1. Punctuation Lesson Five, Topic Two
Use the arrows below or click the Slide Show button at lower right to view presentation
In slide show view, click anywhere onscreen to advance to the next slide.

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. See the Difference Which of the following is correct?
Eats, shoots and leaves.
Eats shoots and leaves.
One tiny thing (a comma, in this case) can completely change the meaning of a sentence.
Eats, shoots, and leaves are all verbs in the first sentence.
In the second sentence, eats is the only verb and [bamboo] shoots and leaves are now nouns.

5. Comma Usage
Commas are often misused. People either overuse or underuse them.
Knowing when and how to use commas will help you use them correctly.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. Sentence Enders
A sentence can end with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.
Period are generally used for academic writing because they are
used to end statements.
Question marks can be used as appropriate.
Exclamation points are rarely used in academic or technical writing.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Capitalization Capitalize the first letter of:
The first word of a sentence
A proper name
Nationalities, races, and languages
Names of places (Chicago or Ohio)
Months and days of the week
Titles, such as Dr. or Mr.
Note: The first letter of an occupation, such as physician, should not be capitalized.

14. 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.
Comma placement quiz
Apostrophe placement quiz
Capitalization quiz

15. Summary Punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence
Commas link clauses, separate items in a list, or set off phrases
Periods are usually the most appropriate sentence-enders used for academic writing.
Apostrophes can replace omitted words or show possession
Capitalize the first word of a sentence and all proper nouns

16. Next Steps
Click the Back button on your browser, and then click Topic 3 to continue.