The names of punctuation marks | OxfordWords blog Home > The names of punctuation marks The names of punctuation marks Chances are that you use them every day – from ‘ to # and ? to . – but where did common punctuation marks get their names? Ampersand The ampersand is the sign &, used to mean ‘and’. The shape of the symbol originated as a ligature for the Latin et (‘and’) – that is, it represents the merged ‘e’ and ‘t’. The name ampersand also represents a merge, although one that is perhaps more accidental. When reciting the alphabet, letters that were also entire words in and of themselves (such as a and I) could once be read as ‘a per se a’, ‘i per se I’, to make it clear that a word was intended, rather than a single letter. Per se is the Latin for ‘by itself’, so the & symbol, which was traditionally included at the end of the alphabet, was originally chanted as ‘and per se and’ (that is, ‘& by itself is and’). Over time, this was altered into the single word ampersand, and the original phrase was largely forgotten.

Apostrophe Use of the apostrophe (‘) can be a bit of a minefield (our handy hints will help you work them out), and you might experience an ironic wish to turn away from them. Why ironic? Because apostrophe actually comes from a word meaning ‘turn away’: the Greek apostrephein, from apo ‘from’ + strephein ‘to turn’. This is the root of the Greek apostrophos, meaning ‘accent of elision’, which is precisely one of the functions of the apostrophe – that is, it is used to indicate ‘the omission of a sound or syllable when speaking’. Incidentally, an apostrophe is also ‘an exclamatory passage in a speech or poem addressed to a person (typically one who is dead or absent) or thing (typically one that is personified)’. Again, the route is apostrephein, as the speaker is turning away from the audience or reader to address a third party. Hyphen The hyphen (-) is used to join words together, and so it is perhaps unsurprising that the word hyphen comes from the Greek for ‘together’ (hyphen). This, in turn, comes from hypo ‘under’ + hen ‘one’.

The hyphen is not the only punctuation mark that signifies togetherness; the plus symbol (+) has also been referred to as a hyphen on rare occasions, as has a short pause between two syllables in speaking and, more broadly, any small connecting link. Colon Speaking of words with more than one meaning, you may be familiar with the colon as a symbol (:) and (less suitable for dinnertime conversation) the main part of the large intestine. These actually derive from slightly different Greek words. The anatomical feature is from κόλον (i.e. kŏlon), meaning ‘food’, ‘meat’, or (indeed) ‘the colon’. The word for the punctuation mark, on the other hand, comes from κῶλον (or kōlon), which means ‘limb’ or ‘clause’ – and it is used because one of the main functions of the colon is to separate two clauses, where the second clause explains or follows from the first. Parenthesis Commonly known as brackets (particularly in British English), parentheses are those symbols used earlier in this sentence: the round brackets ( and ).

Since the mid 16th century, parenthesis and parentheses have been used to mean ‘a word, clause, or sentence inserted as an explanation, aside, or afterthought into a passage with which it has not necessarily any grammatical connection’ (and, more generally, an afterthought or explanatory aside). The use of the term to refer to the round brackets themselves followed later, although only by a few decades, according to current Oxford English Dictionary (OED) research. The word itself ultimately comes from the Greek parentithenai, meaning ‘put in beside’. @ This symbol has become very familiar, as (of course) every email address requires one. I have used the symbol itself for this paragraph’s heading, as the only name by which is it commonly known in English is at (or at symbol, at sign, etc.). Its technological lease of life was not its genesis, though; @ originated as a scribe’s quick way of writing the Latin word ad, meaning ‘at’, especially in lists of prices of commodities. It is still used in accounting and invoicing to signify ‘at the rate of’ (15 tables @ £35 = £525, for example), as well as various computer programming languages.

While no other name for the symbol has secured wide use in English, various other languages have given names or nicknames to @. Many of these relate to the shape of the sign: a selection includes aapstert (Afrikaans, ‘monkey tail’), kukac (Hungarian, ‘worm’ or ‘maggot’), and malwen (Welsh, ‘snail’), although at is becoming more common as a universal name. Octothorp Even if you don’t think you know what an octothorp (or octothorpe) is, you’ll definitely recognize it; it’s another name for this symbol: #. Most commonly known as a hash (probably from hatch, meaning ‘shade an area with closely drawn parallel lines’, altered by folk etymology), # is also known as the pound sign or the number sign in American English, used to prefix weights or numbers. The symbol has come to prominence in recent years due to its use on Twitter and other social media to identify messages on a specific topic; the word or phrase preceded by the hash sign is known as a hashtag , and the sign itself is increasingly also known by this name. So, what of octothorp?

