Punctuation
A guide to excellent punctuation
usage
A crucial topic
• Punctuation Guide (Taken from UNSW Learning
Centre; but sections on the semi-colon, the comma
and ellipsis have been re-written / reworked.)
• Good punctuation is crucial for successful academic
writing. Many students use little punctuation in their
essays beyond commas and full stops. But to be
restricted to just two forms of punctuation mark, when
writing your essay, is like building a house using only a
hammer and a saw: you can do it; but not very well.
• By learning to use more, or all, of the available forms of
punctuation you will be able to communicate and
express your ideas, and arguments, more clearly.
The comma splice
• Further, if you follow the rules closely, you will learn how to
eliminate the most common writing error in English, the
comma splice. This is a bit of grammatical engineering
which is …
• e.g. I went to the shop, I wanted to buy an icecream.
Why is this wrong? Think about it.
Full stop ( . )
• Full stops have three distinct uses:
• 1. To mark the end of a sentence
– The cat is completely black.
• 2. To indicate abbreviated words a full stop indicates
an abbreviation, unless first and last letters of the word
are shown.
– The teacher will be Mr John Smith (B. Sci.).
•
• 3. To punctuate numbers and dates
– All assignments should be submitted by 6. 6. 04.
Different styles
• Some say that …
• If an abbreviation contains the first and last
letters of a word, you don’t need to use a full
stop at the end:
• Mr
• Ltd
• Dr
• Others prefer using full stops e.g. Mr. and Mrs.
This is a colon (:)
• Colon ( : )
• A colon can be used:
• 1. To indicate that a list, quotation or summary is about to follow;
– Buy these things: a packet of peanuts, two loaves of bread and a kilogram of
steak.
– Writing the assignment is not easy: to begin with you have to do a lot of
research.
• 2. To separate an initial sentence/clause from a second clause, list,
phrase or quotation that supports the first in a particular way.
– The television set, as the icon of the information age, represents the
realisation of a dream for humankind: that knowledge and experience
can be transmitted and shared across the boundaries of time and
space.
Semi-colons solve the comma splice
• Semi-colon ( ; )
• A semi-colon:
• Separates two complete sentences that are, however, closely
linked.
• I went to the shop; I wanted to buy an ice-cream.
• WHY USE A SEMI-COLON? BECAUSE IT IS TAKING THE PLACE OF A
CONJUNCTION!
• I went to the shop because I wanted to buy an ice-cream.
• “I went to the shop” and “I wanted to buy ice-cream” are both
complete sentences on their own. They both have finite verbs
(“went” and “wanted to buy”) so you can’t join them with a
commas You can only join them with a conjunction (“because”,
“and”, “since” etc.) OR a semi-colon, which can take the place of a
conjunction.
Get your head around this …
• Look at this example:
Don't go near the lions; they could bite you.
• Here we have two sentences that are complete in themselves
(“Don’t go near the lions” + “they could bite you”.) To link them, we
need a conjunction like “because” or a semi-colon. If you put a
comma between them, then you have used the dreadful comma
splice.
• The semicolon can be replaced by a full stop, but the direct link
between the two parts is then lost.
• Don’t go near the lions. They could bite you. = OK, BUT NO LINK
IS MADE. The semi-colon creates a link through the understanding
that it is replacing a conjunction like “because” or “as”.
The semi-colon also …
• Serves as a second level of punctuation in a
series of words or phrases which already have
commas making some internal divisions. e.g.
• We went to McDonald’s and ordered a burger
with fries, onion rings, cheese, bacon and
beetroot; lettuce, tomato and capsicum were
not considered. Here the semi-colon
separates two distinct lists.
Comma ,
• Commas have a vital role to play in longer
sentences, separating information into readable
units.
• 1. A single comma ensures correct reading of a
sentence which starts with a longish introductory
element.
– When Australia celebrated its sesquicentenary in
1938, there was a little of the confidence or
enthusiasm of the centennial celebrations of 1888.
Correct the punctuation in the following sentences. If
there are no mistakes, please leave the text as it is.
1. The newly appointed managing director had a moderately impressive CV! He was expected
to perform moderately well, nobody thought he would set the world on-fire. (3)
2. She used to eat the following foodstuffs with relish; tomatoes, cucumbers, steak, veal,
broccoli, capsicums, potatoes & curry. (2)
3. Non executive directors are essential to the success of company’s today because they have a
more detached and objective view than those at the centre of board, room politics. (3)
4. ‘Wait for me ’ said the managing director, walking to the lift, you should know not to press
the button without me I need to be in the meeting by 12; so why didn’t you wait. (5)
5. ‘It is true? That you can’t handle the pressure,’ asked the boss, looking at the spreadsheet in
his pudgy hands; it’s not true at all, I replied. ‘Give me a chance to prove myself @ least. (6)
6. Ronald likes to know how a presentation will go; Sandra doesn’t mind unpredictability. (1)
7. ‘Do you know what my financial guru told me,’ asked John. ‘He said, “Never let the other
party know what you are thinking. He paused; ‘Well, I’m starting to think hes right.’ (4)
8. ‘This is not the time to … ’ the secretary began as I ran past her desk with the posters. ‘John,
you get back here.’ (1)
TOTAL MARKS: 25
Answers to punctuation questions
1. The newly appointed managing director had a moderately impressive CV. He was expected
to perform moderately well. Nobody thought he would set the world on fire. (3)
2. She used to eat the following foodstuffs with relish: tomatoes, cucumbers, steak, veal,
broccoli, capsicums, potatoes and curry. (2)
3. Non-executive directors are essential to the success of companies today because they have a
more detached and objective view than those at the centre of boardroom politics. (3)
4. ‘Wait for me, ’ said the managing director, walking to the lift. ‘You should know not to press
the button without me. I need to be in the meeting by 12, so why didn’t you wait?’ (5)
5. ‘It is true that you can’t handle the pressure?’ asked the boss, looking at the spreadsheet in
his pudgy hands. ‘It’s not true at all,’ I replied. ‘Give me a chance to prove myself at least. (6)
6. Ronald likes to know how a presentation will go; Sandra doesn’t mind unpredictability. (1)
7. ‘Do you know what my financial guru told me?’ asked John. ‘He said, “Never let the other
party know what you are thinking. ” ’ He paused. ‘Well, I’m starting to think he’s right.’ (4)
8. ‘This is not the time to … ’ the secretary began as I ran past her desk with the posters. ‘John,
you get back here!’ (1)
TOTAL MARKS: 25