PUNCTUATION

MARKS

Contents

Why Punctuate
Dash
Full Stop (a.k.a. Period) Hyphen
Question Mark
Quotation Mark
Exclamation Mark
Capital Letters
Comma
Semi-Colon
Colon
Apostrophe

Why Punctuate?

To be
understood

Read the following passage, without

punctuation.

i would like to apply for a job with your company

for two years i have been employed as a sales
clerk for the jones store i sold nothing that i did
not take pride in i am sure it will be the same if I
work for you

Now, look at how much easier it is to read

with punctuation:

I would like to apply for a job with your

company. For two years I have been employed
as a sales clerk for the Jones store. I sold
nothing that I did not take pride in. I am sure it
will be the same if I work for you.

Now, look at what happens when we

change the position of the punctuation
marks. It actually changes the meaning of
the passage.
I would like to apply for a job with your company
for two years. I have been employed. As a sales
clerk for the Jones store I sold nothing. That, I
did not take pride in. I am sure it will be the
same if I work for you.

Why do we use punctuation?

We use punctuation marks:
To separate groups of meaning and
emphasis.
To convey an idea of the variations of
volume, pauses, and accent of speech.
To help avoid contextual ambiguity.

Types of Punctuation
Question Mark
Period
Parentheses
Hyphen
Colon
Brackets
Fulstop
Dash
semicolon

Full Stop (.)

Why do we use a full stop?
To end a sentence when its a statement
Example: The dog sat outside the door. His
master had not fed him for a week.
To indicate an abbreviation
Example: N.S.W, e.g., Prof.
Note: Theres a trend to phase out full stops with abbreviations.

Full stops
A full stop is used at the end of a
sentence, unless the sentence calls for
a question mark (?) or an exclamation
mark (!).
Example, Joyce went to the shop.

The power of the English

Language

Activity
Put full stops in the correct places in these
groups of sentences. (You'll need to add
capitals where there are new sentences.)
It had been raining for weeks the river was rising very
quickly and the farmers were afraid the dam would burst
we decided we would have to leave our farm
You should not drive if you have been drinking it has
been proven that accidents are more likely when drivers
have been drinking

Activity
Key
It had been raining for weeks. The river was
rising very quickly and the farmers were afraid
the dam would burst. We decided we would
have to leave our farm.
You should not drive when you have been
drinking. It has been proven that accidents are
more likely when people have been drinking.

How Do You Use the Comma?

Use a comma to separate

independent clause (sentences) in a
compound sentence.
I like English, BUT it is difficult.

Commas (,)
This marks a natural pause during a sentence. It
is only a short pause, and should not be
confused with the longer full stop pause.
Sometimes commas are essential to make the
meaning of a sentence clear to the reader.
Note: Don't use too many commas, as they can make
your writing jerky and disjointed. If in doubt,
leave out!

Commas (2)
When do we use a commas?
In a list. Example: We bought apples, bananas,
pears and grapes. (Note: no comma before
"and" in a list of single items)
For instance, Sanny can run, jump, and skip.

To separate adjectives (describing words)

unless the words "go together". Examples: She
had long, thick, wavy hair. (But: She had very
dark brown hair.)

Commas (3)
When do we also use a commas?
To prevent the reader from connecting words
that do not properly belong together.
Example: While I cooked the baby played
nearby. (While I cooked, the baby played
nearby.)
To separate an introductory expression of
time from the rest of the sentence.
Example: Three months later, it was all forgotten.

Commas (4)
When do we also use a commas?
To separate parts of a long sentence which
contains "but" or "and".
Example: The manager has given the instruction,
and the staff must obey it.
To enclose anything which interrupts the flow of
the sentence.
Example: I hope, of course, that they'll come.

Commas (5)
When do we also use a commas?
To enclose the name of a person or their
position/job, if both are mentioned.
Example: The coach, Bob Jones, was given an
award.
To separate direct speech from the rest of the
Sentence.
Example: "Go away," she said.

More on Commas
When the date identifies the day of the
week, the date is set off with a comma.
See the example below:
On Thursday, August 25, school resumes.

More on Commas
Use Comma to set off nouns of direct.

