Punctuation

Question	Answer
Punctuation.	punctuations guide a reader in a reading and changes the meanings of sentences.
Full stop (?!.)	Full stops/periods go at the end of a sentence to show that the idea is completely finished. along with (? !)
Colons (:)	Follows an independent clause. Introduces a list, noun phrase, quotation or explanation.
Colons in a list.	The box contained 3 things: A book, a ball, and a hammer.
Colons with noun and noun-phrase.	My roommate gave me the things I needed most: companionship and quiet.
Colons with quotations.	Shakespeare said it best: "to thine own self be true".
Colons in an explanation or example.	Many graduate students discover that there is a dark side to academia: late night stress and a crippling addiction to caffeinated beverages.
Wrong ways to use colons.	Between verb and its object, between preposition and its object, after words "such as", "including", "especially", and similar phrases.
colons between verb and its object.	The very best peaches are: Those that are grown in the great state of Georgia.
colons between a preposition and its object.	My favorite cake is made of: carrots, flour, butter, eggs, and cream cheese.
colons after expressions like "such as", "like", "including" etc...	There are many different types of paper, including: college ruled, wide ruled, and plain copy paper.
Commas + coordinating conjunctions (example).	Mark wanted to stop by the ice cream shop, but He was late for work.
Commas in a list.	Use commas when listing more than 3 things in a sentence. Use a comma before the "and" in the list.
Commas and adverbial expressions.	Use a comma after an adverbial expression at the beginning of a sentence In many cases, However,
Commas + coordinating conjunctions.	when using FANBOYS to separate two Independent clauses that are long, use comma before any of the FANBOYS.
Semi-colons (;)	Put before linking words and used between two closely related independent clauses. ;hence, ;however...
Semi-colons + 2 independent clauses. (example).	Several attempts to resolve the situation were made; however, none of these were successful.
Semi-colons in a list.	When introducing a long list with short descriptions.
Semicolons + list example.	The box has 3 things: A ball that bounces and is red; A book that belonged to my mom; and a hammer that weighs a ton.
Apostrophes.	An apostrophe shows that a letter is missing. (informal) It is = it's.
Spacing.	Spacing in a sentence is also a punctuation. You put the punctuation right after the letter and put a spacing after.
Dashes.	Emphasize material, modifiers. Indicate sentence introductions or conclusions. Mark bonus phrases. Break dialogue. Unlike commas, dashes suggests us to play close attention to info in between.
Dashes and emphasis of materials: start/end.	After eighty years, my grandpa realized it was time to revisit the land of his youth – Ireland.
Dashed and emphasis: middle. either complete or incomplete sentences within.	Everything I saw in my neighborhood – from graceful elm trees to the stately brick buildings – reminded me of my alma mater.
Dashes and the emphasis of modifiers.	The fairgrounds – cold and wet in the October rain – were deserted.
Indication of introductions.	Books, paper, pencils – many students lacked even the simplest tools for learning in nineteenth-century America.
Indications of conclusions.	to improve their health, Americans should critically examine foods they eat – fast food, fatty fried food, junk food, and sugary snacks.
Dashes mark bonus phrases.	Adds extra info when too much commas are already in use. Even simple tasks – washing, dressing, and going to work – were nearly impossible after I broke my leg.
Dashes shows breaks dialogue.	"I – I don't know what you're talking about", denied the politician.

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	Created by Tahirintsoa Naharivelo over 3 years ago