Glorious Grammar Review Examples adapted from The New Well-Tempered Sentence: A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager, & the Doomed, and The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon

Tricksy Possessives A singular noun is rendered possessive by the addition of ’s A woman’s place is on the roam, Jacaranda’s fichu, Henry IV’s statue, the valet de chambre’s curls, Jesus’s dinner roll. A plural noun ending in –s is rendered possessive by adding an apostrophe after the final s: s’ Those goats’ picnic, the vampires’ fear of white-collar workers, the three bouncers’ suspenders Possessive pronouns—which contain the idea of possession implicitly—should NOT be spelled with an apostrophe Its, hers, his, ours, whose, theirs

A singular noun is rendered possessive by the addition of ’s

A woman’s place is on the roam, Jacaranda’s fichu, Henry IV’s statue, the valet de chambre’s curls, Jesus’s dinner roll.

A plural noun ending in –s is rendered possessive by adding an apostrophe after the final s: s’

Those goats’ picnic, the vampires’ fear of white-collar workers, the three bouncers’ suspenders

Possessive pronouns—which contain the idea of possession implicitly—should NOT be spelled with an apostrophe

Its, hers, his, ours, whose, theirs

Possessives Exercises Ross’s/Ross’ cummerbund was an offensive shade of puce. The eight elephant’s/elephants’ enchiladas Whose/who’s chronometer is this? Bertrand is the man whose/who’s destined to become president The nine nixie’s/nixies’ nasturtiums Possessives Footnote: Technically, you are not supposed to make insensate objects possessive. Not “the mantua’s lining,” but “the lining of the mantua.”

Ross’s/Ross’ cummerbund was an offensive shade of puce.

The eight elephant’s/elephants’ enchiladas

Whose/who’s chronometer is this?

Bertrand is the man whose/who’s destined to become president

The nine nixie’s/nixies’ nasturtiums

Possessives Footnote:

Technically, you are not supposed to make insensate objects possessive. Not “the mantua’s lining,” but “the lining of the mantua.”

Italics Use italics on titles of long works—symphonies, lengthy poems, novels… (use quotation marks for short works) Chaucer, surprised at the tenderness he felt for his unfaithful heroine, cried into several handkerchiefs while writing Troilus & Criseyde . The Agony & the Iniquity traces the tribulations of seven unnoticed heroes from the lower depths. On names of ships, aircrafts, and spaceships The Tinta , the Zebra , and the Scarlatina are part of the fancifully painted maritime collection in a short film commonly shown with Yellow Submarine. For emphasis (a little informal) Would the endorphins never come? The where was I, if not in the wrong? For words of foreign extraction that have not be anglicized (i.e., that you would attempt to pronounce with a foreign accept) She flaunted her je ne se quoi all over town. Nothing could perturb his maddening sang froid . For words, letters, &c. referred to as such The g in lagniappe is a slide Stella Kirkenlied, as the labyrinth colloquy, defined paranoia as “self-aggrandizement with a twist.”

Use italics on titles of long works—symphonies, lengthy poems, novels… (use quotation marks for short works)

Chaucer, surprised at the tenderness he felt for his unfaithful heroine, cried into several handkerchiefs while writing Troilus & Criseyde .

The Agony & the Iniquity traces the tribulations of seven unnoticed heroes from the lower depths.

On names of ships, aircrafts, and spaceships

The Tinta , the Zebra , and the Scarlatina are part of the fancifully painted maritime collection in a short film commonly shown with Yellow Submarine.

For emphasis (a little informal)

Would the endorphins never come?

The where was I, if not in the wrong?

For words of foreign extraction that have not be anglicized (i.e., that you would attempt to pronounce with a foreign accept)

She flaunted her je ne se quoi all over town.

Nothing could perturb his maddening sang froid .

For words, letters, &c. referred to as such

The g in lagniappe is a slide

Stella Kirkenlied, as the labyrinth colloquy, defined paranoia as “self-aggrandizement with a twist.”

