Communication Skills

PUNCTUATION:

Punctuation is the art of using proper stops and marks in writing to make the sense of the sentence quite clear. It divides one sentence from another, or one part of a sentence from another, by means of points, stops, or other marks.

KINDS OF PUNCTUATION:

APOSTROPHE (‘)

It is used with respect to:
To show the omission of a letter -►- can’t, don’t, shan’t, the hon’ble etc.
To show possession -►- Rahul’s mother, Aditya’s cycle etc.
To show plurals of letters and figures -►- 5’s, 8’s, q’s, p’s
Example:
Pleased with the taxi driver’s honesty, the passenger gave him a reward.
Ramesh, my neighbour’s son, is going abroad next month.
Mohan hasn’t answered one of the papers satisfactorily. Nevertheless, he hopes to pass in the first division.
Lord Krishna’s birthday is celebrated as Janmashtami.
He said, “I told him clearly, ‘Bring me the letter at once, but he didn’t bring it.”

COLON (:)

It is used with respect to:
To separate contracted sentences -►- Man proposes: God disposes.
To introduce quotations -►- Shakespear says: “Sweet are the uses of adversity.”
Example:
Shakespeare says: “sweet are the uses of adversity”.
To err is human: to forgive divine.
The leader said that we should have 3 qualities: courage, strength and sincerity.
Man proposes: god disposes.
Teacher says one should carry 3 things to school daily: pencil box, lunch box and one note book.

COMMA (,)

The comma represents the shortest pause. It is used:
Between Nouns or Phrase in Apposition -►- Alexander, the son of Philip, was king of Macedon.
Between three or more words of the same part of speech, when only the last two are connected by “and” -►- We should live soberly, prudently and industriously at all times.
Example:
My address is J-4, Karol Bagh.
In fact, I am quite unhappy with her result.
All the buses on this highway are smooth, punctual and fast
Garima said, “Let's wait for the result”.
All the rooms in this house are small, dark and dirty.

DASH (---)

It is used:
To introduce an explanation in the middle of a sentence -►- Everybody---the spectators, the players, the journalists---praised her performance.
It is used after a list of items when this list is followed by an explanation -►- Friends, colleagues, relatives---none came to his help.
Example:
It is used when something is unique—such as the Earth, the Moon, the sky, or the North Pole.
To join my father's business, or to go abroad to look for a job in India—these were my choices.
Do the following task --- two science works and math sums.
Everybody—the dancers and the musicians — liked the performance.
The journalist — praised her performance.

EXCLAMATION (!)

FULL STOP (.)

It is used to:
To close a statement or a command -►- We gave our camera for repairs.
After abbreviations for titles, names, degrees, etc -►- Dr U. Y. Raut Or M.A. (Master of Arts) Or C.M. (Chief Minister)
To indicate a decimal fraction -►- 75.1 or 28.64
Example:
My name is Umesh.
Kritika and Ritika are real sisters.
Kritika met me on Monday.
I read the newspaper daily.
He will come here at Diwali.

HYPHEN (-)

It is used:
With compound number from twenty-one to ninety-nine -►- thirty-seven or fifty-nine or eighty-one
In writing compound words -►- sister-in-law or maid-servant or passer-by
In compound adjectives -►- a two-storye house or ready-to-wear garments
Example:
You should wear a helmet while driving a motorcycle.
These are ready-to-wear garments.
The inter-school hockey tournament will begin next Monday.
The Education Minister of our state presided over the prize-distribution function.
My uncle is legal advisor to Frick India Ltd which deals in air – conditioning plants.

INTERROGATION (?)

INVERTED COMMAS (“ “)

It is used:
For indicating the beginning and end of a quotation. It is also used to quote a speaker's exact words.
Example:
She said to me, “Let us go to Shimla for a change“
She said to me, “Who teaches you English?“
The lion said to the fox, “I am the king of the jungle“
Monica said to me, “You can stay with us whenever you are in Delhi“
“We will not any employees“, said the chairman.

SEMI–COLON (;)

It is used:
Between independent clauses not connected by a conjunction -►- Preeti is quiet and hardworking; Kanika is noisy and active.
If expressions like ‘however’, ‘nevertheless’, ‘then’, ‘hence’, ‘thus’, ‘for instance’, ‘consequently’, etc come between two independent clauses, a semicolon is placed before them.
Example:
You haven’t returned the earlier loan; nevertheless, I’ll not disappoint you.
The machine made a strange noise; then it just stopped.
Ticketless travel was widely prevalent; besides, there were frequent thefts from the compartments.
The machine made a strange noise; then it just stopped.
You need take only this box with you; I’ll bring the bad along.

USE OF CAPITAL LETTERS

It is used:
When the first word of every new sentence and of every new line of poetry should begin with a Capital Letter -►- Ram is going to Bombay. He has to buy a car.
The Pronoun I and the Interjection ‘Oh’ and ‘O’ are always written with a Capital -►- My sister and I will return soon.
The first letter of a Proper Noun or a Proper Adjective is always a capital -►- Rahul, Tarun, Delhi, Bombay, etc.
All Nouns and Pronouns, which indicate the Deity (god) are written with a Capital Letter -►- God, the Almighty, the Lord.
The capital letter is used to begin Direct Narration in a sentence -►- He said, “Man is Mortal.”
Example:
This part actually belongs to the new model Hero Honda,” said Harjinder Singh, the chief mechanic at Bright Automobiles.
Satisfied by Sonal’s explanation, the Principal remitted her fine.
The speaker said, " We are planning to build a school here.
The Impact of Television on Children.
Anu Mehta is my close friend.

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