Guest Rumpelstiltskin Posted May 18, 2016 Share Posted May 18, 2016 This is a brief reference guide to punctuation. Terminology In order to fully understand the rules, you must first have a cohesive understanding of the terminology used. Below is a glossary of terms used in this guide. Terminal Punctuation: Punctuation used to close the end of text. Periods, question marks, and exclamation points are all examples of terminal punctuation. Clause: A clause is a section of a sentence that has a subject and a predicate.Independent Clause: This subject and predicate pairing will create a complete sentence, where a complete thought is expressed. Sirius loved to eat pancakes. [*]Dependent Clause: This subject and predicate pairing will not completely express a thought. Typically, it adds to an independent clause and is combined with a coordinating conjunction. Sirius loved to eat pancakes and so does James.'so does James' is a dependent clause [*]Subject: A person, place, or thing that's doing something (or that is something) in a sentence. Sirius likes pancakes. 'Sirius' is the subject of this sentence, as he is the person who is liking the pancakes. [*]Predicate: This is where you pair a verb to something the verb is interacting with. Sirius likes pancakes. 'likes pancakes' is the predicate in this sentence, where the verb is 'likes' and the what is being 'liked' is the pancakes. [*]Noun: a person, place thing, or idea ( he, she, it, Sirius, etc.) [*]Adjective: a noun that modifies other words; a describing word (active, brilliant, blushing, etc.) [*]Verb: an action word (run, jump, etc.) [*]Coordinating Conjunction: a word that combines two clauses (and, or, but, nor, for, yet, so) [*]Transitional Expression: a word or phrase that assists in moving from one idea to the next (although, however, afterward, anyway) [*]Elliptical Construction: where the meaning of a word of phrase is understood through context and is therefore omitted from the text [*]Compound Terms: A compound term is a single term composed of two or more words. (See the guide to the Hyphen for a more detailed explanation.) Period (.) A period should be used to end a sentence that is a statement.(The cat meowed. The grass is tall. Sirius ate pancakes.) [*]If another form of punctuation is used to end a sentence, such as a question mark or exclamation point, you should omit the period. Correct: How many cookies did you eat for breakfast? Incorrect: How many cookies did you eat for breakfast?. [*]If an abbreviation is present at the end of a sentence, you should omit the period, even if there are quotation marks Correct: It's six a.m. Incorrect: It's six a.m.. Correct: "It's six a.m." Incorrect: "It's six a.m.". When using an indirect question, use a period.Example: I wonder how many stars there are in the universe. Versus: How many stars are there in the universe? Question Marks (?) Use a question mark to end a sentence that poses an inquiry.(How are you? Who are you? Where did you come from? How did you get here? Why are you here? What do you know?) [*]If the inquiry is posed indirectly, omit the question mark and exchange it for a period instead. Direct Question: How many pancakes can Sirius eat? Indirect Question: I wonder how many pancakes Sirius could eat. [*]If the inquiry is posed as a request, omit the question mark and change it for a period instead. Example: Would you please bring Sirius these pancakes. [*]Similarly to the period, when an direct inquiry is made within a larger sentence, it does require a period. Or, when found in the middle of a sentence where a comma would generally indicate a dialogue tag, you should omit the comma. Example: Can Sirius eat all of those pancakes? Remus wondered. Example: "How did Sirius eat 45 pancakes?" James asked. Exclamation Point (!) Use an exclamation point to end a sentence that is filled with excitement.Eat those pancakes, now! [*]An exclamation point at the end of the sentence should not be combined with another form of punctuation, even when posing and exclamatory inquiry. Correct: How many pancakes did you eat! Incorrect: How many pancakes did you eat?! [*]When found in the middle of a sentence where a comma would generally indicate a dialogue tag, you should omit the comma OR the exclamation point. Correct: "Way to go, Pancake King!" Peter cheered. Correct: "Way to go, Pancake King," Peter cheered. Incorrect: "Way to go, Pancake King!," Peter cheered. Parenthesis and Punctuation When the content within parentheses used at the end of a sentence are a just a piece of the sentence, use a period outside of the closing parenthesis. Example: Ron ate some cereal (the sugary, colorful kind). [*]If the content within parentheses is used as an independent sentence, use a period within the parenthesis, at the end of the sentence. Example: Ron ate some cereal. (There was nothing else to