Professional Documents
Culture Documents
USE A PERIOD...
END STOPS
REMEMBER
THE COMMA...
...SERVES MANY DIFFERENT PURPOSES AND IS THE MOST WIDELY USED MARK OF
PUNCTUATION. IT IS ALSO THE MOST TROUBLESOME.
COMMAS TO INTRODUCE
Note! WHEN THE QUOTATION IS EITHER LONG OR FORMAL, USE A COLON RATHER
THAN A COMMA
COMMAS TO SEPARATE
e.g. She didn't like her work, and her distaste was obvious.
e.g. By working hard and pleasing his employers, Steve got a pay-raise.
SOME WRITERS OMIT THE COMMA BEFORE THE CONJUNCTION: "A, B and C"
e.g. She wore an old, dirty dress and a new, pretty, expensive coat.
COMMAS TO SEPARATE
COMMAS ARE NOT USED IN TELEPHONE #, YEARS, HOUSE #, ZIP CODES, SERIAL
NUMBERS, ETC.
COMMAS TO ENCLOSE
e.g. You are, on the other hand, well suited for this work.
I believe, whether or not you want to know my opinion, that our company policy is wrong.
5) TO ENCLOSE VOCATIVES:
e.g. John Campbell, Ph.D., and Robert Romano, M.A. are members of the Council.
e.g. He lives in Miami, Florida. His address is 1607 Ravinia Road, Peru 29, Illinois
e.g. In this office are ten workers; in that one are sixteen
UNNECESSARY COMMAS
e.g. Naturally, the first thing you should do, after reporting for work, is to see your supervisor.
After the play, Martha and I went home, by taxicab, because we wanted, at all cost, to avoid
subway crowds.
THE SEMICOLON
e.g. "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; if you really make them think,
they'll hate you." - Marquis
e.g. This job is not simple; however, it's exciting and rewarding.
e.g. "As long as war is regarded as wicked, it will have its fascination; when it is looked upon as
vulgar, it will cease to be popular." - Wilde
e.g. Inasmuch as Joe has a fiery temper; we have to be careful what we say to him.
e.g. Answering the phone, typing, filing; these were my duties last summer.
THE COLON
THE COLON IS A MARK OF EXPECTATION OR ADDITION. IT'S PRIMARY FUNCTION
IS TO SIGNAL THE READER TO "WATCH FOR WHAT'S COMING."
e.g. Jefferson concluded his First Inaugural Address as follows: "And may that Infinite Power
which rules the destines of the universe…"
She likes a number of activities, such as: swimming, dancing, and cooking.
THE DASH
"THE INTERRUPTION, THE MARK OF ABRUPTNESS, THE SOB, THE STAMMER, THE
MARK OF IGNORANCE."
June-October 1990
THE HYPHEN
USE A HYPHEN:
QUOTATION MARKS
e.g. Grant Wood's famed painting, "American Gothic," was recently reproduced in American
Heritage.
THE APOSTROPHE
1) AND S TO FORM THE POSSESSIVE CASE OF A NOUN NOT ENDING INS: e.g.
children's; town's
e.g. my son-in-law's boat; King Henry IV's funeral; somebody else's ticket
e.g. Uncrossed t's look like 1's. He uses too many and's and but's in speaking.