Punctuation’s Basic Functions

ELA8C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats. The student g. Produces final drafts/presentations that demonstrate accurate spelling and the correct use of punctuation and capitalization.

ELA8W4 The student consistently uses the writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing.

c. Edits writing to improve word choice, grammar, punctuation, etc.

ELA8C1 g. Produces final drafts/presentations that demonstrate accurate spelling and the correct use of punctuation and capitalization. ELA8W4 c. Edits writing to improve word choice, grammar, punctuation, etc.

Why is correct punctuation necessary for writing

effectively? How can you demonstrate

your knowledge of punctuation?

Basic Punctuation Concepts

Declarative sentence Interrogative sentence Imperative sentenceExclamatory sentencePeriodExclamation pointQuestion markCommaParenthesisColonSemi-colonApostropheHyphen/dashQuotation marks

Basic Punctuation Concepts

, Comma

Used to separate items in a list, to separate two independent clauses, to set off introductory elements, and to set off states and countries, years (in a full date), titles, etc.

The conference was originally set for Geneva, Switzerland, but was then rescheduled for Chicago, Illinois.

Write the symbol, the name, the definition, and example sentence.

Four purposes

of sentences

Declarative

Imperative

Exclamatory

Interrogative

Let’s start with the Declarative Sentence.

A declarative sentence tells something. It ends with a period.

John and Stephanie whisper about the surprise party for Tyra.

It ends in a period.

This sentence TELLS about John and Stephanie.

Let’s start with the Declarative Sentence.

A declarative sentence tells something. It ends with a period.

How clever of James to come up with such a unique rescue plan.

Again, it ends in a period.

This sentence TELLS someone’s

opinion about James’ rescue

Now let’s talk about the Interrogative Sentence.

An interrogative sentence asks a question. It ends with a question

Would you like some cookies?

Notice how it ends with a

question mark.This sentence

ASKS if you want cookies.

The Imperative Sentence.

An imperative sentence gives an order. It ends with a period OR

an exclamation point.

Go walk the dog.

Notice how it ends with a

period.This sentence

TELLS you to do something.

The Imperative Sentence.

An imperative sentence gives an order. It ends with a period OR

an exclamation point.

Get out there and walk the dog!

Notice how it ends with an exclamation point. This tells

us the speaker REALLY wants the dog walked!

Again, this sentence TELLS

you to do something.

And last, but not least, the Exclamatory Sentence.

An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feelings. It

ends with an exclamation point.

My birthday party is tomorrow!

It does this by ending the sentence with an exclamation point.

This sentence SHOWS you how excited the

speaker is .

Mom! Trevor’s chasing Amy with water balloons!

The sentence’s punctuation tells you

how to read the sentence .

Get out there and walk the dog!

It does this by ending the sentence with an exclamation point. This sentence is BOTH imperative and exclamatory!

Coming back to this sentence, we notice

that it is an imperative sentence that expresses strong

feelings .

Now it’s your turn!

Remember the four kinds of sentences

and don’t forget that imperative sentences

can end two ways!

Let’sPut an end to sentences!

Language Arts

What is an end mark?•An end mark is also known as punctuation, and comes at the end of a sentence. It lets you knowwhen to stop.•What are the different kinds of

end marks?

An exclamation mark shows excitement or feeling.That is a huge dog!

A question mark means something is being asked.Are you going to lunch?

The period comes at the end of statements and commands.It is raining today.Do not interrupt me.

The period is used for more than just an end mark.

It is used in abbreviations:8130 Malone St. J. K. Rollings Ms. Jackson Dr. Maxie

Where are we going

exclamation mark

Question mark

period

You’ve been zapped.wrong

answer

Go Back

Correct

Where are we going

This sentence is a question, so it gets a question mark.

The phone is ringing

exclamation mark

question mark

period

You’ve been zapped.

wrong answer

Go Back

Correct

The phone is ringing.This sentence is a statement, so it gets a period.

That car is going to crash

exclamation mark

question mark

period

wrong answer

Go Back

Correct

That car is going to crash

This sentence shows excitement, so it gets an exclamation mark.

