A Quick and Easy Punctuations Guide - The Parantheses

 

USE PARENTHESES (   )

   To set off and de-emphasize explanatory or less important details that you want to insert into a sentence:

 - Bliss Perry taught at Princeton (although he was there only seven years).

A Quick and Easy Punctuation Guide - The Apostrophe

USE THE APOSTROPHE ( ’ )

   To mark a possessive:

 - That is Ruth’s banana, so please refrain from eating it! [singular word, not ending in “s”]

 - The elephants’ trunks were raised as a salute. [plural word]

 - The children’s toys should go in the toy box. [word that is plural without adding “s”]

   To mark the missing part of the word in a contraction (and other omissions).

 - These bananas are mine, so don’t eat them!

 - It's ten o'clock. [originally "It is ten of the clock."]

     *Special note:  The possessive form of “its” needs no apostrophe:  This book is losing its binding.

   To form certain plurals when clarity is an issue.

 - The typewriter won't print e's (“The typewriter won’t print es” would have a different meaning).

A Quick and Easy Punctuation Guide - The Dash

USE THE DASH ( -- )

   To mark any sudden break.

 - These men and women are up for election in November—if they live until then.

     *Special note: If word processing does not allow a long dash, two small hyphens are acceptable. 

   To set off elements added at the end of the sentence.

 - As you discover new ideas, also try to find a form—to shape, limit, order, and select.

   To set off interrupters, especially when they contain commas (a dash works as a “strong” comma).

 - The canned goods—beans, potatoes, and peas—were packed.

A Quick and Easy Punctuation Guide - The Colon & Semicolon

USE THE COLON ( : )

   After a complete sentence that introduces a list or quote.

 - There are three kinds of theories that try to explain the secret of fire walking: physical, psychological, and spiritual.

 - Consider the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Nothing gives an author so much pleasure as to find his works respectfully quoted by other learned authors.” 

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USE THE SEMICOLON ( ; )

   To connect closely related main clauses.

 - I waited for him for an hour; he finally showed up after I left.

 - The batter swung at the ball three times; however, he never came close.

   To separate a series of items which contains commas.

 - A board is elected from each of three categories:  for example, a judge or lawyer of good repute; a professor of art, literature, or one of the humanities; and a social worker, psychologist, or clergyman.

A Quick and Easy Punctuation Guide - The Comma

USE THE COMMA  ( , )

   To separate items in a series.

 - (series of words) – Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims were all represented.

 - (series of phrases) – She kissed him on the nose, on both eyes, and on the left ear.

 - (series of clauses) – They came to the party, they bothered everyone, and they refused to leave.

     *Special note: Some style guides and instructors will suggest leaving out the last comma in a series: Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims were all represented.

   To set off all types of nonrestrictive elements (where the information is not necessary to the meaning of the core sentence).

 - Boston, the site of the famous Tea Party, is a very old city.

 - The stream, once swift and clear, is now dry.

 - John, who knows everything about physics, can’t change a spark plug.

     *Special note:  Do not put commas around essential (restrictive) information:  The woman who is sitting four seats to the left is stealing donuts. [The location of the woman is essential information].

   To set off introductory elements.

 - When you get out of school, come over to my house.

 - Feeling tired and defeated, the Senator curled up with his teddy bear.

 - In the back of the house, you will find all you need to know about the crime.

   Before a coordinating conjunction (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) when used to connect main clauses.

 - We visit them during Christmas vacation, and they visit us every summer.

 - The batter swung at the ball three times, but he never came close.

     *Special note:  Do not use a comma if your coordinating conjunction connects a main clause and a dependant clause: The batter swung at the ball three times but never came close.

   To connect free modifiers to a base sentence.

 - The jockeys sat bowed and relaxed, moving a little at the waist with the movement of their horses.

 - A few hours later we caught two small dolphins, startlingly beautiful fish of pure gold, pulsing and fading and changing color.