2. 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.
â˘Where to pause or change tone
when reading aloud.
They show the reader:
3. A sentence
* starts with a
capital letter
* ends with a .
* makes complete
sense.
?question mark
shows the end of
a question.
full stop shows the end
of a statement.
!exclamation mark shows
* raised voice,
* strong feelings,
* an exclamation.
Three
punctuation
marks can show
the end of a
sentence.
4. Rules for Periods
⢠Use a period at the end of a complete sentence.
⢠Use periods (decimal points) with money and percentages.
â $2.13 3.25%
⢠Use periods after initials.
â George W. Bush David A. Paap
⢠Donât use a period at the end of a sentence that already
ends with an abbreviation.
â Bob woke up at 7 A.M.
Note: (Using question marks and exclamation are okay
after an abbreviation)
â Bob woke up at 7 A.M.!
â Bob woke up at 7 A.M.?
5. Rules for Period
⢠Use period in some abbreviations:
â Months: Jan. Feb.
â Days: Mon. Tues.
â Titles: Gov. (senator )Sen. Dr. Mr.
â Addresses: ( Avenue) Ave. St.
â Measurements: (pound) lb. hr. min.
â Countries: U.S. U.K.
⢠When all the letters are capital letters, periods are
usually not used: FBI
6. Rules for Question Mark
⢠Use a question mark after a question.
â This is not difficult, is it?
⢠Use a question mark to indicate uncertainty or doubt.
â 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 donât use it â it is your
choice.
â Would you please bring us the remote?
â Would you please bring us the remote.
Both examples are correct
7. Rules for Exclamation Point
⢠Use an exclamation point after exclamations to show:
â Delight: Wow! Nice catch!
â Urgency: Please help me!
â Anger: Drop dead!
â Surprise: I canât believe itâs you!
â Distress: Oh, no! This canât be right!
â Excitement: I got an A!
â Intensity: I love you!
â Loud noises: Crash!
â Strong Commands: Stop! Donât move!
8. ⢠Is it a question or an exclamation? Sometimes a sentence
can go either way.
â How could you do that?
â 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! Itâs even
worse to use lots of exclamations!! - oh, no, not the
double exclamations!!
Note: Never use double exclamation points in
formal writing. In fact, donât use many exclamation
points at all.
9. separating the
items in a list
The comma ,
Within a
sentence a comma
shows where one
chunk of meaning
ends and
another beginsâŚ
I bought eggs, a pint of
milk, tea and sugar.
separating the
direct speech from
a reporting clause
This is great, isnât it?
How old are you, John?
separating off
âtag phrasesâ and names
separating
off an introductory
âchunkâ
Anyway, I decided
not to go.
Three weeks later,
James was born.
Although she was only
three, Gemma knew
her tables.
marking off
extra information
only if that information is not
absolutely necessary in the
sentence
My 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 âand,â âbut,â
or âor.â
You cook, and Iâll do the
Use a comma after an
introductory word
group.
If you cook, Iâll do
the dishes.
10. ⢠Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that introduces
an independent clause (thatâs the clause that can stand alone).
â Coordinating conjunctions are:
and, but, for, or, so, yet, nor
⢠Independent clause combinations:
â 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.
â 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.
11. ⢠Use a comma after conjunctive adverbs (those are adverbs
working as conjunctions â they link two sentences and show
how the two are related).
â Conjunctive adverbs include:
however, furthermore, indeed, meanwhile,
nevertheless, therefore, unfortunately
â I thought I made a C+ on the test, however, I made a B-.
â I didnât study very much, nevertheless, I made a good
grade.
â 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.
12. ⢠Use a comma after most introductory phrases and clauses.
â 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 donât necessarily have to have a
comma.
â In May, I will be graduating.
â In May I will be graduating.
Both sentences are grammatically correct.
⢠Be careful when using introductory clauses and phrases.
Donât confuse the reader by forgetting an important comma.
â After eating my cat hiccups.
How does your cat taste?
â After eating, my cat hiccups.
⢠After eating is the introductory clause and my cat
hiccups is the independent clause.
13. ⢠Use comma when adjectives come after the noun.
