Transcript Punctuation Review

Commas, Semicolons,
Colons, Apostrophes,
Dashes, and
Parentheses
Punctuation Lesson
But why does it matter?
• Because it saves lives.
– Let’s eat Grandma.
– Let’s eat, Grandma.
• Punctuation gives us pauses between
words and ideas.
• Imagine if you didn’t take pauses
between words and sentences.
Commas
,
• Separate items in a series.
• Set off interrupting information.
Examples
There will be drinks, snacks, and games at the party.
Chicago, the largest city in Illinois, is home to over three
million people.
Interrupting Information
• Nonessential phrases may come at
the beginning, middle, or end of a
sentence.
Examples
On a beautiful spring day, they had a picnic.
Picnics, an old tradition, can be a lot of fun.
Dad grilled ribs, the big ones from Costco.
Practice
• Where would you put the comma?
– No Jackie I don’t want to go with Mark.
– No Jackie, I don’t want to go with Mark.
– My mom who is a nurse cares for the sick injured and
disabled.
– My mom, who is a nurse, cares for the sick, injured, and
disabled.
Semicolons
;
• Semicolons connects independent
clauses – parts of the sentences that
could stand as their own sentences.
Examples
My mom said I couldn’t go to the party; I didn’t want to go
anyway.
Bananas are a healthy snack; they contain potassium which may
help your vision.
He loved that car; it was his greatest treasure.
You should always use a semicolon in
these two situations…
…between items in a series
where commas are used for each
item:
…between independent clauses,
especially if the two sentences
“feel related”:
Science fiction includes
Star Trek, with Mr.
Spock; Battlestar
Galactica, with its
Cylons; and Star Wars,
with Luke Skywalker
and Darth Vader.
Even baby giraffes are tall;
their average height is six
feet!
Mushrooms grow very
quickly; in fact, after a
good rain, it takes only a
few hours and you start
picking them.
Practice
• Where would you put the semicolon?
– In Western films, dark hats often represent bad or evil
characters a white hat does just the opposite.
– In Western films, dark hats often represent bad or evil
characters; a white hat does just the opposite.
Colons
• Colons introduce lists and explanations. It’s
also like using the words “and here it is” or
“and here they are.”
Examples
There are many reasons to exercise: it’s good for your health, it’s
fun, and it’s free.
The supreme court justice had this to say on the issue: “With great
power comes great responsibility.”
Practice
• Where would you put the colon?
– My teacher gave us a practice packet for one
reason only to help us ace the test.
– My teacher gave us a practice packet for one
reason only: to help us ace the test.
Apostrophe
• The marking of the omission of one or more
letters (do not = don’t)
• The marking of possessive case (the eagle’s
feathers…)
Possessive Case
• A word or grammatical construction
used to indicate a relationship of
possession in a broad sense.
Ex: Gatsby’s love of Daisy was his ultimate
weakness.
Parentheses
• Usually surround words or phrases that break
a sentence’s train of thought, but provide
explanatory information.
• Between sentences to add more information.
Example
Their road trip (which they made in a convertible) lasted three weeks
and spanned fourteen states.
Their road trip lasted three weeks and spanned fourteen states. (The
one they took two years ago lasted two weeks and covered ten
states.) When they got home they were exhausted.
Dashes
• Indicate an abrupt break in thought or an insertion
of additional, explanatory information.
Examples
He walked so slowly—with his lame leg he couldn’t go much
faster—that even his neighbor’s zombie toddler eventually
overtook him.
I don’t have the heart to refuse a friend’s request for help—do
you?
Her taste in music—from country to rap—exemplifies her eclectic
personality.