PUNCTUATION MARKS AND THEIR USES.

Punctuation marks are essential when writing. They show the reader where sentences start and finish.
Also, if they are used properly,they make one’s writing easy to understand. We will try to look at how to
use the comma,semicolons,and other types of punctuation marks correctly,so that your writing will
always be clear and effective in conveying intended meanings. Thus,punctuation marks are used in
writing to separate sentences and their elements,and to clarify meanings.

Types of punctuation marks:

 Comma
 Full stop or stop
 Semicolon
 Colon
 Apostrophe
 Hyphen
 Dash
 Brackets
 Inverted commas or quotation marks
 Exclamation mark
 Question mark

THE COMMA.

The following are some of the situation which a comma should be used:

1. To separate the elements in a list of three or more items.

Example.
 The pet store has cats, digs, harmsters,fish and turtles.
 He was given a book, a mathematical set,a pen,a pencil and an eraser.

RULE: Insert a comma before the final “and” if there is a danger that the last two items in the series will
merge and become indistinguishable without a comma. In other words, if there would be ambiguity
without a comma,insert a comma to resolve the ambiguity.

Example.

 His favourite foods were mbahal, domoda,and chicken and benachin.

 Her favourite foods were chocolate,marshmallows,cake,and chicken.

In the above sentences it is acceptable to use a comma after the word “domoda” in the first sentence
and after the “cake” in the second sentence. This is to indicate that in the first sentence the “chicken
and benachin” is considered as a single item in the series and in the second sentence the “cake and
chicken” are separate items. This type of comma is called the Oxford comma or Serial comma.

Class discussion:

 Mariam is in the cave with her ex-boyfriend,a photographer and a pet detective.
 Mariam is in the cave with her ex-boyfriend,a photographer, and a pet detective.
  My sister adopted a beautiful big white bulldog.

2. Before certain conjunctions.

A comma should be used before these conjunctions:and,but,for,nor,yet,or, so – to separate two main or

independent clauses. They are called coordinating conjunctions .

Examples.

 She is a fantastic cook,but she would never be as good as the mother-in-law.

 He hated his neighbours,so he never invited them home.

Note: A common mistake is to put the comma after the conjunction.

3. Use of comma in the address, date, salutation and subscription of a letter.

 Use a comma before the last element of the address of a leter(optional). Eg
Farafenni Secondary School,
Farafenni,
Upper Baddibu District,
North Bank Region.
 Use a comma after the month in the heading of a letter. Eg
25th January,2019.
 Use a comma after the salutation of a letter. Eg
Dear Fatou,
 Use a comma after the subscription of a letter. Eg
Yours faithfully,

4. To separate introductory elements or introductory phrases in a sentence.

Use a comma to separate introductory elements in a sentence from the main part of that
sentence.
Examples.
 Given the appaling weather conditions,Michael was lucky to survive the storm.
 As the night drew to a close, the clubbers wandered home.
 Having mastered the use of the comma,it is important to make it work for you in your writing.
Note: If the introductory element of the sentence is very short, it is 3permissible to omit the
comma. If the introductory phrase is more than three words, the comma is recommended.
Examples.
 Shortly we will be leaving for the party.
 After his nap Sam felt a lot better.
Note: If a brief introductory phrase,however short,is likely to merge with the rest of the sentence
and confuse the reader,the comma is required.
Examples.
 Inside the house was a total mess.
 Inside, the house was a total mess.
Note: The comma is also required if the introductory phrase,however short, appears to modify the
meaning of the sentence.

Example:

 Sadly,the whole building began to crumble.

5. To separate parenthetical elements in a sentence.

A comma is used to set off parenthetical elements in a sentence. The parenthetical element (also known
as an aside) is part of the sentence that can be removed without changing the essential meaning of the
sentence.

Examples.

 Sarah, the most intelligent pupil in the class, was always late for school.
 The pyramids,one of the wonders of the ancient world, lie just outside Cairo.

Note: If you are using a comma to do this,it is important that the aside is 2opened and closed with a
comma. A common mistake is to omit the second comma.

Note: If the parenthetical element in the sentence is closely identified with the subject the comma may
not be necessary.

Examples:

 His wife Jill was a high flyer in the city.

 Jill, his wife, was a high flyer in the city.

Exercise: Tick the correctly punctuated sentences.

A. After a fantastic night out, we all went to the chip shop.

B. My wife a wonderful woman makes a delicious curry.
C. John, my brother,is the world’s worst piano player.
D. Walking back from the hotel we saw the robbery with our own eyes.
6. To separate direct speech or quoted elements from the rest of the sentence.

Commas are used to separate direct speech or quoted elements from the rest of the sentence.

Examples.

 “That house there,” he whispered, “is where I grew up.”

 “Give me the money,” he snarled, “unless you want to meet your creator.”

Note that a comma is not always needed in direct speech if another punctuation mark serves to
separate the quoted element from the rest of the sentence. Look at the following example:

 “Give me my money!” he snarled.

The comma splice

The comma splice is one of the most frequent mistakes made when using a comma. The comma
splice occurs when a comma is used to connect two independent clauses.
 In the example below the two clauses make sense on their own, thus they are independent of
the other. Connecting them with a comma is incorrect.
Example.
 Sheikh usually gets on with everybody,he is an understanding person.

Corrected to:

 Sheikh usually gets on with everybody. He is an understanding person.

EXERCISE: Tick the sentences showing the comma splice.

1. Paul loves to travel, he visits Hungary at least once a year.

2. Flying back from Greece, we saw a beautiful sunset.
3. I always find writing essays difficult, I usually leave them to the last minute.
4. She makes a smashing apple pie, I love it.
Ways to correct a comma splice.
I. You can make them into two sentences using a full stop. This is probably the easiest but
may not be the best in terms of style or developing your argument.
Example.
 Bai Sheikh usually gets on with everybody.He is an understanding person.

II. You can use a semicolon. Semicolons should not be over used but can be very powerful
when used in the correct situation. In our example,using a semicolon suggests a link
between the two clauses without stating that link specifically. This can be a powerful
tool in developing a convincing argument.
Example.
 Bai Sheikh usually gets with everybody; he is an understanding person.

III. You can introduce a conjunction to connect the sentences. By doing this, you make the
connection between the two clauses more explicit.
Example.
 Bai Sheikh usually gets on with everybody because he is an understanding person.