Punctuation 5

Punctuation Marks By Zhian F

Asaad

Punctuation mark: A mark, such as a full stop, comma, or question mark, used in writing to separate sentences and to clarify meaning.

• Where one chunk of meaning ends and another begins.•Where to pause or change tonewhen reading aloud.

They show the reader:

A sentence* starts with a capital letter* ends with a .* makes complete sense.

?question markshows the end ofa question.

full stop shows the endof a statement.

!exclamation mark shows* raised voice,* strong feelings,* an exclamation.

Three punctuation

marks can showthe end of asentence.

Rules for Periods• Use a period at the end of a complete sentence.• Use periods (decimal points) with money and percentages.

– $2.13 3.25%• Use periods after initials.

– George W. Bush David A. Paap• Don’t use a period at the end of a sentence that already

ends with an abbreviation.– Bob woke up at 7 A.M.

Note: (Using question marks and exclamation are okay after an abbreviation)

– Bob woke up at 7 A.M.!– Bob woke up at 7 A.M.?

Rules for Period

• Use period in some abbreviations:– Months: Jan. Feb. – Days: Mon. Tues.– Titles: Gov. (senator )Sen. Dr. Mr. – Addresses: ( Avenue) Ave. St.– Measurements: (pound) lb. hr. min.– Countries: U.S. U.K.

• When all the letters are capital letters, periods are usually not used: FBI

Rules for Question Mark• Use a question mark after a question.

– This is not difficult, is it?• Use a question mark to indicate uncertainty or doubt.

– The author of this book lived from 1810(?) to 1895. • (This shows that you are not positive the exact date.)

• In a polite request (when no answer is required), the question mark is often omitted even though the sentence is phrased like a question. Use it or don’t use it – it is your choice.– Would you please bring us the remote?– Would you please bring us the remote.

Both examples are correct

Rules for Exclamation Point• Use an exclamation point after exclamations to show:

– Delight: Wow! Nice catch!– Urgency: Please help me!– Anger: Drop dead!– Surprise: I can’t believe it’s you!– Distress: Oh, no! This can’t be right!– Excitement: I got an A!– Intensity: I love you!– Loud noises: Crash! – Strong Commands: Stop! Don’t move!

• Is it a question or an exclamation? Sometimes a sentence can go either way.– How could you do that?– How could you do that!

• It depends on what you are trying to convey to the reader.

Some people use exclamation points all the time! It makes their writing look hyper active! It’s even worse to use lots of exclamations!! - oh, no, not the double exclamations!!

Note: Never use double exclamation points in formal writing. In fact, don’t use many exclamation points at all.

separating theitems in a list

The comma ,Within a

sentence a commashows where onechunk of meaning

ends and another begins…

I bought eggs, a pint ofmilk, tea and sugar.

separating thedirect speech from a reporting clause

This is great, isn’t it?How old are you, John?

separating off‘tag phrases’ and names

separating off an introductory

‘chunk’

Anyway, I decidednot to go.

Three weeks later, James was born.

Although she was only three, Gemma knew

her tables.

marking offextra information

only if that information is not absolutely necessary in the

sentenceMy mother, who is a college professor, hates her job.I am looking for a college professor who hates his job. [no comma]

"I have been to Spain", he told me.He told me that he had been to Spain.

Use a comma to join two sentences with “and,”

“but,” or “or.”You cook, and I’ll do the

dishes.

Use a comma after an introductory

word group.If you cook, I’ll do

the dishes.

• Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that introduces an independent clause (that’s the clause that can stand alone).– Coordinating conjunctions are:

and, but, for, or, so, yet, nor• Independent clause combinations:

– I hurried to the store, and I bought a bag.Notice that there are two independent clauses being connected. If

we have a dependent and an independent clause there is no need to use a comma.

– I hurried and bought a bag.I hurried (independent clause) bought a bag (dependent

clause).some common dependent markers are: after, although, as, as

if, because, before, even if, even though, if, in order to, since, though, unless, until, whatever, when, whenever, whether, and while.

• Use a comma after conjunctive adverbs (those are adverbs working as conjunctions – they link two sentences and show how the two are related).– Conjunctive adverbs include:

however, furthermore, indeed, meanwhile, nevertheless, therefore, unfortunately

– I thought I made a C+ on the test, however, I made a B-.– I didn’t study very much, nevertheless, I made a good

grade.– I might not be so lucky next time; therefore, I am going to

study right now!Some common independent markers are:

also, consequently, furthermore, however, moreover, nevertheless, and therefore.

