CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATIONhttp://www.punctuationchecker.org

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Punctuation Cheat SheetUsing Proper Capitalization Using End-of-Sentence Punctuation MarksUsing Commas Using Colons and Semicolons Using Hyphens and DashesUsing Apostrophes Using SlashesUsing Miscellaneous Punctuation Marks

09 PARTS OF PUNCTUATIONhttp://www.punctuationchecker.org

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATIONAdd Your Title here

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CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Always start a sentence with a capital letter.Use capital letters to start proper nouns and titles.Use capital letters for acronyms.Using Proper Capitalization Examples: She invited her friend over after school. Genghis Khan quickly became the most powerful man in Asia. The CIA and the NSA are just two of the USA's many intelligence agencies.

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CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a period to end declarative sentences and statements.Use a question mark to end questions.Use an exclamation point to end exclamatory sentences.Using End of Sentence Punctuation MarksExamples: The accessibility of the computer has increased tremendously over the past several years. What has humanity done about the growing concern of global warming? Eek! You scared me!

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CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a comma to indicate a break or pause within a sentence.Use the comma when listing items in a series.Use a comma to separate two or more adjectives describing a noun.Using Commas http://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: Bill Gates, CEO of Microsoft, is the developer of the operating system known as Windows. The fruit basket contained apples, bananas, and oranges. The computer store was filled with video games, computer hardware and other electronic paraphernalia. The powerful, resonating sound caught our attention.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a comma to separate one geographical area from another that is located inside.Use a comma to separate an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence.Use the comma to separate two independent clauses.Using Commas http://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples:I am originally from Hola, Tana River County, Kenya.After the show, John and I went out to dinner.Ryan went to the beach yesterday, but he forgot his sunscreen.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a comma when making a direct address.Use a comma to separate direct quotations from the sentence introducing them.Using Commas http://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples:Amber, could you come here for a moment? While I was at his house, John asked, "Do you want anything to eat? While I was at his house, John asked me if I wanted anything to eat.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a semicolon to separate two related but independent clauses.Use a semicolon to separate a complex series of items.Use the colon to introduce a list.Using Colons and Semicolons http://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: People continue to worry about the future; our failure to conserve resources has put the world at risk. I went to the show with Jake, my close friend; his friend, Jane; and her best friend, Jenna. The professor has given me three options: to retake the exam, to accept the extra credit assignment, or to fail the class.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a colon to introduce a new concept or example.Use a colon to separate parts of a title.Using Colons and Semicolons http://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: There's only one person old enough to remember that wedding: grandma. Fred's favorite movie was The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, though Stacy preferred its sequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a hyphen when adding a prefix to some words.Use hyphens when creating compound words from several smaller words.Use a hyphen when writing numbers out as words.Using Hyphens and Dasheshttp://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: Cara is his ex-girlfriend. The up-to-date newspaper reporters were quick to jump on the latest scandal. There are fifty-two playing cards in a deck.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use a dash when making a brief interruption within a statement.Use a hyphen to split a word between two lines.Using Hyphens and DashesExamples: An introductory clause is a brief phrase that comes yes, you guessed it at the beginning of a sentence. This is the end of our sentence or so we thought. No matter what else he tried, he just couldn't get the novel's elect- -rifying surprise ending out of his head.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use the apostrophe together with the letter s to indicate possession.Use the single quotation mark within a regular quotation to indicate a quotation within a quotation.Using Apostropheshttp://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: The hamster's water tube needs to be refilled. In the pet store, the hamsters' bedding needed to be changed. These children's test scores are the highest in the nation. Friends of hers explained that it's her idea, not theirs, to refill the hamster's water tube and change its bedding.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Don't use apostrophes with s to make a plural noun from a singular.Using Apostropheshttp://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: Ali said, "Anna told me, 'I wasn't sure if you wanted to come!'

CORRECT - apple apples

INCORRECT - apple apple's

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use the slash to separate and and or, when appropriate.Use the slash when quoting lyrics and poetry to denote a line break.Also use the slash to replace the word and to join two nouns.Using Slasheshttp://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: To register, you will need your driver's license and/or your birth certificate. Row, row, row your boat / Gently down the stream. / Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, / Life is but a dream."The student and part-time employee has very little free time."

"The student/part-time employee has very little free time."

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use the double quotation mark ( " ) to enclose a direct quotation, whether spoke by a person or taken from a written source.Use parentheses to clarify.Using Miscellaneous Punctuation Markshttp://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: "I can't wait to see him perform!" John exclaimed. According to the article, the value of the dollar in developing nations is "strongly influenced by its aesthetic value, rather than its face value. Steve Case (AOL's former CEO) resigned from the Time-Warner board of directors in 2005.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use parentheses to denote an afterthought.Use parentheses for personal comments.Using Miscellaneous Punctuation Markshttp://www.punctuationchecker.orgExamples: You will need a flashlight for the camping trip (don't forget the batteries!). Most grammarians believe that parentheses and commas are always interchangeable (I disagree).

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

Use brackets to signify an editor's note in a regular piece of writing.Use braces to denote a numeric set in mathematics.Using Miscellaneous Punctuation Markshttp://www.punctuationchecker.org Examples: "[The blast] was absolutely devastating," said Susan Smith, a local bystander at the scene of the incident. The set of numbers in this problem are: { 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 }

Choose your favorite utensil { fork, knife, spoon } and bring it to me.

CORRECT USE OF ENGLISH PUNCTUATION

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