Chapter- 09, Punctuation, English Practice Book, DAV Class VIII, The Best Solutions.

Worksheet – 01

A. Read the passage given below and underline the letters that should have been in the capital. Two have been done for you.

The elderly Iyenger brothers recently hit the headlines in Mangalore, India, because until a month ago they had been just next-door neighbours. A local government official was making enquiries about the need for an old people’s home and after talking to Rathan and Shekhar about their past, realised the two were related and introduced them. Born and brought up by a maternal aunt up to the age of six years in the village called Iyengarpur, the two got separated when the aunt died. Rathan had continued to live with a relative in Iyengarpur while Shekhar had been adopted by an organisation named Ashiana. Rathan is a businessman while Shekhar works for the newspaper The Times.

B. Write down when/where you used a capital letter.

1. To begin a sentence.
2. For proper nouns (e.g., names of people, places, and organizations – Rathan, Shekhar, Iyengarpur, Mangalore, India, Ashiana).
3. For titles of specific things (e.g., newspapers – The Times).

Worksheet – 02

Imagine your friend is leaving the school. He wants to carry your memories. So he asks you to fill up his slam book. Fill up the page of his slam book using capital letters wherever required.

1. Name – Aryan Sharma
   ✅ Capital letters used for the first letters of names (Proper nouns).
2. Born at in – Delhi, India
   ✅ Capital letters for cities and countries (Proper nouns).
3. My favourite T.V. show – Stranger Things
   ✅ Each main word in a show title begins with a capital letter (Titles).
4. My favourite actor – Shah Rukh Khan
   ✅ Capital letters for each part of a person’s name.
5. The teacher I like the most – Mrs. Anjali Mehra
   ✅ Capital letters for titles (Mrs.) and names.
6. The funniest movie I’ve seen – Home Alone
   ✅ Capitalized for movie titles—main words start with capital letters.
7. The book I’ve liked the most – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
   ✅ Capital letters used in the title of a book.
8. A foreign country I’d like to visit – Japan
   ✅ Country name is a proper noun.
9. A foreign language that impresses me – French
   ✅ Languages are capitalized.
10. A mountain peak I’d love to climb – Mount Everest
    ✅ Proper noun—mountains and peaks have capital letters.
11. A river I’d like to swim in – Amazon River
    ✅ Proper noun—names of rivers are capitalized.

Where do you use capital letters when you answer the above queries?You use capital letters:

1. At the start of a sentence.
2. For names of people, places, countries, cities, rivers, and mountains (Proper nouns).
3. In the titles of books, movies, and shows (each main word gets a capital letter).
4. For languages and nationalities.
5. For titles before names, like , Mrs., Dr., etc.

Worksheet – 03

Read the letter Sheila wrote to her mother. Full stops are missing in this letter. Insert full stops, wherever needed, and underline the letters that should have been capital.

I’ve settled down with my new job. Thanks to Nicky, my colleague and friend. She is amazing! It must be the way she was brought up because I’ve never known anyone so neat and organised as she is. If you go into her flat, there’s never washing up to be done and everything has been put away in drawers and cupboards intact. I feel a bit of a mess when I’m with her. You know, she has the most beautiful long, jet black hair and even when she gets up in the morning, it looks perfect! Apart from feeling incredibly jealous, I like her a lot. Although she belongs to Pune and is a Maharashtrian, she had her education at Delhi. She is a graduate from Lady Shri Ram College.

How are things at home? Do take care of your health.

With lots of love,
Your daughter,
Sheila

Worksheet – 04

Look at the picture and work out what is going on. Then read the signs given. Number the signs so that they match the numbered places in the picture.