â The football players, tired and dirty, celebrated their
victory.
â Mr. Smithâs 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.
â 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.
14. ⢠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.
â 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.
15. ⢠Use comma in numbers over 999.
â 2,140
â 1,214,000
⢠Use comma with direct quotations (what someone says).
â âIâm not afraid of the dark,â whispered Bobby, âIâm almost
eight years old.â
â Jane cried, âI lost my homework for Geometry!â
⢠Do not use comma with indirect quotations (stating what
someone said, not necessarily using his/her exact words).
â Sarah said that she wanted to go to the movies tonight.
â Bobby whispered that he wasnât afraid of the dark any
more because he is eight years old.
16. ⢠Use comma when speaking directly to someone (this is
called a direct address).
â Keith, it is time to go.
â Iâve 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.
â Muna was born on November 1st
, 2005, at 8:48 A.M.
17. ⢠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.
â Wow, what a beautiful sunset.
â No, I donât really want to see that movie.
⢠Use comma between consecutive adjectives (two or more in
a row) describing the same noun.
â It was a cold, dark, and dreary night.
⢠Use a comma whenever the word and would sound
right between the adjectives.
â It was a cold September night.
⢠Cold and September describe the same noun, but it
wouldnât sound right to say, âcold and September
night.â
18. ⢠Use comma before and after parenthetical expressions.
Parenthetical expressions are words inserted into a sentence
giving information or thoughts that are not absolutely
essential.
â I reminded my mom, in case she forgot, that I wanted an
Xbox 360 for my birthday.
â Since she is the best mom in the world, at least thatâs what
I tell her to get what I want, I know sheâll buy me one.
⢠Use comma after greetings and before closing in friendly
letters.
Greetings Closings
â Dear Shannon, - Sincerely,
â Hello Sweetheart, - Love,
19. ⢠Use a comma to show that two parts of a
sentence are being contrasted.
â Iâm going out with Ken, not Ron.
â Itâs a book, not a movie.
â I really wanted the Xbox, not the Playstation.
20. 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 â the first day of our
holidays â we explored the beach.
marking off extra information
embedded 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!
21. Dash
1. 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 stopâa very strong pause in the
sequence of a sentence:
⢠I cannot write without dashesâI sprinkle them like salt and pepper in my
prose.
2. Dash set off appositives (parenthetical expressions):
⢠My motherâa college professorâencouraged me to take my math classes
my freshman year.
Note: Avoid overusing dash in formal writing.
22. ⢠An en dash (â) 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 13âAugust 18, or pages 29â349.
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.
â Examples:
⢠The years 2001â2003
⢠JanuaryâJune
23. ⢠An en dash is also used in place of a hyphen
when combining open compounds.
â Examples:
⢠North CarolinaâVirginia border
⢠a high schoolâcollege conference
24. ⢠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, 1976â).
⢠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." âJonathan Swift
25. â 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 clauseâthoughtâindependent clause.
â I'd better have passed my testâit's ninety percent of my class
gradeâor I'll have to go to summer school.
â Well, I passed the testâgranted, I cheatedâbut I passed!
or like so:
⢠Independent clauseâthought.
â Abby gave me a terrible haircutâand she expected a tip!
26. Other ways to use a dash
⢠In dialogue, dashes are used to indicate interrupted speech.
â "But IâBut you saidâ ... wait, what?" stammered Edna.
⢠Dashes can also be used to emphasize a sentence part.
â Of course, I'll sign a prenuptial agreementâas long as it's
in my favor.
⢠Use a dash to link two parts of a sentence.
Okay
⢠âCome to class on time because itâs the rule.â
â ^Conjunctions are too boring. Students will show up late.
Better
⢠âCome to class on time - itâs the rule.â
27. 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. (sâs)
⢠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 â s)
28. 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 dashâin terms of explanations or
listingsâin 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.
29. Hyphen -
A hyphen links words or
parts of words
when they are put
together 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.
30. Hyphens
1. Hyphens create compound words.
⢠I have ninety-four Penguin editions.
2. Hyphens make adjectives out of nouns.
⢠The woman was an African American. ď The woman
was African-American.
⢠I like literature from the nineteenth century. ď 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.)