Italics Exercise Quotation marks or italics? The story in the Boston Globe titled Mad Ape falls down Well, Finds Elvis, and Gives Birth to World’s Fattest Baby was most enlightening. His first novel was a tedious, egocentric roman à clef. Shakespeare wrote the sonnet, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day? Shakespeare also wrote the play Titus Andronicus As the Titanic sank, the orchestra played Auld Lang Syne. Many people don’t realize that numinous means cloudy, not radiant. She said, “I’ve had enough of your histrionics—get your weltanschauung out of my face!”

Quotation marks or italics?

The story in the Boston Globe titled Mad Ape falls down Well, Finds Elvis, and Gives Birth to World’s Fattest Baby was most enlightening.

His first novel was a tedious, egocentric roman à clef.

Shakespeare wrote the sonnet, Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?

Shakespeare also wrote the play Titus Andronicus

As the Titanic sank, the orchestra played Auld Lang Syne.

Many people don’t realize that numinous means cloudy, not radiant.

She said, “I’ve had enough of your histrionics—get your weltanschauung out of my face!”

Quotation Marks Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotations… She said, “As a rule, I hate iguanas, but this one has a wistful face.” But not indirect quotations. He said he needed to tune his clavichord. Commas and periods ALWAYS go inside the quotation marks. Presto Galooti, whose constituents included “the underestimated, the uninterested, and the uninvited,” was the undeclared candidate of choice. Question marks and exclamation points, on the other hand, are placed according to meaning. Did Too-Too say, “I can’t find my luminous leg-warmers”? He was banging on the door, bellowing, “Open up, you adorable beast!” After jilting her in front of the David in the Piazza del Popolo, he had the nerve to tell her to “have a nice day”! Do NOT use quotation marks to indicate a cliché—it only emphasizes the cliché-ishness During last week’s monsoon, it really “rained cats and dogs.” Use single quotes to indicate quotations within quotations The teacher made Jedediah write “‘Sod off’ is not an appropriate conclusion to a business letter” 300 times.

Use quotation marks to enclose direct quotations…

She said, “As a rule, I hate iguanas, but this one has a wistful face.”

But not indirect quotations.

He said he needed to tune his clavichord.

Commas and periods ALWAYS go inside the quotation marks.

Presto Galooti, whose constituents included “the underestimated, the uninterested, and the uninvited,” was the undeclared candidate of choice.

Question marks and exclamation points, on the other hand, are placed according to meaning.

Did Too-Too say, “I can’t find my luminous leg-warmers”?

He was banging on the door, bellowing, “Open up, you adorable beast!”

After jilting her in front of the David in the Piazza del Popolo, he had the nerve to tell her to “have a nice day”!

Do NOT use quotation marks to indicate a cliché—it only emphasizes the cliché-ishness

During last week’s monsoon, it really “rained cats and dogs.”

Use single quotes to indicate quotations within quotations

The teacher made Jedediah write “‘Sod off’ is not an appropriate conclusion to a business letter” 300 times.

Quotation Mark Exercises Place the punctuation Millicent asked, “Isn’t Eustace a hoot and a half ?”/”? I would never say “Cool beans !”/”! The mechanic asked if he could “rev my engine .”/”. Lady Blessington said, _I can’t sing Wagner’s _Ride of the Valkyries_ without a large glass of tawny port__ Vinny exclaimed, _The next person who asks_ _Is it hot enough for you__ is going to get a knuckle sandwich__

Place the punctuation

Millicent asked, “Isn’t Eustace a hoot and a half ?”/”?

I would never say “Cool beans !”/”!

The mechanic asked if he could “rev my engine .”/”.

