Punctuation Chapter 9

9-1: Periods and Other End Marks • End Marks: Periods, question marks, and exclamation points

indicate the end of a sentence.

• Periods- – Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence.

– Example: No all blunders have bad results.

– Use a period at the end of almost every imperative sentence. – Example: Tell us more about these great mistakes.

– Use period at the end of a indirect question. – Example: Tracy asked whether the article about x-rays is true.

9-1: Periods and Other End Marks • Question Marks-

– Use a question mark at the end of a interrogative sentence.

• Exclamation Points- – Use an exclamation point to end an exclamatory sentence.

– Use an exclamation point after an interjection or any other exclamatory expression

– Example:Hey! I bet the scientist who first saw them was surprised.

9-1: Periods and Other End Marks • Other Uses for Periods-

– Use a period at the end of most abbreviations or after an initial.

– Example:– New York = NY Most Valuable Player = MVP

– Use a period after each number or letter in an outline or a list. – Example:

– List: – Parts of an X-Ray Machine:

1. Glass tube2. Negative electrode

9-2: Commas in Sentences • Commas with Items in a Series-

– Use a comma after every item in a series except the last one.

– Example:– Each man used wax, feathers, and a harness to make a pair of

wings.

– Use commas between two or more adjectives of equal rank that modify the same noun.

– Example: – Both father and son made a quick, daring escape.

– Do no use a comma between adjectives that together express a single idea.

9-2: Commas in Sentences • Commas with Introductory Words and Phrases-

– Use a comma after an introductory word or phrase to separate it from the rest of the sentence.

– Example:– Recklessly, Icarus flew too close to the sun.

• Commas with Interrupters-– Use commas to set off words or phrases that interrupt, or break, the flow of

thought in a sentence.

– Example:– This myth has been told, I am certain, by many authors.

• Commas with Nouns of Direct Address-– Use commas to set off nouns of direct address.

– Example: – Devon, explain why Daedalus warned Icarus about the sun.

9-2: Commas in Sentences • Commas with Appositives-

– Appositive- is a word or phrase that identifies or renames a noun or pronoun that comes right before it. Use commas when the appositive adds extra information.

– Example: – Olivia E. Coolidge, an English author, wrote about Greek myths.

• Commas to Avoid Confusion-– Use a comma whenever the reader might otherwise be confused.

– Example: – Unclear- Soon after Icarus left Daedalus followed. – Clear- Soon after Icarus left, Daedalus followed.

9-3: Commas: Dates, Addresses, and Letters

 

Commas in Dates, Addresses, and Letters 

Commas in dates

In dates, use a comma between the day and

the year. (Use a comma after the year if the

sentence continues.)  

 

Commas in addresses

Use a comma between the city or town and

the state or country. (Use a comma after the

state or country if the sentence continues.)

  

Commas in letters

Use a comma after the greeting of a casual

letter and after the closing of a casual or

business letter.

** Do not use a comma between the state and the ZIP code**

9-4: Punctuating Quotations • Direct Quotations-

– Use quotation marks at the beginning and the end of a direct quotations.

– “All passengers assemble on deck,” said the captain.

– Use commas to set off explanatory words used with direct quotations.

– The captain said, “All passengers assemble on deck.” – “All passengers,” said the captain, “assemble on deck.”

9-4: Punctuating Quotations • Direct Quotations-

– If a quotation is a question or an exclamation, place the question mark or exclamation point inside the closing quotation marks.

– “Have we hit an iceberg?” a crewman asked.

– If quoted words are part of a quotation or exclamation of your own, place the question mark or exclamation point outside the closing quotation marks.

– Did I hear him say, “I believe we’re sinking”? **Commas and periods ALWAYS go inside closing quotation marks.

9-4: Punctuating Quotations • Indirect Quotations-

– Do not use quotation marks to set off an indirect quotation.

– An indirect quotation tells, what someone said. Often introduced by the word that. Does not require a comma.

– Finally, Captain Smith told the radio operators that they should abandon their cabin.

9-4: Punctuating Quotations • Divided Quotations-

– A direct quotation that is separated into two parts. He said or she said come between the parts.

– Use quotation marks to enclose both parts of a divided quotation.

– “The ship,” the owner said, “is unsinkable.”

– Do not capitalize the first word of the second part of a divided quotation unless it begins anew sentence.

– “The ship is unsinkable,” he said, “ because of its double-bottomed hull.”

– Use commas to set off the explanatory words used with a divided quotation.

– “This ship,” he explained, “has extra safety features.”

9-4: Punctuating Quotations • Quotation Marks in Dialogue-

– A new paragraph and a new set of quotation marks signal a change in speaker.

– A dialogue is a conversation between two or more speakers.

Add quotation marks and other punctuation where needed. If a sentence is correct say it is correct.

1. “Why is the word bug used to describe a computer problem

asked Steve.

2. Well, began Jessie. “In 1945, a computer scientist named

Grace Murray Hopper was working in a computer lab.”

3. “So far, this isn’t a very exciting story, commented Steve.

4. “Let me continue shouted Jessie. “While trying to finish a

project, Hopper noticed that the computer continued to have

problems.”

