Transcript Punctuation - Connellsville Area School Dst

Punctuation
HYPHENS, DASHES, BRACKETS,
SEMICOLONS, ELLIPSES, AND COLONS
Parentheses
 Use parentheses to enclose information that clarifies
 He finally answered (after taking five minutes to think) that
he did not understand the question.
 He gave me a nice bonus ($500).
Brackets
 generally used in quotations to help clarify a word or
statement for readers or to provide important
background information.
 To show that these are your words and not those of
the person you're quoting, you should use brackets.

Examples

Mike Hammond said, "After the ship comes back to shore, Captain
Donald [the boat's owner] will have a lot of explaining to do."
Practice
 It was an exciting weekend what a reunion!
 "Molly Aunt May's first cousin, Jody's second
daughter traveled all the way from Seattle to attend
the wedding," explained Lila.
 The AAA American Automobile Association, serving
America since 1921, has millions of loyal members.
 Pocahontas c.1595–1617 was the daughter of a
Powhatan chief.
 "It the Trojan horse was one of the most cleverly
plotted red herrings decoys created by the Greeks,"
stated Mr. Clark, our world history teacher.
The Hyphen
 used for compound words (a single word made up of two
or more words)

Examples:
When you spell out the number 42, it should be written "forty-two."
 Similarly, when you spell out the fraction 5/8, it should be written as
"five-eighths."
 You should hyphenate a prefix attached to a capitalized word or
number
 "Mid-October" and "pre-1989" are both hyphenated
 You hyphenate a suffix the same way
 "Twenty-odd" and "president-elect" show suffixes being
hyphenated
 You should also hyphenate two or more words that work as a single
modifier placed before a noun
 "Twentieth-century novels" needs a hyphen, but "novels from the
twentieth century" doesn't need one

The Dash
 Dashes are used in a similar way as parentheses, to
set off material in a sentence. The difference is that
dashes call attention to the material.

Examples

"He walked to work—past all the protestors—and never stopped to
smile.“
 The emphasis is on the protestors that the man walks past.
 Be sure not to overuse dashes because they're made
for emphasis.
Practice
 I invited Maria to lunch, but she had already
arranged to meet her mother in law.
 There are twenty seven people coming.
 My mother used to live in New Jersey did you
know her?
 Amy the only one to get the right answer was
a straight A student.
Semicolons
 help to connect words, sentences, and groups of words
differently



One way a semicolon works is by connecting two main/independent
clauses that can stand on their own. It shows they are linked and
makes the reader pause.
 I went to the store; I bought bread.
You can also use semicolons with transitional words such as
however, moreover, therefore and transitional expressions such
as in addition, for example, and since then.
 Last week, Mike returned from Germany; however, he forgot his
luggage.
semicolons can also be used to split up a long, complex series of
items

I went to the beach with Michael, my cousin; Jerry, my best friend; and
Fred, my uncle.
Colons
 follow the salutation (opening greeting) of a business
letter even if it is to address someone by his/her first
name



Dear Mr. Phan:
Dear U.S. Secretary of Defense:
Dear Samantha Donnelly:
 to suggest that information follows

Allergen Statement: This product was packaged in a facility that
processes peanuts, wheat, eggs, and milk.
 used to suggest that a list follows

The following students are exempt from final exams: Paul Connell,
Josie Martinez, Sondra Smith, Carrie Stengel, and Johnathan
Wallace.
Practice
 You asked for forgiveness he granted it to you.
 The American flag has three colors red, white, and
blue.
 The order was placed six weeks ago therefore, I
expected the shipment to have arrived by now.
 She said she loved the book so I gave it to her.
 The news report stated Luke Skywalker was arrested
for illegal space travel.
Ellipses
 They can indicate a pause in speech.
example: "I'm so nervous, but I must tell you that . . . I
love you!"
 They can indicate an unfinished thought.
example: "The person who stole the gold was . . ." Sherry
was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass.
 They can show that someone is trailing off into silence.
example: "I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes
open . . ."
 They can indicate the passage of time.
example: "Seventeen years later . . ."
Practice
 “Mom, I I kinda got in trouble at school today.”
 “Colonel Mustard did it in the library with the” Amy
paused to think.
 “We need to be quiet so that the” James stopped as
the killer walked into the room.
 Once upon a time