ENTRANCE TRICKS PRIVATE SCHOOL Punctuation marks ENGLISH

Punctuation:
There are 14 punctuation marks that are commonly used in English grammar. They are
the full stop, question mark, exclamation mark, comma, semicolon, colon, dash, hyphen,
square brackets, braces, brackets, apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipsis. Following
their correct usage will make your writing easier to read and more appealing.

1. The full stop (.) is placed at the end of declarative sentences, statements thought to
be complete and after many abbreviations.
 As a sentence ender: Jane and Jack went to the market.
 After an abbreviation: Her son, John Jones Jr., was born on Dec. 6, 2008.

2. The question mark (?) is used to indicate a direct question when placed at the end of
a sentence.
 When did Jane leave for the market?

3. The exclamation mark (!) is used when a person wants to express a sudden outcry or
add emphasis.
 Within dialogue: "Holy cow!" screamed Jane.
 To emphasise a point: My mother-in-law's rants make me furious!

3. The comma is used to show a separation of ideas or elements within the structure of
a sentence. Additionally, it is used in numbers, dates, and letter writing after the
salutation and closing.
 Direct address: Thanks for all your help, John.
 Separation of two complete sentences: We went to the movies, and then we went out
to lunch.
 Separating lists or elements within sentences: Suzi wanted the black, green, and blue
dress.

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Whether to add a final comma before the conjunction in a list is a matter of debate. This
final comma, known as an Oxford or serial comma, is useful in a complex series of
elements or phrases but is often considered unnecessary in a simple series such as in
the example above. It usually comes down to a style choice by the writer.

The comma is often misused and over-used. Let’s look at its many functions:
- It separates items in a list of three or more.
The recipe includes flour, milk, eggs, oil and baking powder.
It is an American writing convention to put a comma before the and introducing
the last item in the list. You only need to do this to avoid confusion.
My favorite breakfasts are yoghurt and muesli, oats, flapjacks and syrup, and
bacon and eggs.
- It is used before certain conjunctions such as but, yet, nor, for, or and so (note:
not after). Do not use it before the word because.
That was his suspicion, but It seemed to be incorrect.
- It separates introductory elements in a sentence. If the introductory element is
short, it can be omitted, but if it’s longer than three words, a comma is
recommended.
As the day drew to a close, the workers commuted home.
At night the workers commuted home.
- Commas can be used to indicate parenthesis by being inserted before and after
the parenthetical statement (also called an aside):
Jonathan Davino, called Jonnie-Boy by the others, was the last to arrive.
- They separate direct speech or quotations from the rest of the sentence.
“Oh no, “ he said, “I failed my driving test again!”
- Note that if the direct speech is already separated from the rest of the sentence
by a punctuation mark, it’s not necessary to use a comma, for example:
“Come here quickly!” shouted mom.
- Commas are used to separate contrasting elements in a sentence:
It’s spicy, not hot.
- They are used to separate adjectives in a list:
He was tall, skinny, pale and German.

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4. The semicolon (;) is used to connect independent clauses. It shows a closer

relationship between the clauses than a full stop would show.
John was hurt; he knew she only said it to upset him.
The semicolon has two main uses:
- It separates two related, but independent clauses. If your clauses are very
complex, rather use a full stop.
Once clean water was plentiful; now it is a scare resource.
- It separates a complex list of items, especially containing commas.
I visited Phoenix, Arizona; Los Angeles, California; Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte,
North Carolina on my trip.

5. A colon (:) has three main uses.

 The first is after a word introducing, a quotation, an explanation, an example, or
a series.
He was planning to study four subjects: politics, philosophy, sociology, and
economics.
 The second is between independent clauses when the second explains the first,
similar to a semicolon:
I didn't have time to get changed: I was already late.
 The third use of a colon is for emphasis:
There was one thing she loved more than any other: her dog.
A colon also has non-grammatical uses in time, ratio, business correspondence
and references.

The colon has many uses:

- It introduces a list. Be careful to use it only after a word that typically introduces
a list, for example the following. Also only use it after a noun.
I was given the following suggestions: to call the manager, to visit the office, or to
write a letter.

- A colon also introduces an idea:

We were left with only one option: to abandon the ship. There is something you
should know about the chops: they’re burnt.

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- It is used after a clause that introduces quoted material:

I was reminded of the words of the apostle Paul: ‘For to me, to live is Christ.’
- It can also be used to emphasis an idea. Compare the following examples:
The one thing he can’t go without is coffee.
Vs.
There is one thing he can’t go without: coffee.