eat in the house anyway.) Comma, Comma, Comma The Abridged Version The mechanical purposes of the comma, and how to use them: Numbers: Numbers greater than four digits (excepting years and street addresses) will require a comma. Example: With only 1,500 feet of parchment left to write, Sirius decided it was time for a pancake break. [*]Directly addressing an individual will require a comma before their name, if occurring at the end of a sentence. If the situation occurs within the sentence, and not at the end, use a comma before and after their name. If the situation occurs when their name begins a sentence, use a comma after their name. Example: Are you finished with your Transfiguration essay, Sirius? Example: Don't worry so much, Remus, or you'll get wrinkles. Example: Sirius, work on your essay! [*]Dates: When a date includes the day of the week, the month, the numerical day, and the year, commas should come after the day of the week and between the numerical day and the year. If this occurs in the middle of a sentence, you must also add a comma after the year. Example: A bird ate a worm on Tuesday, July 11, 2014. Example: One Tuesday, July 11, 2004, a bird ate a worm. [*]If a date has only the month, the numerical date, and the year, you must separate the numerical date and year with a comma. If this occurs in the middle of a sentence, you must also add a comma after the year. Example: A bird ate a worm on July 11, 2014 Example: On July 11, 2014, a bird ate a worm. [*]When only the month and the year appear, you do not need to separate them with a comma. If this occurs in the middle of a sentence, you still may omit the comma after the year. Example: A bird ate a worm in July 2014. Example: In July 2014 a bird ate a worm. [*]If presenting the date with the numerical date first, followed by the month and the year, you may omit the commas. On 11 July 2014 a bird ate a worm [*]When writing a geographical location, a comma can be used to separate the geographical elements. If this occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma should follow the last geographical element. Example: On cool morning near Dufftown, Scottland, Sirius ate many pancakes. [*]Listing with commas: A comma can be used to separate lists of clauses, words, and phrases. If a list occurs in the middle of a sentence, a comma should follow the final element ONLY IF it is structurally necessary within the sentence (see final example). Example: James ate strawberry pancakes, Peter ate plain pancakes, and Remus ate chocolate chip pancakes. Example: There are four choices for pancakes: plain, blueberry, strawberry and chocolate chip. [*]Example: With his plate of blueberry, strawberry, and chocolate chip pancakes, Sirius fled the great hall. [*]When using multiple adjectives that describe the same noun, use a comma to separate the adjectives. The comma will replace the conjunction and in this instance. Sirius ate warm, fluffy pancakes. This indicates that the pancakes were both warm and fluffy. [*]James ate bright red strawberries. This indicates that James' strawberries were bright red, and not bright AND red. If we wanted to indicate that the strawberries were both bright and red, use a comma between the describing adjectives: James ate bright, red strawberries. [*]You should use a comma to set off additional, nonessential information. Example: My brother, Regulus, has an owl named Schnoppy. Sirius, who only has one brother, is the speaker and thus the reiteration of who his brother is is nonessential. The sentence requires a comma. [*]Example: My brother Percy is Head Boy. Ron, who has multiple brothers, is the speaker and thus the reiteration of who is brother is becomes essential for clarification. The sentence does not require a comma. [*]If this occurs at the end of a sentence, omit the second comma in the set and use a point of terminal punctuation ( .?!). If the information is essential, there is still no comma necessary. Example: Schnoppy belongs to my brother, Regulus. Example: The Head Boy is my brother Percy. [*]An interrupting element consisting of nonessential words will require commas. Example: The pancakes, of course, will be delicious. [*]An introductory phrase will require a comma. Example: Yes, Sirius can eat all of those pancakes. Example: In my opinion, there's no chance Sirius will eat all of those pancakes. [*]A comma should be used before introducing an afterthought. Example: Don't eat all of the pancakes, please. Example: You'll be leaving some pancakes for me, won't you? [*]That VS Which and Comma Usage Restrictive pronouns like the word "that" do not need commas. Example: Sirius' pancakes that are eaten are covered in syrup. Explanation: The syrup-covered pancakes are specifically the pancakes that are eaten; the non-syrup coated ones might not be eaten. [*]Nonrestrictive pronouns such as "which" need commas. Example: Sirius' pancakes, which are eaten, are covered in syrup. Explanation: Here, all of Sirius' pancakes are covered in syrup. Weather or not they are eaten is irrelevant to the sentence. [*]Sentence Structure and Commas (Ugh). Compound Sentences A compound sentence is a sentence with (at least) two subjects or predicates, typically presented as (at least) two independent clauses connected by a coordinating conjunction. A comma will need to be placed before the coordinating conjunction. A coordinating conjunction is placed between words (and, or, but, etc.). Example: Sirius ate some pancakes, but he didn't eat the bacon. [*]An exception to the rule: when the clauses are short and closely related, the comma may be omitted. Example: Sirius ate pancakes and Remus ate bacon. [*]Simple Sentences A simple sentence has only one independent clause and no dependent clauses, and they are combined with a coordinating conjunction. You may omit the comma in this instance. Example: Sirius ate some pancakes but not the bacon. [*]An exception to the rule: if omitting the comma causes confusion within the sentence, use the comma. Example: The pancakes that Sirius ate were better than James' mum's pancakes, and better than he'd anticipated. [*]Complex Sentences A complex sentence has an independent clause with at least one dependent clause. If a dependent clause occurs before an independent clause, use a comma to separate it. Example: Because of the pancakes, Sirius did not want to eat the bacon. Example: If your stomach hurts, you should stop eating the pancakes. [*]If a dependent clause occurs after an independent clause, a comma may not be necessary. Example: Sirius did not want to eat the bacon because of the pancakes. Example: You should stop eating the pancakes if your stomach hurts. [*]An exception to the rule: you should add a comma if the dependent clause is nonessential to the sentence's meaning. Example: Sirius did not want to eat the bacon, but it looked delicious. Explanation: In this sentence, the bacon looking delicious has nothing to do with why Sirius did not want to eat it, thus the clause is nonessential. [*]If a dependent clause occurs in the middle of a sentence, use a set of commas if it is a nonessential clause. Omit the commas if the clause is essential. Nonessential clause: The friends, who were wearing green, ate breakfast at the table. Essential clause: The friends who were very hungry ate breakfast as quickly as they could. [*]Compound-Complex Sentences A compound-complex sentence has at least two independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. If a dependent clause occurs before two independent clauses, a comma goes after the dependent clause but not in between the two independent clauses. Example: If we want to make pancakes, you get some flour and I'll find some milk. [*]If a dependent clause occurs between two independent clauses, a comma goes after the first independent clause's coordinating conjunction and before the second independent clause. Example: The pancakes looked delectable and, when Sirius saw them, he gobbled them up. [*]Commas EVERYWHERE and When Rules Conflict Sirius originally wanted blueberry waffles, but, after much debate, he decided he wanted chocolate chip pancakes. This is a compound sentence with a nonessential element added between the two independent clauses. With a compound sentence, you insert a comma before the conjunction (done). The insertion of a nonessential element between two clauses requires a set of commas surrounding the nonessential element (also done). [*]This leaves you with many commas that can seriously interrupt the flow of your sentence. [*]Solutions: Traditionally, the rule is to remove the comma after the conjunction. Sirius originally wanted blueberry waffles, but after much debate, he decided he wanted chocolate chip pancakes. [*]However, there is another rule which suggests that a sentence should read correctly when removing nonessential elements. By removing the element, the sentence reads: "Sirius originally wanted blueberry waffles he decided he wanted chocolate chip pancakes." This does not work. [*]Another option is to separate the sentences. Sirius originally wanted blueberry waffles. After much debate, he decided he wanted chocolate chip pancakes. [*]If you want to keep the sentences together, there is another option. It does make sense to remove the commas surrounding the nonessential elements, as the sentence is still structually sound without them and the meaning is clear. Sirius originally wanted blueberry waffles, but after much debate he decided he wanted chocolate chip pancakes. [*]Another option is to use a semicolon to replace the troublesome conjunction. Sirius originally wanted blueberry waffles; after much debate, he decided he wanted chocolate chip pancakes. The Semicolon