Lady Blessington said, _I can’t sing Wagner’s _Ride of the Valkyries_ without a large glass of tawny port__

Vinny exclaimed, _The next person who asks_ _Is it hot enough for you__ is going to get a knuckle sandwich__

Semi-Colons Semi-colons are like exaggerated commas: they indicate a longer pause than a comma, but a lesser pause than a period. They link two independent clauses with sharply contrasting or closely related content. I often click my tongue; it’s my only revenge Anjula was despondent; she’d come in the wrong shoes. The tower was too high; the dungeon was too low. Semi-colons replace commas between separate list items that contain commas within themselves. If used to separate one list item, it must be used to separate all list items within the sentence. Attending the kickoff of the global warming conference were a paranormal guttersnipe from Trinity College; seven Volga boatmen singing “The Song of the Volga Boatmen”; an extra-terrestrial watersprite and his girlfriend from Tulsa, Oklahoma; a hypochondriac with his ice-pack and hot-water bottle; and a ferry-boater, in a tux, from the river Styx. Semi-colons separate conjunctive adverbs from the independent clauses that precede them There’s always room for improvement; moreover, in this case, that’s all there’s room for. Samantha had had her fill of his blustering histrionics; therefore, she spun on her heel and retreated to the coolness of her dimly lit boudoir. We like the look of your face; however, we suspect that a troubled childhood is hidden by that beard.

Semi-colons are like exaggerated commas: they indicate a longer pause than a comma, but a lesser pause than a period. They link two independent clauses with sharply contrasting or closely related content.

I often click my tongue; it’s my only revenge

Anjula was despondent; she’d come in the wrong shoes.

The tower was too high; the dungeon was too low.

Semi-colons replace commas between separate list items that contain commas within themselves. If used to separate one list item, it must be used to separate all list items within the sentence.

Attending the kickoff of the global warming conference were a paranormal guttersnipe from Trinity College; seven Volga boatmen singing “The Song of the Volga Boatmen”; an extra-terrestrial watersprite and his girlfriend from Tulsa, Oklahoma; a hypochondriac with his ice-pack and hot-water bottle; and a ferry-boater, in a tux, from the river Styx.

Semi-colons separate conjunctive adverbs from the independent clauses that precede them

There’s always room for improvement; moreover, in this case, that’s all there’s room for.

Samantha had had her fill of his blustering histrionics; therefore, she spun on her heel and retreated to the coolness of her dimly lit boudoir.

We like the look of your face; however, we suspect that a troubled childhood is hidden by that beard.

Semi-Colon Exercises Are the semi-colons & commas used correctly in the following sentences? We got on our bikes; to go to the store. Despite the many rave reviews; we thought Forrest Gump was insipid. Joan likes flan; Fred prefers mousse. Ezekial ran for mayor, his campaign manager was Elvira. The temperature dropped to below freezing last night consequently, our sleeping bags were covered with frost. Place semi-colons & commas where appropriate We watched sex lies and videotape An American in Paris and Old Yeller. We watched sex, lies, and videotape ; An American in Paris ; and Old Yeller. She packed a suitcase containing socks PJs and jeans a train case full of makeup her laptop attaché and a hanging garment bag holding two suits. She packed a suitcase containing socks, PJs, and jeans; a train case full of makeup; her laptop attaché, and a hanging garment bag holding two suits.

Are the semi-colons & commas used correctly in the following sentences?

We got on our bikes; to go to the store.

Despite the many rave reviews; we thought Forrest Gump was insipid.

Joan likes flan; Fred prefers mousse.

Ezekial ran for mayor, his campaign manager was Elvira.

The temperature dropped to below freezing last night consequently, our sleeping bags were covered with frost.

Place semi-colons & commas where appropriate

We watched sex lies and videotape An American in Paris and Old Yeller.

We watched sex, lies, and videotape ; An American in Paris ; and Old Yeller.

She packed a suitcase containing socks PJs and jeans a train case full of makeup her laptop attaché and a hanging garment bag holding two suits.

She packed a suitcase containing socks, PJs, and jeans; a train case full of makeup; her laptop attaché, and a hanging garment bag holding two suits.

