Mastering Punctuation and Sentence Structure

Use Commas

Use a comma to separate elements in a series:

I like to eat apples, bananas, and oranges.

Use a comma to separate the month and day of the year:

June 23, 2012

Hyphen

A hyphen (-) is used to join the separate parts of a compound word; it is a joiner:

• Cooperate - co-operate
• Pre-eminent
• Re-enact

Question Mark

Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to ask a question:

• Where is the bathroom?
• Are you home?

Use a question mark when you are trying to get information:

• Where is the gas station?
• Who is your teacher?

Exclamation Mark

An exclamation mark is a type of punctuation that goes at the end of a sentence. Use it to indicate strong feelings:

Go away!

They are used after interjections:

Ouch! That hurt!

Quotation Marks

A quotation mark is used to show the beginning and the end of a quotation, or to show that something is a title:

• Titles of poems, stories, chapters

"The Boy Who Lived" is a key chapter in Harry Potter.

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks:

They said, "Walk," then they said, "Don't walk."

Colon

Use a colon before a list or an explanation. Use a colon to introduce a series of items:

You know what to do: practice, sleep.

Avoid using a colon before a list if it directly follows a verb or preposition:

I want butter, sugar, and flour. (Correct)

I want: butter, sugar and flour. (Incorrect)

Semicolon

A semicolon indicates an audible pause.

A semicolon can replace a period if the writer wishes to narrow the gap between two closely linked sentences:

Call me tomorrow; you can give me an answer then.

Avoid a semicolon when a dependent clause comes before an independent clause:

Although they were tired, they failed.

Apostrophe

Use an apostrophe if it is a contraction:

• Can't
• Don't

Plural names:

Cat's, Bob's going to the store to create a bacon hat instead.

Ellipsis

Use an ellipsis to show an omission or leaving out of a word or words in a quote:

After school, I went to her house... and then came home.

Use an ellipsis to show a pause in thought or to create suspense:

I was thinking... maybe we should call home.

Imperative Sentences

We can use the imperative to give instructions. Use a verb to begin the sentence:

1. Open your book.
2. Take two tablets every evening.
3. Take a left and then a right.
4. Enjoy some fresh strawberries.
5. Give me a few weeks to make up my mind.
6. Feel free to text me later.

Sentence Fragments

A sentence fragment is an incomplete sentence. Some fragments are incomplete because they are missing the subject, a verb, or both.

• My little sister (Correct: My little sister ran away)
• My cute little dog (Correct: My cute little dog is cuddly)
• On the table (Correct: The corn is on the table)
• Over there (Correct: My dog ran over there)