Punctuation: EOL Chapter 21 Pages 560-585 End Marks, Commas, Semicolons, Colons

1. Punctuation: EOL Chapter 21 Pages 560-585End Marks, Commas, Semicolons, Colons

2. End Marks An end mark is a punctuation mark placed at the end of a sentence. Periods, question marks, and exclamation points are end marks. Periods are also used after some abbreviations.

3. End Marks • Use a period at the end of a statement (a declarative sentence). Examples: • French is the official language of Haiti, but many people there speak Haitian Creole. • I will write to you soon.

4. End Marks • Use a question mark at the end of a question (an interrogative sentence). Examples: • Have you heard Gloria Estefan’s new song? • Where should I meet you?

5. End Marks • Use an exclamation point at the end of an exclamation (an exclamatory sentence). Example: • What a cute puppy that is! • This egg drop soup is delicious!

6. End Marks • Use either a period or an exclamation point at the end of a request or a command (an imperative sentence). • Use a period after an imperative sentence that makes a request or a mild command. Use an exclamation point after a strong command. Examples: • Please sit down. (a request) • Sit down. (a mild command) • Sit down right now! (a strong command)

7. End Marks • Many abbreviations are followed by periods.

8. End Marks-Note • Abbreviations for government agencies and some widely used abbreviations are written without periods. Each letter of such abbreviation (which are called acronyms) is capitalized. Examples: • CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) • NOS (National Ocean Service) • PC (personal computer) • RFD (Rural Free Delivery) • TV (television)

9. End Marks-Note

10. End Marks-Note • A two-letter state abbreviation without periods is used only when it is followed by a ZIP Code. Both letters of the abbreviation are capitalized. No mark of punctuation is used between the abbreviation and the ZIP Code. Examples: • Washington, DC 20013 • San Juan, PR 00904

11. End Marks-Note • Abbreviations for units of measure are usually written without periods and are not capitalized. Examples: • cc • kg • ml • m • ft • lb • qt

12. End Marks-Note • However, you should use a period with the abbreviation in. (for inch) to prevent confusing it with the word in. When an abbreviation that has a period ends a sentence, another period is not needed. However, a question mark or an exclamation point is used in such situations if it is needed. Examples: • The game lasted until 8:30 P.M. • Did it start at 5:00 P.M.?

13. Commas • End marks are used to separate complete thoughts. Commas, however, are generally used to separate words or groups of words within a complete thought. If you fail to use necessary commas, you may confuse your reader. Confusing: The members of the team are Jo Ann Jerry Lee Darrin Marcia and Jeanne. (How many members?) Clear: The members of the team are Jo Ann, Jerry Lee, Darrin, Marcia, and Jeanne. (five members)

14. Commas-Items in a Series • Use commas to separate items in a series. A series is three or more items written one after the other. The items may be single words or word groups.

15. Commas-Items in a Seried • When all the items in a series are joined by and, or, or nor, do not use commas to separate them. Examples: • I’ve seen snakes and lizards and toads in our yard. • Shall we go bowling or rent a movie or listen to CDs?

16. Commas • Use commas to separate two or more adjectives that come before a noun. Examples: • Pita is a round, flat bread of the Middle East. • James Earl Jones certainly has a deep, strong, commanding voice. • Do not place a comma between an adjective and the noun immediately following it. Incorrect: • Alexandra and I found an old, rusty, bicycle in the vacant lot down the street. Correct: • Alexandra and I found an old, rusty bicycle in the vacant lot down the street.

17. Commas • Sometimes the last adjective in a series is thought of as part of the noun. In that case, do not use a comma before the last adjective. Examples: • The tall pine tree (not tall, pine tree) swayed. • Kimchi is a spicy Korean dish (not spicy, Korean dish) made with pickled cabbage.

18. Commas-Compound Sentences • Use a comma before and, but, for, not, or, so, or yet when it joins independent clauses in a compound sentence. Examples: • Theo will bring the potato salad, and Sarah will bring the apple juice. • Congress passed the bill, but I believe the president vetoed it. • I went to bed early, for I had a big day ahead of me.

19. Commas-Compound Sentences-Note • Do not confuse a compound sentence with a simple sentence containing a compound verb. No comma is needed between the parts of a compound verb. Compound Sentence: • We ran relay races first, and then we ate lunch. Simple Sentence: • We ran the relay races first and then ate lunch. (The sentence contains a compound verb.) • However, a compound verb made up of three or more verbs generally does require commas. Examples: • We ran the relay races, ate lunch, and then prepared for the individual races.

20. Commas-Interrupters • Use commas to set off an expression that interrupts a sentence. Two commas are used to set off an interrupting expression-one before and one after the expression. Examples: • My favorite gospel singers,BeBe and CeCeWinans, were on TV last night. • As you leave, Jesse, please close the door quietly. • Sometimes an “interrupter” comes at the beginning or the end of the sentence. In such cases, only one comma is needed. Examples: • Yes, I’ll call back later. • How did you do in karate class today,Kami?

21. Commas-Interrupters • Use commas to set off appositives and appositive phrases that are not necessary to the meaning of a sentence. An appositive is a noun or a pronoun that identifies or describes another noun or pronoun beside it. An appositive phrase is an appositive with its modifiers. Examples: • A gymnast, Mrs. Shaw, will coach us. (The appositive Mrs. Shaw identifies the gymnast.) • This book is about geology, the science of the earth and its rocks.(The science of the earth and its rocks is an appositive phrase that identifies geology.)

