)TMfrom The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press SyndicateSupersport: Philip RiversHeight: 6-5 Birthplace: Decatur, Ala. Weight: 228So Philip Rivers might not have a “classic” throwing motion. So what!Just put him at quarterback, and his teams win. It happened at hishigh school in Alabama. It happened in his four years at North CarolinaState. And it has happened in his three seasons as a starter with theSan Diego Chargers.Since taking over as the No. 1 QB in 2006, Rivers has posted a 25-7 record as astarter and led the Chargers to three straight AFC West titles. In 2008 he posted thetop quarterback rating (105.5) in the National Football League while passing for 4,009yards and 34 touchdowns.The son of a high school coach, Rivers has a high football IQ. Tall, tough andtalented, he dissects defenses, sees the open receiver and finds ways to win.Rivers is more than an elite quarterback, however. He’s a devoted family man, andfounded a charity — the Rivers of Hope Foundation — that helps place foster childrenin stable homes.Now he’s back on the field, ready to give the Chargers stability at quarterback onceagain.(Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 38.)(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 38, to be used inplace of ad if desired.)Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page ® .