1. A construction site with a bulldozer and broken walls
   Sign: WORK IN PROGRESS
2. Broken-down building or wall inside a fenced area
   Sign: FENCE
3. A man working with tools, near a “no entry”-style barrier
   Sign: DO NOT TRESPASS
4. A petrol station
   Sign: HIND PETROLEUM
5. A fenced area with parked cars
   Sign: CAR PARK
6. Cosy Cafe with a holiday note on the door
   Sign: HOT TEA
7. A person mowing the lawn
   Sign: KEEP OFF THE GRASS
8. Entrance to a park or garden
   Sign: ALEX PARK
9. A person painting a car
   Sign: DO NOT TOUCH

Worksheet – 05

A. Write down the initials for the following. The first one has been done as an example.

1. Master of Arts – M.A.
2. Member of Parliament – M.P.
3. British Broadcasting Corporation – B.B.C.
4. Member of Legislative Assembly – M.L.A.
5. Bachelor of Library Science – B.Lib.Sc.
6. Intelligence Quotient – I.Q.
7. Non-Governmental Organisation – N.G.O.
8. Multi-National Company – M.N.C.
9. National Defence Academy – N.D.A.
10. State Bank of India – S.B.I.

B. Read the abbreviations given below. Write down their unabbreviated form.

1. – Commissioner
2. – Library / Librarian (depends on context)
3. – Modern
4. – Government
5. – Equipment
6. – Especially

C. Now write down six more abbreviations. Do not forget to mark the full stop.

1. – Department
2. – Editor / Edition
3. – Adjective
4. – Information
5. – Reference
6. – Reverend / Revision (depends on context)

Each has a full stop (.) at the end, as they are shortened forms of longer words.

D. Read the following abbreviations:

1. km – kilometre
2. cm – centimetre
3. Mr – Mister

How are these different from the abbreviations in Exercise A??

• These abbreviations (km, cm, Mr) do not have a full stop.
• They are standard abbreviations or symbols used in measurement or formal titles, which do not require a full stop in modern usage.
• In contrast, abbreviations in Exercises A and B are shortened words or titles, and traditionally use a full stop to indicate letters have been left out.

E. Write down at least six abbreviations that do not need a full stop. You may refer to a dictionary for help.

kg – kilogram

cm – centimetre

km – kilometre

m – metre

TV – Television

UN – United Nations

SMS – Short Message Service

Worksheet – 06

A. Read the following sentences. Each one asks a question.

1. Could you tell me where the library is?
2. Why don’t you bring over the children?
3. Do you have change for a fifty-rupee note?

These sentences end with a question mark. Discuss why.

Answer – The sentences end with a question mark (?) because they are asking for information or making a request in the form of a question. A question mark is used at the end of any sentence that asks a direct question.

Examples:

1. Could you tell me where the library is? – Asking for information
2. Why don’t you bring over the children? – Suggesting in the form of a question
3. Do you have change for a fifty-rupee note? – Asking a direct question

B. Imagine you have met the person you admire the most. Write down at least five questions you would ask him/her.

1. What inspired you to follow your dreams?
2. What challenges did you face in your journey?
3. Who supported you the most in your early days?
4. What advice would you give to someone like me?
5. How do you stay motivated during tough times?

C. The following letter has not been completely punctuated. Punctuate it using capital letters, full stops and question marks.

Dear Aunt Meera,

How are you? Hope you’re keeping good health. As you know, last year we went to Cappinu Islands for a holiday, but we did not enjoy it very much.

This year we’ve decided to go to the East. Would you be interested in joining us? We’ll be visiting Kalingapara and Kotagan. The weather is very pleasant there — usually bright and sunny, but not too hot.

We’ll make sure this holiday isn’t a repeat of last year. Our last holiday was a disaster, to say the least. The flight was delayed — and this wasn’t all! Can you imagine what happened next? The airline misplaced our luggage, and we had to wait for over two hours before our cases were found. Won’t you call that annoying?

I’m hopeful it’ll be better this time. Would you let us know of your plans at the earliest so that the booking is done accordingly?

How are your cats? I’m sure the weather there is better. How is your cold? Is it still bothering you?

