Punctuation Review

Punctuation Rules

(Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action)

Comma Rules

Rule #1: Use a comma before the conjunction to separate two independent clauses in a compound sentence. (Always check to make sure that you have written two complete sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction before you insert a comma.

Rule #2: Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses (a clause is a group of words with its own subject and verb) in a series.

Rule #3: Use commas to separate coordinate adjectives—adjectives of equal rank. To determine whether adjectives are of equal rank, ask yourself two questions: First, can you put an and between the adjectives and still have the sentence retain its exact meaning? Second, can you switch the adjectives and still have a sentence that sounds grammatically correct? If the answer to the two test questions is yes, you have adjectives of equal rank and a comma should be placed between them. (See page 657 in Writing and Grammar textbook.) Do not use commas to separate cumulative adjectives—adjectives that must stay in a specific order. (See page 657 in Writing and Grammar textbook.)

Rule #4: Use a comma after an introductory word, phrase, or clause. (page 659)

Rule #5: Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions. (page 660)

Rule #6: Do not use commas to set off essential expressions.

Rule #7: Use commas to set off nonessential expressions.

Rule #8: When a geographical name is made up of two or more parts, use a comma after each item.

Rule #9: When a date is made up of two or more parts, use a comma after each item except in the case of a month followed by a day or a month followed by a year.

Rule #10: When a name is followed by one or more titles, use a comma after the name and after each title.

Rule #11: Use a comma after each item in an address made up of two or more parts.

Rule #12: Use a comma after the salutation in a personal letter and after the closing in all letters.

Rule #13: With numbers more than three digits, use a comma after every third digit from the right.

Rule #14: Use a comma to indicate the words left out of an elliptical sentence.

Rule #15: Use commas to set off a direct quotation from the rest of the sentence.

Rule #16: Use a comma to prevent a sentence from being misunderstood.

Semicolons

Rule #1: Use a semicolon to join independent clauses that are not already joined by the conjunction and, but, or, nor, so, for, and yet. Ex: My mother works in a school; she does not teach

Rule #2: Use a semicolon to join independent clauses separated by either a conjunctive adverb or a transitional expression. (Also, accordingly, besides, consequently, furthermore, however, indeed, instead, namely, nevertheless, otherwise, similarly, therefore, thus, for instance, in fact, on the other hand, as a result, at this time are some conjunctive adverbs and transitional expressions.)

Ex: A cloudless blue sky dawned that morning; nevertheless, rain was expected.

Rule #3: Use semicolons to avoid confusion when independent clauses already contain commas. When a sentence consists of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction, the tendency is to place a comma before the conjunction. However, when one or both of the sentences also contain commas, a semicolon may be used before the conjunction to prevent confusion.

Ex: My cousins borrowed my favorite album, a recording of a jazz concert; but they returned it safely.

Rule #4: use a semicolon between items in a series if the items themselves contain commas. Ex: I visited London, England; Paris, France; Rome, Italy; and Dublin, Ireland.

COLON RULES

Rule #1: Use a colon before a list of items following an independent clause.

Ex: We must bring the following items to the family reunion: potato salad, a grill, and a blanket. (often follows expressions the following or as follows)

Rule #2: Use a colon to introduce a quotation that is formal or length or a quotation that does not contain a "he said/she said" expression.

Ex: The speaker began with these words: "I have never been so honored in all my life."

Rule #3: Use a colon to introduce a sentence that summarizes or explains the sentence before it. Ex: His tuna casserole lacked a rather vital ingredient: He forgot the tuna!

Rule #4: Use a colon to introduce a formal appositive that follows an independent clauses. Ex: I missed one important paragraph lesson: writing the topic sentence.

Also use colons in numerals giving the time, between volume number and page number in periodicals, between chapter and verse in the Bible, between titles and subtitles in books and magazines, in salutations of business letters, and in labels used to signal important ideas.

Quotation Marks

Rule #1: A direct quotation represents a person's exact speech or thoughts and is enclosed in quotation marks.

Rule #2: An indirect quotation reports only the general meaning of what a person said or thought and does not require quotation marks.

Rule #3: Use a comma or colon after an introductory expression.

Rule #4: Use a comma, a question mark, or an exclamation mark after a quotation followed by a concluding expression.

Rule #5: Use a comma after part of a quoted sentence followed by an interrupting expression. Use another comma after the expression.

Rule #6: Use a comma, question mark, or exclamation mark after a quoted sentence that comes before an interrupting expression. Use a period after the expression.

Rule #7: Always place a comma or a period inside the final quotation mark.

Rule #8: Always place a semicolon or colon outside the final quotation mark.

Rule #9: Place a question mark or exclamation mark inside the final quotation mark if the end mark is part of the quotation.

