Punctuation

HO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
COMMUNICATION SKILLS 1
PUNCTUATION
Outline
➢ Learning Objectives
➢ Definition of Punctuation
➢ Reasons for using punctuation marks
➢ Types of punctuation marks
➢ Pause
➢ Terminal
➢ Full Stop/ Period
➢ Comma
➢ Semi-colon
➢ Colon
➢ Apostrophe
➢ Hyphen
➢ Dashes
➢ Speech marks/Quotation marks
➢ Question Mark/Interrogation Mark
➢ Exclamation marks
➢ Parentheses/Brackets
➢ References
➢ Next lesson
11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 2
Objectives
By the end of this lesson students should be able to perform

the following activities:
❖ define punctuation.
❖ explain the basic punctuation rules of English.
❖ use punctuation marks effectively in their write-ups.
❖ identify and correct punctuation errors.

What are punctuation marks?
❖ Different punctuation marks are used in English writings.
❖ These marks or symbols were developed to help learners

make up for the lack of voice intonation and body language
in written communication.
❖ Punctuation marks have meanings and express specific

relationships between ideas; this makes the use of correct
punctuation a crucial aspect of any form of writing.
❖ Incorrect use of punctuations can lead to miscommunication

and misinterpretation/misunderstandings.
Types of punctuation marks
English identifies two (2) main types of punctuation marks.
❖ These are the pause and terminal punctuation marks.
❖ Terminal punctuation: full stop, exclamation mark,

question mark., etc.
❖ Pause punctuation: comma, semicolon, colon, etc.

Full Stop/ Period (.)
❖ A full stop is used at the end of a complete sentence (a

complete sentence can be short or long). [A complete
sentence must have at least a subject, a verb and an object.]
❖ Full stops are also used in writing abbreviations. There are

3 types of abbreviations. These are as follows:
❖ abbreviations that do not use full stops like BBC, CIA, AU,
UN, FBI.
❖ abbreviations that always use full stop like e.g., i.e., etc.
❖ abbreviations that could either be written with full stops or
not like Mr, Dr, AM, PM, MRS.

Full Stop/ Period (.) Cont’d
❖ They are generally written without full stops in British

English and with full stops in American English. In
writing, this is usually an issue of preference.
❖ Full stops are also used in to terminate commands and

requests.
1. Please pass me the book and leave.
❖ Note that there is no space before a full stop; however,

there is a space after it and the next sentence must start
with a capital letter.
Comma (,)
❖ Commas are used in different ways.
❖ The most basic and common use of a comma is to separate items

in a list.
Examples
I. He likes sports like football, volley, basketball, running, and
jumping. (You can either bring a comma before the ‘and’ or
not).
II. He likes sports like football, volley, basketball, running and

jumping.
III. He likes sports like football, volley, basketball, running, etc.

Comma (,) Cont’d
❖ Comas are used in compound and complex sentences. Commas

occur with some conjunctions like ‘and, but, so, and or.
Example
❖ He studied for the mid semester exam, so he got good grades.
❖ Because of the weather, the flight was cancelled.
❖ The flight was cancelled because of the weather.
❖ If the dependent clause occurs before the independent clause, a

comma is used to join both clauses.
❖ However, if the structure is changed such that the independent

clause occurs before the dependent clause, then, there is no need
for a comma.
Comma (,) Cont’d
❖ A comma is used to add non essential information

(modifiers like adverbs and adjectives) to a sentence.
❖ It is also used when extra information is added to the middle

of a sentence.
Examples:
❖ Honestly, I didn’t like the drink. (the use of adverb)
❖ Apparently, he should have been in America by now.
(use of adverb)
❖ It was a long, boring day. (the use of 2 adjectives)
❖ The car, which he bought two weeks ago, got burnt.
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Comma (,) Cont’d
❖ Commas are used in salutations and subscriptions.
Examples
Dear Sir, hello, hi, yours faithfully, etc.
❖ When you call out to someone, a comma is used.
Example
❖ Diana, please pass the book around.