For example: Gertrude, I want you to know

that Matilda like George.
address.
Use a comma to set off a year when it is
with a month and date.
- Julius was born June 25, 1954, in
Gauteng, Soweto.

More on Commas
Use commas when writing full

addresses in sentence form. I live at 2345

Westchester Blvd., Springfield, IL 62703
Use commas to set off introductory

phrases that come at the beginning of

a sentence. Feeling anxious, George
slowly stepped on the stage.

Activity 1
Insert commas where necessary.
The house was cold damp small and
inconvenient.
When he fired the bullet hit the target
accurately.
Bill said "The train is late.
Andre the world famous clown is a Frenchman.
Before we left we checked to make sure we'd
turned off the computer.

Activity 1 (2)
Insert commas where necessary.
I insist on eating Grandfather before we leave
the house.
Wilma Fred's wife lived near the river.
Jim will arrive sometime tonight but I don't
know exactly when it will be.

Activity 1
Key
The house was cold, damp, small and
inconvenient.
When he fired, the bullet hit the target
accurately.
Bill said, "The train is late.
Andre, the world famous clown, is a
Frenchman.

Activity 1
Key (2)
Before we left, we checked to make sure we'd
turned off the computer.
I insist on eating, Grandfather, before we leave
the house.
Wilma, Fred's wife, lived near the river.
Jim will arrive sometime tonight, but I don't
know exactly when it will be.

Activity 2
Some of the examples below need to be two
sentences, instead of one sentence with a
comma. Change the commas to full stops
where necessary.
The rain began to come down heavily, we were
soon wet through.
We ran down the road, and soon found shelter
in a doorway.

Activity 2 (2)
We waited for about an hour, but the rain would
not stop.
At three o'clock my friend drove by, he offered
us a lift home.
When we arrived home our house was flooded,
we stayed with friends for the night.

Activity 2 (1)
Key
The rain began to come down heavily.
We were soon wet through.
We ran down the road, and soon found shelter
in a doorway.
We waited for about an hour, but the rain would
not stop.
At three o'clock my friend drove by. He offered
us a lift home.

Activity 2 (2)
Key

When we arrived home our house was flooded.

We stayed with friends for the night.
Note: The examples in yellow each contain two statements with no
joining word such as and, so, but or as. Because of this, they need
to be made into two sentences.

Semi-Colons
Why do we use a semi-colon?
A semi-colon can be used instead of a full stop
when the two parts of the sentence are too
closely related in meaning to be put into
separate sentences.
Examples: We did not go into the theatre before
our friends arrived; instead, we waited outside.
I don't know who my grandfather was; I am more
concerned to find out who his grandson will be.

Semi-Colon (;)
Why do we use a semi-colon?
Semi-colons can also be used between items on
a list, when the items consist of a number of
words, or when the use of commas alone would
be confusing.
Example: The committee consisted of Carol
Jones, the staff representative; Bill Johnson, the
boss; Terry Smith, the local doctor; Murray Todd,
the fisherman; and Mary Renshaw, the cook.

Activity
Put semi-colons in the correct places in the
following sentences.
He and his dog spent all their time together he
had no other friends.
She arranged to meet Tom inside the football
ground she wanted to avoid paying his entry
fee.
I left the movie early I was not feeling well.
The rain fell all day the carnival had to be called
off.

Activity
Key
He and his dog spent all their time together; he
had no other friends.
She arranged to meet Tom inside the football
ground; she wanted to avoid paying his entry
I left the movie early; I was not feeling well.
The rain fell all day; the carnival had to be
called off.

Apostrophy ()
The apostrophy can be used to:
Show that letters have been left out. These are
called contractions.
example: can't for cannot, didn't for did not, it's
for it is or it has

Apostrophy () 2
The apostrophe is also used to show possession
(or ownership) in the following ways:
If the thing/person that owns something is
singular, add 's Examples: The girl's books (the
books belonging to the girl)
If the thing/person that owns something is plural
and already ends with an "s", simply add an
apostrophe. Examples: The girls' books (thebooks
belonging to the girls)

Apostrophy () 3
The apostrophy can also be used:
If the thing/person that owns something is
plural but does not end in an "s", add 's.
Examples: The women's club (the club
belonging to the women)

Apostrophes
An apostrophe is a mark ( ) used to
indicate.
the possessive case
the omission of a letter or letters
If the word does not end in s, add s:

Apostrophe
1. Indicates the possessive case of nouns and
indefinite pronouns.
E.g. The boys mother / Saras house

2. Marks omission of letters in contracted words.

E.g. didnt / oclock / telephone phone

3. Marks omission of digits in numbers.

E.g. class of 83

4. Is often used to form plurals of letters, figures,

punctuated abbreviations, symbols, and word
referred to as words.
E.g. Your plan is good, even if there are lots of but's in it.
Two of the junior faculty have Ph.Ds.

