Punctuation

Commas
Semicolons
Colons
Apostrophe
End marks
Capitalization

When the rules are not properly followed, readers will be confused.
Capitalization
• The first word in a sentence
Many books have been written about ecology.

• The first word of a quoted sentence (not just a quoted phrase)

And with great flourish, he sang, “O beautiful for gracious skies, for amber waves of grain!”

• Every main word in the titles of movies, plays, books, stories, magazines, newspapers, and songs
begins with a capital letter.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Detroit Free Press

• Words in titles that are not capitalized are short words, such as the articles a, an, and the; the short
conjunctions and, but, or, and for; and short prepositions like in, from, to, and into:
Your Child from Birth to Age Three
Acquainted with the Night
I Have a Dream
• Proper nouns (names, companies, places, and holidays, for example) are always capitalized.
In place names like the Great Lakes or Indian Ocean, both parts of the name are capitalized.
Claude Normand is a major contributor to Portland Community Hospital.
The National Hockey League is holding its championship games in Metropolitan Stadium near Lake
Erie.
The hospital is located on Camden Road in Portland, Maine.
All major religions, from Islam to Christianity, support giving to charity.

• Titles before name - Titles such as mayor, principal, aunt, miss, president, senator, and governor are
capitalized when they appear before a name.
Mr. Normand met recently with Dr. Halverson and Mayor Maresky.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Queen Elizabeth.

• Titles without name - Titles are not usually capitalized when they follow a name or are used
without a name, unless they belong to a high office holder. (rather use as a general term)
The doctor and mayor were very receptive to his ideas.
The President met with a group of senators, congressmen and congresswomen, and presidents of
top American companies.
• Direct address
He said, “Thank you, Mayor, for listening to my proposal.”

• Capitalize names of holidays, days of the week, and months. Do not capitalize the names of
seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) unless they are part of a proper noun or title.
Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May and is a paid holiday.
The project will be completed by the end of spring.

• Historic Eras or events

the Renaissance , World War II , the Stone Age

• Capitalize names of specific school course, languages or nationalities

I am taking Introduction to Computers 101, English, and Political Science.
He speaks Spanish and loves Mexican food.
• Religious names such as God, Allah, Buddha, and other specific gods such as Ra or Zeus

• Direction words – when used as the name of a place

They moved to the West.
Our cousins live in Northern Ireland.

• Do not capitalize directions when they are used to describe something.

The southern side of the house needs shade.
Their house faces east.

• The abbreviation for proper nouns. Government agencies are probably the most frequently
abbreviated.
The CIA makes me feel very secure.
Directions: Correct the capitalization errors in the sentences below.

2. My internist, doctor claudia McNally, referred me to Waterside.

3. The center’s Director, Ilana Harris, assigned me a physical therapist named Ellie Royce.
4. Ellie studied physical therapy in her native London and used british methods of treatment that
relieved my pain quite effectively.
5. She also did therapy with me in the pool at Rainbow health club.
6. I finished my treatments just before labor day, and I feel 100 percent better, thanks to Ellie.
Questions 7 through 9 refer to the following paragraphs.
An Unusual Breed
The Akita is a Japanese dog breed that dates to ancient times. The breed has a special spiritual meaning
for many. For example, when a child is born, well-wishers give the family small statues of Akitas to
express hopes for future happiness and health. In the past, allowed to own his breed.
Akitas are massive, powerful dogs, used for hunting game and guarding.
Starting in the 17th century, . In 1937, Akitas were brought to .

7. In the past, allowed to own this breed.

A. only Emperors and nobles were
B. only emperors and nobles were
C. only Emperors and Nobles were
D. only Emperors and nobles are
.
8. Starting in the 17th century, .
A. they were trained to hunt game and waterfowl in the Mountains of Japan
B. they were trained to hunt game and waterfowl, in the Mountains of Japan
C. they were trained to hunt game and waterfowl in the mountains of Japan
D. they were trained to hunt game, and waterfowl in the Mountains of Japan

9. In 1937, Akitas were brought to .

A. america by author Helen Keller
B. America by author Helen Keller
C. america by Author Helen Keller
D. america by author helen keller

Capitalization: - Quiz ([Link])

 End Marks

How many kinds of end marks are there?

