What students learn in AC9E5LA09
This unit helps students build a clear, usable understanding of Commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is.... The goal is not to memorise one answer pattern. Students should be able to explain the idea, recognise it in a new example and apply it in a short practice or worksheet task.
- Start with the main idea: use commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is multiple possession.
- Use concrete examples, pictures, oral explanation and short written responses before moving to independent practice.
- learning that in Standard Australian English, regular plural nouns ending in “s” form the possessive by adding just the apostrophe; for example, “the students' classroom” learning that in Standard Australian English for proper nouns, the regular possessive form is always possible but a variant form without the second “s” is sometimes found; for example, “James’s house” or “James’ house”
- Finish with mixed questions so students must choose the correct strategy rather than copy the last example.
Curriculum coverage and elaborations
The content description and elaborations below show the curriculum ideas taught in this unit. Items marked as teaching context support lesson planning but may not appear in the initial eight-question activity.
- Content description: use commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is multiple possession
- E1: learning that in Standard Australian English, regular plural nouns ending in “s” form the possessive by adding just the apostrophe; for example, “the students' classroom”
- E2: learning that in Standard Australian English for proper nouns, the regular possessive form is always possible but a variant form without the second “s” is sometimes found; for example, “James’s house” or “James’ house”
- E3: learning that when there is more than one owner, the apostrophe is usually used for the last owner in the list; for example, “the cat and kitten’s bowls”
- E4: using commas to signal a prepositional phrase; for example, “On Saturday, before it rained we went to the beach.”
How to use this unit
Read the topic guide, use the teacher slide for instruction, then complete the Worksheet, Practice and Test. These three activities use the same eight-question unit bank.
Teacher resource
AC9E5LA09 teacher slide
Use this one-page PDF to introduce the key idea, vocabulary and teaching sequence before students begin the activities.
Open teacher slide (PDF)Common mistakes to watch for
- Answering from memory without using clues from the text, sentence or image.
- Knowing the idea orally but not transferring it into reading, writing or speaking.
- Missing punctuation, word order or vocabulary clues that change meaning.
International curriculum mapping
This table gives closest-topic mapping for search and planning. The Australian Curriculum code is exact; overseas entries are broad equivalents because each jurisdiction structures outcomes differently.
| Region | Curriculum | Closest mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9E5LA09 — use commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is multiple possession |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F-10 | Year 5 English: closest match in Language for expressing and developing ideas. Use this page as a VIC-aligned practice and worksheet reference. |
| NSW | NSW Curriculum | Stage 3 English: closest content focus for Commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is... and related outcomes. |
| United States | Common Core / NGSS | Grade 5 Common Core Mathematics/ELA closest topic match for Commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is.... |
| England / UK | National Curriculum | Key Stage 2 / Year 5: closest programme-of-study match for Commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is.... |
| Canada | Provincial and territory curricula | Grade 5 closest topic match. Canada varies by province, so use this as a broad Ontario/BC-style learning outcome reference. |
| New Zealand | New Zealand Curriculum | Level 3 English: closest achievement-objective topic for Commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is.... |
| India | NCERT / CBSE | Class 5 closest NCERT/CBSE topic match for Commas to indicate prepositional phrases, and apostrophes where there is.... |