Punctuation:  An Essential Part of Writing

The Semicolon  Use between closely related independent clauses not joined with a coordinating conjunction  Use between items in a series containing internal punctuation  Use between independent clauses linked with a transitional expression accordingly, furthermore, moreover, similarly, also, hence, namely, still, anyway, however, nevertheless, then, besides, incidentally, next, thereafter, certainly, indeed, nonetheless, therefore, consequently, instead, now, thus, finally, likewise, otherwise, undoubtedly, further, meanwhile

The Colon :  Use after an independent clause to direct attention to a list, an appositive, or a quotation  Use between independent clauses if the second summarizes or explains the first  Use with time, letter salutations, a ratio, and between a title and subtitle

The Apostrophe  Use to indicate that a noun is possessive  Use to indicate that an indefinite pronoun is possessive  Use to mark omissions in contractions and numbers  Do not use to form plurals of numbers, letters, and abbreviations

Quotation Marks  Use to enclose direct quotations  Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation  Titles: short stories, songs, articles, poems, episodes of TV and radio programs, & chapters

End Marks:  Period…use to end sentences and with abbreviations  Question mark… a direct question should be followed by a question mark  Exclamation point…use with a word group or sentence to express exceptional feeling or provide emphasis

The Dash  To set off parenthetical material that deserves emphasis  To set off apposition that contains commas  To prepare a list, a restatement, an amplification, or a dramatic shift in tone or thought…Mary took a few steps back, came running full speed, kicked a mighty kick—and missed the ball.

Parentheses  Use to enclose supplemental material or afterthoughts…After taking her vital signs (temperature, pulse, and blood), the nurse made Becky feel as comfortable as possible.  Use to enclose letters or numbers labeling items in a series

Brackets  Use to enclose nay words or phrases that you have inserted into an otherwise word for word quotation  Audubon reports that “if there are not enough young to balance deaths, the end of the species [California candor] is inevitable.”

The Ellipsis Mark:  Use to indicate that words have been deleted from an otherwise word for word quotation

The Slash  Use to separate two or three lines of poetry that have been run into your text  Use t o separate paired terms…pass/fail…his/her

Italics (underlining):  Use for titles of works…books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, long poems, plays, films, television programs, radio programs, musical compositions, choreographic works, works of art, comic strips, electronic databases, web sites, electronic games, names of ships  Use for foreign words used in an English sentence