Most commonly a semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses. Typically it replaces a coordinating conjunction. Since the clauses are independent, you should be able to replace both the semicolon and coordinating conjunction with a period. With a period: Sirius ate some pancakes. He didn't eat the bacon. With a coordinating conjunction: Sirius ate some pancakes, but he didn't eat the bacon. With a semicolon: Sirius ate some pancakes; he did not eat the bacon. [*]If two independent clauses are linked by a transitional expression, insert a semicolon after the first clause and before the transitional expression. Example: Sirius ate 36 pancakes; consequently, he was sick for days. [*]The Super-comma Sometimes the semicolon is referred to as a super-comma, because it is used to used to separate lists with internal commas. Sirius enjoys pancakes for breakfast; sandwiches, soups, and salads for lunch; meat, potatoes, and vegetables for dinner; and fruit, cheese, and crackers for snacks. [*]A semicolon can be used in combination with a comma in elliptical constructions in order to remove an understood repetition of the first preceding clause. On Tuesday, Sirius had blueberry pancakes for breakfast; on Wednesday, he had chocolate chip. The semicolon in this instance is eliminating the repetition of the phrase 'pancakes for breakfast'. Since it is understood that the chocolate chips are a type of pancake that Sirius had for breakfast, as indicated in the first clause, it isn't necessary to repeat in this instance. The Colon One purpose of the colon is to introduce lists. Example: The pancakes come with three choices of inclusions: blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate chips. Please note that if a list flows within a sentence, it does not need a colon. Correct: The pancakes have inclusion choices of blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate chips. Incorrect: The pancakes have inclusion choices of: blueberries, strawberries, and chocolate chips. [*]A colon can also be used between two independent clauses where the second clause is explanatory or indicative of the first. Example: Sirius had a terrible stomach ache; he ate an incredulous amount of pancakes for breakfast. Note: If there are multiple sentences that follow the colon, and are directly related to its use, capitalize the first word following the colon. Example: Sirius ate methodically: First, he cut each pancake into small, bite-sized squares. Next, he stuck a fork in one of the squares and dunked it into a pool of syrup on his plate. Finally, he put the syrup-covered pancake square into his mouth and chewed. [*]A colon can also be used to give a word or phrase emphatic recognition at the end of a sentence. More commonly, an em-dash (see next category) is used for this purpose, but a colon can be grammatically interchange in this instance. After tasting each of the pancakes, Sirius came to a sincere conclusion: they were delicious. Hyphen with detailed explanation of compound terms A hyphen is used to combine specific compound terms. A compound term is a single term composed of two or more words. Compound terms are presented in three different ways: Some compound terms, known as open compound terms, have words that are separated by a blank space. Examples: full moon, ice cream, post office [*]Some compound terms, known as closed compound terms, have words that are combined without anything between them. Examples: nightmare, sunshine, firework [*]Some compound terms, known as hyphenated compound terms, have words that are combined with a hyphen. Examples: father-in-law, one-fifth, merry-go-round [*]There are compound nouns, compound adjectives, and compound verbs. The Chicago Manual of Style has a wonderfully thorough guide in using compound terms according to their respective category that is worth checking out. Since this is a punctuation guide, I'll leave the link but will not divulge further. Link: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/16/images/ch07_tab01.pdf (12+ rating) The en dash and the em dash The en dash appears is slightly longer than the hyphen, but shorter than the em dash. It can be used between spans of numbers: Example: The Charms quiz will cover chapters 2–6. Example: Hogwarts beat Durmstrang 105–38 in the first ever interschool Quiddich match. [*]It can also be used to show conflict or connection. Example: The Slytherin–Gryffindor rivalry originates in the Founder's era. [*]Lastly, the en dash can be used aesthetically when an originally hyphenated or open compound becomes an adjective. With a hyphen: He was an award-winning Quiddich player. With an en dash: He was a World Cup–winning Quiddich player. [*]The em dash is the longest of the three, and it's versatility makes it my absolute favorite punctuation mark. The em dash can replace commas for readability