Punctuation PowerPoint Part 1 Apostrophes Colons (Introducing Long or Formal Quotations) Quotation Marks

Apostrophes Apostrophes are used to form contractions. These are not acceptable in essays. Examples: can’t, wouldn’t, I’m Apostrophes are also used to form the plurals of letters of the alphabet. Examples: p’s, q’s, A’s

Apostrophes More importantly, apostrophes indicate possession. Singular Noun Possessive: poem’s meter Plural Noun (ending in “s”) Possessive: firefighters’ trucks Irregular Plural Noun (not ending in “s”) Possessive: women’s studies

Apostrophes Nouns in a Series (ownership shared) Possessive: Palmer and Colton’s book on European history Nouns in a Series (ownership not shared) Possessive: Palmer’s and Colton’s books on European history Singular Proper Noun Possessive: Venus’s beauty, Dickens’s reputation Do not use an apostrophe to form the plural of an abbreviation or a number: PhDs, 1990s, fours, TVs, SAT score in the 1400s ’60s

Colons (Long or Formal Quotation) Use this punctuation with quotes longer than four lines. Indent one inch, single space, no quotation marks. For one paragraph, do not indent the first line more than the rest. For two paragraphs, indent the first line an additional quarter inch. In-text citation follows the period.

Colons (Long or Formal Quotation) At the conclusion of The Lord of the Flies, Ralph and the other boys realize the horror of their actions: The tears began to flow and sobs shook him. He gave himself up to them for now for the first time on the island; great, shuddering spasms of grief that seemed to wretch his body. (186)

Quotation Marks Punctuation The question is mine Punctuation Original: I believe taxation without representation is tyranny! Did he attack “taxation without representation”? Drastic events followed his attack on “taxation without representation”! (The exclamation is mine, not the author’s) He shouted, “I believe taxation without representation is tyranny!” (306) Notice in MLA

Quotation Marks Use single quotation marks within double quotation marks. Example: “The poem alluded to Stevens’s ‘Sunday Morning,’” notes Miller. Shelly said, “I cannot believe the teacher said, ‘ Let’s not have any homework.’”

Punctuation PowerPoint Part 2 The Logical Semicolon Parentheses & Brackets

Again, it is like a super comma here The Logical Semicolon The logical semicolon is used when at least one of the independent clauses in a sentence with more than one independent clauses contains a comma or commas. It is used to promote sentence clarity. Notice that in the examples below the semicolon is placed at the end of the first independent clause BEFORE the coordinating conjunction. Example: The forest, filled with thick underbrush and threatening creatures, seemed impassible; and so the hungry, tired pioneer family slumped to the ground in despair. Example: Behind the kitchen wall, the mouse ate the wheel of cheese; but the smart, crafty chef was waiting. Again, it is like a super comma here

The Logical Semicolon (super comma) The logical semicolon with items in a series: Example: I was convinced that we had won when I heard the music of the band, clear and loud; the jubilant players, clapping and shouting; and the roar of spectators, rising to their feet. Example: Present at the symposium were Henri Guillaume, the art critic; Sam Brown, the Daily Tribune reporter; and Maria Rosa, the conceptual artist.

Check, Please! Write one sentence using a logical semicolon with an independent clause. Write one sentence using a logical semicolon with items in a series.

Brackets We have two types of brackets: angular brackets (<>) and square brackets ([ ]). Angular brackets are used to include a URL in a Work(s) Cited.

Square Brackets Quotations A comment or explanation that goes inside the quotation must appear within square brackets, not parentheses. Example: He claimed he could provide “hundreds of examples [of court decisions] to illustrate the historical tension.” If a pronoun seems unclear, use square brackets. Example: In the first act he soliloquizes, “Why she would hang on him [Hamlet’s father]. . . .”

Square Brackets, continued Ellipsis If the author you are quoting uses ellipsis points, you should distinguish them from your ellipses by putting square brackets around the ones you add. Example: In N. Scott Momaday’s House of Dawn, when Mrs. St. John arrives at the rectory, she tells Father Olguin, “We live in California, my husband and I, Los Angeles . . . This is beautiful country [ . . . ]” (29).

Square Brackets, continued Use square brackets around a parenthesis within a parenthesis, so that the levels of subordination can be easily distinguished. Example: The sect known as the Jansenists (after Cornelius Jansen [1585-1638]) faced opposition from both the king and the pope.

Write two sentences: each sentence must include square brackets. Check, Please! Write two sentences: each sentence must include square brackets.