Punctuation Overview

Apostrophe

We use the apostrophe in two ways:

1. To show possession; for example:
   •  This is Miguel’s car.
2. To show missing letters when words are shortened: 
   • He’s got a really fast car.

Tip: 

• Can you carry the girl’s bags?
• Can you carry the girls’ bags?

Capitals

We capitalize:

• Proper nouns.
• The first word in a sentence.
• A person’s title, when it comes before their name.
• Every word in a title, except for a, an, the, and, etc.
• The first word in a quoted sentence: Johan said, “Make sure you see the show.”

Colon

Correct use of the colon can enrich your writing.  Its function is to introduce something that follows:

• A list
  • We need some groceries: sugar, milk and bread.
• A quotation
  • The professor stated: “This course is the best.”
• A question
  • The question is: Do you think it will rain?
• A conclusion
  • The conclusion was: “It’s all over.”
• An example
  • There is one word you cannot overuse: please.

We also use a colon:

• For formal salutations: 
  • Prime Minister: Dear Mrs Smith: Honourable Members:
• To separate the hour and minute/s in a time notation:
  • 10:30 p.m.
• To separate the chapter and verse in a Biblical reference:
  • Matthew 1:6

Comma

Mastering the comma will improve your writing. Use it to:

• Itemize; for example:
  •  Make sure you order some pens, binders, rulers and paper.
• Separate persons and names: 
  • Nazia, what did you say?
• Add an additional thought; for example: 
  • His advice was, generally speaking, encouraging.
• Emphasize; for example: 
  • I was scared, really scared.
• Balance comparisons; for example: 
  • The more I looked, the more I saw.

Dash and hyphen

A dash is used in the construction of sentences.  A hyphen is used in the construction of words. The dash can be used to:

Link
The colours of the flag are very vibrant – orange, black and green.

Pause
She apologized with a smile – as usual.

Interrupt
“I have to tell you – and I apologize in advance – that she will not see you.”

Extend a sentence
He walked in the room, looked around – and quietly left.

Separate a list
She threw the lot at me – plates, cups, sausages – and stormed out.

Exclamation mark

Wise use of the exclamation mark can improve your writing. Overuse can kill it!  We use it to:

• Command:
  • “Get out!”
• Convey irony or emphasize insults: 
  • “That’ll be right!” or “You idiot!”
• Convey great surprise, anger or disgust:
  • “I won!” or “It’s filthy!”

Quotation marks

Double or single?  The choice is yours, but having made your choice, stick with it: be consistent.

• Quotation marks indicate direct speech: they show the exact words someone has spoken.
  • Example: The professor said, “If your paper is late, it will be ungraded.”

• Do not use quotation marks if you are paraphrasing what someone has said.
  • Example: The professor said that if our papers are late, they will not get a grade.

• Capitalize the first letter of the word that begins a quotation.

Semicolon

Some of the main uses of the semicolon include:

• Join independent clauses that are closely related; for example:
  •  “I am not going to help him; he never offers to help me.”
• Separate word groups that already contain commas; for example: 
  • The Student Council was composed of Abbas Mohammed, President; Sri Hartini, Vice President; James Taylor, Treasurer and Carolyn Johnson, Secretary.
• Emphasize opposite statements and contrast; for example:
  • I loved the car; pity about the colour.”

Semicolons are often founds in phrases that use transitional words, such as: after all, as a result of, for example, however, in addition, in fact, therefore, and thus.
The first sentence above could be improved to read:
I am not going to help him; after all, he never offers to help me.

To summarize the basics on punctuation, see the Basic Punctuation Tip Sheet