That tree is going to fall on the house

exclamation mark

question mark

period

wrong answer

Go Back

CorrectThat tree is going to fall on the house

This sentence is a exclamation, so it gets an exclamation mark.

Put those papers away

exclamation mark

question mark

period

wrong answer

Go Back

wrong answer

Correct

Put those papers away.This sentence is a command, so it gets a period.

Remember,

An end mark comes at the END of a sentence, and lets you know when to

There are a few more members of the punctuation family…Click here to meet them.

Punctuation rap is a game we play.It’s fun to do, and we can learn that way.

Take the period, the period; he’s not hard to understand.You’ll find him at the end of a sentence or command.He marks abbreviations, shortens words that are long.Don’t forget the period, he’s small but strong.

Question mark, question mark, what did you say?He follows a question, that’s the only way.

Wow! Awesome! Rad! Hurray!The exclamation point is next; he’s got something to say.He follows something loud, he’s excited to play.Don’t use him too much, he won’t be special that way.

The comma is next, he is used a lotHe can separate a list of some groceries you boughtYou’ll find him in the middle of the year and the date,Between two adjectives, or a city and state.

You can join two sentences with a “but” or an “and”Just remember the comma, he will give you a hand.There is one more place that our comma has been,He comes after a clause that tells you when.

The dash-the dash-he’s here, then he’s gone.If you need to make a pause, then you bring him along.

Quotation marks are nosey. They have no reservations About hanging around in any conversation,You must put quotes around a thing that is said,And also a poem or a story you’ve read.

The colon likes to show a list that will come,His brother, the “semi” will not be outdone.The semicolon joins two sentences with no, andIf you have too many commas, he can take a stand.

Punctuation Rap

The comma The comma is used to separate a list.

•My favorite animals are giraffes, dogs, cats, and birds.

It is also used between the date and the year.

• It was December 24, 2001.

Use a comma to set off the elements of a series (three or more things), including the last two.

My favorite uses of the Internet are sending e-mail, surfing the Web, and using chat rooms.

You may have learned that this comma is not necessary.

Sometimes, however, the last two items in your series will glom into one if you

don’t use the so-called serial comma.

The English House of Commas

Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so) to separate two independent clauses.

The public seems eager for some kind of gun control legislation, but the congress is obviously too timid to enact any truly effective measures.

If the two independent clauses are brief and nicely balanced, this comma may be omitted, but the comma is always correct.

Our team is very good but their team is better.

Use a comma to set off introductory elements.Anxious about the upcoming winter, settlers began to bicker among themselves about supplies.

If the introductory element is brief and the sentence can be read easily without the comma, it can be omitted.

In 1649 the settlers abandoned their initial outpost.

In the winter of 1644, nearly half the settlers died of starvation or exposure.

Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.Coaches grew weary of running practices in the drafty, dreary, dilapidated gymnasium.

If you could put a but or an and between the adjectives, you should put a comma between them.

expensive and modern = expensive, modern . . . . But not “a little and old house.” “A little old house” would be correct.

The designs for an expensive, modern gym should make them happy.

Use a comma to set off elements that express a contrast or a turn in the sentence.

The house was cute, but too expensive for the newlyweds.

They were looking for something practical, not luxurious

Use a comma to set off states and countries, years (in a full date), titles, etc.

The conference was originally set for Geneva, Switzerland, but was then rescheduled for Chicago, Illinois.

Their wedding date was set for August 5, 2000, in the college chapel in Newton, Massachusetts.

Tashonda Klondike, Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, submitted the committee’s final report.

Use a comma to set off quoted language.

Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice” begins with the lines, “Some say the world will end in fire, / Some say in ice.”

“Fire when ready, Gridley,” the Admiral said.

“We can’t see into the future,” said the President, “but we have to prepare for it nonetheless.”

Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements. This is the most difficult rule in comma usage. A parenthetical element is “added information,” something that can be removed from a sentence without changing the essential meaning of that sentence. Deciding what is “added information” and what is essential is sometimes difficult. See the next slide.

Parenthetical elements:

Robert Frost, perhaps America’s most beloved poet, died when he was 88.

Frankly, it doesn’t seem to matter.

