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Punctuation Definition Punctuation is the system that divides what we write into separate parts in order to make our meaning clearer. Without punctuation our writing would be a stream of words that would be almost impossible to understand. How to punctuate in speech: Naturally, in speech we have in-built punctuation. When we are speaking to someone, we should pause or change our voice slightly between phrases or sentences. If we speak in a monotone and without pauses, the listeners will never comprehend our speech. 2

What is punctuation for? Service to readers Help readers comprehend meaning Read without stumbling Prevents misunderstanding Facilitates the activity of reading 3

Marks of Punctuation 1. Capitalization (A----a) 2. Full stop or period (.) 3. Question mark (?) 4. Exclamation mark(!) 5. Comma (,) 6. Colon (:) 7. Quotation mark (“-----”) 8. The Semicolon ( ; ) 9. The Apostrophe (‘) 10. Ellipsis (….) 11. Slash (/) 4

Capital Letters-1 All sentences begin with capital letters. 1. We enjoyed reading the book. 2. Those girls finished cleaning the counter. 5

Capital Letters-2 Proper nouns begin with capital letters. 1. Mr. Babrak asked if Zmarak would help. 2. Uncle Rafi took us to Texas. 6

Capital Letters-3 The pronoun I is always capitalized. 1. I don’t need your help. 2. My aunt and I picked up the papers. 7

Capital Letters-4 A capital letter begins the first, last, and any important word in the title of a book, magazine, song, movie, poem, or other work. 1. Read the last chapter of Tom Sawyer. 2. She watched Snow White when she was five years old. 8

Period-AmE (full stop-BrE)-1 A complete sentence that makes a statement ends with a period. 1. It’s your birthday. 2. You blow out the candle. 3. She knocked the door. 9

Period-2 Most abbreviations end with a period. Examples: 1. Dr. Hamid lives on Oak Rd. near St. Mary’s Hospital. 2. A.m, p.m. 10

Question Mark-1 A question ends with a question mark or to ask a direct question. 1. When will you be finished? 2. Have you found any jobs yet? 11

Exclamation Mark A statement expresses strong feelings, emotions or excitement ends with an exclamation mark. 1. What a beautiful day it is! 2. Oh! She got the first position. 12

Comma-1 Joining independent sentences with conjunctions (and, or, but...) Examples: 1. The feedback improved, and the module had a stronger output. 2. We won the game, but the opponent gave tough winning position.

Comma-2 Joining an independent clause and a dependent clause Examples: 1. If you keep calm, I will explain it easily. 2. Although I had difficulty, I still prevailed. 3. By the time she comes, we will have completed the task.

Comma-3 A comma separates things in a series. I ate pizza, a burger, a bread, and ice cream. 15

Comma-5 A comma separates quoted words from the rest of the sentence. Examples : 1. “I wanted to go,” she remarked. 2. The students exclaimed with joy,“what a good paper it was!” 16

Comma-6 A comma separates items in an address (places) or date. Examples: Miami, Florida, USA. January 6,

Comma-7 It is used to separate a tag question from the rest of the sentence: Examples: It’s quite expensive, isn’t it? You live in Bristol, don’t you? 18

Colon-1 A colon shows the reader that a list or explanation follows. 1. I will need the following items: pens, paper, glue, and paint. 2. She will send the given materials: mobile, T.V, and a camera. 19

Colon-2 1.It is used for time.11:35 1.It comes before a list. I will need the following items from the store: bananas, grapes, watermelon, and lemons. 20

Punctuation: Quotation Marks Quotation marks are used to identify the exact words of a speaker. (direct speech) 1. President Bush said, “We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.” 21

The Semicolon-1 ( ; ) more formal than the comma, the semicolon is a half comma, half period. A longer pause Joining independent clauses, with or without a subordinating conjunction (‘however, although, on the other hand...’) Examples: 1. The sample was tainted; it had no effect. 2. We completed the circuit; however, the light would not turn on.

The Apostrophe: 1 Used in contractions( omit figures) of letter or number) Generally, contractions are inappropriate in academic writing Examples: 1. Temperature didn’t affect the reaction. 2. Temperature did not affect the reaction.

The Apostrophe: 2 Indicates possession that a thing or person belongs to Example : Freud’s argument states that he was the real culprit. Examples: 1. The boy’s room (one boy) 2. The boys’ room (two boys) 3. John's dog used to be Rex’s. It is also used to form the plural of a letter, a figure or an abbreviation: 1. During the 1990’s, I was a brilliant student.

Dots/Ellipsis (….) It is used to alert the reader that something has been removed (omitted) from the quoted material, that the speaker has hesitated, or that there is something for the reader to take out. Example There are many good sports, such as football, swimming, jogging, … That help your nervous system. 25

Bracket (BrE)- Parentheses(AmE) To separate extra information or a comment from the rest of the sentence: 1. Mount Robson( feet) is the highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies. To enclose cross-references: 1. This moral ambiguity is a feature of Shakespeare’s later works (see Chapter Eight) Around numbers or letters in text: 1. Our objectives are (1) to increase output, (2) to improve quality and (3) to maximize profits. 26