purposes, though it also places more emphasis on the following text than a comma. Sirius ate his pancakes — despite Remus' constant pleas to stop, James' complaints that he was bored, and Peter's annoying sighing — with contentment, and didn't mind his friends' unanimous ennui. [*]The em dash can set off parenthetical values. Again, the em dash with emphasize the context more than a set of parentheses will. parentheses: James read Kennilworthy Whisp's Quiddich Through the Ages (the extended version with moving images and diagrams) at least once a week. em dash: James read Kennilworthy Whisp's Quiddich Through the Ages — the extended version with moving images and diagrams — at least once a week. [*]The em dash can replace a colon. After tasting each of the pancakes, Sirius came to a sincere conclusion — they were delicious. [*]The em dash can represent an interruption or the trailing off of a thought. Example: Sirius laughed. "This pancake is—" "GIVE THAT BACK!" Peter shouted. [*]There's a bit of debate of how the em dash should be presented. Some people insist that the em dash should be connected to a word. This makes sense as it follows the example of other marks of punctuation, such as parentheses or a set of commas. Sirius ate his pancakes —despite Remus' constant pleas to stop, James' complaints that he was bored, and Peter's annoying sighing— with contentment, and didn't mind his friends' unanimous ennui. [*]Others say that the em dash should appear as separate ententes. Sirius ate his pancakes — despite Remus' constant pleas to stop, James' complaints that he was bored, and Peter's annoying sighing — with contentment, and didn't mind his friends' unanimous ennui. [*]I personally prefer to write with the latter use, but it's up to you, the writer, to decide what works best for you. Keep professors' or editors' preferences in mind if you're writing on a professional level. Concluding Statements I'd like to end this brief guide by asking you to feel free to discuss, add something, or ask questions below! I hope that this was mildly helpful to some people! Sources: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/6/ (12+) http://www.grammarbook.com/ (12+) http://www.englishleap.com/punctuation/punctuation-rules (12+) My ninth grade English teacher, bless him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowkat678 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 I know I need to work on comma splices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rumpelstiltskin Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Commas are continually my worst nightmare. Thank goodness for editing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo Raskoph Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Hi Rumpel. This 'brief' guide of yours is really very impressive. Kudos for writing all that down! Since you were asking, I have something purely typographical to add: The em–dash—which on itself creates a reasonable space in text—is used without spaces before or after it. You'll see both versions around, but for writing that is not for newspapers this is the recommended practice. Sources: here, here & here And something practical: How are they typed? On a mac it's easy. en–dash: "alt" + "-" em–dash: "alt" + "shift" + "-" For windows: I can't try it out, but this article says you do it like this: first put your cursor where you’d like it and hold down the "alt" button. Now you need to type a four digit code: 0150 for the en dash (–) or 0151 for the em dash (—). in short en–dash: "alt" + 0150 em–dash: "alt" + 0151 And a copletely useless bit of information: The en–dash and em–dash are both named such because they are exactly the width of a lowercase n or m respectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LooneyLizzie Posted June 21, 2016 Share Posted June 21, 2016 a) This is AWESOME. Especially the part on commas. I'm extremely guilty of over-using commas! b) Your examples are excellent. From now on I will always associate proper comma usage with Sirius' breakfast dilemmas. ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rumpelstiltskin Posted August 26, 2017 Share Posted August 26, 2017 @Jo Raskoph Ahh, yes, I didn't include connecting the em dash to sentences without spaces at all. Thank you :). How to write them is also super-helpful. I always end up using a double-dash during the rough draft and find-and-replace with after I've copied the em dash from the special characters (it's probably not the most effective way to go about it, but it's my bad habit). @LooneyLizzie Commas drive me crazy. They drive me a little less crazy now than they used to, but they still drive me crazy. Ever since writing this I've also been associating commas and Sirius's breakfast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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