Punctuation Why we need punctuation Lets eat Grandma

Punctuation…….

Why we need punctuation… Let’s eat Grandma. Let’s eat, Grandma.

Comma Rules n Use a comma to: n Separate items in a series (last one is called the Oxford comma). n n Distinguish a date with three or more elements. n n He ate tacos with meat, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream. The allies invaded Europe on June 4, 1944. Separate items in an address. n Barney lives at 21 Juniper Street, Denver, Colorado.

More comma rules… n Use a comma to: n Set off an introductory dependent clause. n n Separate an appositive. n n Since it stopped raining, she no longer needed an umbrella. Tacos, my favorite food, can be made with healthy ingredients. Separate two independent clauses joined with a coordinating conjunction. n She earned her first paycheck, and she decided to donate 10% of the money to charity.

Oh What? Oh, more commas rules… n Use a comma to: n n Set off interrupting or transitional words or phrases. Introduce some quotes. n n n n I like tacos; however, Joe prefers enchiladas. Allison, however, likes burritos the best. Allison, don’t you know that tacos are superior? I suppose, George, that I could agree with you. I am the Food Preference Sheriff, Allison, and you will think whatever I tell you to. Yes, tacos are indeed preferable, George. “Finally, ” George exclaimed, “we agree. ”

More, more commas! n When opening a sentence with one prepositional phrase, do not follow it with a comma (unless a transitional phrase). n n n Under the desk you will find my math book. In conclusion, monkeys should be allowed as pets. When opening a sentence with two or more prepositional phrases, do follow them with a comma. n Under the desk next to my backpack, you will find my math book.

And lastly… n You may use a comma at your discretion to indicate a pause or to ensure that your reader will clearly understanding your intent or expression.

Moving on…Colon n Use a colon to indicate time, page specifications, ratios, and salutation. n n n Dear Ms. Rapscallion: At 8: 00 P. M. we met to read The New Republic 22: 27. The male to female ratio in attendance was 3: 1. Use a colon to separate the title and subtitle of a book. n I just finished reading Seabiscuit: An American Legend.

Colon, cont’d. n Use a colon to introduce a quotation or a list of items when preceded by an independent clause: n n For safety, follow these rules: do not run, do not push or shove, and be sure to leave promptly after the show. Hamlet’s conundrum is evident: “To be or not to be, / That is the question” (3. 1. 56 -57).

Colon, cont’d. n Use a colon between two independent clauses when the second clause is contingent upon the first. Capitalizing after the colon is the writer’s choice. n n Coach was clear in his view: no pain, no glory. My goal has always been clear to me: I will be a rocket scientist.

Semicolon n Use a semicolon to separate the main clauses in a compound sentence when no coordinating conjunction is used. n n Their house is a mess; their yard is a disgrace. Your plan is insane; nevertheless, it is our only hope.

More semicolons n Use a semicolon (instead of a comma) to separate main clauses or items in a series when commas are already used in the clauses or phrases. n n Mr. Singer, president of this corporation and corporate genius, has predicted a banner year; but his reasoning is not beyond reproach. The guest list includes Bill, my cousin; Susan, my best friend; and Arnold, my annoying brother.

Ellipsis… n An ellipsis indicates missing words in a quotation. n Three periods indicate words missing at the beginning of the quote or within the quote. n n Unless we can surmount the crisis…all the plans for the rebuilding of the backward countries in other continents will all be put on the shelf. ”—Walter Lipman Four periods are used at the end of the quote when words are still missing. It includes the period to end the sentence. n “Give me a dozen healthy infants…and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select…. ” –J. B. Watson

Italics n n Emphasis: When you want to emphasize a certain word or phrase in a sentence. (She was the only girl in the class who got 100% on the exam. ) Titles of Works: n Books: (Elements of Style, Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows, Jane Eyre) n Magazines: (Time magazine, Newsweek, Cosmpolitan) n Newspapers: (USA Today, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle) n Plays: (Romeo & Juliet, Waiting for Godot, Uncle Vanya) n Movies: (Batman, Casablanca, Twilight) n Works of Art: (Monet’s Waterlilies, Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Micheangelo’s Mona Lisa) n TV/radio programs: (American Idol, BBC’s Woman’s Hour, The Simpsons) n CD/Album: (Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, Parachutes by Cold Play)

Italics, cont’d n Foreign Words/Technical Terms/Unfamiliar Words: n n The word for cat in Spanish is gato. Names of Trains, Ships, Aircraft, and Spacecraft: n NASA’s Challenger, QE 2

Ellipsis n n n Use an ellipsis to indicate a portion of a quotation that has been omitted. n “[D]riving is not as automatic as one might think; in fact, it imposes a heavy procedural workload on cognition that. . . leaves little processing capacity available for other tasks” (Salvucci and Taatgen 107). If used at the end of your sentence, include a fourth period. n Writing has been an issue in American secondary and higher education since papers and examinations came into wide use in the 1870 s, eventually driving out formal recitation and oral examination. . Stories and novels use ellipses to a very different effect. An ellipsis can demonstrate a pause in dialogue, a pause in narrative, or a character or a narrator trailing off. n “I’m not sure what to do…” he stammered” is a perfectly acceptable use of an ellipsis in such a case because it demonstrates the inability of the character to make up his mind.