Colons A colon introduces a part of a sentence that explains or exemplifies the main idea Pain stood in the way like a sheet of glass: you could walk through it, but not without a certain noise. Besides sniffing cigars and snapping suspenders, there was one thing sure to be on the tycoons’ agenda: money. There are three reasons for his absenteeism: fear of furniture, aversion to numbers and dollar signs, and a snakebite on his chin. This is how I found him: mesomorphic, monosyllabic, and debonair. Phrases such as namely, for instance, for example , or that is replace the colon Coco’s study was concentrated on three twentieth-century French writers, namely, de Beauvoir, Camus, and Max Jacob. Colons separate titles from their subtitles Om, Om on the Range: Cowboys and Meditation RULES: Colons in sentences should ONLY follow independent clauses By: light rail, bi-plane, or hovercraft I will find my way to you. Colons should never separate a noun from its objects or complements. Jean-Pierre’s pals on the tower were: Josiane, Pauline, and Chosette. Some manuals assert that colons should be followed by two spaces (like periods).

A colon introduces a part of a sentence that explains or exemplifies the main idea

Pain stood in the way like a sheet of glass: you could walk through it, but not without a certain noise.

Besides sniffing cigars and snapping suspenders, there was one thing sure to be on the tycoons’ agenda: money.

There are three reasons for his absenteeism: fear of furniture, aversion to numbers and dollar signs, and a snakebite on his chin.

This is how I found him: mesomorphic, monosyllabic, and debonair.

Phrases such as namely, for instance, for example , or that is replace the colon

Coco’s study was concentrated on three twentieth-century French writers, namely, de Beauvoir, Camus, and Max Jacob.

Colons separate titles from their subtitles

Om, Om on the Range: Cowboys and Meditation

RULES: Colons in sentences should ONLY follow independent clauses

By: light rail, bi-plane, or hovercraft I will find my way to you.

Colons should never separate a noun from its objects or complements.

Jean-Pierre’s pals on the tower were: Josiane, Pauline, and Chosette.

Some manuals assert that colons should be followed by two spaces (like periods).

Colon Exercises Insert colons & commas where necessary Moriarty revealed his most appalling scheme yet a plan to become a singer on the burlesque stage Next on the runway came Gregor Schlaffenfuss’s Wombat Fatigues pockets and cuffs edged in wombat fur and beaming and riveted with sleepy wombat eyes. Out-of-town parents and merchandise from Columbia a recipe for compromised youth. The teething rats were especially fond of grated Romano, Asiago, and Chosette. The baby vampire tries out his baby teeth on surfaces that are fun to puncture golf balls, plastic Coke bottles, and balloons. She prefers French composers such as Fauré , Satie, and Franck

Insert colons & commas where necessary

Moriarty revealed his most appalling scheme yet a plan to become a singer on the burlesque stage

Next on the runway came Gregor Schlaffenfuss’s Wombat Fatigues pockets and cuffs edged in wombat fur and beaming and riveted with sleepy wombat eyes.

Out-of-town parents and merchandise from Columbia a recipe for compromised youth.

The teething rats were especially fond of grated Romano, Asiago, and Chosette.

The baby vampire tries out his baby teeth on surfaces that are fun to puncture golf balls, plastic Coke bottles, and balloons.

She prefers French composers such as Fauré , Satie, and Franck

Hyphens Hyphens are the shortest of the punctuating lines, used to join compound words, compound adjectives, &c. He pounded upon her ill-tempered clavicles with a bacchanalian bravado that calmed his seething soul His devil-make-care attitude and Sturm-und-Drang panache drove many a maiden to madness. Do not, however, hyphenate a compound adjective that follows the noun it modifies He was a door-to-door salesman of housewares and eyesores. He sold housewares and eyesores door to door. Do not hyphenate a compound in which one of the words ends in-ly A freakishly attired ombudsman An insanely coiffed concubine A profoundly regretful rat-catcher

Hyphens are the shortest of the punctuating lines, used to join compound words, compound adjectives, &c.

