Punctuation

What are all of those little symbols called and when do you use them?

Comma ,

Commas are a somewhat picky point, but mistakes with them do stand out more in written language than spoken (when you often pause naturally). There are some rules for commas. Don’t worry, we do not have as many strict rules as in some languages. Generally they are used to make your writing clear. Reading your sentences aloud is a very good way to find the natural place for commas. It is also important to check that your sentences make sense. Leaving out a comma can often allow phrases or clauses to crash into one another, which makes the sentence confusing for the reader.

• Use a comma to separate two independent clauses connected by and, but, or, nor, for.
  • "Your English is very good, but you are having some problems with commas."
  • If the independent clauses are short, you may leave out the comma. "Her English was good but her French bad."
• Use a comma to separate elements in a list or series; the comma is a substitute for and.
  • "For the lesson you will need your grammar book, something to write with, and a good sense of humor."
• Use a comma to separate introductory phrases and clauses from the independent clause, especially if the phrase or clause is long.
  • "After reading this explanation, you will understand how to use commas much better."
• Again, if the introductory phrase is short, you may leave out the comma.
  • "When I finish this I will take a break."
• If the introductory phrase is a gerund, participial, or infinitive phrase, use a comma even if the phrase is short. Otherwise the reader may be confused.
• "When she began to eat, a worm came out of the apple." NOT: "When she began to eat a worm came out of the apple."
• "Before leaving, Lynnea said good-bye." NOT: "Before leaving Lynnea said good-bye."
• In a series of adjectives, use a comma if the adjectives could also be separated by and. To test this, try reading the sentence out loud. If you make a slight pause between adjectives, use commas. If you do not, leave them out. Another way to test this is to see if you can change the order of the adjectives. If you can, use commas.
  • "The beautiful, intelligent trainer was well liked by her students."
• "The intelligent, beautiful trainer was well liked by her students."
• "The intelligent and beautiful trainer was well liked by his students."
• "The expensive business suit was well cut." NOT: "The business expensive suit was well cut."
• Use commas to set off clauses, but don’t use commas for defining clauses. (A defining clause is one that cannot be left out of the sentence. It often defines which part of a larger group we are talking about. Clauses that do not define can be taken out of the sentence without changing the meaning.)
  • "Participants who do their homework will learn quickly." ("who do their homework" defines which participants we mean.)
• "Native speakers, who have English as their mother tongue, don’t need to attend our workshops." ("Who have English as their mother tongue" refers to all native speakers and can be removed from the sentence without changing the meaning.)
• Words or phrases that interrupt a sentence should be set off by commas.
  • "Hello, I don’t believe we’ve met."
• "On the other hand, I could be mistaken."
• "Excuse me", she said, before interrupting.
• Use commas to set of an appositive (a noun or pronoun that explains the noun that precedes it).
  • "Axel, my husband, will arrive soon."

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Semicolon ;

Try not to overuse semicolons. There are basically two rules for when to use semicolons:

• Use a semicolon to link two independent clauses (basically complete sentences in themselves).
  • e.g. "To speak English well, you must learn some grammar; these rules are the building blocks of the language."
  • Note that the two clauses are connected in thought. So closely connected that you could use a comma and a conjunction instead.
    • e.g. "To speak English well, you must learn some grammar, since these rules are the building blocks of the language."
• Use a semicolon to separate elements in a list if they are long or have commas in them already.
  • E.g. "To get ready for a presentation, you should prepare what you would like to say; make sure that any visual aids are set up properly; and try to relax."

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Colon :

A colon is used to introduce or call attention to what follows.

What follows can be:

• A list
  • e.g. We will concentrate on the five main tenses: the Present Simple, Past Simple, Future Simple, Present Progressive and Present Perfect.
• An explanation or summary
  • e.g. Of all the differences between speakers of English as a foreign language , the characteristic which makes certain individuals stand out as excellent is a freedom to communicate: a lack of fear of making a fool of themselves.
• A quotation
  • (If a full sentence is quoted after a colon it should start with a capital.)
  • E.g. The trainer repeated her explanation: " In English we use five tenses more than ninety percent of the time."
• A second main clause when it explains or amplifies the first main clause
  • e.g. Native English speakers don’t think of small talk as a task : it is a way of life.
• Sometimes another sentence is introduced by a colon. In this case the first letter should be capitalized.
  • E.g. The seminar was fun and effective: In three days I never stopped smiling and learnt more than I had thought possible.

A special use of the colon is after the salutation in a letter. (Please remember that in English, we then capitalize the first letter of the text.) E.g.

Dear Ms. Mahlke:

Thank you for ...

You can also use a comma, e.g.

Dear Ms. Mahlke,

Thank you for ...

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Period .

• Use a period to mark the end of a sentence.
• Use a period with some abbreviations.
  • E.g. Ms., Mr., a.m., A.D., etc.

When an abbreviation ending in a period is the last word in a sentence do not use two periods. E.g. Last year he went to the U.S.A.

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Question mark ?

• Use the question mark after direct questions.
  • E.g. "Do you understand the rules of punctuation?
  • She asked, "Do you understand the rules of punctuation?"
• Do not use question marks with indirect questions.
  • E.g. She asked if I understood the rules of punctuation.

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Exclamation point !

• Use an exclamation point to show strong emotions - surprise, disbelief, etc.
  • e.g. Wow! That’s amazing! Look at that man! He’s about to fall!
• A comma or period is not needed directly after an exclamation point.

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Dash --

A dash marks a break in thought. It can also be used to set something apart for emphasis or clarity. Some people use dashes and others don’t. Most of the time you can use a comma or parenthesis instead, so it is your choice.

Apostrophe ‘

• The apostrophe is used to show ownership.
  • E.g. Lynnea’s information, Mr. Smith’s letter, etc.
• The only tricky part with apostrophes is when the noun ends with -s.
  • This happens, for example, with plural nouns. If the plural ends in -s, just add an apostrophe.
    • E.g. My colleagues’ books
    • (If the plural noun does not end in an -s, it’s easy. Just add an apostrophe and -s. E.g. the men’s gathering)
  • If the word is a proper noun that ends in -s, add an apostrophe and an -s.
    • e.g. Chris’s question

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Hyphen -

• Hyphens are used to link two or more words together that function as a single word, but they shouldn’t be overused. The best strategy is to consult a good dictionary. If you can’t find the word in it, it is most likely written as separate words.
• However, there is a rule that might help you:
  • If two words form an adjective that comes before a noun, use a hyphen.
  • E.g. well-known businessman (compare: The business man is well known.)
• Hyphens are also used when writing compound numbers (twenty-one through ninety-nine).Return to the top of the page

Parenthesis ( ) In British English they are called brackets.

• Use parenthesis to enclose extra material (explanations, asides, etc.) that would otherwise interrupt the flow of the sentence.
• Put a period inside the parenthesis if a complete sentence is there.

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