Exclamation point (!)
At the end
of a word, phrase, or sentence filled with emotion
Hurry up! I can be late for
the meeting!
Inside a
quotation mark when the quote is an exclamation
The woman yelled, “Hurry up!
I can be late for the meeting!”
Period (.)
Use a
period at the end of a complete sentence that is a statement.
I know that you would never
break my trust intentionally.
Use a
period after an indirect question.
He asked where his suitcase
was. Jane asked if I knew where she had left her keys.
If the
last word in the sentence ends in a period, do not follow it with another
period.
I know that M.D. She is my
sister-in-law.
Please shop, cook, etc. I
will do the laundry.
At the end
of a declarative sentence (sentence that makes a statement)
Today, I took a walk to
nowhere.
At the end
of a command or request
Before a
decimal number
Statisticians claim that the
average family raises 2.5 children.
Between
dollars and cents
I remember when $1.50 could
buy the coolest stuff.
After an
initial in a person’s name
You are Sir James W. Dewault,
are you not?
After an
abbreviation
On Jan. 12, I leave for
Africa.
The Three-dot Method
The three-dot method is the simplest and is
appropriate for most general works and many scholarly ones.
Use no more than three marks whether the
omission occurs in the middle of a sentence or between sentences.
Original sentence: The
regulation states, ‘‘All agencies must document overtime or risk losing
federal funds.’’ Rewritten using ellipses: The regulation states, ‘‘All
agencies must document overtime . . .’’
With the three-dot method, you may leave out
punctuation such as commas that were in the original.
Original sentence from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: ‘‘Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.’’ Rewritten using ellipses: ‘‘ Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth. . . a new nation, conceived in liberty. . .’’
When you omit one or more paragraphs within a
long quotation, use ellipsis marks after the last punctuation mark that ends
the preceding paragraph.
Colons (:)
Use a
colon after an independent clause when it is followed by a list, a quotation,
appositive, or other idea directly related to the independent clause.
Julie went to the store for
some groceries: milk, bread, coffee, and cheese.
For the centerpieces, the
florist recommended the following flowers: daisies, tulips, daffodils, and
hyacinths.
I know the perfect job for
her: a politician.
I bought several items at the
store: milk, eggs, bread, and fruit.
I am enjoying my classes this
semester: English, Psychology, and History.
Incorrect: I bought several items at the store
such as: eggs, bread, and fruit.
Incorrect: I am enjoying my classes this
semester, which are: English, Psychology, and History.
Use a
colon between two independent clauses when the second clause emphasizes or
explains the first.
Road construction in Dallas
has hindered travel around town: parts of Main, Fifth, and West Street are
closed during the construction.
My grandfather gave me some
great advice: he told me to get a good education and always work hard.
I always recommend the local
Italian restaurant to visitors: it offers an extensive menu and the prices are
reasonable.
Use a
colon at the end of a business letter greeting.
To Whom It May Concern:
Dear President Robinson:
Between
titles and subtitles
Finding Your Dream Home: A
Buyer’s Guide.
Between
two complete ideas when the second idea explains the first.
Keri pushed her dinner away:
She had eaten on the car ride home.
Between
volumes and page numbers: Marvel Comics
21:24
Use a
colon to separate the hour and minute(s) in a time notation: 12:00 p.m.
Use a
colon to separate the chapter and verse in a Biblical reference: Freda 1:6
Question (?)
At the end
of a question sentence.
Why do you look so sad?
Inside a
quotation mark when the quote is a question
She asked, “Why do you look
so sad?”
Semicolon (;)
Between
elements in a series that uses commas
The possible dates for the
potluck dinner are Thursday, June 5; Saturday, June 7; or Monday, June 9.
Use a
semicolon to join two independent clauses when the second clause restates the
first or when the two clauses are of equal emphasis.
Lily is an accomplished
gymnast; she won three medals in her last competition.
I spend most of my time at
the gym on the treadmill; walking is my favorite form of exercise.
Use
a semicolon to join two independent clauses when the second clause begins with
a conjunctive adverb (however, therefore, moreover, furthermore, thus,
meanwhile, nonetheless, otherwise) or a transition (in fact, for example, that
is, for instance, in addition, in other words, on the other hand, even so).
Terrorism in the United
States has become a recent concern; in fact, the concern for America's safety
has led to an awareness of global terrorism.
Most residents of the
building have air conditioners; why, I’ve always found that a ceiling fan is
sufficient.
Use a
semicolon to join elements of a series when individual items of the series
already include commas.
Recent sites of the Olympic
Games include Athens, Greece; Salt Lake City, Utah; Sydney, Australia; Nagano,
Japan.