• Use a comma after most introductory phrases and clauses.– Since I forgot my key, I could not open my locker.

Since I forgot is an introductory clause and I could not open my locker is an independent clause.

• Short introductory clauses don’t necessarily have to have a comma.– In May, I will be graduating.– In May I will be graduating.

Both sentences are grammatically correct.• Be careful when using introductory clauses and phrases. Don’t

confuse the reader by forgetting an important comma.– After eating my cat hiccups.

How does your cat taste?– After eating, my cat hiccups.

• After eating is the introductory clause and my cat hiccups is the independent clause.

• Use comma when adjectives come after the noun.– The football players, tired and dirty, celebrated their

victory.– Mr. Smith’s cat, hungry and scared, meowed from the

top of the tree.• Use a comma with cities and states. Always separate

the city from the state and the state from everything else.– I lived in San Francisco, California, for twenty years.

• When starting a sentence with a weak clause, use a comma after it. Conversely, do not use a comma when the sentence starts with a strong clause followed by a weak clause.

Examples: If you are not sure about this, let me know now.Let me know now If you are not sure about this.

• Use a comma after phrases of more than three words that begin a sentence. If the phrase has fewer than three words, the comma is optional.

• Examples: To apply for this job, you must have previous experience.

• On February 14, many couples give each other candy or

flowers.(optional)• Use comma with addresses. Notice there is no

comma between the state and the zip code.– She lives at 2055 Centre Street, San Diego,

California.• If the subject does not appear in front of the

second verb, do not use a comma.• Example: He thought quickly but still did not answer

correctly.

• Use comma in numbers over 999.– 2,140– 1,214,000

• Use comma with direct quotations (what someone says).– “I’m not afraid of the dark,” whispered Bobby,

“I’m almost eight years old.”– Jane cried, “I lost my homework for Geometry!”

• Do not use comma with indirect quotations (stating what someone said, not necessarily using his/her exact words).– Sarah said that she wanted to go to the movies tonight.– Bobby whispered that he wasn’t afraid of the dark any

more because he is eight years old.

• Use comma when speaking directly to someone (this is called a direct address).– Keith, it is time to go.– I’ve told you three times, boys and girls, to do your

homework.• Use comma with dates.

Note: Separate the day from the year and the year from the rest of the sentence.– Muna was born on November 1st, 2005, at 8:48 A.M.

• Use a comma before and/or after an interjection.Interjections are the only words that add emotion to the writing and can be eliminated completely without changing the meaning of the sentence.– Wow, what a beautiful sunset.– No, I don’t really want to see that movie.

• Use comma between consecutive adjectives (two or more in a row) describing the same noun.– It was a cold, dark, and dreary night.

• Use a comma whenever the word and would sound right between the adjectives.

– It was a cold September night.• Cold and September describe the same noun, but

it wouldn’t sound right to say, “cold and September night.”

• Use comma before and after parenthetical expressions.Parenthetical expressions are words inserted into a sentence giving information or thoughts that are not absolutely essential.– I reminded my mom, in case she forgot, that I

wanted an Xbox 360 for my birthday.– Since she is the best mom in the world, at least

that’s what I tell her to get what I want, I know she’ll buy me one.

• Use comma after greetings and before closing in friendly letters.Greetings Closings– Dear Shannon, - Sincerely,– Hello Sweetheart, - Love,

• Use a comma to show that two parts of a sentence are being contrasted.– I’m going out with Ken, not Ron.– It’s a book, not a movie.– I really wanted the Xbox, not the Playstation.

Dash -A dash gives a break

halfway between , and .

e.g. It was great to see you_ we must meet again.

e.g. On Monday – the first day of ourholidays – we explored the beach.

marking off extra informationembedded in the sentence

showing a sharp break between two chunks

of meaning

Both these chunks are main clauses. A comma cannot separate two main clauses.

A dash showing interruption:

"The girl is my -""Sister," interrupted Miles. "She looks just like you."

A dash before a final comment:

I'd love to go out with you to the dinner - when hell freezes over!

Dash1. Dashes are used to show a range or in place of parentheses

to show that information has been inserted into a sentence. Dashes are only used in informal writing; in academic and business writing, use parentheses, commas, or colons instead. Do not put a space before or after a dash.