When an appositive phrase can be removed from a sentence without changing its meaning or making it ambiguous:

An absolute phrase is treated as a parenthetical element:

An addressed person’s (or people’s) name is always parenthetical:

I am warning you, good citizens of Hartford, this vote is crucial to the future of our city.

One more parenthetical element:

Excuse me, but there are, of course, many points of view that we must consider before voting.

An interjection is treated as a parenthetical element:

One last rule: Don’t over-use commas! When a comma is needed, use it; otherwise, do without.

Reviewing the rules of comma usage will help you understand the way sentences are built — and that, ultimately, will help you become a better writer.

Parentheses

Use parentheses (or commas) to enclose qualifying detail that is of secondary importance within sentences. (Parentheses can also be used to enclose one or more entire sentences that add relevant, but not essential, detail to the main discussion.)

I will need the following

items from the store: bananas, grapes, watermelon, and lemons.

The colon is made with two periods.It is used for time.11:35

pmIt comes before a list.

The Colon: a sentencegateway

The colon comes at a point in the sentence where the sentence could come to a complete stop.

I’m going to tell you the names of my favorite breakfast foods.

We could even put a period after the word “foods,” couldn’t we? In fact, we did.

We know, however, what’s going to come after this period.

I’m going to tell you the names of my favorite breakfast foods.

That’s right, a LIST of breakfast foods.

I’m going to tell you the names of my favorite

breakfast foods: meuslix, cornflakes, oatmeal, grits and gravy, and yogurt on toast.

And the proper punctuation mark to set off this list from what precedes it is a colon. The colon “announces” that a list is about to follow; it is the gateway to that list.

My favorite breakfast foods are meuslix, cornflakes, oatmeal, grits and gravy, and yogurt on toast.

Would I use a colon in the sentence above?

No, because the sentence does not come to a halt here.

Instead, the sentence flows right into the list. A colon would not be appropriate here.

Examine this next sentence carefully.

Our math tutor wants just one thing from us that we try our best.

Here, we have an independent thought (ending with “us”).

followed by another kind of completer (a noun clause).

To set off this completer, this explanation, we can use a colon.

Our math tutor wants just one thing

from us: that we try our best.

These are the two main uses of the colon: to set off a list or an explanation that we know is about to follow the main part of the sentence.

We also use the colon to set off a formal quotation.

My father was always using his favorite quotation from Yogi Berra: “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

Just remember that you usually know what is going to follow a colon: a list, an explanation, or a formal quotation.

You have now mastered the uses of the colon, a very handy device in the punctuation of your sentences. Don’t forget to take the quizzes on punctuation listed on the Quiz List page of the Guide to Grammar and Writing.

Our Friend, the Semicolon

Let’s begin with a simple sentence:

Grandma stays up too late.

Now let’s expand on that a bit:

Grandma stays up too late. She’s afraid she’s going to miss something.

This is OK. Two independent ideas, separated by a period.

What if we try to combine the two ideas?

Grandma stays up too late, she’s afraid she’s going to miss something.

Something’s wrong. We connected two independent clauses with only a comma. The dreaded COMMA SPLICE!

We could insert a coordinating conjunction:

This is better! Note the comma that accompanies the coordinating conjunction.

Grandma is afraid she’ll miss something, so she stays up too late.

We could also try subordinating one of these ideas:

Grandma stays up too late because she’s afraid she’s going to miss something.

Notice that the comma disappeared. One idea (the second one) now depends on the other; it has become a dependent clause.

But let’s try something else.

Let’s try using a semicolon in this sentence.

Grandma stays up too late; she’s afraid she’s going to miss something.

Notice there is no conjunction used with this semicolon – either subordinating or coordinating.

Just the semicolon, all by itself.

Sometimes semicolons are accompanied by conjunctive adverbs – words such as however, moreover, therefore, nevertheless, consequently, as a result.

Grandma is afraid she’s going to miss something; as a result, she stays up too late.

Notice the pattern:

; as a result, semicolon + conjunctive adverb + comma

This is a typical construction with semicolons.

There is one other use of the semicolon: to help us sort out monster lists, like this one:

The committee included Peter Wursthorn, Professor ofMathematics, from Marlborough, Connecticut, VirginiaVilla, Professor of English, from Hartford, Connecticut, PaulCreech, Director of Rad-Tech, from Essex, Connecticut, andJoan Leach, Professor of Nursing, from Farmington, Connecticut.