5. What happened next questioned Steve.

Add quotation marks and other punctuation where needed. If a sentence is correct say it is correct.

6. Jessie explained, “when Hopper looked closer at the inside

of the computer, she found a moth messing up

everything.”

7. “You’re making this up exclaimed Steve

8. “No , it’s true, stated Jessie. “She Glued the dead moth to

the log book with a note explaining the accident.”

9. Jesse added Ever since then, computer problems have

been called bugs.”

9-5: Semicolons and Colons• Semicolon: separates parts in a sentence.

• Colon: shows that a list follows

• Semicolons in Compound Sentences-– Use a semicolon to join parts of a compound sentence without

a coordinating conjunction.

– The mistake was simple; the result was disastrous.

9-5: Semicolons and Colons• Semicolons with Items in a Series-

– When there are commas within parts of a series, use semicolons to separate the parts.

– Bodies within the solar system include the nine planets; about 50 satellites, such as Earth’s moon; more that 1,000 comets, such as Halley’s comet; and thousands of asteroids.

9-5: Semicolons and Colons• Colons-

– Use a colon to introduce a list of items

– Use a colon after the formal greeting in a business letter or letter of complaint.

– Use a colon between hours and minutes in expressions of time.

What words should be followed by semicolons or colons?

• In December of 1998, NASA successfully launched the Mars

Climate Orbiter. It was designed to get detailed information

about Mars and its weather conditions. According to plan, it

would record the following data atmospheric temperatures,

dust levels, water vapor levels, and cloud cover.

What words should be followed by semicolons or colons?

• On September 23, 1999, the Climate Orbiter was ready to

go into orbit around Mars. At about 500 A.M. Eastern time,

rocket firings began, and radio contact was lost. Contact

was expected to be restored about 530 A.M. But instead

the worst of sounds came from scientists’ computers

silence, silence, and more silence.

What words should be followed by semicolons or colons?

• Hours later, NASA scientists were grim the mission had failed. One

team of scientists had used metric measurements another team had

used English measurements. This mix-up put the spacecraft off course

by about 60 miles! Of course, NASA lost the orbiter and all of its

contents an infrared temperature meter, a device for measuring

moisture, communications instruments, and other specialized

equipment. A $125 million craft had been lost due to a simple metric

conversion mistake.

9-6: Hyphens, Dashes, and Parentheses • Hyphens-

– Use a hyphen if part of word must be carried over from one line to the next.

1. Separate the word between syllables

– Let-ter

2. The word must have at least two syllables to be broken.

– Num-ber

3. You must leave at least two letters on each line.

– Twen-ty

9-6: Hyphens, Dashes, and Parentheses

• Hyphens-

– Use hyphens in certain compound words

– Self-confident

– Use hyphens in compound numbers form twenty-one through

ninety-nine.

– Twenty-three

– Use hyphens in spelled-out fractions.

– One-half

9-6: Hyphens, Dashes, and Parentheses • Dashes-

– Use dashes to show an abrupt break in thought

• Parentheses-– Use parentheses to set off material that is loosely related

to the rest of the sentence.

Add hyphens, dashes, and parentheses where needed. If sentence is correct say it is correct.

1. Isabella Baumfree was born into slavery in the late 1790’s the exact date is unknown.

2. John Dumont, Baumfree’s owner, promised to give her freedom if she worked extra hard.

3. However, Dumont scoundrel that he was refused to honor his word.

4. In a bold move, Baumfree walked off Dumont’s farm in search of freedom.

5. She found safety in the home of neighbors they were peaceful Quakers who bought out eh remainder of her time as a slave.

Add hyphens, dashes, and parentheses where needed. If sentence is correct say it is correct.

6. At the age of about forty six, Baumfree renamed herself Sojourner Truth and began to speak publicly about her suffering.

7. Truth was an eloquent preacher, although she couldn’t read or write she never had a formal education.

8. She traveled all over the country even to the White House speaking about abolishing slavery.

9. Truth was an extremely tall woman over six feet tall which helped her get an audience’s attention quite easily.

10.Her quick wit and self confidence helped Sojourner Truth become on of the nation’s most popular public figures.

9-7: Apostrophes • Apostrophes are used in possessive nouns, contractions and

some plurals.

• Apostrophes in Possessives-– Use an apostrophe to form the possessive of any noun, whether

singular or plural. – Singular noun:

– Sam’s baseball– Plural noun:

– The players’ uniform – Plural nouns that do not end in s:

– Women’s team

9-7: Apostrophes • Apostrophes in Contractions-

– Use apostrophes in contractions. A contraction, words are joined and letters are left out.

– Do not confuse contractions with possessive pronouns, which do not contain apostrophes

9-7: Apostrophes • Apostrophes in Plurals-

– Use an apostrophe and s to form the plural of a letter, a number, or word referred to as a word.

9-8: Punctuating Titles

• Quotation Marks-

– Use quotation marks to set off the titles of short works.

• Italics and Underling-

– Use italics for titles of longer works and for the names of

ships, trains, spacecraft, and airplanes.

– In handwriting, you show that something should be in italic

type by underling it.