End punctuation, semicolons, colons, and dashes English B60 End punctuation, semicolons, colons, and dashes

End Punctuation Each complete sentence in your writing needs to be followed by a piece of punctuation. You have three choices to end your sentece: Period Question mark Exclamation mark

Periods Periods go after declarative statements. Next semester I am taking a psychology class. Periods also go after INDIRECT questions. I wonder what we are going to have for dinner tonight. Note: this indirect question is not posed to anyone and there is no expected answer.

Question Marks Question marks go after direct questions. Can you watch the kids for me tonight? They DO NOT go after indirect questions. Sometimes I question my sanity.

Exclamation Marks Exclamation marks should be used sparingly to indicate great excitement or enthusiasm. These nachos are delicious! I can’t believe we won the game! Used too often, they can lose their power or make you come across as too loud or boisterous. Don’t shout at your audience.

Practice Choose which punctuation mark to put at the end of each of the following sentences. Is the exam is going to be on Monday or Wednesday I wonder if the movie is as good as the book I am so mad at him right now School supplies are expensive Will you please be quiet

Colons There is one basic rule governing colon use: colons go after independent clauses that are introducing something. See what I did there? As long as what precedes the colon can stand alone as a complete sentence, then the colon will be correct.

Examples of Colon Use It can introduce a single word There is only one way to describe it: perfection It can introduce a phrase I live by one motto: never back down. It can introduce a list Don’t forget we need some things for dinner tonight: bread, carrots, and peas. It can introduce a sentence Edward has one quality that sets him above other men: he’s a vampire.

Practice Working together in small groups, add colons to the following sentences. If you really want to lose weight, you must do three things eat smaller portions, exercise, and drink lots of water The cook bought eggs, milk, cheese, and bread. The gymnasium was decorated for the holiday red, white, and blue streamers were hung from the ceiling.

Semicolons As we discussed when discussing run-ons and sentence fragments, semicolons are used to connect two independent clauses. I won’t be able to attend the event this weekend; I have too much homework.

Semicolons Cont’d There is one additional semicolon rule, which you will likely use much less frequently. Use semicolons to separate items in a series when at least one of those items have commas within them. I love to bake cookies, cakes, and muffins; read horror and romance novels; and watch Face Off.

Practice Working together in small groups, add semicolons to the following sentences. The average annual rainfall in Death Valley is about two inches nevertheless, hundreds of plant an animal species survive and even thrive there. For anything worth having, one must pay the price the price is always work, patience, love, and self-sacrifice. Open until midnight, the computer lab is well used.

Dashes Use dashes to emphasize information or to isolate phrasing that includes its own punctuation. Dashes are optional and should be used sparingly. They can replace commas, semicolons, or colons.

Examples Lee Jones—Employee of the Month—quit yesterday. Dashes replace commas. I love Bollywood movies—my sister hates them. Dash replaces a semicolon. I have exciting news for you—we’re moving! Dash replaces a colon. The new club members—Jan, Ted, and Anne—arrived. Dashes isolate list.

Practice Add dashes where appropriate to the following sentences. The fairgrounds cold and wet in the October rain were deserted. Life is like a puzzle half the fun is trying to work it out. There is just one thing left to do run!

Apostrophes Apostrophes are used to mark the missing letters in contractions. Contractions are combinations of words. Don’t, can’t, shouldn’t, etc. Make sure you include these in your writing and that they appear in the correct spot—where the missing letters would have been.

Apostrophes Cont’d Apostrophes are also used to mark possession Sheila’s purse David’s sweater Buster’s collar

Possession When you’re marking possession for the singular, the apostrophe goes before the “s” Cecilia’s binder When you’re marking possession for the plural, the apostrophe goes after the “s” The girls’ bathroom Some words do not take the “s” to form plural Women Children Men Treat these words like you would the singular, and put an apostrophe and then an “s”

Do Not… Use the apostrophe for possessive pronouns Her’s, your’s, hi’s, it’s, etc. It’s is always the contraction for “it is” Use the apostrophe for verbs She run’s on Thursdays. Use the apostrophe for plurals I have two cat’s.

Only you can prevent apostrophe abuse…

Practice Working together in small groups, add apostrophes to the following sentences The tennis players strategy was brilliant. She couldnt have cared less. Cholesterol plays an important role in how long we live.