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This week I had the writing exercises about PUNCTUATION:
COMMA SEMICOLON COLON APOSTROPHE PARENTHESES ITALICS DASH QUOTATION MARKS
COMMA
Example:
Caution: Do not place commas between two items separated by and or between three items separated from one another by ands.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Remember to place a comma before the coordinating conjunction joining the last two elements of the series. Otherwise, the intended meaning of the sentence may not be clear.
Confusing:
Confusing:
Example:
Incorrect:
The war lasted for two years, but very few people supported it.
Caution: Do not place a comma between two items with FANBOYS when one item is not a complete sentence.
Incorrect:
Caution: Do not place a comma after the FANBOY.
Incorrect:
Note: The comma may be omitted between independent clauses if a sentence is very short.
Example:
Examples: 
Caution: Do not separate needed adjective clauses and participial phrases from the rest of the sentence.
Incorrect:
5. Introductory Elements - Place a comma after certain introductory elements. Examples:
Note: With short introductory prepositional phrases, the comma is optional.
Examples:
B. Participial phrases
Examples:
Example:
Caution: Do not separate gerunds functioning as sentence subjects from the rest of the sentence.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Example:
Note: To test whether the introductory infinitive is adverbial, place "in order" in front of the infinitive. If the resulting sentence makes sense. the introductory infinitive is adverbial and should be followed by a comma.
Caution: Do not place a comma after an introductory infinitive that is not adverbial.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Caution: Do not place a comma before an adverbial infinitive at the end of the sentence.
Incorrect:
Correct:
Example:
Incorrect:
Correct:
F. Mild interjections (well, yes, no, why, etc.)
Examples:
6. To separate Interrupters A. Parenthetical expressions and transitions (in my opinion, unfortunately, moreover, of course, as a matter of fact, indeed, for example, etc.)
Example:
Example:
Caution: Do not separate essential appositives with commas.
Incorrect:
In the above example, the appositive is essential since there is more than one daughter.
Therefore, do not place commas around the appositive.
Correct:
C. Direct Address
Examples:
7. Nonessential Examples Introduced by such as, especially, particularly Examples:
Caution: Do not separate essential examples with commas.
Incorrect:
Correct:
8. Expressions of Contrast
Examples:
9. Dates and Addresses - When a date or address with several parts occurs in a sentence, place a comma between each element and after the last part. Examples:
Caution: When the date or address has only one element or has its individual parts separated by words in the sentence, do not use a comma within or after the date or address.
Incorrect:
Correct:
10. Before Confirmatory Questions - Place a comma between the confirmatory question and the statement that precedes it.
Example:
11. Name followed by Jr., Sr., Ph.D., M.D.
Example:
12. To clarify otherwise Misreadable Word Groups Examples:
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(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) |
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are joined by coordinating conjunctions. |
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Example
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3. Before a formal appositive (*An independent clause must precede the colon)
4. Between hour and minute / chapter and verse (Bible)
1. To show ownership (to form the possessive case of nouns) |
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Examples |
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2. To show joint ownership with nouns
3. To show individual ownership with nouns
Example
Do not use an apostrophe to form the possessive case of the personal possessive pronoun
its.
Example
Do use an apostrophe with its to mean it is or it has.
Correct
5. To form the plural of letters, numbers, and signs, and of words referred to as words.
Examples  |
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1. To enclose interrupting elements that add information or identification
Examples |
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2. To enclose figures or letters when used for enumeration within a sentence
Dash
To set off parenthetical matter
Example
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NOTE: UNLIKE PARENTHESES, WHICH MINIMIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE. |
PARENTHETICAL MATERIAL, DASHES EMPHASIZE PARENTHETICAL |
MATERIAL. |
Notice the different emphasis in each sentence.
1. For words, letters, and figures referred to as such
Examples  |
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2. For foreign, technical (including mathematical expressions), or unusual words and phrases.
Examples
3. For titles of books, newspapers, magazines, journals, plays, movies, radio programs, TV programs, long musical works, long poems, works of art, names of ships and airplanes. |
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Examples |
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books, short stories, episodes of radio/TV programs. |
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Examples |
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2. To enclose words used ironically or where the term so-called could be inserted. |
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Examples |
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Example
Incorrect
Correct
NOTES FOR DIRECT QUOTATIONS:
1. Start the quotation with a capital letter. |
2. Place commas and periods INSIDE the quotation marks. |
3. Place semicolons and colons OUTSIDE the quotation marks. |
4. Place question marks and exclamation marks INSIDE the quotation marks if the quotation itself is a question or an exclamation.
5. Place question marks and exclamation marks OUTSIDE the quotation marks if the quotation itself is NOT a question or exclamation. |
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If the quotation within another quotation is a question or an exclamation, place appropriate punctuation next to the item concerned. Examples |
Question quotation inside statement quotation 
Statement quotation inside question quotation
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Question quotation inside question quotation |
Exclamation quotation inside question quotation or Question quotation inside exclamation quotation |