He pounded upon her ill-tempered clavicles with a bacchanalian bravado that calmed his seething soul

His devil-make-care attitude and Sturm-und-Drang panache drove many a maiden to madness.

Do not, however, hyphenate a compound adjective that follows the noun it modifies

He was a door-to-door salesman of housewares and eyesores.

He sold housewares and eyesores door to door.

Do not hyphenate a compound in which one of the words ends in-ly

A freakishly attired ombudsman

An insanely coiffed concubine

A profoundly regretful rat-catcher

Hyphen Exercises Insert a hyphen where necessary A heavy handed debutante Her neatly categorized notions of human frailty His coal black hair The cat’s rarely velveted claws A cross eyed puffin The charwoman, lantern jawed and gloomy The dim witted janissary

Insert a hyphen where necessary

A heavy handed debutante

Her neatly categorized notions of human frailty

His coal black hair

The cat’s rarely velveted claws

A cross eyed puffin

The charwoman, lantern jawed and gloomy

The dim witted janissary

Em Dashes Dashes are longer than hyphens , though they themselves vary in length Em dashes are the popular and expressive punctuation marks used to interrupt sentences for interesting asides, or to replace colons to indicate an example or explanation . Originally consisting of two hyphens, [--] with no spaces intervening between the dash and the surrounding words, MS Word joins the hyphens automatically—thus—for a more aesthetically appealing em dash. He had one favorite maxim for the great white hunters—“get lost.” Charmiane left us to lock her drawer—God only knows what she keeps in there!—and fetch her opera glasses. The Grim Reaper—that cosmopolitan gadabout—was cutting capers in the vestibule while a daffy dowager quaffed her Darjeeling and knocked back vermouth and schnapps.

Dashes are longer than hyphens , though they themselves vary in length

Em dashes are the popular and expressive punctuation marks used to interrupt sentences for interesting asides, or to replace colons to indicate an example or explanation .

Originally consisting of two hyphens, [--] with no spaces intervening between the dash and the surrounding words, MS Word joins the hyphens automatically—thus—for a more aesthetically appealing em dash.

He had one favorite maxim for the great white hunters—“get lost.”

Charmiane left us to lock her drawer—God only knows what she keeps in there!—and fetch her opera glasses.

The Grim Reaper—that cosmopolitan gadabout—was cutting capers in the vestibule while a daffy dowager quaffed her Darjeeling and knocked back vermouth and schnapps.

En Dashes En dashes are in between hyphens [-] and em dashes [—] in length: [–]. In MS Word, they are formed by writing a word/letter, a space, a single hyphen, a space, another word/letter, and a space: a - b; after you type the last space, MS Word automatically transforms your hyphen into an en dash: a – b. En dashes stand in for the word “to” We traveled on the London–New Rochelle zeppelin. The Lobelia Relocation Office is open 1:00–4:30, and we will gladly relocate your lobelias or anything else you want misplaced. Two en dashes are used to indicate letters omitted from a word That f––g troglodyte Three em dashes indicates a missing word Babar is the king of ——— in his red suit and patent leather shoes.

En dashes are in between hyphens [-] and em dashes [—] in length: [–].

In MS Word, they are formed by writing a word/letter, a space, a single hyphen, a space, another word/letter, and a space: a - b; after you type the last space, MS Word automatically transforms your hyphen into an en dash: a – b.

En dashes stand in for the word “to”

We traveled on the London–New Rochelle zeppelin.

The Lobelia Relocation Office is open 1:00–4:30, and we will gladly relocate your lobelias or anything else you want misplaced.

Two en dashes are used to indicate letters omitted from a word

That f––g troglodyte

Three em dashes indicates a missing word

Babar is the king of ——— in his red suit and patent leather shoes.