Learn how you can use often-overlooked punctuation tips to make your communication more effective and persuasive.

1. 7 Secrets of Punctuation
quantico.sg

2. a woman without her man is nothing
quantico.sg

3. A woman, without her man, is nothing.
quantico.sg

4. A woman: without her, man is nothing.
quantico.sg

5. Why is good punctuation important?
quantico.sg

6. Words are not enough.
quantico.sg

7. Please send me the
report by tomorrow
afternoon.
quantico.sg

8. Please send me the
report by tomorrow
afternoon!
quantico.sg

9. Please send me the
report by tomorrow
afternoon?
quantico.sg

10. Please send me the
report by tomorrow
afternoon. :)
quantico.sg

11. Punctuation affects how words are read.
quantico.sg

12. You can use punctuation to influence.
quantico.sg

13. Punctuation can affect a person’s
perception.
quantico.sg

14. Punctuation helps you words flow
better.
quantico.sg

15. You can make an excellent impression.
quantico.sg

16. Let’s eat, Grandma!
quantico.sg

17. Let’s eat, Grandma!
Let’s eat Grandma!
quantico.sg

18. Image Credit: http://picture-book.com/files/userimages/1070u/cschneideroldladyswallowedfly.jpg
quantico.sg

19. 7 secrets of punctuation
quantico.sg

20. Secret 1: Connect ideas with a semicolon
quantico.sg

21. Colon
:
Semicolon
;
quantico.sg

22. I can’t complete the work by
Monday because I have to
attend a family event in Hong
Kong over the weekend.
quantico.sg

23. I can’t complete the work by
Monday.
I have to attend a family event
in Hong Kong over the
weekend.
quantico.sg

24. I can’t complete the work by
Monday,
I have to attend a family event
in Hong Kong over the
weekend.
quantico.sg

25. I can’t complete the work by
Monday;
I have to attend a family event
in Hong Kong over the
weekend.
quantico.sg

26. The semicolon creates:
• a longer pause than a comma
• a shorter pause than a full-stop
quantico.sg

27. The semicolon creates the impression:
• that you are thoughtful and sensible
• that your justification is reasonable
quantico.sg

28. Secret 2: De-emphasize words
quantico.sg

29. Marie will be present at the
meeting.
Marie is my supervisor.
quantico.sg

30. Marie, my supervisor will be
present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

31. Marie, my supervisor, will be
present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

32. Marie, my supervisor, will be
present at the meeting.
appositive
quantico.sg

33. Marie (my supervisor) will be
present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

34. Marie (my supervisor) will be
present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

35. ( ) parentheses or parenthesis when
singular
[ ] brackets
{ } braces
quantico.sg

36. quantico.sg

37. Jim is in London this week but he will
return next Friday.
quantico.sg

38. quantico.sg

39. Jim is in London this week (for work)
but he will return next Friday.
quantico.sg

40. quantico.sg

41. Jim is in London this week [for work (he
just got a new job)] but he will return
next Friday.
quantico.sg

42. quantico.sg

43. Jim is in London this week {for work [he
just got a new job (and a promotion)]}
but he will return next Friday.
quantico.sg

44. Marie (my supervisor) will be
present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

45. Secret 3: Emphasize words
quantico.sg

46. Marie — my supervisor — will
be present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

47. Marie — my supervisor — will
be present at the meeting.
quantico.sg

48. - hyphen
– en dash
— em dash
quantico.sg

49. -
hyphen
Windows & Mac: minus sign on keyboard
This is sugar-free ice cream.
We want more user-generated content.
quantico.sg

50. –
en dash
Windows: CTRL NUM -
Mac: option -
Please read pages 7–20.
quantico.sg

51. —
em dash
Windows: type two hyphens together
Mac: shift option -
Mary — my supervisor — will be present.
quantico.sg

52. Please take note of the project
due date (next Friday) and
ensure that you are prepared
for it.
quantico.sg

53. Please take note of the project
due date (next Friday) and
ensure that you are prepared
for it.
de-emphasize
quantico.sg

54. Please take note of the project
due date — next Friday — and
ensure that you are prepared
for it.
quantico.sg

55. Please take note of the project
due date — next Friday — and
ensure that you are prepared
for it.
emphasize
quantico.sg

56. The cost of the project
($2,800.00) is to be paid by the
end of the month.
quantico.sg

57. The cost of the project
($2,800.00) is to be paid by the
end of the month.
de-emphasize
quantico.sg

58. The cost of the project —
$2,800.00 —is to be paid by the
end of the month.
quantico.sg

59. The cost of the project —
$2,800.00 —is to be paid by the
end of the month.
emphasize
quantico.sg

60. Secret 1: Connect ideas with a semicolon
Secret 2: Emphasize words
Secret 3: De-emphasize words
quantico.sg

61. Secret 4: Use the humble full-stop
quantico.sg

62. Dear Paul!
Thanks for explaining the
approval process to me
yesterday! It was really helpful!
Have a good day!!
Cheers!
Kelly
quantico.sg