The picturesque name is said to have been invented by Don Macpherson, an employee of Bell Laboratories in the 1960s, in honour of the American athlete Jim Thorpe, with the octo- part deriving from the symbol’s eight points. Another theory for the thorp section of octothorp was printed by New Scientist in 1996: ‘thorp was an Old English word for village: apparently the sign was playfully construed as eight fields surrounding a village’. The opinions and other information contained in OxfordWords blog posts and comments do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Oxford University Press. Author punctuation--function of in English grammar (page 1) Punctuation We speak English with sound level variations, tone of voice changes, rate changes, and various facial expressions. Body posture and hand activity may contribute to comprehension of the spoken word (or detract). Punctuation is, in part, an attempt to capture in writing the emphasis we are able to deliver orally. Additionally, punctuation is a tool we use to organize word arrangements to facilitate readability. comma Mr. Radcliffe, the high school principal, will attend the regional school management conference. The high school principal, Mr. Radcliffe, will attend the regional school management conference.

Master Sergeant Ramos, Delta Company First Sergeant, will be decorated for heroism, Monday. Your TV program, the Moon Monkeys, is on. The appositive further explains and is equivalent to the noun or noun phrase in apposition. The appositive is enclosed between commas. Note that the sentence can exist, satisfactorily, without the appositive. The appositive element is nonessential and is called a nonrestrictive element. contrast The citizen, no coward, challenged the councilman to account for the expenditures. Dogs, unlike cats, form hunting bonds with humans. Sunshine, never clouds, welcomes me each morning. Note that the phrase that contrasts with the subject in each of these sentences is nonessential. The sentence would be grammatically correct if the contrast phrase were omitted. Nonessential sentence elements are often set off by commas. parenthetical expressions A parenthetical expression is a qualifying or explanatory remark. Parenthetical expressions are nonessential elements of information that can be enclosed in parentheses or set off with dashes or set off with commas. I believe in democracy, always have, and I advocate participation in the political process. Driving in Atlanta, a nightmare, is something I must do to make a living.

The Angel Fish, which sank during the hurricane, was built at this boat yard. introductory word/phrase/clause Mr. Arthur, your plane has arrived. Confidentially, I doubt the validity of that accusation. If the responsibility were mine, I would stay until the crisis ended. When you travel to Europe next summer, don't miss the opportunity to view the Parthenon. To end the dispute, both parties made substantial concessions. Flying erratically, the pilot triggered the national air defense response system. Beneath the old red oak tree, you will find the buried treasure. series We tried reason, persuasion, and intimidation, but nothing worked. Hudson, Nash, Packard, and DeSoto were once respected names in the automotive industry. The Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard are branches of the armed forces of the United States. The US flag is red, white, and blue. Fading light, rising mist, and ominous sounds chilled us to the bone. "There was her father, her mother, her sister, her brother: Oh, I never see Maggie alone." The final line is a lament from an old and nearly forgotten song.

compound/complex sentence Cape Hatteras, NC, is frequently the destination of Atlantic hurricanes, and it is known as a ship's graveyard. Although shipping is a possible terrorist entrée, commerce would grind to a halt if we searched every vessel. Some 750 million people in 60 countries speak English, and it is the primary language in Australia, Canada (less Quebec), England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, and the United States of America. Observe that separation of the independent clauses in a compound sentence requires a comma and a conjunction. The first and third sentences are compound; each has two independent clauses. The second sentence starts with a subordiante clause which is separated from the independent clause by a comma. broken quotation "Precision guided, stand-off weapons do not distinguish between belligerent and nonbelligerent," said Jones, "but the propaganda coming out of Washington would have us believe otherwise." In the sentence above a person named Jones has been quoted. The person quoting Jones put an explanatory note into the middle of the quotation. That remark tells the reader who is being quoted. Note carefully that the comma that marks the end of the first independent clause is contained within the quotation marks for that clause.

semicolon The basic use of the semicolon is to separate two independent clauses. conjunctive adverb In the sentences below a semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses, but note that a conjunctive adverb is part of the connecting mechanism. "I think; therefore, I am." This task must be accomplished by the 9th of January; furthermore, it must be done professionally. Dr. Ravi is a brilliant engineer who comes to us with a limited knowledge of English; thus, I am assigning him to work with Dr. Robertson who speaks Dr. Ravi's language. We know that crime rates are high on Thursday nights when there is a full moon; consequently, this being a full moon Thursday, every available officer will be on duty tonight. The first example sentence above is from philosopher, René Descartes (1569-1650), and is an answer to the question: How do you know you exist? compound A semicolon may be used to separate two independent clauses. "Genetic science holds great potential for humanity; it should be funded generously." In each of the two sentences below an explanatory attribute has been inserted into the sentence splitting the quotation into two parts.