Write back soon.

Yours lovingly,
Katherine

Worksheet – 07

A. Read the dialogue given below. It took place between two brothers who had had a fight. Note carefully the sentences with a mark of exclamation (!).

Read all sentences carefully.

B. Now work with your partner and write down the sentences that express a sudden emotion, wish or a strong feeling. One has been done for you.

How dare you enter my room!

Get out at once!

What a monster you are!

God help him!

Stop that nonsense!

Long live the monster!

Very funny!

O Lord! Is it any good praying for others?

Answer to the first part:

The punctuation mark at the end of each of the statements you have written in Exercise B is: ! and is called an: exclamation mark.

C. Work in groups of four. Given below are a few situations. Imagine you are a witness in any one of the situations. Write a dialogue expressing sudden emotions, wishes and strong feelings.

Dialogue Writing: Expressing Sudden Emotions, Wishes, and Strong Feelings

Situation: You witness a child fall off a bicycle and get hurt.

Here’s an example of a short dialogue between two people witnessing it:

Ananya: Oh no! That child just fell off the bicycle!

Ravi: Ouch! That must’ve really hurt!

Ananya: Someone call for help, quick!

Ravi: Poor thing! I hope he hasn’t broken anything.

Ananya: Look at his knee! It’s bleeding badly!

Ravi: God, please let him be okay!

Ananya: He’s trying to get up—what courage!

Ravi: Hang in there, kid! Help is on the way!

Worksheet – 08

A. Read the following sentences.

1. I have bought a pen, a pencil and a few file covers.
2. He is fairly understanding, patient and cooperative.
3. The night was dark, quiet and scary.

Read and see the uses of comma carefully.

B. Imagine you are a reporter. You have been asked to write a report on the attitude of the people of your city towards the environment. In order to do so, you want to design a questionnaire and ask some people to fill it up. Write the questions, giving at least three options for people to choose from. One question has been done for you. (Take topics from the box given below.)

Q.1. When I go shopping, I:

(i) ask for a recycled paper bag,

(ii) carry my own cloth bag,

(iii) use a plastic bag.

Q.2. When I travel to nearby places, I:

(i) walk or cycle,

(ii) use public transport,

(iii) drive alone in a car.

Q.3. I dispose of my garbage by:

(i) separating wet and dry waste,

(ii) dumping everything together,

(iii) burning it.

Q.4. I pool my vehicle with others:

(i) always,

(ii) sometimes,

(iii) never.

Q.5. I get a pollution-check for my vehicle:

(i) every 6 months,

(ii) once a year,

(iii) only when required.

Q.6. I have planted:

(i) more than 10 trees,

(ii) 5 to 10 trees,

(iii) less than 5 trees.

Q.7. My attitude toward the environment is:

(i) I am responsible and proactive,

(ii) I try sometimes,

(iii) I don’t think much about it.

Now exchange your questionnaire with your partner. Has your partner put the commas in the right places?

Commas are placed after each option (except the last one).

Lists use commas correctly.

C. Look at the pictures and the notice given below.

Imagine you are the sales person who has to sell this tea set. Complete the sentence given below, which you would use to describe it.

This tea set is the perfect one for you.
It’s unbreakable, it comprises six saucers, six cups, and a large teapot.

Imagine this is your garden. You love to sit here most of the time. Complete the sentence to say why you like it.
I like my garden because it has beautiful trees, colourful flowers, and a peaceful bench.

3. Imagine you are a travel guide. Complete the sentence given below to guide the passengers on the cruise. Take help from the notice below.
   While on the cruise, stay on the deck, don’t look at the waves, and don’t speak loudly.

Note carefully where you used commas (or did not use them) and why.

• Commas separate items in a list.
• They are used before ‘and’ in a list for clarity.
• No comma is used after the last item.
• Commas can also break up parts of a sentence for readability.

