Punctuation End Marks, Commas, Semicolons, Colons, Hyphens, Parentheses, Brackets, and Dashes

End Marks Three kinds of end marks: -period -exclamation point -question mark Rules 1. Use period at end of statement 2. Use exclamation at end of exclamatory sentence 3. Use question mark at end of question. Examples: Period -One of the figure skaters was Tara Lipinski. Exclamation -That’s the biggest salad I’ve ever seen! Question mark -What time is it?

Commas Use commas: -to separate items in a series -to separate two or more adjectives preceding noun -before coordinating conjunction -to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence -to set off nonessential appositives -to set off parenthetical expressions

Semicolons -Use between independent clauses when not joined by and, but, for, nor, or, so or yet. -Use to join conjunctive adverb or transitional expressions -Use when independent clauses have commas e.g. Our strongest defensive player are Carlos, Will, and Jared; and Kareem and Matt are excellent on offense. hyperlink

Colons -Use colons before a list of items, esp. after as follows or followingcolons -Use before a statement that clarifies preceding sentence -Use before long statement or quotation -Use in conventional situations 1. Time 2. Business letters 3. Biblical chapters and verses 4. Title and subtitle

Hyphens -Use hyphens to divide word at end of linehyphens e.g. you can probably find the answer in the alma- nac in the library. -Use with compound numbers e.g. twenty-two, thirty-six, fifty-seven -Use with prefixes such as all-, ex-, great-, and self- and with suffixes –elect and –free e.g. all-star, ex-principal, great-aunt, sugar-free, president-elect -Use on compound adjective when it precedes noun e.g. a well-worn book, a small-town girl, a brand-new stereo

Parentheses -Use to enclose material that is added to sentence but not considered of major importance. Examples: *Mohandas K. Gandhi ( ) led India’s struggle for independence from British rule. *Mrs. Matsuo served us the sushi (soo’ she) that she had prepared. hyperlink

[Brackets] Use brackets to enclose an explanation orbrackets added info. within quoted or parenthetical material. Example: At the press conference, Detective Stamos stated, “We are following up on several leads regarding the [Mills Sporting Goods] robbery.” During the Revolutionary War, Mohawk leader Joseph Brant (his Indian name was Thayendanegea [ ]) became a colonel in the British Army.

Dashes Use dashes to indicate an abrupt break in thought or speech.dashes Examples: *Ms. Alonzo-she just left-will be one of the judges of the talent show. *“Right over here-oh, excuse me, Mr. Mills-you’ll find the reference books,” said the librarian. *Alisha began, “The burglar is-but I don’t want to give away the ending.”

Bibliography Information on punctuation taken from textbook: Warriner, John, E. Holt Handbook. New York, Rinehart and Winston: library.thinkquest.org/J001156/writing.htm

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