Colon (:)
❖ The main function of colons is to introduce examples,
explanations or other details (i.e. words, list, names and phrases)
after an independent clause.
❖ There is usually a general statement which precedes the
explanation(s), examples or details which are introduced by the
colon.
Examples
❖ All these professions are essential to life: a doctor saves lives, a
teacher imparts knowledge and a farmer grows food crops.
❖ The underlined part of the sentence is the independent clause.
❖ He visited two suburbs of Accra: Dzowulu and Mamprobi.
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Colon (:) Cont’d
❖ For emphasis
E.g.: He doesn’t joke with his best friend: his cat.
❖ A colon can only be used after a complete sentence not

fragments. In the case of fragments, it is appropriate to use
commas.
Examples
I. She will order a package: a dress, a pair of shoes, and a hand

bag.
II. I have to buy a dress, a pair of shoes, and a hand bag.

Semicolon (;)
❖ A semicolon is quite similar to a full stop since it is also used at
the end of full sentences.
❖ The use of a semicolon indicates a connection between the idea

before and after its use (i.e., it combines closely related
sentences).
❖ It is used between two independent clauses and helps to avoid

the use of coordinating conjunctions.
❖ Once you use a semicolon, there would not be any need to use
a conjunction.
❖ However, there are a few linking words which can be used with
semicolons without issues e.g.: however
Semicolon (;) Cont’d
Examples
I. I have a stomach upset; I can’t eat beans.
II. I have finished cooking; I have to eat now.
III. I don’t regret it; however, I will do things differently if given a second
chance.
A semicolon can also be used between items which occur in series and are
separated by the use of commas.
Example
I. Science fiction includes Star Trek, with Mr. Spock; Battlestar
Galactica, with its Cylons; and Star Wars, with Luke Skywalker and
Darth Vader.
I. To offer a creative writing course, a student needs to be able to write a

play, a story, or a poem; to show interest in fine art, sculpture,
weaving, or ceramic making.
Apostrophe (’)
❖ Apostrophes are used in contracted forms to replace a
missing letter(s) or numbers.
Examples
I. I’m, I’ve, We’re, etc.
II. It’s (it is/ it has) - note that ‘its’ is a possessive pronoun
and does not use an apostrophe.
III. She doesn’t know how to dance.
IV. This can’t work.
V. I relocated in ’99.
❖ Apostrophes are also used to show possession.

(Possession can involve both singular and plural nouns)
E.g.: the girls’ dressing is inappropriate.
Apostrophe (’) Cont’d
Examples
I. This book is Kofi’s.
II. That bag is Amina’s.
III. That bag belongs to Amina.
IV. That bag is for Amina.
V. When did you borrow Ama’s laptop?
❖ In this regard, multiple nouns can be connected by the use of

apostrophes.
Example
I. His father’s mother’s friend’s house is situated on the
Akwapem ridge.
❖ Note: the rule states that if you are using an apostrophe with a
word that already has ‘s’, you are expected to add an apostrophe
followed by the possessive mark if you pronounce the ‘s’.
❖ However, if the possessive marker is not pronounced, then you

do not need to add the ‘s’, you should only add the apostrophe.
Examples
I. James’s car is new.
II. Eric lives in his parents’ apartment.
❖ In the case of multiple nouns/“owners,”, use ‐‘s with the last

noun only to show joint possession.
Example
I. Have you seen David and Allan’s new computer?
❖ You must make all nouns possessive to show individual
possession.
Example
I. Jack’s and Berta’s expectations of marriage were very
different.
❖ Generally, apostrophes are not used to write plural forms;
however, when writing letters or alphabets in plural, you
must use an apostrophe.
Examples
I. How many l’s are in the word ‘following’?
II. Write your F’s very clearly.

Hyphen (-)
❖ Hyphens are used in forming compound words, especially

compound adjectives.
❖ Compound words are formed using two or more individual

words e.g., Sick-bay, blue-black, two-hour, etc.
❖ A hyphen is therefore used to connect the two words to form a

single word.
❖ A hyphen is also used in a compound word which occurs

before a noun but is not used if the same compound word
occurs after a noun.
Hyphen (-) Cont’d
Examples
I. Mother gave Ama a hand-sewn baby dress.
II. The dress the baby is wearing is hand sewn.
III. Dr. Edward Mahama is a well‐known presidential candidate.
IV. Dr. Edward Mahama is a presidential candidate who is well known.
V. She bought a first‐class ticket.
VI. The ticket is first class.
VII. They lodged in a first-star hotel.
VIII. Their hotel was described as first star.

Hyphen (-) Cont’d
❖ Note that the use of hyphens have become inconsistent and are
no longer used as frequently as before.
❖ Therefore, one is no longer compelled to use hyphens in all

compound words.
E.g.: e-mail/ email, web-site/website, hyper-link/hyperlink,
tool-bar/toolbar.
❖ However, when writing compound which contains a number,

you are obliged to use a hyphen.