2. Dash indicate a full stop—a very strong pause in the sequence of a sentence:

• I cannot write without dashes—I sprinkle them like salt and pepper in my prose.

2. Dash set off appositives (parenthetical expressions):• My mother—a college professor—encouraged me to take my math classes

my freshman year.

Note: Avoid overusing dash in formal writing.

• An en dash (–) is most commonly used to indicate a range of numbers. It is longer than a hyphen although a hyphen with spaces surrounding it can be used if a dash is not available. In Microsoft Word, doing this will automatically change the hyphen into an en dash. (Example: August 13–August 18, or pages 29–349.

Note that there should be no space around the en dash.)• An en dash, roughly the width of an n, is a little

longer than a hyphen. It is used for periods of time when you might otherwise use to.

– Examples:• The years 2001–2003• January–June

• An en dash is also used in place of a hyphen when combining open compounds.– Examples:

• North Carolina–Virginia border• a high school–college conference

• An em dash is most often used to indicate a break in thought or to set an appositive off from the rest of the sentence. It can also be used to show a date when the time frame in question has not yet ended (Example: John Smith, 1976—).

• Use an em dash before the source of a quotation when the source is listed after the quotation.

Example : "Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style." —Jonathan Swift

– The dash works somewhat like parentheses or commas, but it is used where a stronger punctuation is needed. It can connect an independent clause with the 'interrupting' thought, like so:

• Independent clause—thought—independent clause. – I'd better have passed my test—it's ninety percent of my class

grade—or I'll have to go to summer school. – Well, I passed the test—granted, I cheated—but I passed!or like so:

• Independent clause—thought. – Abby gave me a terrible haircut—and she expected a tip!

Other ways to use a dash• In dialogue, dashes are used to indicate interrupted speech.

– "But I—But you said— ... wait, what?" stammered Edna. • Dashes can also be used to emphasize a sentence part.

– Of course, I'll sign a prenuptial agreement—as long as it's in my favor.

• Use a dash to link two parts of a sentence.

Okay• “Come to class on time because it’s the rule.”

– ^Conjunctions are too boring. Students will show up late. Better• “Come to class on time - it’s the rule.”

How to type a dash

• When using a word processor, such as Microsoft Word, type two hyphens in between the words you wish to separate, leaving no spaces in between the words and the hyphens. The processor will automatically change the two hyphens into an em dash. (s—s)

• If you use a space after the first word and before the second word, the processor will change the two hyphens into an en dash. (s – s)

Tips• Use dashes instead of parentheses when the note you

are making is more connected to the initial sentence, as parentheses usually indicate a more separate or personal thought.

• Use dashes, instead of commas, when the note breaks up the flow of a sentence, as commas are typically used for an item that fits in more.

• When using a dash—in terms of explanations or listings—in a formal paper, it is recommended to rearrange the sentence so that a colon could be used instead; dashes tend to interrupt the sentence, which is not the desired tone of a formal paper.

Hyphen -A hyphen links words or

parts of words

when they are puttogether to make a

new word

when a word is split be-tween two lines of print

e.g. mother-in-law Irish-American co-operation

e.g.

The hyphen differs from the dash in that• you do not leave a space between the words and the hyphen• it is half as long.

Hyphens1. Hyphens create compound words.

• I have ninety-four Penguin editions.2. Hyphens make adjectives out of nouns.

• The woman was an African American. The woman was African-American.

• I like literature from the nineteenth century. I like nineteenth-century literature.

3. A hyphen also makes the meaning of a sentence clear:

A big-city project. (A project on a big city not a big project on a city.)

4. Write out numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.• Seventy-five students turned in an essay.

5. With Prefixes–all-, co-, ex-, half-, great-, numbers and capital letters

• Ex: All-knowing, co-author, ex-convict, half-life, great- uncle, 10-yards, T-Shirt

Brackets ( )

marking off extra informationembedded in the sentence

Brackets showinformation which is extra

to the main text…

marking off extrafacts like dates or dimensions

e.g. Elizabeth I (1553 – 1603) Mount Everest (8850 m)

Brackets are sometimes call parentheses.Information in brackets is said to be in parenthesis.comma and dashes can also encloseparenthetic information.

e.g. On Monday (the first day of ourholidays) we explored the beach.

As brackets are very noticeable, they are usedwhen the writer wishes to draw attention to the extra information.

Bracket

• Bracket, there are several varieties of brackets.

