CHAPTER 11

PUNCTUATION

LESSON 1

PERIODS AND OTHER END MARKS

Periods, question marks, and exclamation points

are known as end marks because they are used to indicate the end of a sentence. Periods

have other uses as well.

Periods• Use a period at the

end of a declarative sentence.

• A declarative sentence makes a statement.

PeriodsExample:

The key is carefully kept secret ..

Periods• Use a period at the

end of almost every imperative sentence.

• An imperative sentence gives a command.

Periods• Some imperative

sentences express excitement or emotion and therefore end with exclamation points.

PeriodsExample:

Do not ask me to reveal our code.

Stop! Do not ask me to

reveal our code!

Periods• Use a period at the end

of an indirect question.• An indirect question

reports what a person asked without using the person’s exact words.

Periods• Indirect question: The

coach asked if our team code had been broken.

• Direct question: The coach asked, “Has our team code been broken?”

Question Marks

• Use a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence.

• An interrogative sentence asks a question.

Question Marks

Example: Have they figured out all

our plays?

Exclamation Points

• Use an exclamation point to end an exclamatory sentence.

• An exclamatory sentence expresses strong feeling.

Exclamation PointsExample:

What a terrible situation!

Exclamation Points

• Use an exclamation point after an interjection or any other exclamatory expression.

Exclamation PointsExample:

Oh! I have an idea!

Other Uses for Periods

• Use a period at the end of most abbreviations or after an initial.

Abbreviationssec. second in. inch lb. pound gal. gallonmin. minute hr. hourmo. month yr. yearSt. Street Feb. FebruaryThurs. ThursdayPres. President

InitialsR.N. registered nurseP.M. post meridiem (after noon)B.A. bachelor of artsM.D. doctor of medicineP.O. post officeR.K.S. Rebecca Kate Simmons

Abbreviations Without PeriodsCIA Central Intelligence Agencymph miles per hourVCR videocassette recordercm centimeterCA Californiamm millimeter

Period

• Use a period after each number or letter in an outline or a list.

OutlineUses for Codes1. Use in wartime

A. World War I B. World War II

2. Industrial uses A. To protect new methods

B. To protect consumers’ privacy

ListCommunication Codes1.Braille2.American Sign Language3.Egyptian hieroglyphics 4. Mayan hieroglyphics5. Morse code6. Semaphore 

LESSON 2

COMMAS IN SENTENCES

Commas are used to make the meanings

of sentences clear by separating certain

elements of the sentences.

Commas • Use a comma before

a conjunction that joins independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Commas Example:

The ancient Egyptians’ written language was called hieroglyphics, and it was not decoded for many centuries.

Commas• Sometimes a sentence

has a two-part compound verb but is not a compound sentence. Do not use a comma in this kind of sentence.

CommasExample:

Scribes could read and write hieroglyphics.

Commas with Items in a Series• Use a comma after

every item in a series except the last one.

• A series consists of three or more items.

Commas with Items in a Series

Example: Symbols of birds, lions,

and snakes appear in hieroglyphics.

Use a comma between adjectives of equal rank

that modify the same noun.

• Example: Hieroglyphics used colorful, decorative symbols.

•Do not use a comma between adjectives that express a single idea.

• Example: The symbols were often painted with a brilliant gold paint.

Commas with Introductory Words and Phrases

•Use a comma after an introductory phrase that contains a prepositional phrase. Use a comma after introductory words.

• Example: Even after 2,000 years of study, no one could read hieroglyphics.

Commas with InterruptersUse commas to set off a word or phrase that interrupts the flow of thought in a sentence.

• Example: The stone provided, at long last, a key to hieroglyphics.

•Use commas to set off nouns of direct address. A noun of direct address names a person or group being spoken to.

• Example: Alex, your class would be thrilled with this discovery.

Commas with Appositives• An appositive is a word or phrase that

identifies or renames a noun or a pronoun that comes right before it. Use commas when the appositive adds extra information; do not use commas when the appositive is needed to make the meaning clear.

• Example: Jean Champion, a French Scholar, deciphered the Rosetta stone

Commas to Avoid Confusion• Use a comma whenever the

reader might otherwise be confused.

• Unclear: Before hieroglyphics records were not kept on stone or paper.

• Clear: Before hieroglyphics, records were not kept on stone or paper.

LESSON 3COMMAS: DATES, ADDRESSES, AND

LETTERS

Commas in Dates• In dates, use a comma between

the day and the year. (Use a comma after the year if the sentence continues.)

Commas in Addresses• Use a comma between the city

or town and the state or county. (Use a comma after the state or country if the sentence continues.)

Commas in Letters• Use a comma after the greeting

of a casual letter and after the closing of a casual or business letter.

LESSON 4COMMAS: DATES, ADDRESSES, AND

LETTERS

• To punctuate quotations you need to know where to put quotation marks, commas, and end marks.

Direct Quotations

• A direct quotation is a report of a speaker’s exact words.

• Use quotation marks at the beginning and end of a direct quotation.

