……../……../…………..

Activity 1
Read the give paragraph. Is it clear? Why do you say so?
Aladdins mother told him that she had no money to buy food i will take this old lamp to the market
to sell it said Aladdin but first we must polish it his mother began to rub the lamp to clean it when
suddenly a genie appeared your wish is my command said the genie aladdins mother was so afraid
that she fainted aladdin quickly took the lamp genie of the lamp he said we are hungry bring us
some good things to eat the next thing he knew the genie produced a table of the most wonderful
food aladdin helped his mother to her feet look mother he said his mother could not believe her
eyes but she was afraid when Aladdin told her about the Genie of the Lamp

Activity 2
Make changes to make the above paragraph clear.

Punctuation
What is punctuation?
Punctuation is the symbols that are used to separate written sentences and parts of sentences,
and to make their meaning clear.
Examples:
capital letters, period/full stop, comma, apostrophe, quotation, question, exclamation, brackets,
braces, parenthesis, dash, hyphen, ellipsis, colon, semicolon.
Example:
Aladdins mother told him that she had no money to buy food I will take this old lamp to the
market to sell it said Aladdin but first we must polish it

1. Capital Letters and Full Stop/Period

We use capital letters to mark the beginning of a sentence and we use full stops to mark the end
of a sentence.
Examples:
a. we went to france last summer. we were really surprised that it was so easy to travel on the
motorways.
b. the football world cup takes place every four years. the next world cup will be held in south
africa. last year it was held in germany.

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We also use capital letters at the beginning of proper nouns. Proper nouns include specific names
for people, places and things. We also use capital letters with nationalities, languages, days of the
week and months of the year and public holidays.

2. Commas ,
Commas also help to improve clarity and are used for several purposes.
a. to separate a list of similar words or phrases.
b. and to join two independent clauses
sentence type: …………………….. conjunction: ……………………..……………………..)
c. to separate independent and dependent clauses
(sentence type: …………………….. conjunction: ……………………..……………………..)
d. to mark non-defining clauses. They add extra, non-essential information about the noun.

Examples:
a. I had eggs toast and orange juice.
b. I enjoyed the singers but I hated the dancers.
c. Even though the auditorium was packed the audience remained silent.
(The audience remained silent even though the auditorium was packed.)
d. The storm lasting as it did for several days caused serious damage to villages near the coast.

3. Apostrophe ’
Apostrophes are used to show possession and to mark contractions. They are also used to show
quotations.
Examples:
a. It was james car that the drunk driver hit
b. James said if you come any closer ill call the police
c. you shouldnt share food with each other the teacher advised

4. Quotation Marks “ ”
Quotation marks are used to inform a reader of something that was spoken or something that is
being directly copied from another work. Quotes should also be placed around a word if it is used
in a specific context or otherwise bears special attention. In informal applications, quotations can
also be used to denote something that is ironic.
Examples:
a. Lydia said is this my prom dress
b. Dr. Shruti claims the use of violence against women in India is on the rise

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 5. Question Mark
A question mark (?) is placed at the end of a sentence which is a direct question.
Examples:
a. What is the capital of wales
b. Does anyone have a pen I can borrow I have lost mine
c. In which country did coffee originate

6. Exclamation Point/Mark
It is used at the end of a sentence or a short phrase which expresses very strong feeling.
Examples:
a. “Stop ” he yelled. “You’ve got two flat tires ”
b. Stop writing on the walls
c. How could I have forgotten to pack my jersey

7. Semicolon
It is used to connect independent clauses that have a closer relationship than a period would show.
Examples:
a. John was hurt he knew she only said it to upset him.
b. I ordered a cheeseburger for lunch life’s too short for counting calories.
c. Martha has gone to the library her sister has gone to play soccer.

8. Colon
A colon is used to give emphasis, present dialogue, introduce lists or text and clarify titles. Colon
introduces a quotation, an explanation, an example, or a series and also separates the hour and
minute in time expressions.
Examples:
a. There are three types of muscle in the body cardiac, smooth, and skeletal.
b. We have two options here stay and fight, or run like the wind.
c. The weapon to defeat the beast was something nobody expected love.
d. He ended with the immortal words of Neil Young “Rock and Roll can never die.”
e. I finished watching the movie at 12 15 am.
f. The odds of my horse winning are 10 1.
g. My brother plays Star Wars The Old Republic every night till dawn.
h. To Whom It May Concern
i. PS I have attached the CV for further reference.