Be careful where you insert semicolons in this sentence.

The committee included Peter Wursthorn, Professor of

Mathematics, from Marlborough, Connecticut; Virginia

Villa, Professor of English, from Hartford, Connecticut ; Paul

Creech, Director of Rad-Tech, from Essex, Connecticut ; andJoan Leach, Professor of Nursing, from Farmington, Connecticut.

Now you know everything you’ll ever need to know about using semicolons!

THE MIGHTY APOSTROPHE

The apostrophe has only a handful of uses, but these uses are very important. A misplaced apostrophe can be annoying — not to mention lonely.

1. to create possessives

2. to show contractions

3. to create some plural forms

The apostrophe is used:

The apostrophe is used to create possessive forms for singular and plural nouns, especially nouns referring to people.

the mayor’s car, my father’s moustache

Pedrito’s sister, Joe Kennedy’s habits

When a noun already ends in “s,” you can decide whether or not to use another “s” after the apostrophe.

Charles’s car OR Charles’ car

Dumas’ second novel, Jesus’ birth,

Socrates’ ideas, Illinois’ legislature

With multisyllabic words, don’t add another “s” after the apostrophe.

THE MIGHTY APOSTROPHETo form the possessive of an inanimate object, we’re usually better off using an “of phrase,” but the apostrophe possessive is not impossible, especially with expressions of time and in personifications.

The roar of the greasepaint,the smell of the crowd

a year’s salary, my heart’s desire, your

dollar’s worth, the paper’s conclusion

To form the possessive of a plural noun, we pluralize first and then add the apostrophe.

The Kennedys’ house

The children’s playhouse

The travelers’ expectations

Notice that with an irregular plural, the apostrophe will come before the “s.”

A contraction allows us to blend sounds by omitting letters from a verb construction. The apostrophe shows where something is left out.

I am a student here = I’m a student here.

I have been working on the railroad. = I’ve been working on the railroad.

They could have been great together. = They

could’ve been great together.

More contraction examples:

Let us go. = Let’s go.

Who is there? = Who’s there?

It is Dierdre. = It’s Dierdre.REMINDER: It’s is a contraction for “it is”; the possessive of it = its (no apostrophe).

The apostrophe is also used to form the plural of digits and letters . . .

The word Mississippi has four s’s.

She got three A’s and two B’s last semester.

She dotted all her i’s very carefully.

. . . and to indicate omission of a number in a date:

summer of ’99; class of ’38

The mighty apostrophe doesn’t mind being used, but it wants to be used wisely.

Use it well and it will be there whenever you need it!

You can now review the apostrophe and the other marks of punctuation in the Guide to Grammar and Writing.

Hyphens and Dashes What's the difference between a hyphen and a dash? How do

you know when to use one or the other of these punctuation marks?

A hyphen is a short, single-character line which connects word parts.The hyphen serves two primary functions: to divide words that split at the end of a line to join word parts into a single word.

A dash is a longer line—double the length of a hyphen—which indicates a break or an interruption in the thought. Dashes are used to set off part of a sentence. Unlike parentheses, which tend to minimize, dashes tend to emphasize the set-off text. Using these punctuation marks correctly will help you make your meaning clear to your readers. In the next few screens, we'll look at each of these marks individually to see how they are used.

By Peggy Britt

Quotation marks are used to show someone’s exact words.

The children said excitedly, “Let’s ride on the Jungle Cruise!”

1) Place a comma after the word that lets you know the person is saying something.

Mickey said happily, “Come visit Disney World!”

Rule 2) Insert quotation marks before the first word of the person’s exact words and after the punctuation mark at the end of the person’s last word.The crowd exclaimed,

“What a wonderful parade!”

Rule 3) Capitalize the first word of the person’s exact words.

Caitlyn screamed, “Goofy, this is a blast!”

Can you find the mistakes in Mickey’s quotation?

Mickey said, Come see me at Disney World!”

Mickey said, “Come see me at Disney World.”Yeah, great job, you did it!

Punctuation’s Basic Functions

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