PUNCTUATION

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PUNCTUATION

• IMPORTANT FOR ALL

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Introduction

• Punctuation marks are used to chunk text up
  into meaningful units, marking a variety of
  grammatical boundaries. Punctuation is all about
  awareness of these grammatical chunks.

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Explanation

• To split up texts into sentences, indicating
  clearly where each major chunk of meaning begins
  and ends, we use capital letters and full stops.
  
• Within the sentence, we use a variety of
  punctuation marks to show breaks between phrases,
  clauses and, sometimes, words.
• Punctuation marks can sometimes suggest the tone
  of voice in which a sentence should be read.
• There are also some punctuation marks (the hyphen
  and apostrophe) which work within words to help
  clarify meaning.

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FULL STOP

• We mark the start of a sentence with a capital
  letter and the end with a full stop, exclamation
  mark or question mark.
• EG The big dog was barking.

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QUESTION MARK ???

• Used at the end of an interrogative sentence.
• EG Who was that?
• OR whose function is a question.
• EG Youre leaving already?

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EXCLAMATION MARK !!!

• Used at the end of a sentence (which may be
  exclamative, imperative or declarative) or an
  interjection to show strong emotion.
• Exclamative What a pity!
• Imperative Get out!
• Declarative Its a goal!
• Interjection Oh dear!

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DASH -

• A dash (-) can function like a colon to introduce
  a quotation or a list, an explanation or
  elaboration, or a summing up and two dashes can
  mark off a parenthesis
• Used to replace other punctuation marks (colons,
  semi-colons, commas) or brackets.
• Especially used in informal writing.
• EG It was a great day out everyone enjoyed it.
• Today I am going to go shopping (it is so cold
  outside, I must be mad) mainly because I
  organised a party tomorrow night.
• (either side of parenthesis)

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Parenthesis ( ) - - , ,

• A parenthesis is a word or phrase inserted into a
  sentence to explain or elaborate. It may be
  placed in brackets or between dashes or commas.
• Brackets Sam and Emma (his oldest children) are
  coming next weekend.
• Dashes Michael is generally happy he sings in
  the mornings! but responsibility weighs him
  down.
• Commas Paul is, I believe, our best student.
• The term parentheses (plural of parenthesis) can
  also refer to the brackets themselves.

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COMMA ,,,

• Separates parts of sentences, sometimes
  corresponds to a pause in speech.
• EG My favourite sports are football, motor cross
  and badminton.
• EG I got home, had a bath and went to bed.
• To mark off extra information Jill, my boss, is
  full of fun.
• After a subordinate clause which begins a
  sentence Although it was cold, we didnt wear
  our coats.
• With many connecting adverbs (e.g. however, on
  the other hand, anyway, for example). EG
  Anyway,
• I decided not to go.

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COLON

• A colon () introduces a quotation or a list an
  explanation or elaboration or a summing up.
• List Today I will buy milk, jam, coffee and
  sugar.
• It can also be used before a second clause to
  expand or explain the first part of the sentence.
  Explanation He was very cold the temperature
  was below freezing.
• Summing up It can therefore be concluded that
  he was guilty of murder, guilty of theft, guilty
  of adultery and should be imprisoned

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SEMI-COLON

• A semi-colon () finishes off one part
• of a sentence.
• Used to separate two main clauses in a sentence.
  EG I liked the book it was a pleasure to read.
  (It could be written as two separate sentences,
  but they are closely related).
• Also used to separate items in a list IF these
  items consist of longer phrases. EG I need
  large, juicy tomatoes half a pound of unsalted
  butter a kilo of fresh pasta, preferably
  tagliatelli and a jar of black olives.

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INVERTED COMMAS

• Inverted commas ( ) ( ) mark quotations,
  direct speech, foreign words or words used in an
  unusual way. (Italics may sometimes be used
  similarly)
• Hello, I am Joe, replied the strange man.
  (speech)
• I dont like their clothes, but cest la vie.
  (foreign word)
• In the novel Holes, Stanley was glad that he
  agreed to let X-Ray have anything he might find.
  (quote)

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HYPHEN -

• Sometimes used to join two parts of a compound
  noun. EG city-centre.
• EG break-in, write-off, mix-up, passer-by.
• Also with prefixes. EG co-worker, non-smoker,
  and ex-wife, non-existent.

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APOSTROPHE

• An apostrophe is used for omitted letter(s) when
  a verb is contracted (i.e. shortened).
• I am Im
• Who has whos
• Would have wouldve
• Or not is contracted to join the verb could not
  becomes couldnt.
• Also lets and oclock.
• Formal writing tends to write them out full.
• Possessive forms the cats tail, mothers iron.
• Plural, put the apostrophe at the end parents
  car.
• Irregular plurals, add the s childrens toys.
• GOOD LUCK

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ELLIPSIS

• Ellipsis is the term used for three
• dots () which shows that something
• has been omitted or is incomplete.
• He said that he would maybe throw the stone
  then he left.
• It can also be used for suspense, not immediately
  telling the rest of the story or having an open
  ending.
• It was very misty and as he turned the corner