Apostrophes Examples
Examples, The book of the boy the
boys book
The book of the children the
childrens books
If the word ends in s and is singular,
add s:
The book of Charles Charless book

Activity
Where does the apostrophe of possession
belong in the following sentences?
The dogs dinner (the dinner belonging to one
dog)
The dogs dinner (the dinner belonging to more
than one dog)
The cats whiskers (the whiskers belonging to
one cat)
The cats whiskers (the whiskers belonging to
more than one cat)

Activity
Key
The dogs dinner
The dogs dinner
The cats whiskers
The cats whiskers

Capitals latters
Capital letters are used:
At the start of a new sentence. Example: The cat
sat on the mat. His owner sat nearby.
For the letter "i" when you are referring to
yourself. Example: He can run faster than I can.
For people's names. Examples: Jim Smith, Bill
Jones

Capital Letters (2)

Capital letters are also used:
For titles. Examples: Dr Jones, Mr Brown
For book/film/company titles (main words only).
Examples: The Catcher in the Rye, The Wizard
of Oz, Briggs and Sons
In direct speech, for the first spoken word.
Example: She said, "My name is Mary."

Capital Letters (3)

Capital letters are also used:
For acronyms.
Examples: TAFE, CIA
For titles of days, months.
Examples: Monday, July

Capitals latters
A capital letter is normally used in
writing:
For the first letter of the first word at
the beginning of a sentence
For the first letter of proper nouns
(Kevin), countries (South Africa),
cities (Johannesburg), and titles (the
Champion).

Capitals latters
For the first letter of the names of days
(Tuesday), months (February), festivals
(Dwali).
For the first letter of houses, ships,
streets,
newspapers, books, play-titles
(King Street).
For a persons initials (K.G. Baxter).
For the word I.

Activity
Put capital letters in the correct places in the
following sentences:
mr brown needed to see the doctor urgently.
mary said, " may i come,too?" i will go to see
joe on the first monday in may. she lives in
sydney, nsw. karl and i went to the movies on
wednesday night. we saw "one flew over the
cuckoo's nest", starring jack nicholson.

Activity
Key
Mr Brown needed to see the doctor urgently
Mary said, "May I come, too?
I will go to see Joe on the first Monday in May.
She lives in Sydney, NSW.
Karl and I went to the movies on Wednesday
night. We saw "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest" starring Jack Nicholson.

Exclamation marks
An exclamation mark is used after
expressions of surprise, motion, fear and
delight:
For instance, Oh!, Ah!, Look!, and
Hurrah!

Exclamation Mark(!)
Why do we use an exclamation mark?
This mark shows strength of emotion. It is often
used in direct speech and informal notes,
messages and letters. It is less common in
formal writing.
Examples:
Hi! Sorry I haven't written for so long!!!
Great work! Congratulations!
"Leave me alone!" she screamed

Exclamation marks
Examples, What a superb goal Gigs
scored at Highbury!
I did not know you were here!
How fierce she looks!

Activity
Put exclamation marks in the correct
places in the following sentences.
What wonderful news
Come here this instant
Help

Activity
Key
What wonderful news!
Come here this instant!
Help!

Question marks
A question mark is always placed at
the end of a question.

What are you doing?

But a question mark is not used in:

I asked them what they were

doing.

Question Mark (?)

Why do we use a question mark?
To end a sentence when it asks a
question
Examples:
Why is it so cold?
Where is your warm coat?

Activity
Put question marks and full stops in the correct
places in these groups of sentences. (There are
two sentences in each example)
I am going to wash the dishes will you peel the
potatoes for me
He is going by car are you going by bus
How are you I hope you are well

Activity
Key
I am going to wash the dishes. Will you peel the
potatoes for me?
He is going by car. Are you going by bus?
How are you? I hope you are well.