31. 4. Write out numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.
⢠Seventy-five students turned in an essay.
5. With Prefixes
âall-, co-, ex-, half-, great-, numbers and capital letters
⢠Ex: All-knowing, co-author, ex-convict, half-
life, great- uncle, 10-yards, T-Shirt
32. Brackets ( )
marking off extra information
embedded in the sentence
Brackets show
information which is extra
to the main textâŚ
marking off extra
facts like dates
or dimensions
e.g. Elizabeth I (1553 â 1603)
Mount Everest (8850 m)
Brackets are sometimes call parentheses.
Information in brackets is said to be in
parenthesis.
comma and dashes can also enclose
parenthetic information.
e.g. On Monday (the first day of our
holidays) we explored the beach.
As brackets are very noticeable, they are used
when the writer wishes to draw attention to the
extra information.
33. 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 < >
34. ⢠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, âThe year we moved into the
house [1985] was a difficult one for us, both emotionally and
financially.â
⢠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: âI seldom spoke in French class.
When I did, I usually just said je ne sais pas [I donât know].â
35. Semicolon ;
A semi-colon gives a break
halfway between , and .
to separate two
main clauses
e.g. It was a great pleasure to meet you
yesterday; I hope we meet again soon.
The semicolon here is
like a formal version
of the dash.
to separate lengthy
items in a list
e.g. I surveyed John Street: small, redbrick
houses; an ancient church; three brand new
bungalows, and a Victorian town house, gone to seed.
When semicolons are used
in a list, there is usually a
comma before the and.
36. A colon marks a break
where there is a feeling of
balance between the elements
on 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, an
example or a quotation to separate two main
clauses, where the second
clause expands on or
illustrates the first
e.g. It was very cold: the
temperature was below zero.
Colon :
e.g. I love the first lines of âJabberwockyâ:
ââTwas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabeâŚâ
37. Colons versus Semicolons
1. Use a colon when you want to say âhere
comes an exampleâ or âhereâs what Iâm
talking about.â(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 âandâ or
âalso.â
38. Colons
1. Use a colon before some lists.
â 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.
â The title of the book is Bill Gates: Man of the Year.
⢠Use a colon with expressions of time.
â Itâs 12:15 P.M.
⢠Use a colon in the greeting part of a formal letter or business letter.
â To Whom It May Concern:
â Dear Senator McCain:
⢠Use a colon in literary references between volume and page or
between chapter and verse.
â John 3:16 [the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16]
1. Donât use a colon if a list comes right after a verb.
â The ingredients are: flour, eggs, sugar, and milk. (THIS SENTENCE IS WRONG)
⢠Donât use a colon after a preposition.
â I want to travel to: New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Montreal. (Incorrect)
39. ⢠Use colons to indicate dialogue when youâre
writing a play or script.
Henry: I canât believe itâs not butter.
Janet: It has less fat than sour cream.
⢠Use a colon before a long, formal quotation.
Governor Smith stated to the press: âI 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
â including eating. In fact, I believe that eating is
a complete waste of valuable time.â Then he
said, âApril Fools!â
40. Rules for Colons
⢠Use a colon after words such as caution,
wanted, or note.
â Caution: wet floor.
â Wanted: interior designer specializing in abstract art.
â Note: Colons have specific uses.
⢠Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins
a complete sentence â and if you want to.
Either way is okay as long as it is a complete
sentence.
â Caution: There are workers present.
â Caution: there are workers present.
41. 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
âboth-andâ relationship.
⢠My brother was sixteen years old that winter; I was thirteen.
⢠He had a Mustang; I, however, wanted a Denali.
42. âItâs late,â said Cinderella.
The prince smiled and
answered, âYes, but we have
all the time in the world.â
âWhat time is it?â asked
Cinders. âI must leave
before midnight.â
âIf you must go,â said the
prince, âyouâd better hurry.
Itâs 5 to 12.â
âOh no!â cried Cinders.
Direct Speech
* Each new speaker on a
new line.
* Speech marks (â â) round
the direct speech.
* Comma between direct
speech and reporting
clauseâŚ
* âŚunless thereâs a ? or !