Hyphen (-) Cont’d
Examples
I. Your exams will be a two-hour paper.
II. She bought a ten-cedi pen.
III. She bought a pen for ten cedis.
IV. They have a seven-year (-) old son.
V. We are in the twenty-first century.
❖ Hyphens are used with prefixes like ‘ex or self and non’.
Examples
I. Ex: ex-employee, ex-wife, ex-president, etc.
II. Self: self-teaching, self-driving, self-proclaimed, etc.
III. Non: non-smokers, non-teaching

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staff, non-applicable, etc.
Prepared by Joy A. Agama 23
Hyphen (-) Cont’d
❖ Prefixing proper nouns or numbers:
I. Anti-African, post-1957 era, pre-1960, etc.
❖ Hyphens are use in compound numbers and fractions:
Examples
II. Two-thirds of the food has been eaten already.
III. Only one-third of Ghana’s population is employed.
IV. The twenty-two-member committee met yesterday.

Dashes (-)
❖ Although dashes look like hyphens, they are not the same.
❖ Dashes are used to add extra information (that information
which can be omitted and the sentence will still make
absolute sense) to a sentence just like commas do.
❖ A dash shows a break or interruption of thought between
sentence parts.
❖ We can therefore say that hyphens combine words while

dashes separate groups of words.
❖ The use of dashes is preferred to the use of commas when the

extra information seems not to fit into the grammar of the
sentence.
Dashes (-) Cont’d
❖ To ascertain whether the extra information fits in or not is
subjective so you are allowed to choose between using
dashes or commas without restriction.
Examples
I. The number of stars in the Milky Way-including many
which are undetectable-is estimated to be over 400
million.
II. The number of stars in the Milky Way, including many

which are undetectable, is estimated to be over 400
million.
III. However, since commas have other functions apart from

adding information, it is better to use dashes, that way
your reader can interpret them more correctly.
Dashes (-) Cont’d
❖ The other ways to use dashes include:
1. Using them with appositives (i.e., nouns that follow other nouns to
describe them):
a. James – a pretty clever fellow – won the contest easily.
2. Using them to set off emphasized information:

b. Everything that was broken – from the cracked window to
the worn‐out carpet – was blamed on the dog.
c. She behaves like an adult-she isn’t.
3. Using them to introduce a list or indicating a restatement:

d. Lately, Peter has been making changes in his life–reading
more books, visiting interesting places and exercising
more regularly.
e. He displays very good qualities- honesty, generosity, patience and
humility.

Speech marks/Quotation marks (‘ ’/ “ ” )
❖ There are two types of speech marks; these are the single and
double speech marks. Both usually do the same thing.
❖ It is however recommended to use double speech marks when

quoting direct speeches.
a. She walked in and said: “bring out your books.”

b. She walked in and said, “bring out your books.”
c. “The beautiful ones are not yet born” is the title of an
African story book.
❖ You can decide to precede the speech mark with a colon or

comma.
❖ However, the use of commas is the most common practice.

Speech marks/Quotation marks (‘ ’/ “ ” ) Cont’d
❖ There are different opinions about the positioning of final

punctuation marks like a full stop or a question mark at the
end of a quote.
❖ The argument here is whether the punctuation should be

inside the speech marks or outside of the speech marks.
❖ The positioning is not prescribed; however, you must stay

consistent with your choice of style.

Speech marks/Quotation marks (‘ ’/ “ ” ) Cont’d
❖ Speech marks are also used to express irony, skepticism or

sarcasm.
Example
I. To buy ‘luxury cars’ for ministers in this ailing economy
is quite unacceptable.
❖ Speech marks are also used to refer to words as words.
Examples
I. It is difficult to spell ‘diarrhea’.
II. How many C’s are in ‘accommodation’?
Question Mark/Interrogation Mark (?)
❖ A question mark is used at the end of questions.
❖ Note that questions can be direct, indirect and even
rhetorical.
Examples
I. What is your name?
II. Where do you come from?
III. Could you help with carrying the chairs from here to the
other side?
IV. Have you watched the movie ‘Who killed Nancy?’
❖ If you are reporting what someone else said, you do not
need a question mark.
V. He asked me to help him carry the chairs from here to the
other side.
Exclamation Mark (!)
❖ It adds emphasis or emotions (anger, excitement, joy,
sorrow) to a sentence.
Examples
I. This is so amazing!
II. Here she comes!
III. Look, that’s a lion!
❖ Exclamation marks are also used in the case of

interjections like hurray! wow! oops! oh my God!
❖ Do not overuse exclamation marks unless your writing is

very informal.
Parentheses/Brackets [( )]
❖ Parentheses are used as a reminder or to add information
that is interesting but not critical (extra non-essential
information) to the meaning of the sentence just like
commas and dashes.
❖ Parentheses usually contain names, dates or statistics.
1. Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972) was Ghana’s first

president.
2. Only (10%) of the students I currently teach are
females.

