OTHER PUNCTUATION Lessons in grammar for students of Bay Mills Community college Ildikó Melis

1. What else is there? OTHER PUNCTUATIONLessons in grammar for students of Bay Mills Community collegeIldikóMelis

2. End punctuation: .? ! Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • I wonder how long Facebook keeps our pictures? • I wonder how long Facebook keeps our pictures. • I wonder how long Facebook keeps our pictures!

3. End punctuation: .? ! Which sentence is punctuated correctly? • The residents were heard shouting “Fire!” • The residents were heard shouting fire. • The residents were heard shouting fire?

4. The semicolon joins independent clauses or items in a list Compare: Our plane made stops in Richmond, Virginia, Atlanta, Georgia, and Houston, Texas. Our plane made stops in Richmond, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Houston, Texas. We ordered three pizzas with mushrooms, broccoli, and cheese, with pine apple, ham and olives, and with bacon, barbacued chicken and sausage. We ordered three pizzas with mushrooms, broccoli, and cheese; with pine apple, ham and olives; and with bacon, barbacued chicken and sausage.

5. Colons: • Colons are used to introduce lists, restatements or clarification. • In any case, a complete sentence must come before a colon: In her purse, my Mom carries: pens, notebooks, credit cards and her lipstick.  WRONG!! In her purse, my Mom carries the following items: pens, notebooks, credit cards and her lipstick. In her purse, my Mom carries pens, notebooks, credit cards and her lipstick.

6. Dash – informal mark to set off lists, restatements, or clarification In her purse, my Mom carries many items—pens, notebooks, credit cards, mints and her lipstick. It looks like my kids only have one method of locomotion—running. It was her kindness—not her money or fame—that made people love her.

7. Parentheses: Tools for understatement Dashes emphasize, parentheses de-emphasize The new appartment did not work for our job candidate. She hated the color of the walls (mint green), did not like the location (Main Road), and was horrified by the price ($1,800 per month).

8. BRACKETS [ ] • Encloses words added to a quote for clarity Compare: The Audubon Society reports that “if there are not enough young to balance deaths, the end of the species is inevitable.” The Audubon Society reports that “if there are not enough young to balance deaths, the end of the species [California condor] is inevitable.”

9. BRACKETS 2 [sic], [sic!] Signals error in the quotation From mid-semester student course evaluations: We defiantly dont need no more grammer in this class [sic]

10. THE ELLIPSIS MARK: . . . Ellipsis marks signal omission for brevity, sense or both inside a quote. Original sentence: “It is estimated that 90% of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented if people adopted healthy lifestyle behaviors, including regular physical activity, a moderate diet, and modest weight loss” (Fahey, Insel & Roth, 2005,p.171). Quoted with omission: Fahey, Insel & Roth (2005) report that “90% of cases of type 2 diabetes could be prevented if people adopted healthy lifestyle behaviors, including . . . modest weight loss” (p.171).

11. SLASH: / (Use with moderation) Separates line breaks when poetry is quoted: Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of A man who knew too much starts with a waltz whose verse goes like this: “When I was just a child in school, / I asked my teacher, ‘What will I try? / Should I paint pictures, should I sing songs?’ ” Separate alternative options: This class was for pass/fail. “He/she” “and/or”