Worksheet – 09

A. Read the following passage.

Work with your partner and underline the pairs of words used in the passage. One has been done for you.

Mr Polter and Miss Penny have been working
untiringly and sincerely, anxiously and nervously, in the office for the last twelve hours.
They have been trying to locate some important files.
They have looked high and low, in and out, but are unable to trace them.
Mr Polter, who is otherwise efficient and organised, cheerful and patient, seems to be getting rather irritated.
Penny, who on the other hand, is usually nervous and impatient, careless and anxious, is surprisingly calm and patient, careful and organised.

B. Complete the statement:

Pairs of words connected by ‘and’ are separated by commas when they occur in a list of more than two items.

C. Read the following newspaper reports and punctuate them appropriately with capital letters, full stops and commas.

1. KA RAW INJURED

Renowned footballer Prateek Karavy was injured while playing a match last evening.
He is reported to have a fractured pelvis, broken arms, a fractured skull, and internal injuries.
His condition is said to be critical and unstable, painful and unpredictable.

2. WEIRD WILSON

Once, Mr Wilson was arrested for sharing his caravan with a donkey, three grizzly bears, thirteen dogs, a monkey, and eight children.
The police said that Mr Wilson had to be arrested as this is illegal and dangerous, a bad example and abnormal behaviour.

D. Read the following conversation between a teacher and a student.

Teacher: You are late again. The school rules, I’m sure you know, do not allow in latecomers.
✍️ Interruption: “I’m sure you know”

Student: I’ll never, I assure you, be late again, ma’am.
✍️ Interruption: “I assure you”

Teacher: But why, may I know, are you late?
✍️ Interruption: “may I know”

Student: My cat, who loves fish, refused to eat breakfast because there was no fish today.
✍️ Interruption: “who loves fish”

Worksheet – 10

Look at the list given below. This is a list of things two friends, sharing a flat, need to buy.

Reena: Why do you need two dustbins?
Anita: The one in the kitchen, as is evident, is too small.
Reena: And why, may I know, do you need the second?
Anita: I’m writing a book these days, you see, so I need one for my study.

Reena: Fine. And what about five pens?
Anita: I always keep extras. You never return the ones you borrow!

Reena: (laughing) Fair enough! But two bottles of tomato ketchup?
Anita: One’s for the kitchen, and the other is for when guests come over.

Reena: A whole dozen scribbling pads?
Anita: Like I said—I’m writing! I use at least one every few days.

Reena: And six flower pots? That’s a bit much.
Anita: I want to make the balcony look pretty. We both agreed it looked dull.

Reena: Okay. But you forgot to mention cake!
Anita: That’s for your sweet tooth—don’t pretend you didn’t add it!

Reena: (smiling) And fruit?
Anita: Apples and bananas—healthy snacks for both of us.

Reena: Looks like we’re set for the week. Let’s get going before the market closes!

Worksheet – 11

A. Read the following sentences.

1. Yes, that’s my jacket.
2. Your Majesty, I’m the owner of the house.
3. Thank you, I’d be glad to come.
4. She is such a beautiful baby, isn’t she?
5. Excuse me, sir, is that your car?

What do you notice about the usage of the words ‘yes’, ‘your majesty’, ‘sir’, ‘thank you’, ‘isn’t she’, in the sentences given on the previous page?

In the sentences provided, words/phrases like “yes,” “no,” “thank you,” “Your Majesty,” “sir,” and question tags (e.g., isn’t she?) are separated from the rest of the sentence by commas because they function as interjections, forms of address, or confirmatory questions.

• Interjections (e.g., yes, no, thank you) show emotion or politeness and are followed by commas.
• Forms of address (e.g., sir, Your Majesty) are also separated by commas.
• Question tags (e.g., isn’t she?) are separated by commas from the statement they follow.

