PUNCTUATION
MATTERS
WHY PUNCTUATION IS IMPORTANT
TO USE WHEN WE WRITE?
Punctuation is used in
writing to show the
reader when we would
normally pause or
emphasize a portion of
what we are saying by
changing the tone of
our voice when we
speak.
 Not using punctuation
in your writing would
be like speaking too
fast and running all
your words together;
no one would
understand what you
are saying.

PUNCTUATION MAKES ALL THE
DIFFERENCE IN A SENTENCE.
Donner Party or Dinner
Party
Party Animals or
Animal Rights
Pictures from VeryDemotivational.com
and WeKnowMemes.com
THE NO-EXCUSE 12:
COMMON PUNCTUATION ERRORS
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
Comma Splices (commas between independent or main
clauses)
Missing commas after set-off words or phrases
Missing non restrictive commas (commas setting off
nonessential elements)
Unnecessary commas between compound elements that are
not independent clauses
Unnecessary commas between subjects and verbs (often
after restrictive elements)
Unnecessary commas after although, and, but, and such as
Unnecessary colons between verbs and their complements
and between prepositions and their objects
It's or its' for its
Missing apostrophes in possessives (especially in possessives
referring to time, as in a good day's work and two weeks'
Unnecessary apostrophes in plural words
Semicolons between subordinate clauses and independent
clauses
Semicolons for colons
COMMAS
Are used to separate the structural elements of a
sentence.
 Use commas to separate independent clauses when
joined by a conjunction.
 Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that
describe the same noun.
 Use commas to show pauses in a sentence to prevent
confusion.
 Use commas to separate the main part of a sentence
from an inserted quotation.
 Use a comma after an introductory clause or phrase.

PERIODS
Periods are used to conclude any sentence that makes
a statement. They should be followed by a space
before beginning a new sentence.
•Periods are used at the end of command sentences.
•Ex.
Exit the building in an organized fashion if the fire alarm
sounds.
•Periods
should also be used at the end of indirect
questions.
•Ex.
I sometimes wonder why the sky is blue.
•Periods
should be used in abbreviations.
•Some acronyms use periods (U.S.A.) while others do
not (ATM). If one is unsure if periods should be used
in an acronym, a dictionary should be consulted.
Source:
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/period.htm
EXCLAMATION MARKS




The exclamation mark is rarely used in academic writing but
can be effective if used properly.
The exclamation mark should follow…
 extreme commands. Ex. Stop!
 interjections. Ex. Wow!
 emphasized words (but be contained by parentheses). Ex. I
had a really(!) good day today.
 mimetically produced sounds. Ex. My cat says meow! all
day long.
When a sentence ends with a title that includes an
exclamation mark, the exclamation mark should be italicized
and no period should be used. Ex. Yesterday I saw Oklahoma!
If a sentence concludes with a title and exclamation mark but
the exclamation mark is not part of the title then the mark
should not be italicized. Ex. Obviously, the best musical ever
is Les Miserables!
Source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/exclamation.htm
QUESTION MARKS

Question marks are used at the end of direct questions.


These marks should also be used with tag questions, or
statements that employ phrases to become questions.




Ex. What time does the movie start?
Ex. That was a great movie, wasn’t it?
Rhetorical questions should conclude with question marks
When a sentence ends with a title that includes a question mark,
the question mark should be italicized and no period should be
used. Ex. I love the movie What about Bob?
If a question concludes with a title that does not contain a
question mark then the mark should not be italicized. Ex. Do you
like the movie Seven?
Source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/question.htm
ELLIPSES

An ellipsis is a series
of three points with
spaces between them
(. . .)
Ellipsis are used to
indicate that
something has been
left out. They’re a
great way to trim
quotes so you only
have to deal with the
salient points.
Ex: Cat juggling is
wrong. You really
shouldn’t juggle cats.
That being said, I’m
OK with hamster
juggling.
The way to use Ellipses
in this situation:
Cat juggling is wrong. . .
. I’m OK with hamster
juggling.

DASH:
A dash is a mark of
separation stronger
than a comma, less
formal than a colon,
and more relaxed than
parentheses.
 Do not use dashes to
set apart material
when commas would
work best.

What does a dash look
like? (—)
 Example :
The only thing Tony
could do—if he could
do anything at all—
was to sit and wait for
the test results to
come in the mail.

