1. Basic Punctuation By: Jackson, Holly, Saiq, McKenzie

2. Definitions Comma- the sign is a mark of punctuation used for indicating a division in a sentence Semi colon- the punctuation mark (;) used to indicate a major division in a sentence where a more distinct separation is felt between clauses or items on a list

3. Using Comas Use commas after and introductory Put a comma after the main clause when a dependent clause follows it (except for cases of extreme contrast) Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift

4. Using Capital Letters The first letter in a sentence The pronoun I Proper nouns Proper names Religious figures Titles Days, months, holidays, NOT seasons Members of groups Periods and events, NOT centuries Trade marks Words and abbreviations Use a capital letter for the following

5. Using End Marks Used to end a sentence Use periods (.) most of the time If the sentence ends with an abbreviation don’t add another period. Ex: I live in the U.S.A. If the sentence ends in a title that ends in a ? or a ! DON’T add another period. Ex: I love the film, Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolf? Use a question mark (?) at the end of sentences that ask a question Use exclamation points (!) at the end of interjections or any other exclamatory expression Exclamation points are usually only used in dialogue

6. Using semi colons (;) and Colons (:)  The colon is often used to introduce a list of items Example: You will need to bring three things to the party: some food, something to drink, and a small gift for the hostess.  A semi colon is often used to join together two independent clauses Example: Mary drives a Mercedes; Joanne drives a Chevrolet.

7. Using Quotation Marks Don’t use them on indirect quotes Use them to enclose titles of songs, short stories, essays, poems, and articles End quotes with a, or. Inside of the ending quotation marks Quotation marks always come in pairs If a quote is interrupted don’t capitalize the second part of the quote Ex: “Come here,” he said “and bring your stuff with you.”

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