Parentheses/Brackets [( )] Cont’d
❖ Parentheses are also used to provide options for the reader.
3. Write your suggestion(s) here.
❖ Note that it is not advisable to express very long ideas in

parenthesis.
4. The capital of the Ho Municipal and the Volta

Region (which is Ho is situated at the South-eastern
part of Ghana and lies between Mount Adaklu and
Mount Galenkui) has a teaching hospital.

Ellipsis (…)
❖ This simply refers to a set of dots, usually three or four
dots which signal an omission in any quoted material.
❖ The omitted item could be words or even an entire

sentence.
❖ It may also indicate a pause or some kind of interruption

in thoughts or a trail off (hesitation) which is found in a
quotation.
❖ Three dots (…) indicate deleted words while four dots

(….) indicate a deleted sentence(s) or a deletion at the end
of a sentence.
Reference
❖ Wiredu, John. (1998). Organised English grammar.

Legon, Accra: Academic Publications.

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HO TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

By the end of this lesson students should be able to perform

❖ explain the basic punctuation rules of English.

❖ use punctuation marks effectively in their write-ups.

❖ identify and correct punctuation errors.

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 3

❖ Different punctuation marks are used in English writings.

❖ These marks or symbols were developed to help learners

❖ Punctuation marks have meanings and express specific

❖ Incorrect use of punctuations can lead to miscommunication

English identifies two (2) main types of punctuation marks.

❖ These are the pause and terminal punctuation marks.

❖ Terminal punctuation: full stop, exclamation mark,

❖ Pause punctuation: comma, semicolon, colon, etc.

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 5

❖ A full stop is used at the end of a complete sentence (a

❖ Full stops are also used in writing abbreviations. There are

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 6

❖ They are generally written without full stops in British

❖ Full stops are also used in to terminate commands and

1. Please pass me the book and leave.

❖ Note that there is no space before a full stop; however,

❖ Commas are used in different ways.

❖ The most basic and common use of a comma is to separate items

II. He likes sports like football, volley, basketball, running and

III. He likes sports like football, volley, basketball, running, etc.

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 8

❖ Comas are used in compound and complex sentences. Commas

❖ Because of the weather, the flight was cancelled.

❖ The flight was cancelled because of the weather.

❖ If the dependent clause occurs before the independent clause, a

❖ However, if the structure is changed such that the independent

❖ A comma is used to add non essential information

❖ It is also used when extra information is added to the middle

❖ Commas are used in salutations and subscriptions.

❖ When you call out to someone, a comma is used.

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 11

E.g.: He doesn’t joke with his best friend: his cat.

❖ A colon can only be used after a complete sentence not

I. She will order a package: a dress, a pair of shoes, and a hand

II. I have to buy a dress, a pair of shoes, and a hand bag.

❖ The use of a semicolon indicates a connection between the idea

❖ It is used between two independent clauses and helps to avoid

I. To offer a creative writing course, a student needs to be able to write a

❖ Apostrophes are also used to show possession.

❖ In this regard, multiple nouns can be connected by the use of

❖ However, if the possessive marker is not pronounced, then you

II. Eric lives in his parents’ apartment.

❖ In the case of multiple nouns/“owners,”, use ‐‘s with the last

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 19

❖ Hyphens are used in forming compound words, especially

❖ Compound words are formed using two or more individual

❖ A hyphen is therefore used to connect the two words to form a

❖ A hyphen is also used in a compound word which occurs

II. The dress the baby is wearing is hand sewn.

III. Dr. Edward Mahama is a well‐known presidential candidate.

IV. Dr. Edward Mahama is a presidential candidate who is well known.

V. She bought a first‐class ticket.

VI. The ticket is first class.

VII. They lodged in a first-star hotel.

VIII. Their hotel was described as first star.

11/2/2022 Prepared by Joy A. Agama 21