B. Punctuate the Following Sentences

1. You will come to see us, won’t you?
2. And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the good news.
3. I’ve had plenty to eat, thank you.
4. No, you are mistaken.
5. Your sister is a yoga instructor, isn’t she?
6. I’m all right, Mom.
7. Minisha, must you always be complaining?

C. Punctuate the following passage with capital letters, full stops, question marks and commas.

When I opened my newspaper today, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Yes, on the front page was a photograph of the tall, handsome, and rich Pranav. He had been caught coming out of a supermarket with a box of chocolates, a pair of socks, and a mobile phone hidden in his jacket. He could afford to buy all this stuff, couldn’t he? Then why, I wondered, did he need to shoplift? Perhaps he just enjoyed the excitement of doing something illegal. Of course, now that he has a criminal record, he will lose his job. Losing his job, which he loves, will come as a blow to him. Somehow, I feel someone ought to have counselled him.

Worksheet – 12

A. Write Who Owns What

(Sample completions)

1. That is Daddy’s hat.
2. That is Mom’s map.
3. That is Grandpa’s shoes.
4. That is Mother and Sheena’s suntan cream.
5. That is my brother’s toys.
6. That is my sisters’ water bottle.
7. That is Grandma’s walking tent .
8. That is my cousins’ goggles.

B. Correct the following sentences by writing’s, s’ or an ‘apostrophe’ wherever required.

1. The gymnast’s skill is worthy of praise.
2. The railwaymen’s strike caused much inconvenience.
3. Can I go to Cindy’s house, Mom?
4. My uncle and aunt’s library is the biggest one I’ve ever seen.
5. Raghav’s shirt got torn while he was playing.
6. Rashi and Raghav’s parents are doctors.
7. The tiger’s den was in a dense forest.

C. Read the following contractions

Now write the contractions for the following,

I will → I’ll

I have → I’ve

Had not → Hadn’t

Do not → Don’t

Shall not → Shan’t

You will → You’ll

D. Write at least five more contractions and their full forms.

1. She is → She’s
2. Do not → Don’t
3. Would not → Wouldn’t
4. Has not → Hasn’t
5. We are → We’re

E. There is one error in each line. Underline the error and write the correction in the space provided. The first one has been done as an example.

Worksheet – 13

A. Read the following statements:

B. Read the following sentences. Insert a dash wherever necessary.

1. We had to wait three hours in the traffic jam — there had been an accident ahead on the road.
2. I don’t play squash — it’s very tiring.
3. A man was arrested yesterday for possessing illegal weapons — six pistols and a rifle.
4. If I had been more careful — but why cry over spilt milk?
5. Old, young, rich, poor — all came to see him perform.
6. A man was fined two thousand rupees for violating traffic rules — driving without a licence, over speeding and jumping a red light signal.
7. The youth festival — the largest ever held in the city — was inaugurated by the city mayor.

Worksheet – 14

A. Read the following quotations. Can you say who they belong to?

Since you didn’t include the actual quotations in your message, I can’t identify who said them or underline a part. But generally:

• Main parts of a quotation are often separated by a colon (:) or dash (—).
• Example:

“Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”
— John F. Kennedy
Main part underlined: ask what you can do for your country.

B. Now read the following.

There could be three possible reasons why Parv has not arrived. He might, although it s unlikely, not have received our letter he might have received the letter, and his reply has not reached us or possibly, and this is what worries us, he might have met with an accident.

Three main parts:

1. He might, although it’s unlikely, not have received our letter;
2. He might have received the letter, and his reply has not reached us;
3. Or possibly, and this is what worries us, he might have met with an accident.

Note: Each part is a complete independent idea, so they are separated using semi-colons (;).

C. Read the following and mark semi-colons in the appropriate places.

1. Man loves today what he will hate tomorrow; today he seeks something only to shun it tomorrow; he will desire today what he will fear tomorrow.
2. Aamir is a hardworking boy; a boy who is sincere and devoted; a student who deserves the award.
3. It was a terrible day; Madhav moaned with pain; it was hot and sultry; then to make things worse, we got caught in a traffic jam.
4. The car is simply out of the world; it’s been lovingly cared for; the body shines and the red leather seats, that are matchless, look so great; while driving you feel like you’re on cloud nine.

