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What would be the ideal vacation destination for some it would be a sunny beach on a tropical island but others would prefer a snow covered mountain then again it could be a foreign country or even your own back yard who would choose to stay home well the staycation is becoming more and more popular especially with hard economic times after all traveling always brings some level of stress and vacations should be all about relieving stress.

 Without the punctuation “sign posts,” it is hard to understand what has been written.  Clearly, punctuation helps us make sense of what we read. Most of us know this to be true, but we may not know exactly when and where to place punctuation marks.  Look at the statement again with the correct punctuation in place:

What would be the ideal vacation destination? For some, it would be a sunny beach on a tropical island, but others would prefer a snow-covered mountain. Then again, it could be a foreign country or even your own back yard! Who would choose to stay home? Well, the “staycation” is becoming more and more popular, especially with hard economic times. After all, traveling always brings some level of stress, and vacations should be all about relieving stress.

 Period. We stayed home. They visited Rome.  Exclamation point! What a great vacation!  Question mark ? Where will you go next year?

 Comma,  large, grey, threatening clouds  We tried, but we failed.  Please call me, Maria.  For the first time in two years, our team won.  Since he broke his leg, he can’t go to the prom.  Semicolon ;  He walked in; she walked out.  Austin, Texas; Miami, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia and New York, New York are the cities we visited.  We tried; however, we failed.  Colon :  Bring the following items: blankets, tents, food, and water.  Dear Sir: 11:30 A.M. John 5:13

 Apostrophe ’  we will = we’ll I am = I’m have not – haven’t  the dog’s collar (1) all the dogs’ collars (2+)  How many s’s are in Mississippi?  Quotation Marks “ ”  “Excuse me,” she said. “I did not want to interrupt.”  The “staycation” is a vacation spent at home.  Edgar Allan Poe is well known for the short story “The Tell-tale Heart” and the poem “The Raven.”

 Parentheses ( )  The boy said his grandfather’s cellphone (an old flip top model) looked more like a dumb phone than a smart phone.  According to the article by James Rusk (Rusk 4), …  Dashes --  Now that you are here, please file these – what happened to your arm?  The harmful effects of secondhand smoke on children in the home – as well as pets – should be taken seriously.

Add punctuation marks to the following sentences on your handout.  What color should we paint the room Ted  Dont leave home without your books  From what I can see you are a great dancer  What a horrible way to end the day  We hiked on a long cold windy path  Sammy tried the sushi but he didnt like it  After the storm passed we ventured outside  At noon in the desert you learn to appreciate a car with air conditioning  They were ready for the test they had prepared well

 The coach was worried however the team pulled off a victory  For the demolition of the wall you will need the following items gloves safety goggles sledge hammers and crow bars  She couldnt give us an answer when we asked why the cars back bumper was missing  How many 2s are in Marks phone number  The Lady or the Tiger is a short story with an unresolved ending  Will you help me with the groceries Mom asked  Freedom of speech a right granted to us in the First Amendment should never be taken for granted

 What color should we paint the room, Ted?  Don’t leave home without your books.  From what I can see, you are a great dancer.  What a horrible way to end the day!  We hiked on a long, cold, winding path.  Sammy tried the sushi, but he didn’t like it.  After the storm passed, we ventured outside.  At noon in the desert, you learn to appreciate a car with air conditioning.  They were ready for the test; they had prepared well.

 The coach was worried; however, the team pulled off a victory.  For the demolition of the wall, you will need the following items: gloves, safety goggles, sledge hammers, and crow bars. (comma after hammers optional)  She couldn’t give us an answer when we asked why the car’s back bumper was missing.  How many 2’s are in Marks phone number?  “The Lady or the Tiger” is a short story with an unresolved ending.  “Will you help me with the groceries?” Mom asked.  Freedom of speech (a right granted to us in the First Amendment) should never be taken for granted. (commas or dashes could also be used here)

 Learn the rules of correct punctuation and use them to make your writing clear. Can you name the uses of each punctuation mark listed below?  Period.  Exclamation point !  Question mark ?  Comma,  Semicolon ;  Colon :  Apostrophe ’  Quotation marks “ ”  Parentheses ( )  Dashes --