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Every year hundreds of thousands
of students study punctuation. . .
Why??? Well, punctuation is really
a courtesy to the reader.
What do punks
learn at school?
Punctuation!
Well.... Not just punks
These two guys confuse an
awful lot of people.
But actually they’re kind of
opposites.
Consider the semicolon . . .
It separates
sentence parts
so they don’t run
together
It separates chunks of meaning in a
sentence.
Look at it this way:
If the sentence is confusing,
“Chunk it and Punk it”
For Example...
Semicolons separate items in a series
when those items contain commas
I have done oral reports on Maya
Angelou, a poet Billy Joel, a singer
;
and Mario van Peebles,
a director and
actor.
;
Can you fix these sentences?
• We elected Robert Brown, President,
Jane Kirby, vice-president and Danny
Jones, Secretary.
•Jo Ann visited Paris, France, Madrid, Spain
and Sonora, Kentucky.
•Our club will meet Friday, March 23rd,
Wednesday April 21st, and Friday, May,
20th.
Write a example:
• Of a sentence with list that already has
commas in it and needs semicolons.
• DON’T PUT THE Semicolons IN IT.
• Give it to someone next to you.
• They will put the semicolons in.
• Evaluate their work and correct any errors
Chunk it and Punk it
Use a semicolon to separate main clauses
not joined by a coordinating conjunction
My computer isn't working;
perhaps I need to call a technician.
Coordinating conjunctions are
fanboys
for and nor but or yet so
Try these out . .
Talented oral storytellers are rare; John
Gray is exceptional.
It rained the entire time we were in
Canada we
enjoyed
the
trip
anyway.
;
Paul Robeson was a talented singer and
actor; he was also a famous football
player.
Write a example:
• Of a sentence with a two independent
clauses that needs to be separated by a
semicolon.
• DON’T PUT THE Semicolon IN IT.
• Give it to someone next to you.
• They will put the semicolon in.
• Evaluate their work and correct any errors
Chunk it and Punk it
Use a semicolon to join clauses in
sentences that contain conjunctive
adverbs.
By the time we had
finished eating it was
quite late; thus, everyone
else on the beach had gone
home.
So what’s a conjunctive
adverb?
Words like
moreover nevertheless
however
therefore furthermore
instead
for instance besides
hence
subsequently consequently accordingly
Stupidity is a serious disease;
however, heart disease
kills more people.
My parents are strict; for example, I can
watch TV only on the weekends.
Emma felt shy; however, she soon made
friends.
Try these...
Elmo has a cat; therefore,he has cat hair
on his clothes much of the time.
Playing sports is fun besides
it’s, good
;
exercise.
Some flags have pictures on them; for
,
example California’s flag has a bear.
Write a example:
• Of a sentence with a two independent
clauses and a conjunctive adverb that needs
to be separated by a semicolon.
• DON’T PUT THE Semicolon IN IT.
• Give it to someone next to you.
• They will put the semicolon in.
• Evaluate their work and correct any errors
Chunk it and Punk it
To separate two clauses joined by a
coordinating conjunction when one
clause already contains a comma.
According to Bruce, he spent his
; he said
vacation in Naples, Florida, but
it was a business, not a pleasure, trip.
Fanboys: for and nor but or yet so
Try these...
,
socks
You must bring boots
and, a
backpack; but a cup and some snacks
would be nice.
,
Cameron entered Central on August 3 1999
but he; attended North prior to that.
,
We can make pizza burgers
can just forget about snacks.
,
or tacos
;
or we
Write a example:
• Of a sentence with a two independent
clauses in which one clause already uses a
comma that needs to be separated by a
semicolon.
• DON’T PUT THE Semicolon IN IT.
• Give it to someone next to you.
• They will put the semicolon in.
• Evaluate their work and correct any errors
Chunk it and Punk it
So what about colons? When do
we use them?
They join sentence
parts together,
sort of
The Colon actually acts as a
sentence gateway…
The colon comes at a point in the
sentence where the sentence could
come to a complete stop.
I’m going to tell you the names of my
favorite breakfast foods.
We could even put a period after the
word “foods,” couldn’t we? In fact, we
did.
We know, however, what’s going to
come after this period.
I’m going to tell you the names of my
favorite breakfast foods.
That’s right, a LIST of breakfast foods.
I’m going to tell you the names of my
favorite breakfast foods meuslix,
cornflakes, oatmeal, grits and gravy, and
yogurt on toast.
:
And the proper punctuation mark to
set off this list from what comes
before is a colon. The colon
“announces” that a list is about to
follow; it is the gateway to that list.
My favorite breakfast foods are bacon and
eggs, cornflakes, oatmeal, pancakes, and
bagels.
Would I use a colon in the sentence
above?
No, because the sentence does
not come to a halt here.
Instead, the sentence flows right into the list.
A colon would not be appropriate here.
This leads us to an important rule:
Do not use a colon after a verb or a
preposition.
We like : April showers, red
balloons, and starlit nights.
Give it to : Mrs. Jones or Mrs.
Brown.
Try these...
Make sure that the names of the following
cities are on your tickets: Portland, Seattle,
and Vancouver.
The transportation show included cars,
trucks, recreational vehicles, and vans.
At the crossroads we saw three signs: to
Norway, to Paris, and to Lisbon.
The following students need to see
Ms. Perry: John Jones, Sara Miles, and
Mickey Smith.
You need to shop for shoelaces, milk, and
five or six carrots.
You need to shop for these items: shoe
laces, milk, and carrots.
A colon can be a gateway in a
second way…
Examine this next sentence carefully.
(Our math tutor wants just one
thing from us)that we try our best.
Here, we have an independent thought
(ending with “us”).
followed by another kind of
completer (a noun clause).
To set off this completer, this explanation,
we can use a colon.
Our math tutor wants just one thing
from us that we try our best.
:
These are the two main uses of the colon: to
set off a list or an explanation that we
know is about to follow the main part of
the sentence.
Look at these two examples:
For my team, I choose the following
people: Zina, Ming, and Sue.
In light of the data, the conclusion was not
hard to obtain: Earth is not flat.
Of course, colons have some
other conventional uses as well
We also use the colon to set off
a formal quotation.
My father was always using his
favorite quotation from Yogi
Berra: “It ain’t over till it’s
over.”
Additionally, use a colon with precise time
measurements, Biblical chapter and verse
references, math ratios, and business letter
salutations.
10:02 A.M.
John 3:16
1:2
Dear Ms. Delgado:
From 12: 30 PM until 1: 00 PM, I was so
nervous I couldn’t sit still.
Alone in the house I heard scary sounds:
creaking boards, scratching branches, and
hissing steam.
A priest and a rabbi were discussing
Isaiah 2: 2 and 5: 26.
Review
Semicolons separate
• Items in a series when those items contain
commas
• Two clauses joined by a fanboy when one
clause already contains a comma.
• Clauses in sentences that contain conjunctive
adverbs.
• Main clauses not joined by a conjunction
Colons
• Introduce a list or restate previous
material.
• Are conventions used in precise time
measurements, Biblical chapter and
verse references, math ratios, and
business letter salutations.
Chunk it and Punk it