Punctuation

“Punctuation is a tool that the writers use to clarify and enhance the meaning they want to get across” by Dan Felgelson (2008)”

“Like it or not, punctuation is something you have to master(…) Punctuation marks tell readers to pause or stop when you intend them to; in partnership with the words you choose, they add meter and rhythm to your writing and make it dance off the page; they help convey emotion (...don't they? You bet!); they clarify your meaning. (What's your first reaction to this sentence?: "While we were eating the cat on the table jumped down." While we were eating the cat?! What a difference a comma makes!: "While we were eating, the cat on the table jumped down.")” by Marg Gilks ( 2007)

Punctuation

Is commonly accepted set of symbols used in writing to convey specific directions to the reader

Exclamation mark

• She shouted at him, "Go away

! I hate

you!"•He

exclaimed: "What a fantastic house you hav

e!"•"Sh

ut

up!"

1. To indicate feelings:

•"Hi

! What's new?"

•"Oh

! When are you going?"

•"Ou

ch! That hurt."

2. Follows interjections:

•What idiots we

are! (We are such idiots.)

•How pretty she looked in that dress

! (She looked very pretty in that dress.)

3. With non-question

sentences:

•I met Katy yesterday. She is so gorgeous

!!!

•Remember, don't be lat

e!!

4. To show reinforcement:

Hyphen

•Race-horse (or racehorse)

•Pick-me-up

1. To join words:

•A blue-eyed boy (but The boy was blue eyed.)

•The well-known actor (but The actor is well known.)

•Their four-year-old son (but Their son is four years old.)

2. To make compound modifiers:

•All-inclusive

•Ex-wife

•Self-control

3. with certain prefixes (all-, ex-,

and self-):

•Twenty-one

•One hundred and sixty-five

•Two-thirds 

4. To write numbers 21 to 99, and

fractions:

•They need to employ more full- and part-time staff. (not They need to employ more full-time and part-time staff.)

•This rule applies only to 12-, 13- and 14-year olds. (not This rule applies only to 12-year olds, 13-year olds and 14-year olds.)

5. With suspended compounds:

Dash •My

brothers—Richard and John—are visiting Hanoi. (Could use commas.)

•In the 15th century—when of course nobody had electricity—water was often pumped by hand.(Could use brackets.)

1. To show a pause or break:

•I attached the photo to my email—at least I hope I did!

2. To show an afterthought:

•There are three places I'll never forget—Paris, Bangkok and Hanoi.

3. To introduce a list:

•They are really f––––d up. (Typically used for offensive words.)

•I will look ––––– the children. (Typically used in "missing word" questions.)

4. To show that letters or words

are missing:

Apostrophe

To show possession

Personal names that

end in –s

e.g. He joined Charles’s army

in 1642.

Plural nouns that end in –s

e.g. The work is due to start in

two weeks’ time.

Plural nouns that do not end in –s

e.g. The children’s

father came round to see me

To show omission

Letters

pick ‘n’ mix - short for pick and

mix

didn’t - short for did not

Numbers

the Berlin Wall came down in the autumn of

’89

Quotation marks

1. In Direct speech

• • ‘What time will he arrive?’ she asked.

2. With a word or phrase being discussed

• He called this phenomenon ‘the memory of water’.• What does ‘integrated circuit’ mean?.

Asterisk• Considerations on the Polish

Government*• *It was written by Jean-Jacques

Rousseau in 1771.

To draw the attention

• CEF* means Common European Framework, To replace

omitted words

• F**k. To hide rude words

Comma • The school has a vegetable

garden in which the children grow onions, potatoes and carrots.

1.In list:

• Steve replied, “no problem”

• “I do not agree”, I replied.

2.In direct speech:

• I first saw her in paris, where I lived in the early nineties.

3.To separate clauses:

•He did not what to go, but he went anyway.

4.Coordinating conjunction:

Colon • There are three countries in North

America: Mexico, USA and Canada.1.list:• There is one thing that we not

accept: Stupidity.2.To emphasize

a item:

• We had to cancel the party: too many people were sick.

3.Explanation:

Semicolon • Josef likes coffee;

Maria likes tea.1.Independent clauses:

Underline

•Bread•Butter ( Do not forget the butter!)

1.To indicate

emphasis:

•The film Avatar was really nice

2.To show emphasis:

Slash

• Dear Sir/Madam (Sir or Madam)1. “or”:

• It was invented on 11/30/20072.Day, month

and year:

• http://www.unicor.edu.co/Education

3. Website addres:

Ellipsis mark • “The film focused on the

three English learners… studying at University”

1.Missing words:

• She turned to James and said, “Darling there is something… I need to tell you”

2.To indicate a pause:

Thank you