Punctuation Review

1. A Basic Spelling & Punctuation Review http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/punct2_quiz.htm

2. Why is it important to pay attention to spelling or punctuation usage? • To write clear Standard American English (SAE) messages. • To meet proofreading expectations of and communication demands on college writers. • To meet your personal writing standards or your need to write well in your academic, business and personal lives. • To teach you to assess and evaluate your own writing strengths or deficits.

3. General Spelling Rules ForNumbers • Spell small numbers out in sentences. Small numbers, such as whole numbers smaller than ten, should be spelled out. • Examples and Exceptions: • Ten students passed the exam. • Only 1000 students passed the exam. • One thousand students took the exam. (Spell out any number if it starts a sentence.) • Of the 1000 students that took the exam, only 25 passed it with at least a grade of D and only 9 students scored a grade of C or better on it. (Be as consistent as possible.) Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt Graphics: Microsoft

4. PROPER PUNCTUATION A Presentation to Help Student Support Services (SSS) Participants Learn Proper Punctuation Placement and Avoid Punctuation Pitfalls

5. Relevance & Purposes • Relevance: * “Some people write well, yet allow themselves to be disabled by a fear of punctuation and grammar. They know how to pre-write, organize, and revise, but proofreading for punctuation and grammar causes them difficulties. There’s no need to fear these conventions of standard written English. In fact, these conventions can help you become a more effective communicator.” – Gary A. Olson • Purpose: This PowerPoint Presentation is to provide you with a review of proper punctuation usage. *Quote retrieved at: http://lilt.ilstu.edu/golson/punctuation/intro.html

6. Commonly-applied Punctuation Marks • Period (.) • Question Mark (?) • Exclamation Point (!) • Apostrophe ( ’ ) • Comma (,) • Parentheses ( ) • Brackets [ ] • Semicolon (;) • Colon : • Hyphen - • Dash -- • Quotation Marks “” Note: Periods, Question Marks, and Exclamation Points are END MARKS. Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt Graphics: Microsoft

7. What is an end mark An end mark is punctuation that comes at the end of a sentence to let you know when the sentence ends. Punctuation supports reading by helping readers know when the writer has fully expressed an idea or point. Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt Graphics: Microsoft

8. The period is the most famous end mark. It comes at the end of statements and commands. It is raining today. Do not interrupt while I am talking. A question mark means something is being asked. Are you going to lunch? An exclamation mark shows excitement or strong Feeling. That is a huge dog! Source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt

9. The period is also used as more than just an end mark. It is used in abbreviations, too: • 1290 College Rd. • E. B. White • Ms. White • Dr. Atchley Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt

10. The Colon Not This one . . .  The colonis made with two periods. It is used for time, and it comes before a list. Example:11:35pm Example: I will need the following items from the store:bananas, grapes, watermelon, and lemons.

11. The Semi-colon The semi-colonis made with a period over a comma. It is a punctuation mark (;) used to separate parts of a sentence or list and indicating a pause longer than a comma, but shorter than a period. In a sentence, a transition word may follow the semi-colon. Example:Latte is strong; however, he is no match for the heroic energy of the sun. ;

12. -- THE DASH I can -- no, I must -- I must dash toward the finish line. A dash is a punctuation mark that writers use to denote a sudden break or shift in thought. (One dash = Two hyphens) Use the dash: (1) to indicate a break or shift in thought: For example: Example:Do we -- can we--dare we ask for more money? (2) to introduce a word or group of words which you wish to emphasize. Example:What he needed most he never got—love. 3) to set off strongly distinguished parenthetical material: Example: I think--no, I am positive -- you should go. 4) to indicate omission of letters and words: For Example: Senator S-- was from my hometown. --