Worksheet – 15

A. Go back to Worksheet-14, Part A of Semi-Colons. Did you find out who the quotations belong to? Check your answers.

Do it yourself

B. Read the following carefully.

Now let’s place colons (:) correctly in the given sentences, based on the rule that colons introduce a list, comment, or explanation:

Place colons wherever required.

1. The mechanic found three things wrong with the car: faulty brakes, poor steering and a lot of rust underneath.
2. She has been honoured for three things: regular attendance, good academic performance, exemplary behaviour.
3. We climbed four major peaks: Mount Everest, Mount Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat and Nanda Devi.
4. The room was hot, humid and stuffy.
   (No colon needed — this is a simple descriptive sentence, not introducing a list.)
5. It’s easy to recognise the first signs of age: you will go out and realise for the first time how young others look.
6. The dogs began growling: they must have heard a noise.
7. Learn to acquire the habit of self-reliance: no learning is ever complete without it.

Worksheet – 16

A. Work with your partner. Write down six words that use a hyphen. Two words have been given as examples.

1. Co-education
2. Well-known
3. Twenty-five
4. Brother-in-law
5. Part-time
6. Self-esteem

B. Ravi shares his room with his elder sister Suniti and he does not like it. Read his diary entry.

The hyphen is used to break long words at the end of a line when there is not enough space for the full word. For example:

• “finding” becomes find-
• “into” becomes in-
• “because” becomes be-

This keeps the text neat and readable, and it follows the rule: the hyphen goes at the end of the first line, not the beginning of the next.

C. Imagine you have won a scholarship for your meritorious performance in the board exam. You are naturally thrilled not only on winning the scholarship but also on making your parents, teachers and friends proud. Write a diary entry in about 80-100 words. Use at least five hyphens.

Date: 22nd June 2025
Dear Diary,

What an unforgettable day! I’ve just received the life-changing news — I’ve won a merit-based scholarship for my board exam performance. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime moment. All those late-night study sessions, last-minute revisions, and stress-filled days were truly worth it. I’m overwhelmed by the heart-warming messages from my friends and teachers. My parents’ proud smiles were the best reward. This scholarship is not just a financial boost — it’s a confidence-builder, a future-opener, and a dream-come-true!

— Avinash

Do It Yourself

1. Identify and underline the main clauses in the sentences given below.

If you are patient, you may be able to watch a cricket chirping. If it is dark outside, carry a torch. Listen carefully so that you know where to look. While the cricket is chirping, walk slowly towards him. It will be a male because only a full grown male cricket can chirp. Stop when he stops chirping. Move closer when he begins again. After several stops, you may be able to get close enough to see him.

• If you are patient, you may be able to watch a cricket chirping.
• If it is dark outside, carry a torch.
• Listen carefully so that you know where to look.
• While the cricket is chirping, walk slowly towards him.
• It will be a male because only a full grown male cricket can chirp.
• Stop when he stops chirping.
• Move closer when he begins again.
• After several stops, you may be able to get close enough to see him.

2. Combine the following sentences using the conjunctions given in the brackets.

a) Most of the states were hit by a severe drought because the monsoons failed miserably.
b) I went to a Gujarati restaurant which my friend had suggested.
c) After he read my letter, he called me up.
d) I liked the book so much that I bought a personal copy.
e) We know that Ritika is intelligent.
f) Tell me where you live.

3. Supply a suitable main clause for the following subordinate clauses.

a) Let’s go out while it is sunny.
b) People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
c) She couldn’t remember where she had kept her purse.
d) That was the opportunity that I certainly needed.
e) I don’t understand why he left that job.
f) Nobody knows how it happened.