Note carefully the location of the semicolon in each sentence. "Genetic science holds great potential for humanity;" said Dr. Jones, "it should be funded generously." "Genetic science holds great potential for humanity"; said Dr. Jones, "it should be funded generously." The semicolon in the first example is within the quotation marks. In the second example the semicolon is outside of the quotation marks. Contemporary grammars indicate that a semicolon or a colon should be placed outside of the quotation marks if this type of construction is utilized. However, there is no grammatical reason to place the semicolon or colon outside the quotation marks, and some older grammar books recommend placing those punctuation symbols inside the quotation marks. Why does this controversy exist? One theory is that typesetters once had difficulty fitting the semicolon or colon before the quotation mark. The author of this English grammar makes two recommendations. 1. If you are associated with an organization that has a style manual, adhere to the guidance in the style manual—or the policies of the organization. 2. The best solution is to avoid splitting a quotation. Write an extra sentence attributing the quotation to the author or speaker.

colon list The colon is used in a sentence to separate an independent clause from a list. There are some additional uses for the colon as shown below. The following people are to report to the school library at 10 am: Rebecca, Samuel, Hector, and George. Send the following items immediately: tents, cots, water purification equipment, mosquito netting, and charcoal. The colon is often used as shown in the example below. Seminar Schedule Monday:The Status of Public Health in the United States Tuesday:The Role of the US Government in Public Health Wednesday:The Race to Avert Catastrophe salutation The colon is used to separate a salutation from the remainder of a letter as shown below. Dear Dr. Parker: The annual diabetes conference will be held November 15th at the. . . . time The colon is used to separate hours from minutes in a time of day statement. The time is 10:59 am. The time is 2:30 pm. parentheses date Parentheses are used to enclose dates or numbers and can be used to set off explanatory material. The term parse is currently (circa 2003) enjoying popularity among computer programmers.

If a speaker utters the above sentence, the listener understands the date represented by the word currently. Print text requires insertion of the date, because someone may read the text at an unknown future time. ". . . from philosopher, René Descartes (1569-1650), and. . . ." Parentheses are used in the excerpt above to enclose the dates representing the life span of René Descartes. numbers A parenthesis (singular) may be used to set off a number. Select one of the following classes and enter your choice: 1) History of Modern Europe, 2) History of England, or 3) History of Medieval Europe. Parentheses may be used to enclose numbers. Summer Travel Choices Brackets can be used to indicate that an error is attributable to the original author. "The ice core samples from the Edwards arktic [sic] expedition will be very useful." The squared brackets containing sic indicate that the misspelling of arctic is attributable to the original author. The example shown below informs the reader that the words in brackets are not attributable to the author who is quoted. The words in brackets constitute an explanatory note.

"Bill Gregory was the best baseman we had that year [1929]." Parentheses, brackets, and braces{ } are used to group terms in mathematics. Braces are used to hold statements in some computer program languages. ellipses Ellipses are periods. A series of three spaced periods in a sentence indicates an omission from a quoted sentence. The following example indicates that there is an omission at the beginning of the sentence and another omission at the end of the sentence. ". . . but during the second semester we expect substantial improvement in test scores. . . ." Note that there are four periods at the end of the sentence. The fourth period represents the normal punctuation mark. The final period at the end of the sentence should be replaced with a question mark or exclamation mark if the original author used a question mark or exclamation mark. slash The slash mark is used as a separator. One common use of the slash is shown below. You may enroll in Botany 102 and/or Biology 108. The slash mark in the sentence above provides a shortened method of saying: You may enroll in Botany 102 and Biology 108, or you may enroll in Biology 108.

Another example appears in the sentence below. The Sycamore Apartment Community amenities include washer/dryer connections. exclamation mark The exclamation mark at the end of a sentence signals surprise or astonishment. It is also used after a single word or expression called an interjection. My taxes are lower than last year! WOW! Great shot! A question mark indicates that the sentence is a question. Do you know where the public library is located? Who wrote Origin of the Species? If you were to spend a thousand dollars a day, every day, how long would it take to spend a billion dollars? apostrophe The apostrophe is used to indicate possession. The apostrophe is also used to indicate that a word is a contraction. A letter or letters have been omitted from a contracted word. possession This is Veronica's bracelet. This is not James' handwriting. In the first sentence above the ('s) is added to the name Veronica to indicate possession. In the second sentence the name James ends with the letter (s). Therefore, an (') is added after the (s) to indicate that possession is being addressed. Fowler and Franklin's brief impressed the court. The sentence above has a compound subject, the names of two people.

Possession is indicated; the brief belongs to Fowler and Franklin. Note that only the proper noun nearer or nearest the verb acquires the ('). Richard's and Spike's automobiles were stolen last night. The sentence above could be rewritten as follows. Richard's automobile was stolen last night, and Spike's automobile was stolen last night. In the sentence above Fowler and Franklin jointly own the brief that impressed the court. In the sentence about Richard and Spike separate ownership is indicated. Consequently, an apostrophe is used with each name. The Attorney General's report is devastating. The Attorneys' General report is devastating. Attorney General is the title of an office holder. Each state has an attorney general. In the first example one attorney general has written a report. In the second example several attorneys general have collaborated to write a report. contraction you're (you are) it's (it is) Some American English speakers often drop the final (g) on words ending with ing. A written replication of the failure to enunciate the final (g) is accomplished with an apostrophe. Just a Singin' in the Rain (1950s musical) I'm goin' swimmin'. I've been drivin' all night.

other The correct spelling of some names incorporates an apostrophe. O'Malley (person's name) How To Use Common Punctuation Marks | Dictionary.com Blog Home » Symbols and Punctuation » How To Use Common Punctuation Marks How To Use Common Punctuation Marks October 7, 2015 by: Dictionary.com 2 Comments A discussion of each mark follows, in alphabetical order by name of mark. Also includes how to divide words; use of numerals/numbers; possessives; and common errors in punctuation. Apostrophe (‘) is used to indicate possession, contractions, and plurals. Possession: The possessive form of singular nouns ends in ‘s, including nouns ending in s, x, z, ch, or sh. For example: a dog’s life, a lass’s smile. The apostrophe follows the s for the possessive of plural nouns except for plurals which do not end in s. For example, you would write: zebras’ stripes, but children’s books. No apostrophe is used for personal pronouns like “hers,” “its,” “theirs;” indefinite pronouns require one: e.g., one’s friend.