22. Commas-Interrupters • Do not use commas when an appositive is necessary to the meaning of a sentence. Examples: • My cousin Roberto lives in Puerto Rico. (I have more than one cousin and am using his name to identify which cousin I mean.) • The character Alice is based on Alice Liddell. (Alice is one of several characters; the appositive tells which character is meant.)

23. Commas-Interrupters • Use commas to set off words used in direct address. Examples: • Ms. Jacobs, please explain the assignment. • Do you know who Santa Anna was, Beth? • You’re right, Ines, to say he was a Mexican general. • In the sentences above, the words Ms. Jacobs, Beth, and Ines are nouns of direct address. They identify the person or persons spoken to or addressed.

24. Commas-Introductory Words, Phrases, and Clauses • Use a comma after certain introductory elements. • 1. Use a comma after yes, no, or any mild exclamation such as well or why at the beginning of a sentence. Examples: • Yes, you may use my pencil. • Why, it’s Arthur! • Well, I think you should apologize.

25. Commas-Introductory Words, Phrases, and Clauses • Use a comma after certain introductory elements. • Use a comma after two or more introductory prepositional phrases. Example: • In the valley at the base of the hill, a herd of buffalo grazes. • Also, use a comma after a single ling introductory prepositional phrase. Example: • On the winter morning when Kenan discovered the strange visitor, the rosebush burst into bloom. • Use a comma after a single short introductory prepositional phrase when the comma is necessary to make the sentence clear. Confusing: In the evening sunlight faded in the western sky. Clear: In the evening, sunlight faded in the western sky. (The comma is needed so that the reader does not read “evening sunlight.”)

26. Commas-Introductory Words, Phrases, and Clauses • Use a comma after certain introductory elements. • Use a comma after an introductory adverb clause. Example: • After the show is over, we will go out to eat. Note: An adverb clause that comes at the end of a sentence usually is not preceded by a comma. Example: • We will go out to eat after the show is over.

27. Commas-Conventional Uses • Use commas in certain conventional situations. • Use commas to separate items in dates and addresses. Examples: • Bill Cosby was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. • Saturday, May 10, will be the day of the soccer playoff. • My aunt has lived at 41 Jefferson Street, Northfield, Minnesota, since 1998. • Notice that a comma separates the last item in a date or in an address from the words that follow it. However, a comma does not separate a month from a day (July 12) or a house number from a street name (41 Jefferson Street).

28. Commas-Conventional Uses-Note • No punctuation is used between the state abbreviation and the ZIP Code. Example: • Cerritos, CA 90701

29. Commas-Conventional Uses • Use commas in certain conventional situations. • Use a comma after the salutation of a personal letter and after the closing of any letter. Examples: • Dear Grandma and Grandpa, • Dear Tyrone, • Love, • Sincerely,

30. Unnecessary Commas • Do not use unnecessary commas. Too much punctuation can be just as confusing as not enough punctuation, especially where the use of commas is concerned. Confusing: My friend, Jessica, said she would feed my cat and my dog while I’m away, but now, she tells me, she will be too busy. Clear: My friend Jessica said she would feed my cat and my dog while I’m away, but now she tells me she will be too busy. • Have a reason for every comma or other mark of punctuation that you use. When there is no rule requiring punctuation and when the meaning of the sentence is clear without one, do not insert any punctuation mark.

31. Semicolons • A semicolon is part period and part comma. Like a period, it can separate complete thoughts. Like a comma, it can separate items within a sentence. Use a semicolon between parts of a compound sentence if they are not joined by and, but, for, nor, or, so, or yet. Examples: • Todd’s report is about Arizona; mine is about Utah. • The rain clouds are moving in quickly; let’s head home.

32. Semicolons-Notes • Use a semicolon to join independent clauses only if the ideas in the independent clauses are closely related. Otherwise, use a period to make tow separate sentences. Examples: • Do not touch that tree frog; it may be poisonous. (The two ideas are closely related.) • Do not touch that tree frog. Everyone stay together. (The two ideas are not closely related.)

33. Colons • A colon usually signals that more information follows. • Use a colon before a list of items, especially after expressions such as the following and as follows. Examples: • These are the winners of the poetry contest: Carmen Santiago, Justin Douglass, and Steven Yellowfeather. • Pack the following items for your overnight trip:a toothbrush, toothpaste, and your hairbrush. • The order of the colors seen through a prism is as follows: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

34. Colons-Note • Do not use a colon between a preposition and its object or between a verb and its object. Either omit the colon or reword the sentence. Incorrect: My report includes: a table of contents, three chapters, illustrations, and a list of sources. Correct: My report includes a table of contents, three chapters, illustrations, and a list of sources. Correct: My report includes the following parts: a table of contents, three chapters, illustrations, and a list of sources.

35. Colons • Colons may also be used to introduce long, formal statements and quotations. Example: • Mark Twain had a very definite opinion on happiness: “The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer somebody else up.”

36. Colons • A colon usually signals that more information follows. • Use a colon between the hour and the minute when you write the time. Examples: 8:55 A.M. 9:15 P.M. 6:22 this morning • Use a colon after the salutation of a business letter. Examples: • Dear Sir or Madam: • Dear Sales Manager: • Dear Mrs. Jordan: • To Whom It May Concern: