1. Writing Up You University Assignments
and Research Projects
ROBERT BRUNET SOLÉ
Department of Chemical Engineering, URV, Tarragona
Sustainable Computer Aided Process Engineering Group
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2. 8. Puntuation basics: A brief guide to
punctuation use
8.1. Introduction
8.2. Capital letters
8.3. The comma
8.4. The semicolon
8.5. The colon
8.6. Parentheses
8.7. Inverted commas
8.8. The hyphen
8.9. The apostrophe
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3. 8.1. Introduction
• A well-punctuated thesis should make your work easier
to read and understant and will therefore help it make a
more favourable impression on your readers.
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4. 8.2. Capital letters
• Used after a full stop
• For all proper nouns and adjectives and their abbreviated forms
Robert, the Englsih man, England, English, the United Kingdom, the UK
3. At the beginning of main words which form the title of a textbook, journal, play, poem
or other publication
An Integrated Approach to Business Studies (a textbook title)
Harvard Business Review (a journal title)
4. In titles or names used to refer to a specific person or place
The Principal of King’s College London had talks with the Secretary of State for Education.
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5. 8.3. The comma
• To list items separate list of adjectives and adjectival phrases, nouns and noun phrases,
and verbs and verb phrases.
The course will examine the films of Pasolini, Fellini, de Sica and Zeffirelli. (nouns)
He enterd the room, sat down, opened his textbook and began to read. (verb phrases)
• To separate cluases joined by and, but, yet, so, for
‘Captain Corelli” has been a very popular novel, and it has also enjoyed considerable success as film.
‘Captain Corelli” has been a very popular novel and has also enjoyed considerable success as film.
3. To separate a word (or a group of words) from the sentences it introduces
4. To separate and distinguish subordiante clauses from main clauses
When the experiment was repeated a week later, the results confirmed previous findings.
5. To separate and distinguish inserted information
Arithis, which attacks the joints, is the single biggest cause of disability in the UK.
6. To separate words which explain or describe a preceding noun
The work of Rosalind Franklin, a chemist at King’s College London, was crucial to the discovery of
the helix.
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6. 8.4. The semicolon
• It indicates a pause that is longer than that of a comma, but shorter than that of a full
stop. It is usually used by indicating the close relationship between two ideas, where
the second extents the first one.
• When two ideas are closely connected in meaning
2. When connecting words (however, therefore, nevertheless, etc.) are used to
join two ideas so closely related that a full stop is unnecessary
The student’s work was not well presented; however, despite this, she achieved a pass.
3. When recording a list of ideas, each of which is quite long
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7. 8.5. The colon
• To introduce an explanation or examples
Today, laptops are more rigours of fieldwork: they are more durable, lighter, and have integrate more
complex navigation systems.
2. To introduce a quotation
As Joan Laporta says: “Barcelona is the more than a club”
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8. 8.6. Parentheses
• They are also known as brackets. They can be either round ( ) or square [ ]
• Round brackets are used:
6. To enclose citations within text
The group SUSCAPE (http://www.etseq.urv.es/suscape) is one of the most important research groups…
2. To introduce a quotation
Actually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are
quite well.
• Round brackets are used:
1. To enclose words or an idea within a quotation which is not part of the original quotation
His reply was always the same: “I appreciate it [the purpose], but I must refuse to be in a relatinship.
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9. 8.7. Inverted commas
• They are also known as quotation marks. There are two types single and doubles,
there are no hard rules about when to use one or the other
• Single quotation marks:
6. To identify a direct quotation
“Soccer s a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball. It is widely
considered to be the most popular sport in the world” (FIFA)
2. To enclose/ highlight words which are not accepted as normal English
Actually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are
quite well.
3. To enclose a word(s) which has a specialised meaning in particular context
Actually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are
quite well.
4. To enclose product names
Actually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are
quite well.
5. To express doubt over the accuracy or appropriateness of a particular word or phrase
Actually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are
quite well.
• Double quotation marks:
1. To enclose a quotation which is used as part of another quotation
His reply was always the same: “I appreciate it [the purpose], but I must refuse to be in a relatinship.
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10. 8.8. The hyphen
1. In word units of more than onr word
numbers: seventy-seven
ranges: 1965-80, 23-45, Barcelona-Madrid
adjectives: long-wave radiation, north.east USA
nouns: super-organisms, high-technology
2. To separate a word which begins on one line finisheses on the following line
3. To signal incidental information
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11. 8.9. The aphostrophe
1. To show the omission of one or more letters
can’t: instead of ‘cannot’); isn’t: instead of ‘is not’); it’d: instead of ‘it would’)
2. To show possession
a. Where there is a single owner:
The girl’s trousers; Jennifer’s trousers
b. Where there is more than one owner
The girls’ trousers; Jennifer and Mary’s trousers
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12. Thanks for your attention!
ROBERT BRUNET SOLÉ
Department of Chemical Engineering, URV, Tarragona
Sustainable Computer Aided Process Engineering Group
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