PARENTHESIS
A
parenthesis is
used to clarify
meaning or to
insert supplement
al information.
 They normally
explain something
such as in the
example, the
explanation was
the “features”.
 The
new photo
copier has many
features (including
scanning options
and faxing
capabilities) that
will be most
beneficial to us in
this office.
BRACKETS
A
bracket is used
to clarify a point or
to insert additional
information inside
a quote.
 Sometimes they
are used to enclose
ellipses in a
quotation.
 Example:
“These
two nations
[Russia and
America] seem to
sway the destinies
of half the globe.”
 In the example it
clarifies which two
nations it is
referring to.
COLONS ARE USED…

to emphasize the second clause when joining two
independent clauses
ex: Road construction in Dallas has hindered travel
around town: parts of Main, Fifth, and West Street
are closed during the construction.
COLONS ARE USED…

To separate an independent clause from a list,
quotation, appositive, or an idea directly related to the
clause
ex: Julie went to the store for some groceries: milk, bread, coffee, and
cheese.
ex: I know the perfect job for her: a politician.
ex: In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln urges Americans to
rededicate themselves to the unfinished work of the deceased soldiers:
"It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work
which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”
COLONS ARE USED…

at the end of a business letter greeting
ex: To Whom It May Concern:

to separate the hours and minutes in
a time notation
ex: 11:30 a.m.
COLONS ARE USED…

to separate titles and subtitles
ex: Richard Nixon: The Tarnished President

to separate the chapter and verse in a
Biblical reference
ex: Matthew 1:6

to reference a law
ex: According to Minnesota statute 1:49:002, it is
unlawful to feed licorice or peanut butter to goats.
SEMICOLONS ARE USED…

to link two independent clauses without connecting
words
ex: I am going home; I intend to stay there.
ex: It rained heavily during the afternoon; we
managed to have our picnic anyway.
ex: They couldn't make it to the summit and back
before dark; they decided to camp for the night.
SEMICOLONS ARE USED…

to join two independent clauses together with a
conjunctive adverb
ex: I am
going home;
moreover,
I intend
to stay
The
more
complex
the
clauses,
there.
the
better
it
is
to
use
a
ex: It rained heavily during the afternoon; however,
semicolon.
we managed to have our picnic anyway.
Other conjuctive adverbs: therefore, consequently,
otherwise, nevertheless, thus
SEMICOLONS ARE USED…

to separate elements in a list when the elements
already contain commas
ex: Recent sites of the Olympic Games include
Athens, Greece; Salt Lake City, Utah; Sydney,
Australia; Nagano, Japan.
TIPS ON COLONS AND SEMICOLONS



Try not to overuse them; too many will make a writer
seem less capable, even if they are all used correctly.
They are especially useful when the independent
clauses are closely related, as they can help
emphasize the relationship.
Use the colon, rather than the semicolon, when you
want more emphasis on the second independent
clause. Clauses separated by a semicolon do not
have different levels of importance.
WORKS CITED
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Brizee, Allen and Dana Driscoll. “Commas vs. Semicolons in Compound
Sentences.” Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 18 Apr. 2011. Web. 9
Mar. 2012.
Driscoll, Dana Lynn and Morgan Sousa. “Brief Overview of Punctuation.”
Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 18 Apr. 2011. Web. 9 Mar. 2012.
Westphal, Donella. “Colon Rules.” LEO: Literacy Education Online. The
Write Place, 23 Aug. 2000. Web. 9 Mar. 2012.
Periods. http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/period.htm
Exclamation Point.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/exclamation.htm
Question Marks.
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/question.htm
Common Punctuation Errors. http://www.wilbers.com/punct12.htm
WORK CITED: CONTINUED
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Punctuation. Purdue Online Writing Lab. April 18, 2011. February
29, 2012. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/6/
Commas. Purdue Online Writing Lab. April 17, 2010. February 27,
2012. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/1/
Pictures found on Google and located on TrashLands.com,
VeryDemotivational.com, and WeKnowMemes.com
Todd, Heather R. "How to Use Parentheses." Ezine Articles. 25 9
2011: n. page. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. <http://ezinearticles.com/?How-toUse-Parentheses&id=6584215>.
Grace, Fleming. "Using Brackets in Writing." About.com. n.d. n. page.
Web. 20 Mar. 2012.
<http://homeworktips.about.com/od/writingrules/qt/brackets.htm>.
Maeve, Maddox. "When and How to Use Brackets."DailyWritingTips.
23 6 2009: n. page. Web. 20 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.dailywritingtips.com/when-and-how-to-use-brackets/>.