1. Punctuation Lesson One, Topic Two
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2. Importance of Punctuation
Missing or incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence.
Read the example on the next slide. See if you can figure out how changing the punctuation would change the meaning of the incorrect sentence.

3. Eats, Shoots and Leaves
A panda enters a cafe, orders and devours a sandwich, draws a pistol, fires a few shots and then heads for the door. "Why?" asks the bewildered waiter. The panda tosses him a badly punctuated wildlife manual and says:
"I'm a panda. Look it up." The waiter reads the relevant entry: "Panda: Large black and white bear-like mammal, native to China. Eats, shoots and leaves."
From Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. Lynne Truss, Gotham Books, 2004

4. Comma - Lists Use commas to separate a series of items.
Health care workers need to be reliable, conscientious, competent, and courteous.
The receptionist, office manager, and billing specialist met on Monday.

5. Comma - Phrases Use commas to separate introductory phrases
As a result, the exam was rescheduled.
Use commas to offset extra information
The patient, who arrived late, complained about having to wait.

6. Comma - Link Clauses
Insert a comma before a coordinating conjunction used to link independent clauses
The acronym FANBOYS will help you remember the coordinating
conjunctions for, and, nor, but or, yet, and so.
The patient is diabetic, so she takes insulin.
The sky is overcast, yet the weather is very warm.

7. Comma - Quotation Marks
When a quote is at the beginning of a sentence, place the comma inside the quotation marks.
“I am cold,” the patient said.
When a quote is at the end of a sentence, place the comma before the quotation marks.
The patient said, “I am cold.”
Note that in the last example, the period is placed inside the quotation marks.

8. Apostrophe - Omission
The apostrophe is used to replace missing letters or numbers.
Letters
it’s = it is
don’t = do not
she’ll = she will
Numbers
’01 = 2001

9. Apostrophe - Possession
The apostrophe can also be used to indicate possession or ownership
Singular nouns
the boy’s bicycle
Plural nouns
employees’ benefits
Note: Do not use apostrophes with personal pronouns—your, his, her, their, its.

10. Capitalization Capitalize the: First word of a sentence Proper names
Nationalities, races, and languages
Names of places
Months and days of the week

11. Practice Quizzes
Visit the websites below to hone your punctuation skills. To return to this page, close the windows that open with the quizzes in them.
Click here to access a comma placement quiz.
Click here to access an apostrophe placement quiz.
Click here to access a quiz on capitalization.

12. Summary Punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence
Commas link clauses, separate items in a list, or set off phrases
Apostrophes can replace omitted words or show possession
Capitalize the first word of a sentence and all proper nouns

13. Next Steps
The assessment will test your understanding of the parts of speech and punctuation.
Read textbook pages:
, , and (ninth edition)
, , and (eighth edition) and then click Assessment.