Transcript Punctuation

Punctuation
Periods, Exclamation Marks,
and Question Marks
Periods
• Use a period at the end of a sentence.
His cell phone had poor reception in the building.
“I want to go to the movies tonight,” she said.
• Use a period after an abbreviation.
Dr. Smith isn’t taking any new patients at this time.
He turned left on Park Ave. and parked the car.
Feb. 18, 1969
Port St. John
Prof. Aaron Miller, Ph.D.
Mr., Mrs., Ms., Rev., B.A., M.A., Jr., Sr.
Note: You do not need a period after an
abbreviation of a state. (For example, FL. is
incorrect; FL is correct.)
Exclamation Marks
• Use an exclamation mark when you write about
something that is exciting.
The baby took her first steps today!
I just won $1,000,000 in the lottery!
• Use an exclamation mark when you use an
interjection.
Wow! Can you believe the gas prices these days?
“Hurray! Spring Break is next week,” he said happily.
Be careful not to overuse the
exclamation mark. In academic
writing and news reporting,
exclamation points are rare.
Question Marks
• Use a question mark at the end of a sentence that
asks a question.
Will you be coming over to our house after the game?
When is your birthday?
• Do not use a question mark when the sentence is
an indirect question.
I asked my mother what was for dinner.
I wonder what the weather will be like
tomorrow.
The teacher asked who threw the spitball.
Click on the correct punctuation at the bottom of
the page.
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Will you be coming with us today __
!
I am so excited about going to Disney World __
Earth Day is on Apr__
. 22.
.
I wonder if they will come to the picnic ___
.
He wrote a novel about aliens and mermaids ___
! Tomorrow is Friday,” he exclaimed.
“Hurray __
?
When do you want to go shopping for new shoes ___
.
!
?
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Next Slide
Colons and Semicolons
Colons
• Use a colon to separate hours and minutes.
6:00
10:32
16:02
23:34
• Use a colon to separate chapters from verses in
Scripture passages.
John 3:16
Numbers 6:24
Psalm 150:6
• Use a colon after a salutation of a formal or
business letter.
Dear Sir:
To Whom It May Concern:
Colons
• Use a colon to introduce a list, especially when
followed by the word “following”.
She packed her bag with the following things: shorts,
shirts, sandals, and suntan lotion.
Jerome addressed his letter to the following people:
Sam, Jane, Felicia, Antonio, and Bruce.
• Use a colon after an introductory expression
before a formal statement.
there
fights!”
She quieted the students down
and proclaimed: “From now on
will be no more food
King Stephenson declared: “You
will bow down and kiss my feet!”
Colons
• Use a colon before a long quotation.
In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln said:
“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining
before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion
to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and
that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not
perish from the earth.”
Semi-Colons
• Use a semi-colon when combining two
independent clauses without using a conjunction.
He wore his green shirt once a year; it was Saint
Patrick’s Day.
The bunny sniffed the carrot; he knew it would be
tasty.
• Note: These sentences would also be correct if
you put a period between them
instead of a semi-colon.
Semi-Colons
• Use a semi-colon to combine two independent
clauses when the second clause begins with “for
example”, “however”, “namely”, “therefore”, and
“for instance”.
She didn’t like cheese; however, she did like to eat
cheese pizza.
His choice of books seems odd; for instance, he is
currently reading The Cat in the Hat.
Semi-Colons
• Use a semi-colon between two independent
clauses when commas have been used in one or
more of the clauses.
She loved roses, pansies, and daffodils; but she
wanted tulips in her wedding.
He loved to play hockey; although he excelled at
baseball, football, basketball, and wrestling.
Click on the correct punctuation at the bottom of
the page.
• He packed the following things in his lunchbox _: a sandwich,
a pickle, chips, and a Yoo-Hoo.
• Jean likes to water ski _; however, she cannot swim.
:
• She put the baby to bed at 7_45.
• Hector was a successful lawyer _; he had a lot of clients.
• She declared _: “I will not clean up after you anymore.”
• Becky bought prints by Van Gogh, Matisse, and Monet _; but
what she really wanted to buy was one by Raphael.
:
;
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Next Slide
Commas
Commas
• Use a comma to separate words in a list.
She bought ham, green beans, peas, and potatoes.
Red, yellow, purple, and blue were his favorite colors.
• Use a comma to set off an introductory clause.
Whenever it rains, their roof leaks.
After they went to the movies, they went home.
Commas
• Use a comma to separate the two independent
clauses of a compound sentence when connected
by a conjunction. (and, but, or, nor, yet)
He rode his bike, and then he went swimming.
Caroline didn’t like spaghetti, but she did like linguine.
• Use a comma to set off words in a direct address.
Stacey, will you buy the tickets?
Will you please go with us, Susan?
Commas
• Use a comma to set off a direct quotation.
Arnold asked, “Will you remember to lock the door?”
