Colons Semi Colons and Commas By Christina Merkis
Colons, Semi. Colons, and Commas By: Christina Merkis
The Colon ( : ) • Often introduced lists, quotations, and explanatory sentences • Used after an independent clause (simple sentence) • Introduces one or more items (e. g. , a list) • Often preceded by the following, these, or thus.
Some examples • Creating a company website offered the following advantage: improved customer service. • Here, the independent clause introduces the single item. • Some of the most commonly used manufacturers’ discounts are the following: trade, cash, quantity, and seasonal. • Here, there is a list with an introductory expression stated. • Our business uses several delivery services: UPS, Purolator, and Federal Express.
Business Letter Situations • Colons are placed after the salutation of a business letter with mixed punctuation. • Dear Ms. Merkis: • Dear Annalise: • Dear Customer Service:
Time • Use a colon to separate hours from minutes. • 6: 49 p. m. • 18: 43 (24 -hour clock) • 12: 02 a. m.
Punctuation Titles • Place a colon between titles and subtitles of books, articles, and other publications. • Today: How to Live for the Moment (book title) • “Television: What are the Best Shows Ever Made? ” (article title)
Capitalization Following Colons • Unless it is a proper noun, do not capitalize the first word after the colon. • The six C’s of effective business communication are the following: clarity, courtesy, conciseness, completeness, correctness, and confidence. • These cities will receive heavy promotional advertising: Berlin, Ottawa, and Oslo.
• Do capitalize the first letter of each item in a vertical list. • To be legally enforced, a contract must include at least three elements: 1. Mutual assent of competent parties 2. A consideration 3. A lawful purpose • The listening comprehension section of the test has three parts: ü Question and response ü Short conversation ü Short talks
• The first letter of an independent clause following a colon, if that clause explains or supplements the first one, is not capitalized (unless the first word is a proper noun). • You will be interested in our credit card for one special reason: we offer you the opportunity of a full refund of the low annual fee. • Capitalize the first letter of an independent clause following a colon if that clause states a formal rule or principal. • Experienced negotiators adhere to this principal: Never cut what you can untie.
• Capitalize the initial letter of each complex sentence for a quotation following a colon. • Commenting on the importance of incorporation, historians Kroos and Seropian said: “A strong case can be made for the proposition that the increased use of the corporation was the most important institutional innovation of the century. The corporation form permeates American business. ”
The Semicolon ( ; ) • Tells readers that two closely related ideas should be thought of together. • Most commonly used in compound sentence. • Strength lies between a comma (pause) and a period (full stop).
• Primarily used when two independent clauses are separated by a conjunctive adverb (connect equal sentence elements). • Electricians rewired the equipment room; nevertheless, fuses continued to blow. • Advertising is aimed at increasing sales; thus an advertising policy must be formulated with that objective.
• Two or more closely related independent clauses not separated by a conjunctive adverb or a coordinating conjunction (FANBOYS) require a semicolon. • The licensing company is called the franchisor; the dealer is called the franchisee. • Our inside teller service closes at 4 p. m. ; outside ATM service is available 24 hours a day.
• Semicolons are used to separate items in a series when one or more of the items contain internal commas. This will make the sentence easier to read. • Only the company branches in St. John’s, Newfoundland; Sherbrooke, Quebec; and Mississauga, Ontario, are showing substantial profits.
• May be used to separate three or more independent clauses in a series. • The first step consists of washing the fruits and vegetables; the second step consists of dicing and cutting them up so that they can be used for cooking; and the third step consists of cooking the fruits and vegetables to make sure they are soft enough to mush up. • A series of short independent clauses, however, may be separated by commas. • Amazon. com was founded in 1994, it unveiled its website in 1995, and it went public in 1997.
• Used before an introductory expression (such as namely, for instance, and that is. • We offer outstanding prices on flights to Europe; for example, flights to Frankfurt and Dublin start at $685. • If the list or explanation that follow the introductory expression is not a series or an independent clause, use commas before and after the introductory expression. • We value one trait in our employees above all other, that is, integrity.
The Comma ( , ) • Indicates a pause in the sentence • Not all pauses in sentences require a comma. • Most used and misused punctuation mark.
Series • Used to separate three or more equally ranked, or coordinate, elements (words, phrases, or short clauses) in a series. • Remember to add a comma before the last coordinating conjunction to separate the last two items. • Only in June, July, and August is a lifeguard on duty.
Direct Address • When a person is being spoken to or addressed directly, and not spoken about. • Words and phrases of direct address, including names, affiliations, and titles, use commas. • Mr. Jones, you must know how to get there. • I respectfully request that I be transferred, sir. • Are you, members of the class of 2016, ready to go out and take on the world?
Parenthetical Expressions • Used to create transition between thoughts. • Interrupt the flow of a sentence and are unnecessary for its grammatical completeness. • Considered non-essential because they do not specifically answer questions such as when? where? why? , or how? • accordingly, hence, that is, yes, finally, in fact, of course, moreover, in the first place, as a result, …
Dates, Addresses, and Geographical Items • When they contain more than one element, the send and succeeding elements are normally set off by commas. • Dates: ü On January 3 we opened for business. ü On January 3, 2016, we opened for business. ü On Monday, January 3, 2016, we opened for business.
• Addresses: ü Send the software to Mr. Sheppard, 374 Main Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K 2 L 5 F 8, before Friday. • Geographical Items: ü We moved from St. John’s, Newfoundland, to Ottawa, Ontario. ü The flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Dublin, Ireland, will take 1. 5 hours.
Appositives/Non-Essential Information • Appositives are words or groups of words that explain or rename previously mentioned nouns or pronouns. • We, the consumers, are not happy. • Toyota, the car company, has great customer service.
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