9. Dash
Dashes and parentheses indicate an “aside” to the point you are making in your sentence. Dashes
interrupt your writing to insert an interjection or pause, while parentheses gently add information
to your point. Dashes are more common in fiction writing and in more casual texts.

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A dash resembles a hyphen, but longer. It separates part of a sentence and indicate a break. It
indicates a longer pause than a comma and a semicolon. It is also called a long dash or an em dash.
Examples:
a. A lot has changed since last year probably for the better.
b. People both young and old were advised to take vaccinations at the earliest.
c. We know one thing for sure something unexpected is coming our way.

i. em dash —
An em dash is inserted (Control+Alt+Minus) between the words it separates—signals an abrupt
break in thought. It can be seen as “surprising” the reader with information. If used carefully it can
mark a longer, more dramatic pause and provide more emphasis than a comma can.
Examples:
a. After days of deliberation, the jury came to its final verdict not guilty.
b. I think something might be wrong with Jeff he thinks he is a squirrel.
c. I love kittens who doesn’t? but that doesn’t mean I want to adopt 50 of them.
d. It turns out that Mr. Green a man I always suspected was the true culprit.

ii. en dash
A midsize dash (longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash) that is mostly used to show
ranges in numbers and dates. It can also be used for clarity in forming complex compound
adjectives.
It is used to show connections or conflicts between words in writing. This includes ranges,
oppositions, and compound adjectives.
Examples:
a. Our part-time employees work 20 30 hours per week.
b. By Monday, you should have read pages 79 113.
c. The years 1861 1865 were a dark time in American history.

10. Hyphen
Hyphen joins words or parts of words. It is used between the parts of a *compound word or
between the syllables of a word, especially when divided at the end of a line of text.
*individual words (or phrases that act as individual words) made from two or more words working together.

Examples:
a. She makes one of a kind engagement rings in her studio.
b. Fast acting medication can be useful when one has a headache.
c. The room was like a heavily decorated chocolate box.
d. The actor just turned fifty two, but they had twenty seven candles on their birthday cake!
e. The psychic claimed to be all knowing. Sure enough, she didn't seem surprised when her
client re entered her shop.

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 11. Parenthesis
Parentheses ( ) are curved notations used to add additional, non-essential information to clarify,
explain, or add a side note in a sentence.
Examples:
a. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) was an icon.
b. The European Space Agency (ESA) has its headquarters in Paris.
c. The newly elected CEO said that things will be different this time. (Isn’t that what they all say?)

12. Brackets
Brackets [ ] are used to clarify or explain a part of the sentence that is not present, especially in a
direct quotation.
Examples:
a. I read that novel The Great Gatsby in high school.
b. Lisa said, “ I can't believe that he Brad Pitt is here!”
c. He the police officer can't prove they did it.

13. Ellipsis
The ellipsis is a type of punctuation that represents a pause or omission of unnecessary words (that
do not interfere with the meaning) has been intentionally left out. Specifically, it shows that words
have been cut from a direct quote, so the reader knows the original passage has been modified.
It is also used to create a pause for effect.
In form, it is three dots or periods.
Examples:
a. After school I went to her house, which was a few blocks away, and then came home.
After school I went to her house and then came home.

b. “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when my mother took me to see him in a department store
and he asked for my autograph.” (Actress Shirley Temple)
“I stopped believing in Santa Claus when he asked for my autograph.” (Actress Shirley Temple)

c. He was empty filled with rage the embodiment of a broken heart.

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Extra exercise:
Use appropriate punctuation where ever they are needed in the following sentences.

a. Several countries participated in the airlift Italy, belgium, France, and luxembourg.
b. "There's no room for error said the engineer so we have to double check every calculation."
c. In three weeks time we ll have to begin school again.
d. Jeanne failed her English test nevertheless she was able to get a good job.
e. Though Phil said he would arrive on the 9 19 flight he came instead on the 10:36 flight.
f. My mom always told me to follow the Golden Rule treat others as you want to be treated
g. In the words of Murphys law Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.’
h. Some people work best in the mornings others do better in the evenings.
i. The reporter interviewed the following people the department heads the members of the
faculty council and a representative group of students.
j. Didnt he say when he would arrive at Arnie s house
k. All the children six sisters and two brothers were at their parents home for the celebration.
l. Brett Waggoner my first boss is the only boss who spoke for me.
m. I remember a time when everyone used to quote JFK’s famous appeal, “ask not what your
country can but what you can do for your country”
n. The young writer s ill advised decision may have caused him to lose the publishing contract.