“I don’t like bungee jumping,” she complained.
“Something,” she whispered, “sounds fishy.”
• Use a comma to set off a phrase that interrupts
the sentence.
Her father, Thomas Dugan, had been a famous actor.
The fox, sleek and cunning, chased after
the hunting dog.
Commas
• Use a comma when writing the city and state or
city and country.
Melbourne, FL
New York, NY
Melbourne, Australia
Johannesburg, South Africa
• Use a comma when writing the date.
January 18, 2004
August 15, 1998
Use a comma when writing
numbers that are larger
than three digits.
l
50,000
2,452
1,000,043
Click on the sentence that uses commas correctly.
Arnold, Jacob, Peter, and Carlos met at the gym to play basketball.
Arnold Jacob Peter and Carlos, met at the gym, to play basketball.
We are going to Cincinnati Ohio, on April, 23, 2007.
We are going to Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 23, 2007.
Next Set
He got down on one, knee gave her the ring and, said “Will you marry me?
He got down on one knee, gave her the ring, and said, “Will you marry me?
On Wednesday, I have to go to the dentist before
I go to work.
On Wednesday, I have to go to the dentist,
before, I go to work.
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Next Slide
Quotation Marks, Apostrophes,
and Parenthesis
Quotation Marks
• Put spoken words inside quotation marks.
“I love spaghetti!” She said.
His mother asked, “Did you do the laundry yet?”
“I want to draw,” said the boy, “but I don’t have a
pencil.”
Quotation Marks
• Put titles of short works in quotation marks.
• Examples of these would be chapters of books, short
musical compositions or plays, works of art, or radio and
television programs.
Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”
“The Book of Psalms”
“Masterpiece Theater”
Apostrophes
• Use an apostrophe when indicating possession
(owning something).
Fay’s car
Stephen’s book
Carly’s cat
• Be careful of certain words which indicate
possession without the use of an apostrophe:
“its”, “your”, “our”, “their”, “my”, “mine”, etc.
its fur
your house
our vacation
my bike
their farm
Apostrophes
• Use an apostrophe when writing a contraction.
was not = wasn’t
it is = it’s
can not = can’t
were not = weren’t
have not = haven’t
I will = I’ll
does not = doesn’t
do not = don’t
• In formal writing, it is proper to write out the
words instead of writing the contraction.
Parenthesis
• Use a set of parenthesis to include material that
normally doesn’t fit into the sentence, but you want
to include anyway.
When do the children (the Girl Scouts) arrive?
Someday we (my sisters and I) will go on a cruise.
• You can also put an entire sentence in
parentheses, when the sentence is
meant as an afterthought.
(After all, no one’s perfect.)
(She didn’t mean what she said, anyway.)
Click on the correct punctuation at the bottom of
the page.
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I don_t
‘ know if I can take classes this summer.
The student raised his hand and said, “_My brain is full._”
)
Does she want to go with us (_instead of driving alone_?
“
We listened to _Symphony
No. 40_” by Mozart.
‘ book got wet when she left it by the pool.
Melissa_s
_I
“ know I will do well,_” he said confidently.
Gregory was upset because we weren_t
‘ going to the zoo.
“
_Do
you want to buy a plane ticket to Hawaii?_” He asked.
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Review
’
“”
()
Next Slide
Review
• Use a period at the end of a sentence.
• Use a period after an abbreviation.
• Use a question mark at the end of a sentence
that asks a question.
• Use an exclamation mark when writing about
something that is exciting.
• Use an exclamation mark when using an
interjection.
Review
• Use a colon to separate hours and minutes.
• Use a colon to separate chapters from verses in
Scripture passages.
• Use a colon after a salutation of a formal or
business letter.
• Use a colon to introduce a list, especially when
followed by the word “following”.
Review
• Use a colon after an introductory expression
before a formal statement.
• Use a colon before a long quotation.
• Use a semi-colon when combining two
independent clauses without using a conjunction.
• Use a semi-colon to combine two independent
clauses when the second clause begins with “for
example”, “however”, “namely”,
“therefore”, and “for instance.”
Review
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Use a comma
Use a comma
Use a comma
Use a comma
Use a comma
the sentence.
• Use a comma
to
to
to
to
to
separate words in a list.
set off an introductory clause.
set off words in a direct address.
set off a direct quotation.
set off a phrase that interrupts
to separate two independent clauses
of a compound sentence when
connected by a conjunction.
Review
• Use a comma when writing the city and state or
city and country.
• Use a comma when writing the date.
• Use a comma when writing numbers that are
larger than three digits.
• Put spoken words inside quotation marks.
• Put titles of short works in quotation marks.
Review
• Use an apostrophe when indicating possession
(owning something).
• Use an apostrophe when writing a contraction.
• Use a set of parenthesis to include material that
normally doesn’t fit into the sentence, but you
want to include anyway.
As your use of punctuation
improves, the better your writing
will become.