Punctuation Summary
Punctuation
Punctuation Diagnostic Quiz: a tool to help you identify specific points that need review |
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Apostrophes: marking contractions and possessive nouns (Int.–Adv. ESL, Native Spkrs)
Also see Possessive Nouns (practices) |
My friend's computer My parents' computer
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Bullet lists: punctuating items in vertical lists
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Job applicants will need to have:
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Capitalization: using uppercase and lowercase letters (Beg.–Adv. ESL, Native Spkrs)
Also see Hyphens – capitalization in headings |
capital / lowercase |
He took an Aspirin and lay down. (Trademark Bayer AG) |
Colons: explaining or illustrating (Beg.–Adv. ESL, Native Spkrs)
Also see Hyphens – capitalization in headings |
He always took the same taxi: a yellow cab with Internet access. |
Comma Uses: separating and setting off elements in a sentence (Beg.–Adv. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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Because a flock of sheep needs protection, the shepherd guards them. The shepherd guards the flock of sheep because they need protection. |
Comma Series: punctuating elements in a series (Int. ESL, Native Spkrs)
See commas in clauses at bottom of this page. |
He drinks pops and punches. (verb, noun, noun) |
Dashes (Em dash): setting elements off from the rest of the sentence (Int. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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Edward Lee — father, actor, businessman, and mayor — is running for office again.
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For Example / That is to say: adding examples or clarification (Int. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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Calcium is in green leafy vegetables, for example, broccoli, kales, arugula, and spinach. There is calcium in vegetables such as broccoli, kales, arugula, and spinach. Cruciferous vegetables (i.e., Brassicaceae) have flowers shaped like a cross.
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Italics: including titles of major works, and other terms in your writing (Int. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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The opera Rigoletto was written by Giuseppe Verdi. Pablo Picasso's most famous proto-Cubist works are Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907) and Guernica (1937) The best known video game, Mario Bros., features two plumbers. Leprosy was caused by Mycobacterium leprae. |
Periods: marking sentence ends, abbreviations and decimals (Beg.–Adv. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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The UA flight will arrive at LAX on Sat., Sept. 21, at 6:00 p.m. PST.
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Quotation Marks: marking quoted speech, titles of minor works and terms (Beg.–Int. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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He said, "Time is money." Jim Dale performs eleven different voices for characters in "Lord Voldemort's Request" in the audiobook recording of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
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Semicolons: punctuating joined phrases (Beg.–Int. ESL, Native Spkrs)
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The sandwich choices include tomato, bacon and lettuce; cheese, ham and lettuce; peanut butter and jelly. He didn't want help; he didn't ask for it. (nor) We needed to have a security report; otherwise, we wouldn't go. The inner city has small narrow streets; for example, two cars cannot pass on a street in the old town. |
Related Practices
"So" Phrases: expressing purpose, cause-effect, or result (Int.– Adv. ESL, Native Spkr.)
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The baby reached up so that he could get some candy.
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FANBOYS: joining independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions (Beg. – Adv. ESL, Native Spkr.)
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She danced and waved a fan. (conjunction) She danced, and he played the flute. (coordinating conjunction)
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Because/Though: expected and unexpected outcomes (Int. – Adv. ESL, Native Spkr.)
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He wore his winter pants because it was snowing. He was biking in his shorts though it was snowing. |
When/While: joining clauses with same-time activity (Int. ESL, Native Spkr.)
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When you called, he picked up his cell phone. |
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Indeed / Even: emphasizing unexpected or extraordinary details
Located in Adverb Summary |
His work is indeed more amazing than before |
Real Conditionals - Present & Future: cause-effect facts and predictions
Located in Conditionals |
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If there are no bees, flowers will not be pollinated. (future) |
That / Which: identifying "which noun" with a modifying clause
Located in Adjective Clauses |
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The water that I drank last night contained sodium. The Evian water, which I drank last night, contained sodium. |
Some or All: using restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses
Located in Adjective Clauses |
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The bioscientist who creates green energy will make a profit. The bioscientist, who creates green energy, will make a profit. |
Which Clauses: modifying an entire clause
Located in Adjective Clauses |
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He deleted the picture that upset me. (The picture upset me.) He deleted the picture, which upset me. (The action upset me.) |
Moved to Sentence Structure
Subject—Predicate: identifying basic elements in a sentence |
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Clauses: recognizing complete versus incomplete sentences |
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Complete Thought: including a topic and controlling idea |
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Run-on Sentences: punctuating simple and complex sentences |
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