Punctuation
What Are Punctuation Marks and
Why Are They Important?
• Punctuation marks are symbols that are used
to structure and organize writing to help
emphasize a certain tone of voice or meaning.
• Without punctuation marks, it would be
difficult to understand what one person is
trying to say. The meaning would be
misinterpreted
Punctuation Marks Include:
•
•
•
•
•
Apostrophes
Capitalization
Colons and semicolons
Commas
Exclamation points
• Hyphens
• Parentheses and
brackets
• Question marks
• Quotation marks
Most Common Punctuation Mistakes
• Comma Splices
– Two sentences joined only with a comma when a
semi-colon would be best fit instead
• Ex: It’s hot today, the beach sounds fun.
• Misuse of Apostrophes
– Using apostrophes at the wrong time or displaying the
improper meaning
• Ex: Its his turn!
• Ex: I like his’ smile.
• Misuse of Quotation Punctuation
– Putting the ending punctuation mark after the ending
quotation mark or not using the proper punctuation
mark before beginning a quote
• Ex: He said “I miss you”.
• Ex: He said, “I miss you”.
Commas
Commas are one of the most important parts of punctuation.
A comma makes sure that…
• There is no confusion on your sentence
• The point or meaning of the sentence is emphasized
• Most importantly, that the blocks of thought and logical groupings are
organized and understandable
Having a sentence with no commas can be very confusing, hard
to read and understand, and can even change the meaning
of a sentence.
Semicolons
Semicolons help you connect closely
related ideas when a mark stronger
than a comma is needed.
When should you use a semi colon?
• A semicolon is most commonly used to link (in a single
sentence) two independent clauses that are closely
related in thought.
• Use a semicolon between two independent clauses
that are connected by conjunctive adverbs or
transitional phrases.
• Use a semicolon between independent clauses joined
by a coordinating conjunction if the clauses are already
punctuated with commas or if the clauses are lengthy.
• Use a semicolon between items in a list or series if any
of the items contain commas.
Examples of Semicolons
• "Happiness isn't something you experience;
it's something you remember."
(Oscar Levant)
• "With educated people, I suppose,
punctuation is a matter of rule; with me it is a
matter of feeling. But I must say I have a great
respect for the semi-colon; it's a useful little
chap."
(Abraham Lincoln)
Colons
Colons are used to mark a major division in a
sentence, to indicate that what follows is an
elaboration, summation, implication, etc., of
what precedes.
When should you use a colon?
• Use a colon to signal the reader that a series of
words, phrases, or clauses follows a complete
sentence.
• Use a colon to signal the reader that a second
complete sentence explains a closely related
preceding sentence.
• Use a colon to signal the reader that a name or
description follows a complete sentence when
you want to put a lot of emphasis on that item.
• Use a colon to introduce a long quotation after a
complete sentence.
Examples of Colons
• "There are three choices in this life: be good,
get good, or give up."
(Dr. House, House, M.D.)
• "The four most beautiful words in our
common language: I told you so."
(Gore Vidal)
Quotation Marks
• Quotation marks are used to indicate your reader that
you are borrowing “quoted” words from someone else
and that they are not coming from you
• They are important because indicate exactly which
words or sentences are being borrowed
Example: According to the textbook New Dimensions on Women’s
Health, “for women between the ages of 15 and 24, accidents, assault,
and suicide are the three top causes of death.” (48)
The quotation marks show exactly where the information is
no longer coming from the writer's ideas or own words.
Quotation marks are important when it comes to avoiding
plagiarism.
Quotation marks are also used to..
• To indicate that a word is “special” or that it does not
actually mean what it pretends to mean
Example: Women achieved “equality” when they
were granted the right to vote in 1920.
When women were granted the right to vote, they had
somehow achieved equality, although women still faced
discrimination. The quotation marks surrounding the
word equality indicate that the word is special
somehow.
• To show dialogue
Example: When I arrived home, my mom yelled,
“Where is your jacket?”
The quotation marks indicate whom exactly is talking
and what is being stated.
Quotation Punctuation
• When using quotation marks, ending
punctuation marks should be within the
quotation marks.
– Ex: “Jane was never fond of watching baseball.”
– Ex: “Are you listening?”
• Depending on the content of the sentence,
commas should either be used before or within
the quotation mark.
– Ex: He said, “I told you so.”
– Ex: “My mother,” said Mary, “was always supportive
of my dreams.”
Apostrophes
Apostrophes are used mainly to show
possession, whether singular or plural, and to
fill in omitted letters in contractions.
Special Rules When Using
Apostrophes to Show Possession
• Add ’s to the singular form of the word (even if it
ends in –s)
– Ex: James’s hat
• Add ’s to the plural forms that do not end in –s
– Ex: the mice’s tails
• Add ’ to the end of plural nouns that end in –s
– Ex: her parents’ house
• Add ’s to the last noun to show joint possession
of an object
– Ex: Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor
Works Cited
"Colon." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/colon>.
“Commas." Google images. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.
Fogarty, Mignon. "Single Quotation Marks Versus Double Quotation Marks." Grammar
Girl. 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.
<http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/single-quotes-versus-double-quotes.aspx>.
"LEO: Colon Rules." Welcome to LEO: Literacy Education Online. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.
<http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/punct/colon.html>.
“Punctuation." Google images. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
"Punctuating Dialogue." Most Common Punctuation Mistakes. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.
<http://webs.ashlandctc.org/jnapora/WritersWeb/most_common_mistakes.htm>.
"Purdue OWL: The Apostrophe." Purdue Online Writing Lab. Web. 11 Mar. 2012.
<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/621/01/>.
"Semicolon." About.com Grammar & Composition. Web. 13 Mar. 2012.
<http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/semicolonterm.htm>.
"The Comma, The Colon." Punctuation:. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.edufind.com/english/punctuation/comma.ph>.
"Using Semicolons." Grammar and Punctuation. Web. 12 Mar. 2012.
<http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/Semicolons.html>.