Rule #10: Place a question mark or an exclamation mark outside the final quotation mark if the end mark is not part of the quotation.

Rule #11: When writing dialogue, begin a new paragraph with each change of speaker.

Rule #12: for quotations longer than a paragraph, put quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph and at the end of the final paragraph.

Rule #13: Use single quotation marks for a quotation within a quotation.

Rule #14: Use quotation marks around the titles of short written works.

Rule #15: Use quotation marks around the titles of songs, episodes in a series, and parts of a long musical composition.

Rule #16: Use quotation marks around the title of a work that is mentioned as part of a collection.

Rule #17: Do not underline or place in quotation marks the names of the Bible, its books, divisions, or versions or other holy scriptures, such as the Koran.

Rule #18: Do not underline or place in quotation marks the titles of government charters, alliances, treaties, acts, statutes, or reports.

Underlining or Italicizing

Rule #1: Underline or italicize the titles of long written works and the titles of publications that are published as a single work.

Rule #2: Underline the titles of movies, television and radio series, paintings, sculpture, and lengthy works of music.

Rule #3: Underline the names of individual air, sea, space, and land craft.

Rule #4: Underline foreign words not yet accepted into English.

Rule #5: Underline numbers, symbols, letters, and words used to name themselves.

Rule #6: Underline words that you wish to stress.

Dashes, Parentheses, and Hyphens

Rule #1: Use dashes to indicate an abrupt change of thought, a dramatic interrupting idea, or a summary statement.

Rule #2: Use dashes to set off a nonessential appositive or modifier when it is long, when it is already punctuated, or when you want to be dramatic.

Rule #3: Use dashes to set off a parenthetical expression when it is long, already punctuated, or especially dramatic.

Rule #4: Use parentheses to set off asides and explanations only when the material is not essential or when it consists of one or more sentences.

Rule #5: Use parentheses to set off numerical explanations such as dates of a person's birth and death and around numbers and letters marking a series.

Rule #6: When a phrase or declarative sentence interrupts another sentence, do not use an initial capital or end mark inside the parentheses.

Rule #7: When a question or exclamation interrupts another sentence, use both an initial capital and an end mark inside the parentheses.

Rule #8: With any sentence that falls between two complete sentences, use both an initial capital and an end mark inside the parentheses.

Rule #9: In a sentence that includes parentheses, place any punctuation belonging to the main sentence after the parenthesis.

Rule #10: Use a hyphen when writing out the compound numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine.

Rule #11: Use a hyphen with fractions used as adjectives.

Rule #12: Use a hyphen after a prefix that is followed by a proper noun or an adjective.

Rule #13: Use a hyphen in words with the prefixes all-, ex-, and self-, and in words with the suffix -elect.

Rule #14: Use a hyphen to connect two or more words that are used as one word unless the dictionary gives a contrary spelling.

Rule #15: Use a hyphen to connect a compound modifier that comes before a noun.

Rule #16: Do not use hyphens with compound modifiers that include words ending in -ly or with compound proper adjectives or compound proper nouns acting as adjectives.

Rule #17: Use a hyphen within a word when a combination of letters might otherwise be confusing. Ex. re-lay versus relay

Rule #18: Use a hyphen between words to keep the reader from combining them erroneously. Ex. a new car-buyer versus a new-car buyer

Hyphens at the end of lines

Rule #19: If a word must be divided, always divide it between syllables.

Rule #20: If a word contains word parts, it can almost always be divided between the prefix and the root or the root and the suffix.

Rule #21: Avoid dividing a word so that a single letter stands alone.

Rule #22: Avoid dividing proper nouns and proper adjectives.

Rule #23: Divide a hyphenated word only after the hyphen.

Rule #24: Avoid dividing a word so that part of the word is on one page and the remainder is on the next page.

Apostrophes

Rule #1: Add an apostrophe and s to show the possessive case of most singular nouns.

Rule #2: Add an apostrophe to show the possessive case of plural nouns ending in s or es.

Rule #3: Add an apostrophe and s to show the possessive case of plural nouns that do not end in s or es.

Rule #4: Add an apostrophe and s (or just an apostrophe if the word is a plural ending in s) to the last word of a compound noun to form the possessive.

Rule #5: To form possessives involving time or amounts, use an apostrophe and s or just an apostrophe if the possessive is a plural ending in s.

Rule #6: To show joint ownership, make the final noun possessive.

Rule #7: To show individual ownership, make each noun possessive.

Rule #8: Use an apostrophe and s with indefinite pronouns to show possession.

Rule #9: Do not use an apostrophe with the possessive forms of personal pronouns.

Rule #10: Use an apostrophe in a contraction to indicate the position of the missing letter or letters.

Rule #11: Use an apostrophe and s to write the plurals of numbers, symbols, letters, and words used to name themselves.