BASIC PUNCTUATION RULES

Muhammad Aqib
 Introduction to
Punctuation
■ Punctuation can make an enormous
difference in the meaning of whatever it is,
you’re writing.
■ eats shoots and leaves Let’s eat,
Grandma! Woman, without her man, is
nothing.
■ eats, shoots, and leaves Let’s eat
Grandma! Woman! Without her, man is
nothing.
 Introduction to
Punctuation
■ Punctuation, according to the Merriam-
Webster Dictionary, is:
■ “The act or practice of inserting
standardized marks or signs in
written matter to clarify the meaning
and separate structural units.”
■ ! () ; : ‘ “”, . / ? -
 Commas
■ Commas indicate a separation of ideas or
elements within the structure of a
sentence.

■ Commas are used to separate three or

more words, phrases, or clauses (sentence
parts) in a series.

■ The entree includes chips, salsa, and a

beverage.
 Commas

■ Commas are used after an introductory

dependent clause (a group of words before
the subject of a sentence that do not form
a complete sentence).

■ Since we would be returning late

anyway, we stayed to watch the sunset.
 Commas

■ Commas indicate that introductory words

and phrases moved from the end of the
sentence.

■ In the light of day, everything looked

different.
 Commas

■ Commas are used between independent

clauses (complete sentences) joined by a
coordinating conjunction: for, and, nor,
but, or, yet, so.

■ My family went to see the Horse Race, but

I stayed home with the flu.
 Commas

■ Commas set off nonessential phrases or

clauses (phrases that can be removed without
changing the sentence’s overall meaning) or
appositives (words or phrases that rename a
noun).

■ My cousin, who recently joined the mafia,

said it would be best if I skipped town for
awhile.
 Commas
■ Commas separate paired adjectives that
describe a noun. You need a comma
between adjectives that could go in any
order—they’re not cumulative and could
be separated by the word “and.” Do not
use a comma between adjectives that
need to be in a particular order.

■ They serve cheap delicious meat.

■ They serve cheap, delicious meat.
 Quotation Marks
■ Quotation marks show the beginning and end
of a quotation or title of a short work. When
citing, the quotation, punctuation rules
change;
■ Quotation marks enclose the exact words of a
person.

■ Sia said, “I’m gonna swing from the

chandelier.”
■ Do not use quotation marks around a
paraphrase or summary.
■ Sia said she intended to pendulate from a
chandelier.
 Quotation Marks

■ Quotation marks set off the titles of

smaller works within larger works. This can
vary between different citation styles.

■ “Short Story” Book of Stories “Chapter”

Book “Poem” Book of Poetry “Episode”
Series “Article” Magazine/Journal “Song”
Album
 Quotation Marks
■ Place periods and commas inside
quotation marks.

■ Place semicolons and colons outside

quotation marks.

■ I recommend “the works”: it comes with

fried meat!
 Quotation Marks
■ Place question marks or exclamation points inside
the quotation marks if they punctuate the
quotation only.

■ Captain said, “Don’t you think it’s time we

started letting women be pirates, too?”
 Parentheses
■ Parentheses set off elements within a sentence that
are related to the sentence but nonessential.
■ Parentheses set off additions or expressions that
are not necessary to the sentence. They tend to
de-emphasize what they set off. They are often
seen as less academic in tone.

■ We visited several European countries (England,

France, Spain) on our trip last year.
 Parentheses
■ Parentheses can enclose figures in a sentence.

■ Grades will be based on (1) participation, (2) in-

class writing, and (3) exams.
 Parentheses
■ When the group inside the parentheses forms a
complete sentence but is inserted inside a larger
sentence, no period is needed. However, if a
question mark or exclamation point is needed, it
should be included.

■ The snow (do you remember what snow feels

like?) was falling heavily.
 Parentheses
■ When parentheses are used to enclose an
independent sentence, the end punctuation
belongs inside the parentheses.

■ I’m not looking forward to presenting to the class

on Monday. (My childhood stage fright has
never really left me.) I hope I can get it over with
quickly.
 Apostrophes
■ Apostrophes show possession and also indicate
where a letter has been omitted to form a
contraction.
■ To show possession, add an apostrophe and an s to
singular nouns or indefinite pronouns that end in
one or body.