• First, Bracket or Square brackets [ ]• Second, Parentheses ( )• Third, Braces also known as curly brackets { }• And last, Chevron brackets or Angle brackets < >

• Rule 1. Clarification• If the original material includes a noun or pronoun that is unclear,

brackets can be used for clarification.• In his memoirs, the author reveals, “The year we moved into the

house [1985] was a difficult one for us, both emotionally and financially.”

• Rule 2. Translation• If a quotation includes a foreign word or phrase that might not be

understood, provide a translation in brackets. (Use parentheses for translations of unquoted material.)

• Smith writes in his autobiography: “I seldom spoke in French class. When I did, I usually just said je ne sais pas [I don’t know].”

Semicolon ; A semi-colon gives a break

halfway between , and .

to separate twomain clauses

e.g. It was a great pleasure to meet youyesterday; I hope we meet again soon.

The semicolon here islike a formal version of the dash.

to separate lengthyitems in a list

e.g. I surveyed John Street: small, redbrickhouses; an ancient church; three brand new

bungalows, and a Victorian town house, gone to seed.

When semicolons are usedin a list, there is usually a comma before the and.

A colon marks a breakwhere there is a feeling of

balance between the elementson either side:

e.g. I surveyed John Street: small, redbrick houses; an ancient church;

three brand new bungalows,and a Victorian town house, gone to seed.

to introduce a list, anexample or a quotation to separate two main

clauses, where the secondclause expands on orillustrates the first

e.g. It was very cold: thetemperature was below zero.

Colon :

e.g. I love the first lines of ‘Jabberwocky’: “’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe…”

Colons versus Semicolons1. Use a colon when you want to say “here

comes an example” or “here’s what I’m talking about.”(Colons are used to give examples that directly relate to the sentence).

2. Colons and semicolons express a relationship between two halves of a sentence.

3. Semicolons create a list (but no stronger relationship than that). They mean “and” or “also.”

Colons1. Use a colon before some lists.

– A colon is needed before these phrases: these are, there are, the following, as follows, such as, or these things.

• Use a colon before subtitles of books, articles, chapters, etc.– The title of the book is Bill Gates: Man of the Year.

• Use a colon with expressions of time.– It’s 12:15 P.M.

• Use a colon in the greeting part of a formal letter or business letter.– To Whom It May Concern:– Dear Senator McCain:

• Use a colon in literary references between volume and page or between chapter and verse.– John 3:16 [the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16]

1. Don’t use a colon if a list comes right after a verb.– The ingredients are: flour, eggs, sugar, and milk. (THIS SENTENCE IS WRONG)

• Don’t use a colon after a preposition.– I want to travel to: New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Montreal. (Incorrect)

• Use colons to indicate dialogue when you’re writing a play or script.Henry: I can’t believe it’s not butter.Janet: It has less fat than sour cream.

• Use a colon before a long, formal quotation. Governor Smith stated to the press: “I think that

children should study grammar for at least six hours a day. Learning to speak and write correctly is far more important than anything else – including eating. In fact, I believe that eating is a complete waste of valuable time.” Then he said, “April Fools!”

Rules for Colons• Use a colon after words such as caution,

wanted, or note.– Caution: wet floor.– Wanted: interior designer specializing in abstract art.– Note: Colons have specific uses.

• Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a complete sentence – and if you want to. Either way is okay as long as it is a complete sentence.– Caution: There are workers present.– Caution: there are workers present.

Semicolons

1. Use a semicolon between two complete sentences that are very closely related.

My family is Kurd; we celebrate Nawroz but not Christmas.

1. Semicolons connect independent clauses in a “both-and” relationship.

• My brother was sixteen years old that winter; I was thirteen. • He had a Mustang; I, however, wanted a Denali.

“It’s late,” said Cinderella.

The prince smiled and answered, “Yes, but we have all the time in the world.”

“What time is it?” asked Cinders. “I must leave before midnight.”

“If you must go,” said the prince, “you’d better hurry. It’s 5 to 12.”

“Oh no!” cried Cinders.

Direct Speech*Each new speaker on anew line.*Speech marks (“ ”) roundthe direct speech.*Comma between direct speech and reporting clause…*…unless there’s a ? or !

*Direct speech begins witha capital letter…*…unless a sentence isinterrupted by thereporting clause.

“ ”

“”

“ ”“

”

“ ”“

”

“ ”

,

,

,

,

?

!