* Direct speech begins with
a capital letterâŚ
* âŚunless a sentence is
interrupted by the
reporting clause.
â â
â
â
â â
â
â
â â
â
â
â â
,
,
,
,
?
!
I
W
Y
I
I
O
y
I
comma before the speech marks
43. Speech marks
Speech
marks
are also called
quotation marks
or inverted
comma and
may be usedâŚ
to mark the
words in
direct speech
to show
that a word is being
used ironically or
âoddlyâ
to indicate the
title of a book,
film, etc
to show
a quotation
to show when you
are talking about a
word or phrase
Wordsworth
wrote about an
âinward eyeâ.
The word âexitâ is the Latin
for âhe goes outâ.
There were many âexpertsâ
in the audience.
Double and single speech marks.
Double marks are usually used in handwritten texts.
Single marks are often used in printed texts.
â â â â
The book âBlack Beautyâ was also
made into a film.
âHello,â said the cat.
44. Initial Quotation Marks
1. Introduce a quotation with an initial phrase and a
comma or an initial clause and a colon:
⢠According to Jones, âBlah blah blah.â
⢠The shortest verse in the Bible makes a powerful emotional
statement: âJesus wept.â
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 âJesus wept.â
45. Initial Quotation Marks
1. Introduce a quotation with an initial phrase and a
comma or an initial clause and a colon:
⢠According to Jones, âBlah blah blah.â
⢠The shortest verse in the Bible makes a powerful emotional
statement: âJesus wept.â
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 âJesus wept.â
46. Ends of Quotations
1. If the sentence continues after the quotation,
youâll usually need a comma AFTER your quotation
but BEFORE your final quotation mark:
⢠âI wish this workshop were over,â John said.
⢠âNot me,â Mary replied, âIâve got to go to the dentist this
afternoon.â
2. If the quotation ends in an exclamation point or
question mark, omit the comma:
1. âI hate going to the dentist!â John bellowed.
2. âWhy are you talking so loudly?â asked Mary.
47. 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:
⢠âThat dog is bigger than a Denali!â
⢠âI donât think so; Denalis are quite large.â
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 âamong the most agile of
full-sized sport utility vehicles.â15
48. Quotes in Quotes
1. If you have a quotation within a quotation,
standard American usage indicates that you
double the outermost quotes (ââ) and use
single quotes for the inner quotations (ââ).
⢠My dad said to me, âYour long-haired, so-called âbest
friendâ was just over here asking if you could loan her
some money. I told him âabsolutely not.ââ
49. an ellipsis is
three dotsâŚ
to show that a
sentence is unfinished
e.g. to show that a
sentence isâŚ
to show that words
have been missed out
in a quotation
e.g. The hyphen differs from the
dash in that⌠it is half as long.
Ellipsis âŚ
50. Ellipses
1. Ellipses indicate that something has been omitted.
Paul urges, âPresent your bodies . . . holy and acceptable to Godâ (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 researchersâŚ.
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.
51. The Apostrophe
omission possession
In shortened forms
of words, the
apostrophe shows
where letters have
been missed out.
âs shows ownership
the girlâs coat the childrenâs
home
If the owner-noun is
a plural ending in s,
just add â
the girlsâ coats the princessesâ
hats
cannot
canât
should have
shouldâve
you are
youâre
it is
itâs
I will
Iâll
does not
doesnât
the hats
belonging to
the princesses
the coats
belonging to
the girls
the coat belonging
to the girl the home belonging
to the children
52. Apostrophes
⢠Rule #1: Contractions
⢠I shouldnât use contractions in my formal essays.
⢠Rule #2: Indicate Singular Possessive
⢠Ex: Connorâs birds; Jesseâs computer; the catâs hat
⢠Rule # 3:Plural Possessive
⢠Ex: The studentsâ essays; the catsâ hats; The Jonesesâ
party
53. Apostrophes
⢠Rule # 4: Special Plural
â For the most part, do not use apostropheâs in
regular plural words.
Use apostrophes in these cases
- Words used as words
- Ex: You used too many âyetâsâ in your perfect
paragraph.
-Alphabet
Ex:My name has two fâs and two eâs.