English Punctuation Mechanism

ENGLISH PUNCTUATION MECHANISM Aragorn Yeh aragornyeh@gmail.com

English Punctuation Marks

The Value of Punctuation • Punctuation is the system we use to separate sentences and parts of sentences, and to make their meaning clear.

End Punctuation • A sentence end with a period (.), a question mark (?), or an exclamation point (!).

Period = Full Stop . • at the end of statements: The cat is sitting on the bed. • at the end of commands and requests: Please show me your passport. • after abbreviated words: Mon., Tue., Wed. etc. Blackwell Ltd. The answer is on p. 64.

Question Mark ? • after direct questions: Is this a kissing book? • Not at the end of indirect quotations: The boy asked if there was kissing in the book.

Exclamation Point ! • to express strong emotion: You only think I guessed wrong! That's what's so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! • after interjections : Oh! Wow! That hurts!

Colon : • The colon comes where the sentence stop. • I’m going to tell you the names of my favorite breakfast foods.(:) • milk, cornflakes, oatmeal, and yogurt on toast.

Colon(1) to introduce lists: The main points are as follows: (1)..., (2)..., (3)... We need three kinds of support: economic, moral and political.

Colon(2) to separate two main clauses when the second clause explains the first: We decided not to go on holiday: we had too little money. Mother may have to go into hospital: She’s got kidney trouble.

Semicolon • Use a semicolon to separate two main clauses. • Those who write clearly have readers; those who write obscurely have commentators.

Semicolon(1) Use a semicolon between closely related main clauses: It is a fine idea; let us hope that it is going to work. Some people work best in the mornings; others do better in the evenings.

Semicolon(2) to separate main clauses joined by a transition word (however, consequently, moreover, nevertheless): Science in the modern world has many uses; however, its chief use is to provide long words to cover the errors of the rich. Grandma is afraid she’s going to miss something; as a result, she stays up too late.

Semicolon(3) to separate a series of items which themselves contain commas: I came to this conclusion after talking in Moscow with all three groups of people concerned: foreign diplomats, students, and journalists; the new Rector of Friendship University; and the worried Afro-Asian students themselves.

Comma • comma is the mark that sets off words, phrases, and clauses.

Comma(1) Use a comma to set off the elements of a series (three or more things). My favorite uses of the Internet are sending e-mail, surfing the Web, and using chat rooms.

Comma(2) Use a comma and a coordinators (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) to separate two independent clauses. The optimist thinks that this is the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist knows it.. You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. Our team is very good but their team is better.

Comma(3) subordinate clauses at the beginning of sentences: If you are ever in London, come and see me. Although she was exhausted after the long drive home, Pinky insisted on going to ... When you lose your laugh, you lose your footing.

Comma(4) Use a comma to set off introductory elements. About the upcoming winter, settlers began to bicker among themselves about supplies. In the winter of 1644, nearly half the settlers died of starvation or exposure. In 1649 the settlers abandoned their initial outpost.

Comma(5) non-essential relative clauses: Mr. Grange, who was sitting behind the reception desk, gave Parker a big smile. George Lamb, your old school friend, has come to visit you.

Comma(6) with conjunctive adverb at the beginning of a sentence: Of course, nobody expects you learn all the rules at once. Surprisingly, no-one likes Dustin Hoffman’s new film. By the way, has everyone brought their dictionaries with them?

Comma(7) Use a comma to set off elements that express a contrast , interruption, or a turn in the sentence. My father, however, did not agree. We were, believe it or not, in love with each other. They were looking for something practical, not luxurious

Comma(8) Use a comma to set off states and countries, years (in a full date), etc. The conference was originally set for Geneva, Switzerland, but was then rescheduled for Chicago, Illinois. Their wedding date was set for August 5, 2000, in the college chapel in Newton, Massachusetts.

Apostrophe • to create possessives • to show contractions • to show special plurals

Apostrophe(1) to form the possessive form of a noun: This is Juliet’s basket. Have you seen my parents’ new car?

Apostrophe(2) missing letters: can’t (=cannot), it’s (=it is/it has), I’d (=I would/I had) I’m going to Delphi tomorrow.

Apostrophe(3) special plurals: It’s a nice idea, but there are a lot of if’s. Raoul got four A’s last term.

Quotation Mark • Quotes • Direct speech • Special use

Quotation Mark(1) Direct Quotations: "Further refinements were produced as English printers exploited the existence of the variant forms of double-comma and single-comma marks." (M.B. Parkes, Pause and Effect: An Introduction to the History of Punctuation. Univ. of California Press, 1993)

Quotation Mark(2) direct speech: “Go away!” Mr Tomkins said angrily. “His last words,” said Albert, were “Close that bloody window”.

Quotation Mark(3) We often put quotation marks round words which are used in special ways such as titles: His first song was “Heart of Darkness”. A textbook can be a “wall” between teacher and class.

Hyphen • In number words • Adjective phrase

Hyphen(1) in number words of the type, or in time and size/quantity phrases: “twenty-one”, “thirty-two”, “four hundred and forty-three” My cat is two years old » I have a two-year-old cat. Our house has four storeys. » We live in a four-storey house.

Hyphen(2) compound adjective: a light-blue bag A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. Women's sexy underwear is a minor but significant growth industry of late-twentieth-century Britain in the twilight of capitalism.

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English Punctuation Mechanism

by Aragorn Yeh on Jun 09, 2010

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English Punctuation Mechanism — Presentation Transcript