Quotation marks (inverted

commas
Words quoted are put into quotation
marks. The boy said, He has the
book. Note the comma before the
quotation mark and that since the words
inside the marks form a sentence, the
first letter is a capital letter

Quotation mark ()
To enclose direct quotations and dialogue.
Example: You must arrive on time, the
professor said.
To denote titles and nicknames.
Example: Her favourite book is Brick Lane.
Note:Punctuation goes inside the
quotation marks if it is part of the quote.
Example: Give me my dignity! the prisoner pleaded.
But: Have you seen Pulp Fiction?

Hyphen
The sign (-) used to join words to
indicate that they have a combined
meaning or that they are linked in the
grammar of a sentence
For instance, a pick-me-up, mother-inlaw, good-hearted.

Hyphen
1. To join words to show that their meaning is linked in some way.
E.g. Book-case / race-horse
2. To make compound modifiers before nouns.
E.g. A blue-eyed boy / The well-known actor
3. Prefixes.
E.g. All-inclusive / Ex-wife / Self-control
non-English
4.

When writing numbers 21 to 99, and fractions.

E.g. Twenty-one / Two-thirds

5.

To show that a word has been broken at the end of a line.

E.g. The directors requested that a more convenient time be arranged.

6.

Suspended compounds.
E.g. This rule applies only to 12-, 13- and 14-year olds.

Hyphen (-)
Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving
as a single adjective before a noun:
Example: a one-way street
chocolate-covered peanuts
Use a hyphen with numbers. Example: forty-six,
sixty-three, a fifteen-year-old boy
Use a hyphen with certain prefixes. Example: ex
husband, self-assured, mid-September, all
inclusive.

6.

Hyphens. ( )
A hyphen is a short, horizontal line.
Use a hyphen to connect parts of some compound nouns.
son-in-law
self-awareness
tractor-trailer
Use a hyphen with elect.
Mayor-elect,
Governor-elect,
President elect.

Put a hyphen in a compound word between a prefix and a proper noun

or an adjective.
mid-July festival
pro-Middle East peace
Use a hyphen to join the parts of a fractions when it is written out as
words.
two-fifths
three-sixteenths
five-eights
Use hyphens when you spell out a word for emphasis.
I want this filthy, thats f-i-l-t-h-y, room cleaned up immediately!
When I say no, I mean no! N-o.No!

Put hyphen after some prefixes like ex-,self-, and all-,expecially if

the last letter of the prefix is the same as the first letter of the word
its connected to.
anti-inflammatory
re-elect
all-loving

ex-mayor

pro-feminist

Parenthesis
Use parenthesis to enclose words or
figures that clarify or are used as an
aside.
Example: He received one hundred
and fifty points (150)on his math
project.

Parentheses
1.

Explain or clarify.

E.g. Tony Blair (the former British prime minister) resigned from office in 2007.
2.

Indicate plural or singular.

E.g. Please leave your mobile phone(s) at the door.

3.

Add a personal comment.

E.g. Many people love party (I dont)

4.

Define abbreviations
E.g. The matter will be decided by the IOC (International Olympic Committee)

5.

Enclose numerals that confirm a written number in a text.

E.g. Delivery will be made in thirty (30) days.

Dash (--)
Used to strongly emphasize a point or set off an
explanatory comment. Dont overuse it.
To some of you, my proposals may seem radical
-- even revolutionary.

Brackets
1.

To add clarification and information.

E.g. The witness said: "He [the policeman] hit me.
The two teams in the finals of the first FIFA Football World Cup were both from
South America [Uruguay and Argentina].

2.

Set off phonetics symbols and transcriptions.

E.g. Punctuation [pktjen]

3.

To add missing words.

E.g. It is [a] good question.

4. To add editorial o authorial comment.

E.g. They will not be present [my emphasis].
5. To modify a direct quotation:
E.g. He "love[s] driving." (The original words were "I love driving.")
6. For nesting.
E.g. Square brackets can also be nested (using square brackets [like these] inside
round brackets).