In compounds, the ‘s is added to the word nearest the object of possession. Joint possession is shown by putting the apostrophe on the last word of a series, e.g., Abelard and Héloise’s child. The apostrophe follows the s of a word with two sibilant sounds; e.g., Kansas’ and Moses’. The apostrophe is not used in “Pikes Peak,” the mountain in Colorado. Contractions: The apostrophe is used when leaving out a letter or number in a contraction. For example, “I can’t” (instead of “cannot”); “let’s dance” (instead of “let us”); “it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” (instead of “it is”). Plurals: Plurals of letter abbreviations with periods and single letters use ‘s. For example: There are four s’s in . Plurals of letter combinations, numerals, and hyphenated nouns end in I with no apostrophe; for example: 1s and 0s. The apostrophe is not used in names of organizations unless actually part of the legal name. Braces ({ }) are used to show the relationship of elements in a group.

Brackets ([ ]) are used to insert words in quoted matter, for explanatory, correctionary, or commentary reasons. Used to insert missing letters and to enclose insertions that take the place of or slightly alter the original text, e.g., [they] may replace a long list of names previously mentioned. Brackets are also used in unquoted matter for the same reasons. Used as parentheses within parentheses. Used in mathematical expressions (to show matter to be treated as a unit), chemical formulas, and for phonetic symbols. Colon (:) Used to introduce explanatory information, lists; for salutations, as in “Dear so-and-so:” and in clock time “It was at 5:00 in the afternoon”; periodical reference (e.g., 4:3); and between book title and book subtitle (e.g., Dictionaries: The Art and Craft of Lexicography). Used before a final clause that explains, or amplifies something in that sentence, e.g., The dissertation needs work: it lacks flow. Introduces a series or summarizing statement (e.g., The following is on our list of places to go: grocery store, toy store, doughnut shop.

/She had one great love: him.) Used in proportions, e.g., 2:1, and as a ratio sign, e.g., 1:2::3:6. May introduce a quotation, especially a long one. Used in dialogue text, e.g., Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Used in correspondence for headings and introductory terms (To: From: Re:) and to separate writer/typist and carbon-copy abbreviation from the recipients. Comma (,) is most commonly used to separate or set off items that might otherwise be misunderstood, such as: Members of a series used with “and,” “or,” or “nor.” Main clauses, or before the conjunction in a compound sentence. Two verb phrases in a sentence. Subordinate clauses/phrases within sentence. An apposite (noun referring to previous noun, e.g., my sister, Nancy) or contrasting words/phrases (e.g., I need you, not anyone else.) Introductory items, e.g., Sir, are you listening? Interrupting or parenthetic items.

Before quotation following an introductory phrase, e.g.: She said quietly, “I love you.” Inside a closing quotation mark, e.g.: I said “wash,” not “drawer.” To show omission, e.g., The thing is, we need time. Between compound qualifiers, e.g., He has big, broad shoulders. Between name and title, title and organization, name and degree, surname and Junior/Jr./Senior/Sr. In an inverted name, e.g., Shakespeare, William; Kipfer, Barbara Ann. To separate thousands, millions, etc. in number of four or more digits, e.g., 2,000. To set off the day of the month, e.g., Their anniversary is June 1, 1991, when they met. To set off elements of an address, e.g., Write to him at The Language Centre, University of Exeter, Exeter, England EX4 4QH. After the salutation in informal correspondence, e.g., “Dear T.B.,” and after the complimentary close in all correspondence, e.g., “Respectfully,”. Dash (–) Used to denote a sudden change or break in a sentence, e.g.

He was gone — heaven forbid — for an hour and no one knew where he was. No spaces are added before or after a dash and do not combine with a colon, comma, or semicolon. As a substitute for parentheses or commas in an attempt to clarify meaning or place emphasis, e.g., She has this to accomplish today — work, study, cook, and household duties — as well as take care of her child. Before an amplification, definition, explanation, or summary statement, e.g., To be or not to be — that is a question we each ask ourselves at night before we turn out the light. At the end of an unfinished word or sentence, e.g., The story went on to say that–. To precede an author’s credit for a quotation and as a way of setting off something in page design, as for lists, outlines. The en dash is used in typeset material and is shorter than the em dash, which is represented in typewritten material by two hyphens.