I

W

Y

I

I

O

yI

comma before the speech marks

Speech marksSpeechmarks

are also called quotation marks

or invertedcomma and

may be used…

to mark thewords in

direct speech

to showthat a word is beingused ironically or

‘oddly’

to indicate thetitle of a book,

film, etc

to showa quotation

to show when you are talking about a

word or phrase

Wordsworthwrote about an‘inward eye’.

The word ‘exit’ is the Latinfor ‘he goes out’.

There were many ‘experts’in the audience.

Double and single speech marks. Double marks are usually used in handwritten texts. Single marks are often used in printed texts.

“ ” ‘ ’The book ‘Black Beauty’ was alsomade into a film.

“Hello,” said the cat.

Initial Quotation Marks1. Introduce a quotation with an initial phrase and a

comma or an initial clause and a colon:• According to Jones, “Blah blah blah.”• The shortest verse in the Bible makes a powerful emotional

statement: “Jesus wept.”

2. You can also introduce a quotation by fitting it grammatically into the sentence (in which case you omit the comma or colon):

• We know from John 11:35 that “Jesus wept.”

Initial Quotation Marks1. Introduce a quotation with an initial phrase and a

comma or an initial clause and a colon:• According to Jones, “Blah blah blah.”• The shortest verse in the Bible makes a powerful emotional

statement: “Jesus wept.”

2. You can also introduce a quotation by fitting it grammatically into the sentence (in which case you omit the comma or colon):

• We know from John 11:35 that “Jesus wept.”

Ends of Quotations1. If the sentence continues after the quotation,

you’ll usually need a comma AFTER your quotation but BEFORE your final quotation mark:

• “I wish this workshop were over,” John said.• “Not me,” Mary replied, “I’ve got to go to the dentist this

afternoon.”

2. If the quotation ends in an exclamation point or question mark, omit the comma:

1. “I hate going to the dentist!” John bellowed.2. “Why are you talking so loudly?” asked Mary.

Ends of Sentences Cont.2. If the sentence ends with the quotation (and if

there is no parenthetical citation), put your final mark of punctuation INSIDE the quotation marks:

• “That dog is bigger than a Denali!”• “I don’t think so; Denalis are quite large.”

3. If your sentence ends with a footnote, put the superscript number AFTER your final mark of punctuation:

• According to Car and Driver, the Denali is “among the most agile of full-sized sport utility vehicles.”15

Quotes in Quotes

1. If you have a quotation within a quotation, standard American usage indicates that you double the outermost quotes (“”) and use single quotes for the inner quotations (‘’).

• My dad said to me, “Your long-haired, so-called ‘best friend’ was just over here asking if you could loan her some money. I told him ‘absolutely not.’”

an ellipsis isthree dots…

to show that asentence is unfinished

e.g. to show that a sentence is…

to show that wordshave been missed out

in a quotation

e.g. The hyphen differs from the dash in that… it is half as long.

Ellipsis …

Ellipses1. Ellipses indicate that something has been omitted.

Paul urges, “Present your bodies . . . holy and acceptable to God” (Rom. 12:1).2. If you end a sentence with an ellipsis, you need FOUR

periods instead of three.3. Do NOT use ellipses to create dramatic effect (especially in

formal writing).The results of this study were surprising to the researchers….

4. Ellipses may or may not be enclosed in brackets (depending on your citation style).

5. If at all possible, avoid using too many ellipses.

The Apostropheomission possession

In shortened formsof words, the

apostrophe showswhere letters havebeen missed out.

‘s shows ownershipthe girl’s coat the children’s

home

If the owner-noun isa plural ending in s,

just add ‘the girls’ coats the princesses’

hats

cannotcan’t

should haveshould’ve

you areyou’re

it isit’s

I willI’ll

does notdoesn’t

the hats belonging to

the princesses

the coats belonging to

the girls

the coat belongingto the girl the home belonging

to the children

Apostrophes• Rule #1: Contractions

• I shouldn’t use contractions in my formal essays.

• Rule #2: Indicate Singular Possessive• Ex: Connor’s birds; Jesse’s computer; the cat’s hat

• Rule # 3:Plural Possessive• Ex: The students’ essays; the cats’ hats; The Joneses’

party

Apostrophes• Rule # 4: Special Plural

– For the most part, do not use apostrophe’s in regular plural words.

Use apostrophes in these cases- Words used as words

- Ex: You used too many “yet’s” in your perfect paragraph.

-Alphabet Ex:My name has two f’s and two e’s.

Titles

Titles