Punctuation Review  Colon - Use to introduce a list but not if the list follows a verb or preposition - Use between the hour and minute of time - Between chapter and verse in biblical references :

 Semicolon - Use to separate main clauses that are not joined by and, but, or, nor, yet and for. (If a sentence looks like it should be two sentences, but the ideas are related, there should be a semicolon!) - Use to separate content in monster lists (In lists of items that would otherwise have an excessive amount of commas)

 Comma - Use between main clauses in compound sentences - To separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses in a series - Use commas to set off interjections and parenthetical expressions and conjunctive adverbs (oh, on the contrary, however)

 Commas continued - Use commas to set off titles when they follow a person’s name- Dr. Martin, Ph.D. - To separate parts of addresses (but not between the state and the zip) - EX: 957 Main Avenue, Cortez, CO To set off tag questions (You’ve seen this already, haven’t you?)

 Use commas before and after quotations.  Use commas after letter greetings and salutations

 Parentheses - To set off supplemental material Important Note!! Commas and parentheses are used for similar purposes. To understand the differences, remember these rules: 1. Commas are used to set off supplemental material that is closely related to the rest of the sentence. 2. Parentheses are used to set off supplemental material that is not important enough to be considered part of the main statement.

 Quotation Marks - To enclose direct quotations - To enclose titles of short works (poems, short stories, articles, songs, etc.) - For unfamiliar slang

 Italics (Underlining) - Titles of books, plays, films, TV series, any long work - Foreign words that aren’t frequently used in English - Words or letters that are used to represent themselves

 Apostrophes - To form the possessive (to show ownership) Everybody’s snacks Jesus’ teachings The trees’ leaves Oxen’s harness - In place of letters omitted in contractions You’d You’re It’s

 Hyphen -After prefixes joined to proper nouns or adjectives - In a compound adjective that precedes a noun Dark-green eyes -Any number spelled out up to ninety-nine -In numbers indicating a span