Colon
1. Introduces a clause or phrase that explains, illustrates,
amplifies, or restates what has gone before.
E.g. The sentence was poorly constructed: it lacked both
unity and coherence.
2. Directs attention to an appositive.
E.g. He had only one pleasure: eating
3. Introduces a series.
E.g. Three abstained :England , France, and Belgium.
4.

Separates titles and subtitles.

E.g. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Era of the Civil War.

Colon
5. Introduces lengthy quoted material set off from the rest of
a text by indentation but not bu quotation marks.
E.g. I quote from the text of Chapter One:
6. Separates elements in a page references, in bibliographical
and biblical citations, and in set formulas used to express
ratios and time.
E.g. John 4:10 / a ratio of 3:5 / 8:30 a.m.
7. Follows the salutation in formal correspondence.
E.g. Dear Sir: / Ladies and Gentlemen:
8.

Punctuates headings in memorandums and formal

correspondence.

E.g. TO: / SUBJECT: / REFERENCE:

Comma
5. Use a comma for addresses, some dates, and titles following a
name.
E.g. Los Angeles, California / November 4, 1948
6. Use a comma before of after direct speech. Do not use a comma for
reported speech.
E.g. He said, I love you. / I love you, he said.
He told her that he loved her.
7. Use a comma before coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or,
yet, so) to join independent clauses.
E.g. He didn't want to go, but he went anyway.
She is kind so she helps people.
8.

Use a comma for parenthetical elements.

E.g. John Miles, who is chairman of the company, is quite old.
Andy, my wifes brother, cannot come.

Comma
9. Use a comma after an introductory part.
E.g. Rushing to catch the flight, he forgot to take his phone.
By evening we were getting worried.
10. Sentence adverbs.
E.g. However, Anthony did arrive.
Anthony, however, did arrive.
11. Adverbial clause.
E.g. If I win the lottery, I will buy a castle / I will buy a castle if I
win the lottery.
12. Set off contrasting and opposing expressions.
E.g. He changed his style, not his ethics.

Comma
13. Separates a tag question from the rest of the sentence.
E.g. Its a fine day, isnt it?
14.Is used to avoid ambiguity that might arise from adjacent
words.
E.g. To Mary, Jane was someone special.
15.Punctuates an inverted name.
E.g. Morton, William.
16.Follows the salutation in informal letter.
E.g. Dear Mark, / Very truly yours,

Dash
1. To show a pause or break in meaning in the middle of a sentence.
E.g. My brothersRichard and Johnare visiting Hanoi.
In the 15th centurywhen of course nobody had
electricitywater was often pumped by hand.
2. To show an afterthought.
E.g. I attached the photo to my emailat least I hope I did!
3. To introduce a list.
E.g. Dont forget to buy some foodeggs, bread, tuna and cheese.
4.

To show that letters or words are missing.

E.g. They are really f----d up.

5.

Often precedes the attribution of a quotation.

E.g. My foot is on my native heath....
-Sir Walter Scott

Ellipsis
1.

Indicates the omission of one or more words within a quoted

passage.
E.g. In the little world in which children have their
existence, there is nothing so finely perceived
and so finely felt as injustice.-Charles Dickens

2. Usually indicates omission of one or more lines of poetry when

ellipsis is extended the length of the line.
E.g. I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree
...............
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree. Joyce Kilmer
3. Indicates halting speech or an unfinished sentence in dialogue.
E.g. Id like to that is if you dont mind .

Slash
1. Separate alternatives.
E.g. Dear Sir/Madam.
Mary will eat cake and/or fruit.
2.

Replaces the word to or and between related terms that are compounded.
E.g. In the May/June issue.
The fiscal year 2009/2010.

3.

Divides elements in dates and divides numerators and denominators in

fractions.
E.g. Offer expires 5/10/2011
2/3 (two-thirds)

4.

Set off phonemes and phonemic transcription.

E.g. /b/ as in but

Linking Devices
Linking words or devices help you to build a logical
argument or thread in your assignment by linking one
statement to another. An assignment without linking words
reads like a series of unrelated statements with no flow.
Linking words can be used to:
Link the flow of ideas in your writing.
Guide your reader towards the next stage of your argument.
Link paragraphs together.

Thanks