Chapter 9

End marks include periods, question marks, and exclamation points.

End Mark Use after… Example

Period • A declarative sentence

• An imperative sentence

• An indirect question

• The key to good driving is concentration.

• Follow that car.

• He asked if I was too tired to drive.

Exclamation Point

• An exclamatory sentence

• a strong interjection

• Words that express a sound

• What phenomenal skill she has!

• Oh, no!

• Crash!

Question Mark

• An interrogative sentence

• A declarative sentence that asks a question

• Did you check the oil?

• You ran out of gas?

Usage Rule Example

Abbreviations • Use a period with abbreviations or initials

• Mr. Emil T. Schmidt, Sr.

• Sat. 2, A.M., A.D., 1 hr.

• 32 ft., Main St.• Speedy Tires Ltd.

Outlines • Use a period after each number or letter in an outline or list

• A. Longest traffic jam

• B. Oldest driver• C. Biggest car

Do not include periods with these abbreviations:

Metric measurements (cm, ml, kg, g, l) Acronyms (NATO, UNICEF, NASA) Abbreviations that are pronounced

letter by letter (CIA, NBA, IRS) State names in postal addresses (TX,

CA, FL) Points on a compass (N, E, S, W)

When you write, your use of punctuation such as commas help communicate your ideas clearly.

Use a comma after mild interjections or introductory words such as oh, yes, no, or well.

Yes, I admit that I love to watch the Daytona 500.

Use a comma after an introductory prepositional phrase that contains additional prepositional phrases.

In the middle of the race, the lead car blew out a tire.

Use a comma after an introductory adverb or adverbial clause

Unfortunately, the car is out of the race. After the pace car exits the track, drivers may

reach speeds of 200 mph. Use a comma after an infinitive or participial

phrase that serves as an introductory element.

To cover their expenses, racing teams solicit sponsors.

Smiling politely, the driver accepted a $200,000 check.

Use commas to set off nouns of direct address.

A noun of direct address is the word naming the person or persons spoken to.

Marisa, have you ever worked as part of a pit crew?

Use commas to set off parenthetical expressions, such as however, therefore, for example, I suppose, moreover, and by the way.

A parenthetical expression interrupts the flow of thought in a sentence.

By the way, your favorite driver will participate in the next heat.

Your favorite driver, by the way, will participate in the next heat.

Use a comma to separate a question tagged onto the end of a sentence.

That’s a fairly common way of speaking, isn’t it?

Use commas to set off nonessential clauses and nonessential participial phrases.

The pit crew manager, who also serves as chief engineer, advised the driver of the car’s condition.

The team, working hard for its driver’s success, has won several races this year.

Nonessential Clause The woman, who won last year, will

compete today. (Meaning: By the way that woman won last year.)

Essential Clause The woman who won last year will

compete today. (Meaning: Last year’s winner is competing again.)

Use commas to set off nonessential appositives and appositive phrases.

Eddie Cheever’s racing team, Team Cheever, has won the Indy 500.

Professional auto racing, often a very dangerous sport, requires extensive training and well-maintained equipment.

Use a comma before the conjunction that joins the two independent clauses of a compound sentence.

Ted had the best opening lap, but he lost the race. (yes)

Ted had the best opening lap but lost the race. (no)

In a series of three or more items, use a comma after each item except the last one.

Racetracks can have dirt, asphalt, or concrete surfaces.

Use a comma between two or more adjectives of equal rank that modify the same noun.

A skilled, athletic pit crew should be able to get a driver back on the racetrack in less than 20 seconds. (And? – yes)

Do not use a comma if one adjective in a series modifies another.

The driver in the olive green car is winning. (And? – no)

Use a comma to separate words that might be misread.

Unclear: The car campers felt fortunate for the good weather had lasted all week.

Clear: The car campers felt fortunate, for the good weather had lasted all week.

Use a comma to replace an omitted word or words.

Some car or RV travelers prefer to drive all day; others prefer to drive all night.

Some car or RV travelers prefer to drive all day; others, all night.

When making a contrast, use a comma with antithetical phrases that use words such as not and unlike.

Driving to another state, unlike flying, allows you to pack all the clothing you want for a trip.

A comma splice occurs when you use a comma to separate two main clauses.

To correct this error, you can replace the comma with a period or a semicolon, or you could add a coordinating conjunction, such as and, or, so, or but after a comma. (FANBOYS)

Comma Splice: Travelers who car camp don’t actually sleep in their cars, they camp out in sleeping bags or tents.

Travelers who car camp don’t actually sleep in their cars. They camp out in sleeping bags or tents.

Travelers who car camp don’t actually sleep in their cars; they camp out in sleeping bags or tents.

Travelers who car camp don’t actually sleep in their cars, but they camp out in sleeping bags or tents.

Use a comma… Example

To set off a personal title or a business abbreviation

Even Janina Popek, Ph. D., failed her first driver’s test.

In the salutation of a personal letter and the closing of any letter

Dear Tyla,Is your car still for sale?Your friend,Len

Between the day of the month and the year (and after the year in a complete date within a sentence

The next driver’s ed. class starts June 16, 2012, at Wayne High School.

The class runs until August 2012.

To separate the street, city, state in addresses and names of places

I sold my car to Wylie Autos, 121 Clark St. , Austin, Texas, last year.

In numbers of more than 3 digits In 1999, I drove over 20,000 miles.

To set off direct quotation from the rest of the sentence

“Turn left at the light,” he said.