Punctuation Rules

Unit 3Language Arts

Ms. Ramey-Ford & Ms. Watson

Why Do We Need Punctuation?

• Punctuation allows the author’s writing to be easy to read and understandable for the reader.

Types of Punctuation

PERIOD COMMA COLON QUESTIONMARK

QUOTATIONMARKS

EXCLAMATIONPOINT PARENTHESIS APOSTROPHE

SEMICOLON HYPHENS DASHES ELLIPSIS

What Are End Marks?

• A mark of punctuation placed at the end of a sentence

-Period (.)-Question Mark (?)-Exclamation Point (!)

Period

• Rule 1: Use at the end of a declarative statement.

Example: I went to the store to buy groceries.

Question Mark

• Rule 1: Use at the end of an interrogative sentence.

Example: Did Gordon Parks write The Learning Tree?

Exclamation Point

• Rule 1: Use at the end of an exclamatory sentence.

Example: That’s the biggest hamburger I’ve ever seen!

Comma• Used to separate words or groups of words so

that the meaning of a sentence is clear.• Rule 1: Use to separate items in a series.Example-Words in a Series: Always stop, look, and listen before crossing railroad tracks.Example-Phrases in a Series: Clearing the table, washing the dishes, and putting everything away took almost an hour.Example-Clauses in a Series: The lights dimmed, the curtain rose, and the orchestra began to play.

Comma• Rule 2: Use to separate two or more adjectives

preceding a noun.Example: Jack Russell terriers are small, energetic dogs.• Rule 3: Use before a coordinating conjunction

when it joins independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Example: I enjoyed The King and I, but Oklahoma! is still my favorite musical.

Comma• Rule 4: Use to set off an expression that interrupts a

sentence.Example: Ms. Ramey-Ford, born and raised in Wisconsin, moved to Georgia as an adult.• Rule 5: Use after certain introductory words, phrases, and

clauses.Example: Well, I think we should ask for help.Example: At night in the desert, the temperature falls rapidly.Example: To keep your bones strong, be sure to get regular exercise and eat foods rich in calcium.Example: Because I had a sore throat, I could not audition for the school play.

Comma• Rule 6: Use to separate items in dates and

addresses.Example: The company’s new mailing address is 522 Candler Lane, York, PA 17404.Example: Today’s date is February 7, 2013.• Rule 7: Use after the salutation of a letter and

after the closing of a letter.Example: Dear Aunt Mary,Example: Sincerely,

Semicolon• Rule 1: Used to join independent clauses that are

closely related in meaning.Example: I called Gina; she will be here in ten minutes.• Rule 2: Use between independent clauses that are

joined by a conjunctive adverb or a transitional expression.

Example: Language Arts was Taylor’s hardest subject; therefore, she gave it more time than any other subject.

Semicolon

• Rule 3: A semicolon may be needed to separate independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction when the clauses contain commas.

Example: Our strongest defensive soccer players are Ethan, Marcos, and Bryan; and Vanessa and Sofia are excellent on offense.

Colon• Rule 1: Use before a list of items, especially

after words like as follows or the following.Example: Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck, but, most of all, endurance.• Rule 2: Use before a statement that explains or

clarifies a preceding statement.Example: Lorenzo felt that he had accomplished something worthwhile: He had written and recorded his first song.

Colon• Rule 3: Use between the hour and the minute.Example: 11:16 A.M.• Rule 4: Use after the salutation of a business letter.Example: Dear Ms. Watson:• Rule 5: Use between chapter and verse in Biblical

references and between titles and subtitles.Example: I Corinthians 13:1-2 or Georgia: In the American Experience

Quotation Marks• Rule 1: Use to enclose a direct quote-a person’s

exact words.Example: “Has anyone here eaten at Red Lobster?” asked Erica Perry.• Rule 2: Use to enclose titles and subtitles of short

works such as short stories, poems, essays, articles, songs, episodes of television series, and chapters and other parts of books.

Example: “The Tell-Tale Heart” or “The Star Spangled Banner”

What Are Apostrophes?• It is used to form the possessive case of nouns

and some pronouns, to indicate in a contraction where letters or numerals have been omitted, and to form some plurals.

Apostrophe

• Rule 1: To form the possessive case of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and a s.

Example: a dog’s collar• Rule 2: To form the possessive case of a plural

noun ending in s, add only the apostrophe.Example: Students’ book bags

Apostrophe• Rule 3: Do not use an apostrophe with

possessive personal pronouns.Example: These keys are yours, not mine.• Rule 4: To form the possessive case of some

indefinite pronouns, add an apostrophe and an s.

Example: Someone’s pencil or No one’s fault

Apostrophe

• Rule 5: To form contractions, use an apostrophe to show where letters or numerals have been omitted.

Examples: I am = I’m or of the clock = o’clock

Hyphens• Rule 1: Use to divide a word at the end of a line.Example: What percentage of U.S. house- holds have subscribed to DIRECTV?• Rule 2: Divide a word only between syllables.Example: Marquees wrote is science report on tyra-nnosaurs, a dinosaur.• Rule 3: Use with compound numbers from twenty-

one to ninety-nine and with fraction used as modifiers.

Example: forty-eighth state or one-third

Hyphens• Rule 4: Use with the prefixes all-, ex-, great,

and self- and with the suffixes -elect and –free and with all prefixes before a proper noun or proper adjective.

Examples: all-star, ex-principal, great-aunt, self-confidence, and sugar-free• Rule 5: Hyphenate a compound adjective when

it precedes the noun it modifies.Examples: a small-girl or a well-book

Parentheses

• Rule 1: Use to enclose material that is added to a sentence, but is not considered of major importance.

Example: The American Civil War (1861-1864) was a war between the North and the South.

Dashes

• Rule 1: Use to indicate an abrupt break in thought or speech.

Example: Felicity began, “The burglar is--but I don’t want to give away the ending.”

Ellipsis

• Rule 1: Three dots that are placed in a row, that represent words that have been left out.

Example: D’Artangan wondered and wondered ... and continued to wonder for a very long time.