63. Image Credit: http://www.rgbstock.com/cache1qDFWn/users/s/si/silberschuh/300/n3FWskY.jpg
quantico.sg

64. Dear Paul
Thanks for explaining the
approval process to me
yesterday. It was really helpful.
Have a good day!
Cheers
Kelly
quantico.sg

65. Image Credit: http://aclann.com/images/lady2.jpg
quantico.sg

66. Emails
Text Messages
Written notes
quantico.sg

67. Secret 5: Use apostrophes correctly
quantico.sg

68. Uses of the apostrophe:
• to show that something belongs to
someone
• to contract (shorten) words
quantico.sg

69. Belonging
This is my friend’s laptop.
quantico.sg

70. Belonging
Please be seated for the CEO’s speech.
quantico.sg

71. Belonging
What do you think of my colleagues’
idea?
quantico.sg

72. Contraction
You’re a good friend.
you are
quantico.sg

73. Contraction
It’s raining heavily.
it is
quantico.sg

74. When is an apostrophe needed?
Many CEOs gathered at the meeting.
correct
Many CEO’s gathered at the meeting.
wrong
quantico.sg

75. When is an apostrophe needed?
It’s great to meet you. correct
Its great to meet you. wrong
quantico.sg

76. When is an apostrophe needed?
My phone drains its battery too fast.
correct
My phone drains it’s battery too fast.
wrong
quantico.sg

77. When is an apostrophe needed?
You’re a true friend. correct
Your a true friend. wrong
quantico.sg

78. When is an apostrophe needed?
This is yours. correct
This is your’s. wrong
quantico.sg

79. When is an apostrophe needed?
This car is theirs. correct
This car is their’s. wrong
quantico.sg

80. When is an apostrophe needed?
Let’s go. correct
Lets go. wrong
quantico.sg

81. When is an apostrophe needed?
The program lets me do three tasks at once.
correct
The program let’s me do three tasks at once.
wrong
quantico.sg

82. Secret 6: Use commas for clarity
quantico.sg

83. Seth Godin is an intelligent and
intriguing writer.
quantico.sg

84. Seth Godin is an intelligent,
intriguing writer.
creates a pause
quantico.sg

85. Juliet speaks Italian but I don’t.
quantico.sg

86. Juliet speaks Italian, but I don’t.
creates a pause
quantico.sg

87. Greg seems to lead a charmed
life, he never gets into trouble.
incorrect usage
leads to run-on sentence
quantico.sg

88. Greg seems to lead a charmed
life. He never gets into trouble.
correct!
quantico.sg

89. Greg seems to lead a charmed
life; he never gets into trouble.
correct!
quantico.sg

90. I am going to, the library.
incorrect usage
quantico.sg

91. I am going to the library.
quantico.sg

92. Secret 7: Quotation marks are for
quotations
quantico.sg

93. Quotation marks / inverted commas
“Thanks for the gift,” said Brenda.
quantico.sg

94. Sometimes, they are used for sarcasm
Did Brenda like the “gift” you got her?
quantico.sg

95. Incorrectly used to emphasize
something
Get a reusable shopping bag “free”.
quantico.sg

96. Get a reusable shopping bag free.
quantico.sg

97. Incorrectly used to name someone
I ran into my old school friend, “Jeremy”.
quantico.sg

98. I ran into my old school friend, Jeremy.
quantico.sg

99. Incorrectly used to identify a place
I will be at “Ion Orchard” tomorrow.
quantico.sg

100. I will be at Ion Orchard tomorrow.
quantico.sg

101. Using quotation marks unnecessarily
may indicate that you don’t mean what
you say.
quantico.sg

102. quantico.sg

103. Bonus Secret 8: It’s okay to break some
rules...
quantico.sg

104. ... as long as you have a good reason to
do so!
quantico.sg

105. To soften your approach:
Meet me at 10am tomorrow.
quantico.sg

106. To soften your approach:
Meet me at 10am tomorrow.
Meet me at 10am tomorrow?
quantico.sg

107. Secret 1: Connect ideas with a semicolon
Secret 2: Emphasize words
Secret 3: De-emphasize words
Secret 4: Use the humble full-stop
Secret 5: Use apostrophes correctly
Secret 6: Use commas for clarity
Secret 7: Quotation marks are for quotations
Bonus Secret 8: Break the rules, if you have a good
reason.
quantico.sg

108. This information is available online.
quantico.sg

109. Next talk:
Writing Great Résumés & Applications
22 July 2012
2pm to 3pm
Toa Payoh Public Library
quantico.sg

110. it’s free, and always will be…
quantico.sg

111. it’s free, and always will be…
facebook.com/quanticosg
quantico.sg