It is used as a replacement for a hyphen when the meaning intended is ‘up to and including’, e.g., “1987-91,” “Monday-Saturday.” A two-em (four hyphens) dash is used to show missing letters in a word. A three-em (six hyphens) dash is used to show that a word is left out or that an unknown word or number is to be supplied. Division of words: Guidelines for dividing words at the end of lines are: Pay attention to the way the word is pronounced (syllables) and do not break the word so that it would be mispronounced or misunderstood. Divide between doubled consonants, except when it would divide a simple base form, e.g., “re-com-men-da-tion,” but “sell-ing,” “buzz-er.” When the doubled consonant comes before -ing, the second consonant stays with the -ing. Do not divide a one-syllable word, even if there is an inflected ending like -ed‘, e.g., spelled, bummed. Do not divide a word so that one or two letters is left either at the end of one line or the beginning of another.

Division after a prefix, putting it at the end of a line, is permissible. Do not divide words of six letters or less. Divide hyphenated words at the hyphen. Do not divide before the following suffixes; they should not be at the beginning of a line alone nor should they be divided themselves: -able, -ceous, -cial, -cion, -cious, -geous, -gion, -gious, -ible, -sial, -sion, -tial, -tion, -tious. When a vowel alone forms a syllable in the middle of a word, keep it with the previous syllable, e.g., physi-cal. A liquid or silent l syllable at the end of a word or part of an inflected ending should not be put on the next line alone, e.g., read-able, twin-kling. Proper nouns, numerals, and abbreviations should not be divided.

Ellipsis points or ellipses or points of ellipsis or suspension points (…) Used when words are omitted: three periods in the middle of a sentence, four at the end of a sentence (unless the sentence ends with a question mark or exclamation point: then it is “…?” “or ‘…!”). May also indicate a break or suspension in speech. Punctuation that normally falls before or after the ellipsis points can be retained for clarity; a space precedes and follows ellipses. Exclamation point (!) Used to show surprise, incredulity, praise, a command — to show force in statement. May be used to replace a question mark when irony or an emphatic tone is meant, e.g., How could you! An exclamation point and question mark may be used together to show extreme force. If the exclamation point ends a sentence in a quotation, the comma or period is dropped. Hyphen or (-): Used to connect the elements of some compound words, especially ones of three or more words. Used to divide a word at the end of a line. Used in fractions and compound numbers. Found in measurements with numbers and unit. Used in ages with number and unit.

Used in prefixed words when a vowel is doubled or consonant is tripled. Used for certain prefixes such as ex-. Used to make a word clear from its homonym (“recover” and “re-cover”) between a prefix and the second word if it is a proper noun and proper noun compounds. Used for certain suffixes such as -elect. Used for compounds which begin with a single capital letter, such as H-bomb. Used for compound adjectives, including those where the first adjective ends in -ly, as in “scholarly-written piece” (but not for compound modifiers of adverb-and-adjective, such as “widely known author”). Used for directions, such as: north-northwest. Used for words spelled out letter-by-letter, as in “y-e-s.” Used to show stuttering speech. Numerals/numbers: The most common, Arabic numerals, are 0, 1, 2, etc.

Roman numerals use the letters I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), M (1,000) and are used to designate certain wars (WWI, WWII), sequence in family, rulers, vehicles, major headings in documents. Cardinal numbers are 0, zero, 1, one, etc. Ordinal numbers are 1st, first, 2nd, second, etc. In general, write out the first nine cardinal (1-9) numbers (except for address numbers 2-9, dates, decimals, game scores, highways, latitude/longitude, mathematical expressions, measurement/weight, money/financial data, percentages, proportion, scientific expressions, statistics, technical expressions, temperature, time, unit modifiers, votes, and numbers not written out in a proper noun) and any number that begins a sentence; use figures for 10 and above. The first nine ordinal (1st-9th) numbers are usually written out, especially when describing order in time or location. Governmental, political, and military units numbering one hundred or less are usually written out. Labor unions and other organizations often use figures.

Numbers of one million and above are easier to read if written as figures with the word “million,” “billion,” etc. Written-out numbers between 21 and 99 are hyphenated. Figures of four digits may be written with or without a comma. Numbers of checks, contracts, military hours, pages, policies, rooms/suites, streets, telephone numbers, and years are written without commas. Check, telephone, and serial numbers may contain hyphens. A fraction used as a modifier is hyphenated, e.g., three-quarter time. A fraction used with a whole number is written as a figure, e.g., 5 1/2, as are measurements that are fractions, e.g., “/10 mile. A measurement as a modifier is hyphenated, e.g., nine-pound boy. Numbers in a series or set are written alike, e.g., 50 to 60 participants. Street names that are numbers are written out, but may also be written as figures from 13 and over. Document divisions are usually written as figures, e.g., Psalm 100, page 7.