Quotation (“ ”)
When
directly quoting dialogue, not when paraphrasing:
Hamlet says, “To be, or not
to be. That is the question.”
For titles
of chapters, articles, short stories, poems, songs, or periodicals:
My favorite poem is “The Road
Not Taken.”
Use
quotation marks to enclose direct quotations. Note that commas and periods are
placed inside the closing quotation mark, and colons and semicolons are placed
outside. The placement of question and exclamation marks depends on the
situation.
He asked, "When will you
be arriving?" I answered, "Sometime after 6:30.”
Use
quotation marks to indicate the novel, ironic, or reserved use of a word.
History is stained with blood spilled in the name of "justice."
Use
quotation marks around the titles of short poems, song titles, short stories,
magazine or newspaper articles, essays, speeches, chapter titles, short films,
and episodes of television or radio shows.
"Seir Ciarain Hurling
Greats” by Joe Bergin
"Clara Lady," by
Stephen Kelly
"The Big Blue Car,"
an episode of Fair City
Do not use
quotation marks in indirect or block quotations.
“Don’t run!” Mr. Ellington
shouted.
Parenthesis
Parenthesis
also knows as “Bracket”.
Parentheses
are used to emphasize content. They place more emphasis on the enclosed content
than commas. If you removed the bracketed material the sentence would still
make perfectly good sense.
Use
parentheses to set off nonessential material, such as dates, clarifying
information, or sources, from a sentence.
Muhammad Ali (1942-present),
arguably the greatest athlete of all time, claimed he would "float like a
butterfly, sting like a bee."
Mount Everest (8,848 m) is
the highest mountain in the world.
There are several books on
the subject (see page 120).
He coined the term ‘hypnotism’
(from the Greek word hypnos meaning 'sleep') and practised it frequently.
They can
also be used to enclose a comment by the person writing:
He’d clearly had too much to
drink (not that I blamed him).
Square
brackets:
Square
brackets are mainly used to enclose words added by someone other than the
original writer or speaker, typically in order to clarify the situation:
He [the police officer] can’t
prove they did it.
If round
or square brackets are used at the end of a sentence, the full stop should be
placed outside the closing bracket:
They eventually decided to
settle in the United States (Debbie's home).
Apostrophe (’)
Where
letters or numbers have been deleted—as in a contraction
I looked at my father and
whispered, “It’s (It is) okay to cry every so often.”
At the end
of a name where there is ownership (remember to also add an s after the
apostrophe if the word or name does not end in an s already)
Mary Jane’s horse sprained
his ankle during practice.
Kim’s assistant, usually so
reliable, has been late for work three times this week, without any excuse.
Dash (-)
Dashes are used to set off or emphasize the
content enclosed within dashes or the content that follows a dash. Dashes place
more emphasis on this content than parentheses.
Perhaps one reason why the
term has been so problematic—so resistant to definition, and yet so transitory
in those definitions—is because of its multitude of applications.
In terms of public legitimacy—that
is, in terms of garnering support from state legislators, parents, donors, and
university administrators—English departments are primarily places where
advanced literacy is taught.
The U.S.S. Constitution
became known as "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812—during which
the cannonballs fired from the British H.M.S. Guerriere merely bounced off the
sides of the Constitution.
To some of you, my proposals
may seem radical—even revolutionary.
We live on a planet with
finite resources – that is no surprise to anyone – so why do we have an
economic system in which all that matters is growth – more growth means using
more resources.
Use a dash
to set off an appositive phrase that already includes commas. An appositive is
a word that adds explanatory or clarifying information to the noun that
precedes it.
The cousins—Lisa, David,
Rickey, Stacey, and Zoë—arrived at the party together.
Everyone was shocked when Max
Smithfield - a studious, extremely bright high school senior - decided that
college was not for him.
Italic
Underlining
and Italics are often used interchangeably. Before word-processing programs
were widely available, writers would underline certain words to indicate to
publishers to italicize whatever was underlined. Although the general trend has
been moving toward italicizing instead of underlining, you should remain
consistent with your choice throughout your paper. To be safe, you could check
with your teacher to find out which he/she prefers. Italicize the titles of
magazines, books, newspapers, academic journals, films, television shows, long
poems, plays of three or more acts, operas, musical albums, works of art,
websites, and individual trains, planes, or ships.
Time
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
The Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Salvador Dali
Amazon.com
Titanic
Italicize
foreign words.
Semper fi, the motto of the U.S. Marine Corps,
means "always faithful."
Italicize
a word or phrase to add emphasis.
The truth is of utmost concern!
Italicize
a word when referring to that word. The word justice is often misunderstood and
therefore misused.