What are they?
 Correct Usage of End Marks
• End marks – the punctuation marks that go at the end of a sentence.
• 3 common end marks:

1. Period (.), used after most statements – and also after abbreviations
2. Question mark (?), used for questions
3. Exclamation point (!), used after commands or statements that show
excitement or strong emotion
Period

(.)
 1. Period (.)

a. At the end of a declarative sentence (sentence that makes a statement)

E.g. Today, I took a walk to nowhere.
The car is red.

b. At the end of a command / request (which requires or tells someone to do something)

E.g. Please open the window.

c. At the end of an indirect question.

E.g. John asked if I know where she had left her keys.

d. Before a decimal number.

e.g. Statisticians claim that the average family raises 2.5 children.

e. Between dollars and cents.

e.g. I remember when $1.50 could buy the coolest stuff.
 1. Period (.)

f. After an initial in a person’s name

e.g. You are Sir James W. Dewault, are you not?

g. After an abbreviation
e.g. On Jan. 12, I leave for Africa.
Question Mark

(?)
 2. Question marks (?)

a. At the end of a question.

e.g. Why do you look so sad?
Has anyone seen my jacket?

b. Inside a quotation mark, when the quote is a question.

e.g. She asked, “Why do you look so sad?”
Exclamation point / mark

(!)
 3. Exclamation point (!)

a. At the end of a word, phrase, or sentence filled with emotion.

e.g. Oh, boy!
Hurry up! I cannot be late for the meeting!
That was a great game!

b. Inside a quotation mark when the quote is an exclamation.

e.g. The woman yelled, “Hurry up! I cannot be late for the meeting!”
 Practice

Choose the end mark for each of the following sentences.

1. Do you know the way to San Jose

2. That’s the jacket he lost
3. Help
4. Takeysha was asking everyone if they had the seen the movie yet
 Practice

Choose the end mark for each of the following sentences.

1. Do you know the way to San Jose?

2. That’s the jacket he lost.
3. Help!
4. Takeysha was asking everyone if they had the seen the movie yet.

[Link]
 Quotation Mark (“……….”)

a. When directly quoting dialogue, not when paraphrasing (encloses the exact words
of a speaker or writer)
e.g Hamlet says, “To be or not to be. That’s the question.”
“Now is the time, “ he yelled.

b. For titles of chapters, articles, short stories, poems, songs, periodicals, etc.
e.g. My favourite poem is “The Road Not Taken.”

 Be careful the usage of quotation mark in question.

He angrily exclaimed, “Why did you have to curse during the meeting? “
Do you believe he said “Jame stole the books”?
 Practice

Add quotation marks where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. If you like, we will stay, she said.

2. Gina said, I will bring the sauce.
3. I guess I can go, said Rafael, but I want to bring something.
4. The woman screamed, Stop that thief!
5. Would you ask her, Which way is it to Edgeware Road?
6. Do you think Bev said, That’s my first choice?
 Practice

Add quotation marks where they are needed in the following sentences.

1. “If you like, we will stay, “ she said.

2. Gina said, “I will bring the sauce.”
3. “I guess I can go, ” said Rafael, “but I want to bring something.“
4. The woman screamed, “Stop that thief!”
5. Would you ask her, “Which way is it to Edgeware Road?”
6. Do you think Bev said, “That’s my first choice”?
[Link]
marks

[Link]

[Link]
Comma, Colons, and Semicolons
Comma

(,)
 Commas (,)

 After introductory dependent clauses beginning with words like if, when, because, after, before, although
or other conjunctions:
Whenever danger threatens, small animals hide in their burrows.
Because you did well on your final essay, you should pass the class easily.

 After two or more introductory phrases:

At the back of the restaurant, there is a private room for parties.
Then, Shelly demanded a ride home.

 To separate three or more items in a list:

I bought apples, oranges, and bananas this morning.
The children rushed down the stairs , out the door , and into the yard.

 To separate two or more words describing a word that follows:

The telephone operator had a pleasant, cheerful, clear voice.
An independent clause
Expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.

We went to the beach.

independent clause

A dependent clause
• Is not a complete sentence.
• It must be connected to an Independent clause.

When we were in Chaung Thar, we went to the beach.

dependent clause independent clause

We went to the beach which was very beautiful.

independent clause dependent clause
 To separate two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction: and, but, nor, for, or, so, and
yet (fanboys)
My English teacher was a good writer, and she taught me lots about grammar.
We left our house later than we had hoped, but we still were on time for the concert.

 To set off modifying phrases (Nouns in Apposition)

Andrew, the boy in the flannel shirt, is my best friend.
Christina Ferrell, the new art teacher, is starting on Monday.

 To set off transitional or parenthetical expressions: (Interrupters)

My mother, on the other hand, is not feeling well.
Of course, this is not the right time to discuss vacations.

 To join two independent clauses with a Conjunctive adverb:

I like playing tennis; however, I’m not very good at it. (However = conjunctive adverb)
 Commas (,)

 To separate items in dates, addresses and long numbers

Aims Community College (ACC) is found in Greeley, Colorado.
The city of Denver is called “Mile High City” because it is situated some 5,280 ft. above sea level.

With specific dates in a sentence, comms should be placed between the days and the years and after
the years as well.
August 24, 2016, is the day I started my very first semester of college.
The event will take place on January 1, 2003.
 Commas (,)
 To set off quotation dialogues
Amir said, “Let’s get some ice cream.”
“I like the penguins best, ” said the girl.
“We can see the penguins, ” said her brother, “but then let’s get ice cream.”

 To set off names in Direct Address

Call me later, Steve.
Did she ask you, Jane, if you would go?

 To avoid confusion
After eating, my grandma takes a nap.

 After the opening salutation In letter greetings

Dear friend,
Dear Alice,
 Practice

Where should the commas go in these sentence?

1. Yes Justin is my brother.
2. Give me a kiss Kryz.
3. She is the best person for the role I guess.
4. The minister Reverend Hale is late.
5. We were sad but we weren’t very surprised.
6. I’m having trouble finding information for what happened on June 18 1889.
7. “If it rains” Joe said “we’ll have to cancel.”
8. We started our honeymoon in Sydney Australia.
9. It was the best nicest most amazing gift ever.
10. Also I’m tired of waiting for you.
11. When we entered the room was empty.
 Practice

Where should the commas go in these sentence?

1. Yes, Justin is my brother.
2. Give me a kiss, Kryz.
3. She is the best person for the role, I guess.
4. The minister, Reverend Hale, is late.
5. We were sad, but we weren’t very surprised.
6. I’m having trouble finding information for what happened on June 18, 1889.
7. “If it rains, “ Joe said, “we’ll have to cancel”.
8. We started our honeymoon in Sydney, Australia.
9. It was the best, nicest, most amazing gift ever.
10. Also, I’m tired of waiting for you.
11. When we entered, the room was empty.
[Link]
 7. It is a fact that .
Questions 7 through 9 refer to the following A. home accidents are responsible for more children’s
paragraphs. injuries than all childhood diseases combined
Childproofing Your Home B. home accidents, is responsible for more children’s
If you have small children, you no doubt injuries than all childhood diseases combined
appreciate the need to make your home as C. home accidents, are responsible for more children’s
safe as possible. It is a fact that . injuries, than all childhood diseases combined
Taking a few simple measures might reduce D. home accidents, being responsible for more
the number of times you take your kids to children’s injuries than all childhood diseases combined
the emergency room.
Start by putting childproof locks on all 8. Start by putting childproof locks on all cupboards in
cupboards in which . To keep which .
babies and toddlers from entering dangerous A. medicines poisons, or fragile objects are stored
areas, put baby gates in doorways and install B. medicines, poisons, or fragile objects are stored
sleeves on doorknobs. Install safety locks on C. medicines poisons, or fragile objects, are stored
doors and windows. Make sure that older D. medicines poisons, or fragile objects is stored
can open them in an emergency. 9. Make sure that older can open them
To prevent burns in the bathtub, keep the in an emergency.
water temperature below 120°F. Cover A. children those ten and up
unused outlets with outlet plugs. B. children, those ten, and up,
. C. children, those ten and up,
D. children those ten and up,
 Semicolons (;)