Ordinal numbers are not used in full dates; commas are not used in between just a month and year. Money designations of one or two words are often written out, e.g., one dollar. Times are usually spelled out in text and may be when used with “o’clock.” Figures are used for exact times, e.g., 8:13. Times may be used with “a.m./A.M.,” “p.m./P.M., “o’clock,” or “in the ~” but those designations should not be combined. Year and page numbers may omit hundreds and replace with a dash, e.g., 1989-90,” “pp 140-50. If an abbreviation or symbol is used with a number, it should be written as a figure. Numbers should not be divided at the end of lines. Plurals of written-out numbers are formed by adding s or es. Plurals of figures are formed by adding s or ‘s. Parentheses ( ) Used to enclose supplementary matter that is not intended to be part of the statement. Appear in numeric data, including Arabic numerals confirming a spelled-out number, and in other mathematical expressions.

Set off explanations, definitions, translations, alternatives. Enclose the abbreviation of the spelled-out word or the spelled-out form of an abbreviation. Used in bibliographical data, cross-references, and comments about the text. May appear in numbers or letters indicating an item in a series are enclosed such as: (1), (2), (3) and (a), (b), (c). At the end of a sentence, the period follows the closing parenthesis. A complete sentence within parentheses has its own punctuation. Period (.) Used at the end of a declarative sentence and after a question that is a suggestion and which does not require an answer. Used after a letter or number indicating an item in a series. Used as part of an ellipsis. Appears in numbers with integers and decimals. Used in some abbreviations. Used after a person’s initials. Centered, to indicate multiplication, i.e., 2·3=6. Possessives The possessive case of most nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe or an apostrophe and s. Possessives for singular and plurals nouns not ending in an s or z sound are formed by adding ‘s.

Possessives of singular nouns ending in an ‘s or z sound are usually formed by adding‘s, though some writers may prefer just an apostrophe. An exception is for multi-syllabic words if they are followed by a word beginning with an s or z sound. Possessives of plural nouns ending in an s or z sound are formed by adding only an apostrophe. An exception is for one-syllable irregular plurals: add s. In a phrase, individual possession is shown with a ‘s added to each noun, e.g., Barbara’s and Kyle’s bicycles; joint possession is shown by adding an apostrophe or s to the last noun in the series or by adding an apostrophe or s to each noun, e.g., Barbara and Paul’s house. Question mark (?) Used for punctuation after a direct interrogatory statement and one expressing doubt. Used after each element of an interrogative series when the series is not enumerated or lettered. Do not put a comma after a question mark that falls within quotation marks. Quotation marks (” “) Quotation marks are used for direct quotations.

Each part of an interrupted quotation begins and ends with quotation marks, as “I am getting worried,” she said, “that he has not called.” Used for expressions following introductory terms such as: entitled, the word, the term, marked, designated, classified, named, endorsed, cited as, referred to as, signed, all of which indicate a borrowing or special use. Placed around words referred to as words, such as: I said “tomato,” not “potato.”; and around sentences referred to as sentences, as in: An example of a question is, “Where the heck are they?” Quotations may be used around mottos, slang, misnomers, coined words, proverbs and maxims, ironical reference, and unspoken dialogue. Used for translations of foreign terms. Used for single letters within a sentence, e.g., His name begins with a “K.” Sometimes used to enclose document titles and parts, and addresses within a sentence, e.g.: Her book, “14,000 Things to be Happy About,” is a best seller. In American usage, punctuation that goes inside the closing quotation mark includes a period or comma (but not a colon or semicolon).

In British usage, the period and the comma go outside the quotation mark. The dash, question mark, and exclamation point fall inside quotation marks if they belong with the quoted matter but outside if they punctuate the sentence as a whole. For quotations which extend beyond one paragraph, a quotation mark begins each paragraph and the closing quotation mark is at the end of the last paragraph. Some writers now leave a preceding comma out before a quotation. Some writers leave periods and commas outside of quoted material if that punctuation belongs to the sentence as a whole. Semicolon (;) This punctuation sometimes is regarded as a weak period or strong comma, and is used in ways similar to periods and commas. A semicolon can mark the end of a clause and indicate that a clause following is closely related to it. A semicolon can also divide a sentence to make meaning clearer. A semicolon is placed outside quotation marks and parentheses. Separates independent clauses in place of a coordinating conjunction or ellipsis.

Separates independent clauses when the second begins with a conjunctive adverb as in: accordingly, all the same, also, as a result, besides, by the same token, consequently, furthermore, hence, however, indeed, in that case, likewise, moreover, nevertheless, on the other hand, otherwise, still, then, therefore, and thus. These usually explain or summarize preceding matter. Clarifies meaning in long sentences and in those with several commas. The indication of a strong pause by the semicolon helps the reader understand the meaning. May be used before explanation phrases and clauses such as: for example, for instance, i.e., namely, that is. Separates lists or phrases in a series when the phrases themselves have commas. Single quotation marks (‘ ‘) Single quotation marks are used to enclose a quotation within a quotation. May be used around words that are special terms or for words referred to as words. The slash is punctuation also called the virgule, diagonal, solidus, oblique, or slant. It is mainly used to show that a word is not written out. A slash represents ‘or’ or ‘and/or’ in alternatives such as: yours/mine.