6. A dash is used to separate words into statements. There are two common types of
dashes:
 En dash: Twice as long as a hyphen, the En dash is a symbol (--) that is used in writing
or printing to indicate a range, connections or differentiations, such as 1880-1945 or
PrincetonNew York trains.
 Em dash: Longer than the En dash, the Em dash can be used in place of a comma,
parenthesis, or colon to enhance readability or emphasize the conclusion of a sentence.
She gave him her answer --- No!
Whether you put spaces around the em dash or not is a style choice. Just be consistent.

7. A hyphen is used to join two or more words together into a compound term
and is not separated by spaces.
part-time, back-to-back, well-known.
The hyphen is used to divide or to compound words, word elements, or numbers.
- Use it with all words containing the word self, such as:
Self-expression, self-confidence, self-assured, self-denial, etc.
- Use it in adjectives that have been formed by combining two or more words:
Old-fashioned shop, out-of-reach shelf, self-detonating bomb, etc.
- The hyphen is used in nouns that consist of a verb and a preposition, such as:
Hold-up, washing-up, telling-off.
- Be careful when splitting words across two lines. The rules that govern where a
word should be split are very complex and there is a tendency to move away from
this kind of hyphenation. If you’re using a word processor, it should avoid it for
you.

8. Square brackets are the squared off notations ([]) used for technical explanations or

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to clarify
meaning. If you remove the information in the brackets, the sentence will still make
sense.
He [Mr. Jones] was the last person seen at the house.

9. Braces ({}) are used to contain two or more lines of text or listed items to show that
they are considered as a unit. They are not common in most writing but can be seen in
computer programming to show what should be contained within the same lines. They
can also be used in mathematical expressions.
2{1+[23-3]}=x.

10 Brackets ( () ) are curved notations used to contain further thoughts or qualifying

remarks. However, brackets can be replaced by commas without changing the meaning
in most cases.
John and Jane (who were actually half brother and sister) both have red hair.

11. An apostrophe (') is used to indicate the omission of a letter or letters from a word,
the possessive case, or the plurals of lowercase letters. Examples of the apostrophe in
use include:
 Omission of letters from a word: I've seen that movie several times. She wasn't the
only one who knew the answer.

 Possessive case: Sara's dog bit the neighbour.

 Plural for lowercase letters: Six people were told to mind their p's and q's.
It should be noted that, according to Purdue University, some teachers and editors
enlarge the scope of the use of apostrophes, and prefer their use on symbols (&'s),
numbers (7's) and capitalized letters (Q&A's), even though they are not necessary.

The apostrophe is used to form contractions. It indicates that a letter or letters

have been omitted:

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It’s , they’ve, we’re, can’t, won’t etc.

Do not use contractions in academic writing, however, unless it’s in a direct
speech quotation. In academic writing it is expected that one write out the full
words.
- The apostrophe is used to indicate possession. If the noun is singular, you just
add an ‘s:
Baker’s theory, grandpa’s pipe, Sarah’s dress, the policeman’s gun.
If the noun is plural and ends with an s already, simply add the apostrophe after
the s.
My brothers’ toys, the managers’ lounge.
If the noun is singular and ends in an s, there is some debate as to which form to
use. Some prefer ‘s, whereas s’ is also acceptable:
Jesus’ disciples vs. Jesus’s disciples.

12. Quotations marks (" ") are a pair of punctuation marks used primarily to mark the
beginning and end of a passage attributed to another and repeated word for word. They
are also used to indicate meanings and to indicate the unusual or dubious status of a
word.
"Don't go outside", she said.
Single quotation marks (' ') are used most frequently for quotes within quotes.
Marie told the teacher, "I saw Marc at the playground, and he said to me 'Bill started the
fight,' and I believed him".
You may have seen both single and double quotation marks being
used in a quote. When should you use which?
- The single quotation marks are a British writing convention. With this
kind, the punctuation will go outside the quotation marks. The
examples have been enlarged so that you can see clearly:
According to Halliday (1994), ‘Register consists of field, tenor and mode’.
- According to American writing standards, double quotation marks are
used
According to Halliday (1994), “Register consists of field, tenor and mode.”

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In South Africa, and even in Britain, both kinds can be used and it is
up to the writer to decide which style he prefers. What is important is
consistency, so if you choose one, stick to it. Note, however, that if
you do choose the British convention, and there is a quote within a
quote, double quotation marks will be used outside and single inside.- Quotation
marks can also be used to indicate titles of books, songs,
poems etc. Titles can alternatively be indicated by italicising them.
Once again, if you choose single inverted commas, the punctuation
will go outside:
‘The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena’, one of Joubert’s best-sellers, was
Mandela’s favourite.
Alternatively:
“The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena,” on of Joubert’s best-sellers, was
Mandela’s favourite.

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