13. THE HYPHEN - Mark Of Separation Used Between Parts Of A Word. USE A HYPHEN: 1) To Separate (Join) The Parts Of Compound Words:Examples:fast-moving; sister-in-law; half-asleep; X-ray; know-it-all; forty-seven; three-fourths 2) To Indicate The Division Of A Word Broken At The End Of A Line:Examples: know-ledge, ste-no-gra-pher • Never divide a monosyllable: Example: strength, laughed • Do not divide a syllable with a silent vowel: Example: climbed, yelled • Do not divide a word with only 4 letters: Example: also, only, open • Divide two consonants standing between vowels: Example: struc-ture, alter-native, exis-ten-tialism • Do not divide sums of money. • Do not divide initials in a name or in proper names. • Do not divide units of time.

14. "Quotation Marks" USE QUOTATION MARKS • To enclose every direct quotation and each part of an interrupted quotation: Example: “What will my starting salary be?” I asked the manager. “Well,” he replied, “I’m not sure.” • in a dialogue. Use a separate paragraph for each change of speaker. Example: “Dad,” cried Neil. “There, there, everything will be just fine,” his dad said. 3) to enclose words with a widely different level of usage: Example:The person who has “had it” so far is his mother. 4) to enclose chapter headings and the titles of articles: Example:Grant wood’s famed painting, “American Gothic,” was recently reproduced in American Gothic Journal. USE SINGLE QUOTATION MARKS (‘) to enclose a quotation within a quotation. Example: The coach said, ”when you say, ‘I’ll be there on time,’ I expect you to mean what you say.” Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt

15. THE APOSTROPHE’ . . . looks like a single quotation mark, but is used for a different purpose. USES FOR AN APOSTROPHE: • To form a possessive. EX: Joe’s mother’s brother • To indicate a contraction. EX:It’s, whichtranslates to It is. • To indicate omission of a letter from words or a figure from numerals. EX: Yes, ma’am. • To indicate the plurals of letters, numerals, symbols, abbreviations. EX: Only A’s, B’s and C’s are considered passing grades at the Art institute. Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt Graphics: Microsoft

16. The Comma , The comma is used to separate a list. Example: My favorite animals are giraffes, dogs, cats, and birds. It is also used between the date and the year. Example: Today is March 6, 2007, and I plan to enjoy today. A comma can also tell you where to pause in a sentence. Example: All is well, but not necessarily forgotten.

17. THE APOSTROPHE’ (cont.) USE THE APOSTROPHE 1) And sto form the possessive case of a noun not ending in s: Ex: Children’s; town’s 2) To form the possessive case of a plural noun ending in s: Ex: Boys’ and ladies’ classrooms 3) Alone or with s to form the possessive of nouns ending is s: Ex: Robert Burns’ or Burns’s (rule: words of one syllable) • and s in the last element of compound nouns: Ex: My son-in-law’s boat; King Henry IV’s funeral; somebody else’s ticket 5) To show that letters of figures have been omitted: Ex:Aren’t; shouldn’t; the civil war was fought 1861-’65. 6) And s to indicate the plurals of numerals, letters, etc. Ex: Uncrossed t’s look like 1’s. He uses too many and’s and but’s in speaking. Slides info source: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ppt Graphics: Microsoft

18. Parenthesis Parenthesis -- One of a pair of shallow, curved signs (, ) used to enclose an additional inserted word or comment and distinguish it from the sentence in which it is found. Parentheses (plural) – [Definition from Microsoft version of Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)] Parentheses are round brackets:  ( ) Example: Riva (Her name means “one who captivates or possesses an “ensnaring beauty.”) wandered off into the forest and was lost for three days and two nights.

19. Bracket Bracket – (1) one of a pair of symbols, often [ ], used in keying or printing to indicate the insertion of special commentary, such as that made by an editor; (2) an alternative to parentheses. Brackets(plural) [Definition from Microsoft version of Encarta Dictionary: English (North America)] Example: Riva [Her name means “one who captivates or possesses an “ensnaring beauty.”] wandered off into the forest and was lost for three days and two nights.