• Example: “Flowers have meaning,” said Sophie

• Use commas to set off explanatory words used with direct quotations (whether they occur at the beginning, middle, or at the end of the sentence).

• Example: Sophie said, “Flowers have meaning.”

• “Flowers,” said Sophie, “have meaning.”

• “Flowers have meaning,” said Sophie.

• If a quotation is a question or an exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation point inside the quotation marks.

• “What do flowers mean?” I asked.

• If quoted words are part of a question or an exclamation, place the question mark on the outside of the closing quotation marks.

• Example: Do flowers tell “secret messages”?

• Commas and periods always go inside the closing quotation marks. They’re too little to stay outside.

Indirect Quotations• Do not use quotation marks to

set off an indirect quotation.• An Indirect quotation is a

restatement, in somewhat different words, of what someone said. An indirect quotation is often introduced by the word that. It does not require a comma.

• INDIRECTShakespeare wrote that a rose

would smell sweet regardless of its name.

• DIRECTShakespeare wrote, “a rose by any

other name would smell as sweet.”

Divided Quotations • A divided quotation is a direct

quotation that is separated into two parts, with explanatory words such as he said or she said between the parts

• Use quotation marks to enclose both parts of a divided quotation.

• Example: “A rose,” he said, “means love.”

• Do not capitalize the first word of the second part of a divided quotation unless it begins a new sentence.

• Example: “ A rose,” he said, “ sometimes means treachery”

• Use commas to set off the explanatory words used with a divided quotation.

• Example: “ A rose,” he summed up,” can mean treachery or love.”

Quotation Marks in Dialogue• In dialogue, a new paragraph and

a new set of quotation marks show a change in speakers.

• A dialogue is a conversation between two or more speakers.

LESSON 5SEMICOLONS AND

COLONS

• A semicolon indicates a break in a sentence. It is stronger than a comma but not as strong as a period. A colon indicates an abrupt break. A colon indicates that a list follows. Colons are also used after greetings in business letters and in expressions of time.

Semicolons in Compound Sentences

• Use a semicolon to join parts of a compound sentence without a coordinating conjunction.

• Example: Enslaved people sang songs with secret messages; the songs told listeners how to escape.

• Use a semicolon between the parts of a compound sentence when the clauses are long and complicated or when they contain commas.

• Example: Runaways navigated by the stars; and they lived off the land, slept outdoors, and walked hundreds of miles to freedom.

Semicolons with Items in a Series

• When there are commas within parts of a series, use semicolons to separate the parts.

• Example: The travelers took clues from songs, such as a song about the stars; from quilts , which had a special coded designs; and from other people along the way.

Colons • Use a colon to introduce a list of

items.• An escapee carried few items: a

knife, a flint, and a warm cloak.

• Avoid using a colon directly after a verb or a preposition.

• • Incorrect The recipients are: Joe, Sam, and Rita.• Incorrect Send this message to: Joe, Sam, and

Rita.• Correct Send this message to the following

people: Joe, Sam, and Rita.

• Use a colon after the formal greeting in a business letter.

• Example: Dear Ms. Smith: Dear Sir:

• Use a colon between numerals indicating hours and minutes in expressions of time.

• Example: Meet me at 8:00 p.m. We’ll send the message at 8:30.

LESSON 6

HYPHENS, DASHES, AND

PARENTHESES

• Hyphens, dashes, and parentheses help make your writing clear or setting off words or parts of words.

Hyphens• Use a hyphen if part of a word

must be carried over from one line to the next.

• The word must have at least two syllables to be broken.

Right: num- ber Wrong: co- de

• Separate the word between syllables.

Right: let-ter Wrong: lette-r

• You must leave at least two letters on each line.

• Right: twen-ty• Wrong: a-cross

LESSON 7APOSTROPHES

• Apostrophes are used in possessive nouns, contractions, and some plurals.

Apostrophes in Possessives

• Use an apostrophe to form the possessive of any noun, whether singular or plural.

• For a singular noun, add ’s even if the word ends in s.

• Becky’s bike • Louis’s alphabet

• For plural nouns that end in s, add only and apostrophe.

the girls’ code the peoples’ plan• For plural nouns that do not

end in s, add ’sthe children’s codethe people’s plan

Apostrophes in Contractions

• Use apostrophes in contractions.• In a contraction, words are joined

and letters are left out. An apostrophe replaces the letter or letters that are missing

Commonly Used contractions• I am I’m• she is she’s• cannot can’t

LESSON 8PUNCTUATING TITLES

Here’s the Idea

• Use quotations marks and italics correctly in titles to show what kind of work or selection you are writing about.

Quotation Marks

• Use quotation marks to set off the titles of short works.

• Quotation Marks for Titles• Book chapter “Dirk the Protector”

from My Life in Dog Years• Story “The Richer, the Poorer”

• Use italics for titles of longer works and for the names of ships, trains, spacecraft, and individual airplanes (not the type of plane). In handwriting use underline to indicate words that should be in italics in printed material.

• Book:A Tale of Two CitiesMagazine: Newsweek