A.

PUNCTUATION

The parentheses brackets, and braces used in symbolic language to eliminate ambiguity
in meaning
In any formula the negation symbol will be understood to apply to the smallest statement
that the punctuation permits

COMMA (,)

Writers disagree on whether lists of three or more should include a comma before the and (or
or) and the last item in the list. Above all, consistency is key. If you do not know your reader's
preference, choose one method and stick to it. Commas before the last and must be used when
the final item in the list itself contains a conjunction (e.g., He was charged with assault, battery,
and breaking and entering.)

PARENTHETIC PHRASES

Use commas to set off words and phrases that do not neatly fit into the main grammatical
structure of the sentence. Nonrestrictive clauses are examples of parenthetic phrases. Unless the
parenthetic phrase ends the sentence, there should always be a comma at the end of the
parenthetic phrase. Do not use commas to set off phrases that, if removed, would change the
meaning of the sentence, i.e., a restrictive clause.

Examples:

The Constitution, which was signed in 1987, is the supreme law of the land.
The Constitution, signed in 1987, is the supreme law of the land.
The judge, however, was not amused.
The version of the bill that the Senate ultimately approved was substantially weakened

PUNCTUATION BEFORE AND AFTER QUOTATION MARKS

When you are quoting a sentence or phrase that ends the sentence, the period should always go
before the last quotation mark, even if it is not the end of the sentence in the original source.
Commas should also always go inside the quotation mark. Other punctuation marks go outside of
the quotation unless they appear in the original source.

THE ELLIPSIS ()

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If you are quoting a source and choose to remove one or more words from the middle of the
quotation, you should indicate that with a space and then three dots separated by spaces. If your
quotation ends your sentence, but is not the end of the sentence in the original source, the
quotation should end with four dots separated by spaces (the fourth dot acting as the period after
a three dot ellipsis).
APOSTROPHE ()
Apostrophes are used to indicate letters missing from words and to create possessive forms of
nouns.
HYPHEN (-)

Hyphens can be used between two words that function together to modify a subsequent word in
the sentence, as in well-pled complaint. Hyphens can also be used to connect some prefixes to
words.

Hyphenated words can assist with conciseness by eliminating the need for additional adverbial
phrases.
DASH ( )

The em dashcreated on Microsoft Word by two hyphens and a spaceis a versatile

punctuation mark that can replace parentheses, commas, and colons. Em dashes are often used to
indicate a sudden break in thought.

Note on using dashes: Avoid using dashes to replace more than one kind of punctuation in a
single sentence. For instance, the sentence On the Supreme Court, the federal governments
highest judicial body, one justice virtually never asks questions in oral argument: Clarence
Thomas, would be harder to understand if it were written, On the Supreme Courtthe federal
governments highest judicial bodyone justice virtually never asks a questionClarence
Thomas.

SEMICOLON (; )

Semicolons connect independent sentences that are logically closely related or work together as
part of a larger idea.
Effect: Semicolons tell the reader that more information, following the semicolon, will clarify
your meaning. They add emphasis to the second clause as an important explanation of the first.
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Advantages: Semicolons can highlight connections between ideas that will help the reader
understand your meaning.
Disadvantages: Critics complain that writers use semicolons to gloss over imprecise thought.20
Like any sentence structure, semicolons can be over-used.
Semicolons also separate items in a list when the individual items are long or if any one item
contains a comma.
COLON ( : )

Colons end a sentence that creates anticipation or suspense that the next sentence or phrase
resolves.
Effect: Colons create an expectation that what follows is surprising, important, or especially
interesting.
Advantages: Colons can highlight crucial information by adding emphasis to what follows the
colon.
Disadvantages: Because the colon is a dramatic sentence structure, colons can lose emphasis
and credibility if over-used. Generally, use colons when no other punctuation can create the
desired effect.
Colons also introduce a list or introduce a quotation that is not integrated into the writers
sentence.
The court applied the following four factors to the facts at issue: . . .
The court explained that location can also contribute to reasonable suspicion:

[O]fficers are not required to ignore the relevant characteristics of a location . . . .

SOURCES:

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1. The Writing Center at GULC. (2005) Tips for Effective Punctuation in Legal Writing.
Retrieved June 30, 2017, from https://www.law.georgetown.edu/academics/academic-
programs/legal-writing-scholarship/writing-center/upload/punctuationtips.pdf
2. Columbia Law School Writing Center. (n.d.) Effective Punctuation. Retrieved June 30,
2017, from http://www.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/microsites/writing-
center/files/effective_punctuation_handout.pdf

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