A slash may represent ‘and’, as in: 1990/91, Minneapolis/St. Paul. A slash may represent some prepositions, such as: at, for, versus, with, i.e., c/o addressee, w/dressing. A slash represents ‘per’ or ‘to’ in measures and ratios, as in: 2 ft./min., price/earnings ratio. A slash is used to separate numbers in dates, fractions, and telephone numbers. A slash may be used to separate parts of an address or divide lines of poetry when written as continuous text. A slash is used in pronunciations (phonemic transcriptions). Common errors in punctuation: Using the apostrophe for plurals: “plural’s” is incorrect, “plurals” is correct. Using the punctuation mark inside the quotation mark: correct for American usage; punctuation marks go outside the quotation marks in British English. Using punctuation in parentheses: the punctuation goes inside the parentheses if what is within the parentheses constitutes a complete sentence.

For deeper exploration of these punctuation marks, see our other posts: ENG 1001: Integrating Quotations into Sentences Integrating Quotations into Sentences Using Quotations Quiz You should never have a quotation standing alone as a complete sentence, or, worse yet, as an incomplete sentence, in your writing. IVCC's Style Book explains this concept well with a good analogy that describes quotations as helium balloons. We all know what happens when you let go of a helium balloon: it flies away. In a way, the same thing happens when you present a quotation that is standing all by itself in your writing, a quotation that is not "held down" by one of your own sentences. The quotation will seem disconnected from your own thoughts and from the flow of your sentences. Ways to integrate quotations properly into your own sentences are explained below. Please note the punctuation: it is correct. There are at least four ways to integrate quotations. 1. Introduce the quotation with a complete sentence and a colon.

Example: In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Example: Thoreau's philosophy might be summed up best by his repeated request for people to ignore the insignificant details of life: "Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest. Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!" Example: Thoreau ends his essay with a metaphor: "Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in." This is an easy rule to remember: if you use a complete sentence to introduce a quotation, you need a colon after the sentence. Be careful not to confuse a colon (:) with a semicolon (;). Using a comma in this situation will most likely create a comma splice, one of the serious sentence-boundary errors. 2.

Use an introductory or explanatory phrase, but not a complete sentence, separated from the quotation with a comma. Example: In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods when he says, "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Example: Thoreau suggests the consequences of making ourselves slaves to progress when he says, "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us." Example: Thoreau asks, "Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life?" Example: According to Thoreau, "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us." You should use a comma to separate your own words from the quotation when your introductory or explanatory phrase ends with a verb such as "says," "said," "thinks," "believes," "pondered," "recalls," "questions," and "asks" (and many more).

You should also use a comma when you introduce a quotation with a phrase such as "According to Thoreau." 3. Make the quotation a part of your own sentence without any punctuation between your own words and the words you are quoting.

Example: In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states directly his purpose for going into the woods when he says that "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Example: Thoreau suggests the consequences of making ourselves slaves to progress when he says that "We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us." Example: Thoreau argues that "shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous." Example: According to Thoreau, people are too often "thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails." Notice that the word "that" is used in three of the examples above, and when it is used as it is in the examples, "that" replaces the comma which would be necessary without "that" in the sentence.

You usually have a choice, then, when you begin a sentence with a phrase such as "Thoreau says." You either can add a comma after "says" (Thoreau says, "quotation") or you can add the word "that" with no comma (Thoreau says that "quotation.") 4. Use short quotations--only a few words--as part of your own sentence. Example: In "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For," Thoreau states that his retreat to the woods around Walden Pond was motivated by his desire "to live deliberately" and to face only "the essential facts of life." Example: Thoreau argues that people blindly accept "shams and delusions" as the "soundest truths," while regarding reality as "fabulous." Example: Although Thoreau "drink[s] at" the stream of Time, he can "detect how shallow it is." When you integrate quotations in this way, you do not use any special punctuation. Instead, you should punctuate the sentence just as you would if all of the words were your own.

No punctuation is needed in the sentences above in part because the sentences do not follow the pattern explained under number 1 and 2 above: there is not a complete sentence in front of the quotations, and a word such as "says," "said," or "asks" does not appear directly in front of the quoted words. All of the methods above for integrating quotations are correct, but you should avoid relying too much on just one method. You should instead use a variety of methods. Notice the Punctuation! Notice that there are only two punctuation marks that are used to introduce quotations: the comma and the colon (:). Note that a semicolon (;) is not used to introduce quotations. Notice as well the punctuation of the sentences above in relation to the quotations. If there are no parenthetical citations in the sentences (no author's name and page number in parentheses), the commas and periods go inside the final quotation mark ("like this."). For whatever reason, this is the way we do it in America. In England, though, the commas and periods go outside of the final punctuation mark. Semicolons and colons go outside of the final quotation mark ("like this";).