■ Jenny’s book anyone’s guess somebody’s laptop

the waltz’s tempo
 Apostrophes
■ Add only an apostrophe for plural possessive nouns
ending in s.
■ Remember that the apostrophe placement depends
on whether there is more than one noun: student’s
books (one student), students’ books (more than
one student).

■ my parents’ car the musicians’ instruments

 Apostrophes
■ Do not use an apostrophe with possessive personal
pronouns.
■ yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, whose, its
■ Apostrophes are also used in contractions (two
words which have been combined into one) to
mark where the missing letter or letters would be.
■ I am= I’m Cannot= Can’t
■ I have= I’ve Let us= let’s
 Hyphens
■ Hyphens are used to form compound words or join
word units. They are also used to join prefixes,
suffixes, and letters to words.
■ Use hyphens with compound numbers from twenty-
one to ninety-nine and with fractions used as
modifiers (adjectives).
■ forty-two students three thousand five hundred
and sixty-seven students two-thirds majority
(vs. “two thirds of the voters”)
 Hyphens
■ Use hyphens in a compound adjective only when it
comes before the word it modifies.

■ a well-liked author an author who is well liked a

world-renowned composer a composer who is
world renowned
 Hyphens
■ Use a hyphen with the prefixes ex-, self-, and all-;
with the suffix elect-; and with all prefixes before a
proper noun or proper adjective.

■ all-star ex-mayor pro-choice self-image non-

European senator-elect
 Hyphens
■ Use a hyphen with compound phrases.
■ Note: When describing ages, phrases that function
as adjectives will use hyphens, while numbers as
adjectives will not use hyphens.

■ the nine-year-old boy he is nine years old sister-

in-law all-or-nothing up-to-date soon-to-be
 Hyphens
■ Also, note how hyphens can change meaning, and
use them accordingly.

■ a hot-water bottle (a bottle for holding hot water)

a hot water bottle (a bottle of water that is hot) to
re-press a shirt (to iron again) to repress bad
memories (to keep at bay)
 Colons
■ Colons follow independent clauses and call attention to
the information that comes after.

■ Colons come after the independent clause (complete

sentence) and before the word, phrase, sentence,
quotation, or list they are introducing.

■ Lately, I have had only one thing on my mind:

graduation.
■ Lately, I have had one thing on my mind: graduating
from college.
■ Lately, I have had only one thing on my mind: I can’t
wait to graduate.
■ Lately, I have had several things on my mind: papers,
grades, and finals.
 Colons
■ Never use a colon after a verb that directly
introduces a list.

■ The things on my mind are: papers, grades, and

finals. ❌
■ The things on my mind are the following: papers,
grades, and finals. ✓
■ The things on my mind are papers, grades, and
finals. ✓
 Dashes
■ Dashes—often confused with hyphens—connect groups of
words to other groups of words to emphasize a point.
■ Usually, the dash separates words in the middle or at the
end of a sentence.

■ At the end of a sentence, a dash separates information

from the rest of the sentence.

■ I knew the material perfectly—until test day. We went to

Slauson Park—the one north of Fifth Street.
 Dashes
■ Our ideas for the weekend, going to a movie,
having a picnic, doing homework, and hiking
Garcia Trail, seemed like a lot to squeeze in. ❌

■ Our ideas for the weekend—going to a movie,

having a picnic, doing homework, and hiking
Garcia Trail—seemed like a lot to squeeze in. ✓
 Semicolons
■ Semicolons separate clauses or phrases that are
related and that receive equal emphasis.

■ Semicolons join two independent clauses (complete

sentences) that are closely related if no coordinating
conjunction is used.

■ Afshan said she was tired; she had stayed up late

cutting sketches out of foreign newspapers.
 Semicolons
■ Semicolons signal to a reader that the information in both
sentences should be taken together.

■ We were planning to go get coffee; however, he had to cancel.

■ Semicolons help avoid confusion between items in lists where

there are already commas.

■ She traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil; Seoul, South Korea; and

Nairobi, Kenya.