 Semicolons join two independent clauses

 To connect two sentences that are related ideas.

;
My mum said, “ I couldn’t go to the party” ; I didn’t want to go anywhere.

Bananas are a healthy snack ; they contain potassium which may help your vision.
 Colons (:)

 Colons introduce lists and explanations.

 It’s also like using the words “and here it is” or “and here they are”.

:
There are many reasons to exercise: it’s good for your health, it’s fun, and it’s free.
 Colon (:)

 After the greeting of a business letter (more formal than a conversational letter, for which a comma is
used)
Dear Sir or Madam:
To Whom it May Concern:

 Between hours and minutes

e.g. It’s 2:00 A.M. – time to sleep.

e. Between titles and subtitles. e.g. Finding Your Dream Home: A Buyer’s Guide
f. Between volumes and page numbers e.g. Marvel Comics 21:24
g. Between chapters and verse: e.g. Job 4:12
 Practice

Add semicolons and colons where they are needed in the following sentences.
1. I bought my aunt a new blouse it is red, her favourite color.
2. She liked it but she said it was too small.
3. When the store opens at 1000 A.M., Mother wants me to buy the following for
our ski trip gloves, a hat, warm socks, a scarf and snow boots.
 Practice

Add semicolons and colons where they are needed in the following sentences.
1. I bought my aunt a new blouse; it is red, her favourite color.
2. She liked it, but she said it was too small.
3. When the store opens at 1000 A.M., Mother wants me to buy the following for
our ski trip: gloves, a hat, warm socks, a scarf and snow boots.

[Link]
 Apostrophes (‘)

a. At the end of a name where there is ownership: to show possession.

i. To show possession of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an –s:
e.g. That bike belongs to the girl. It is the girl’s bike.
That is the lunch Renee brought. It is Renee’s lunch.

Ii To form a possessive of a plural noun that ends in –s, add only an apostrophe.
e.g. These are my friends’ designs.
These are the countries’ flags.

Iii To form the possessive of a plural noun that does not end in –s, add an apostrophe and an –s.
e.g. The women’s department is through that door.
I thought the mice’s cage was larger than the hamsters’.

Iv To form the possessive of a singular noun that ends in –s, add an apostrophe and an s.
e.g. I found Travis’s shoes by the door.
We studied Jesus’s teachings at church.
 Apostrophes (‘)
b. Where letters or numbers have been deleted – as in Contractions.
e.g. I looked at my father and whispered, “It’s (It is) okay to cry every so often.”

Apostrophe simply replaces one or more omitted letters from the two words joined together to make the
contraction. Some contraction examples:
cannot = can’t
here is = here’s
I would = I’d
She is = She’s
They are = They’re
Was not = wasn’t
we are = we’re
we will = we’ll
will not = won’t
would not = wouldn’t
It’s and Its.
It’s (with an apostrophe) means It is or It has.
Its (without an apostrophe) is the possessive of It.
e.g. It’s time for the bird to have its dinner.
 Practice

Insert the apostrophes in the following sentences.

1. Its late. Are you done?
2. That wasnt what I expected.
3. The childrens gifts are hidden.
4. Watch out for its bite.
 Practice

Insert the apostrophes in the following sentences.

1. It’s late. Are you done?
2. That wasn’t what I expected.
3. The children’s gifts are hidden.
4. Watch out for its bite.