Question marks and exclamation points go outside of the final quotation mark if the punctuation mark is part of your sentence--your question or your exclamation ("like this"?). Those marks go inside of the final quotation mark if they are a part of the original--the writer's question or exclamation ("like this!"). The Proper Punctuation: Keeping in Simple Remembering just a few simple rules can help you use the correct punctuation as you introduce quotations. There are some exceptions to the rules below, but they should help you use the correct punctuation with quotations most of the time. Rule 1: Complete sentence: "quotation." (If you use a complete sentence to introduce a quotation, use a colon (:) just before the quotation.) Rule 2: Someone says, "quotation." (If the word just before the quotation is a verb indicating someone uttering the quoted words, use a comma.

Examples include the words "says," "said," "states," "asks," and "yells." But remember that there is no punctuation if the word "that" comes just before the quotation, as in "the narrator says that.") Rule 3: If Rules 1 and 2 do not apply, do not use any punctuation between your words and the quoted words. And remember that a semicolon (;) never is used to introduce quotations. These rules oversimplify the use of punctuation with quotations, but applying just these few rules should help you use the correct punctuation about 90 percent of time. Quotation Marks Quotation Marks Use quotation marks [   ] to set off material that represents quoted or spoken language. Quotation marks also set off the titles of things that do not normally stand by themselves: short stories, poems, and articles. Usually, a quotation is set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma; however, the typography of quoted material can become quite complicated. Here is one simple rule to remember: In the United States, periods and commas go inside quotation marks regardless of logic. Click HERE for an explanation (sort of).

In the United Kingdom, Canada, and islands under the influence of British education, punctuation around quotation marks is more apt to follow logic. In American style, then, you would write: My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "Design." But in England you would write: My favorite poem is Robert Frost's "Design". The placement of marks other than periods and commas follows the logic that quotation marks should accompany (be right next to) the text being quoted or set apart as a title. Thus, you would write (on either side of the Atlantic): What do you think of Robert Frost's "Design"? and I love "Design"; however, my favorite poem was written by Emily Dickinson. Further, punctuation around quoted speech or phrases depends on how it fits into the rest of your text. If a quoted word or phrase fits into the flow of your sentence without a break or pause, then a comma may not be necessary: The phrase "lovely, dark and deep" begins to suggest ominous overtones.

Following a form of to say, however, you'll almost always need a comma: My father always said, "Be careful what you wish for." If the quoted speech follows an independent clause yet could be part of the same sentence, use a colon to set off the quoted language: My mother's favorite quote was from Shakespeare: "This above all, to thine own self be true." When an attribution of speech comes in the middle of quoted language, set it apart as you would any parenthetical element: "I don't care," she said, "what you think about it." Be careful, though, to begin a new sentence after the attribution if sense calls for it: "I don't care," she said. "What do you think?" Convention normally insists that a new paragraph begins with each change of speaker: "I don't care what you think anymore," she said, jauntily tossing back her hair and looking askance at Edward. "What do you mean?" he replied. "What do you mean, 'What do I mean?'" Alberta sniffed. She was becoming impatient and wished that she were elsewhere. "You know darn well what I mean!" Edward huffed.

"Have it your way," Alberta added, "if that's how you feel." In proofreading and editing your writing, remember that quotation marks always travel in pairs! Well, almost always. When quoted dialogue carries from one paragraph to another (and to another and another), the closing quotation mark does not appear until the quoted language finally ends (although there is a beginning quotation mark at the start of each new quoted paragraph to remind the reader that this is quoted language). Also, in parenthetical documentation (see the Guide to Writing Research Papers ), the period comes after the parenthetical citation which comes after the quotation mark" (Darling 553). In reporting "silent speech"noting that language is "said," but internally and not spoken out loudwriters are on their own. Writers can put quotation marks around it or not: Oh, what a beautiful morning, Curly said to himself. "Oh, what a beautiful morning!" Curly said to himself. Some writers will set such unspoken language in italics or indent it in order to set it off from other "regular" language.

That's probably not a good idea if there is a lot of it because the indents can be confusing and italics can become tiresome to read after a while. The decision will probably depend on the amount of silent speech within the text. Probably the best way to handle silent speech is to find an author whom you like who does a lot of thisGraham Swift in his novel Last Orders, for instanceand copy that author's style. Consistency, of course, is very important. Some interesting things can happen with verb tenses when we report action in indirect or reported speech ("The president said that he was going to Egypt tomorrow"). For help with this issue, we would refer to you Professor Mary Nell Sorensen's Web site at the University of Washington. Be careful not to use quotation marks in an attempt to emphasize a word (the kind of thing you see in grocery store windowsBig "Sale" Today!). Underline or italicize that word instead.

(The quotation marks will suggest to some people that you are using that word in a special or peculiar way and that you really mean something elseor that your sale is entirely bogus.) The American Medical Association Manual of Style (9th ed, 1998) calls misused quotation marks like this Apologetic Quotation Marks and says: Quotation marks used around words to give special effect or to indicate irony are usually unnecessary. When irony or special effect is intended, skillful preparation can take the place of using these quotes. Resort to apologetic quotation marks or quotation marks used to express irony only after such attempts have failed, keeping in mind that the best writing does not rely on apologetic quotation marks. (p 220)

Question: What part of the body is also the name of a punctuation mark?
Answer: Colon