Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
Panda: eats
eats,shoots
shootsand
andleaves.
leaves.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
Verily, I say unto thee, This day thou shalt be with me in
Paradise.
Luke 23:43
Verily I say unto thee this day, Thou shalt be with me in
Paradise.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
Punctuation 1
• the comma
• the colon
• the semicolon
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma
•
•
•
•
the listing comma
the joining comma
the gapping comma
bracketing commas
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma
There are two types of lists
• the X,Y and Z list
• the modifier list
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma → the X,Y and Z list
England’s three best players were Moore, Kendall and Wright.
Slovenian is spoken in Slovenia, in southern Austria, in Trieste
and in areas of Cleveland.
The days were spent drinking beer, watching the girls walk by,
eating enormous pizzas and then falling asleep under the table.
! In all these examples the commas could be replaced by the word and,
though the result would be rather clumsy.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma → the X,Y and Z list
England’s three best players were Moore and Kendall and
Wright.
Slovenian is spoken in Slovenia and in southern Austria and in
Trieste and in areas of Cleveland.
The days were spent drinking beer and watching the girls walk
by and eating enormous pizzas and then falling asleep under the
table.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma → the X,Y and Z list
Note that it is not usual in UK English to put a listing comma
before the word and (though American usage regularly puts
one there).
Drilling machines can be purchased from Skil, Bosch, and
Black and Decker.
The reader is referred to previous studies reported by Brown,
Jones et al., Johnson, and Harris and Walters.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma → the modifier list
A listing comma is also used in a list of modifiers that all
modify the same thing.
This is a provocative, disturbing report.
His long, confusing, detailed study was of no use to our staff.
It was a dark, stormy night.
! Again, in all these examples the commas could be replaced by the word
and, though the result would be rather clumsy.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma → the modifier list
A listing comma is also used in a list of modifiers that all
modify the same thing.
This is a provocative and disturbing report.
His long and confusing and detailed study was of no use to our
staff.
It was a dark and stormy night.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the listing comma → the modifier list
! Be careful when you have modifiers that are not modifying the same thing
The student should be given a white sample box.
I prefer Slovenian red wines to those from South America
The student should be given a white, sample box.
I prefer Slovenian, red wines to those from South America
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the joing comma
The joing comma is used to join two complete sentences into a
single sentence, and it must be followed by a suitable
connecting word, e.g., and, or, but, while, and yet.
On 1 May 2004 Slovenia will join the EU, and Croatia will
continue with talks about talks.
You must finish the project by March, or you will have your
funding reduced.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the joining comma
The joining comma is used to join two complete sentences into
a single sentence, and it must be followed by a suitable
connecting word. and, or, but, while, and yet.
On 1 May 2004 Slovenia will join the EU, and Croatia will
continue with talks about talks.
You must finish the project by March, or you will have your
funding reduced.
! Most other connecting words cannot be preceded by a joing comma, e.g.,
however, therefore, hence, nevertheless, consequently, and thus. These
words require a semicolon to be inserted.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → the gapping comma
The gapping comma is used to show that one or more words
have been left when the missing words would simply repeat
the words already used earlier in the sentence.
Some Slovenes wanted to base the national programme on the
curiculum used in Ljubljana; others, on the curiculum used in
other parts of the country.
Britain is famous for her scientists, France, for her
philosophers, and Slovenia, for her writiers and poets.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → bracketing commas
A pair of bracketing commas is used to mark off a weak
interruption of the sentence.
These findings, we would suggest, cast doubt upon his orginal
hypothesis
Marie Curie, of course, did her work before x-ray
diffractometers were invented.
Darwin’s Origin of Species, published in 1859, revolutionized
biological thinking.
! In every example the interruption could, in principle, be removed from the
sentence, and the result would still be a complete sentence that made good
sense.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → bracketing commas
These findings cast doubt upon his orginal hypothesis
Marie Curie did her work before x-ray diffractometers were
invented.
Darwin’s Origin of Species revolutionized biological thinking.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → summary
•
•
•
•
the listing comma
the joining comma
the gapping comma
bracketing commas
1. Can the comma be replaced by and or or?
2. Is it followed by one of the connecting words
and, or, but, yet or while?
3. Does it represent the absence of repetition?
4. Does it form one of a pair of commas setting
off an interruption that could be removed from
the sentence?
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → summary
The publication of The Hobit in 1937, marked the beginning of
Tolkien’s career as a fantasy writer.
1. Can the comma be replaced by and or or?
2. Is it followed by one of the connecting words
and, or, but, yet or while?
3. Does it represent the absence of repetition?
4. Does it form one of a pair of commas setting
off an interruption that could be removed from
the sentence?
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the comma → summary
The publication of The Hobit in 1937 marked the beginning of
Tolkien’s career as a fantasy writer.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the colon
The colon is used to indicate that follows it is an explanation or
elaboration of what precedes it.
More general: more specific
The company faces a major problem: shortage of cash.
Several members provided help: Mark, Ian and, above all, Tim
We located it easily: your information was accurate.
I propose we create a new post: Chief Executive Officer
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the colon
The colon has some minor uses.
I reccomend Jenny Uglow’s new book The Lunar Men: The
Friends who made the Future.
The story of David and Goliath is found in I Samuel 17:12–57.
Among the students of engineering, men outnumber women by
more than 7:1.
American style for time of day: 3:10, 11:45, etc.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the colon
The colon has some minor uses.
If you want to refer the reader to some specific pages of the
work you are citing, put the page numbers after the date, with a
colon intervening:
For a description of this technique, see Rush (2003:172–182).
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the semicolon
The semicolon is used to join two complete sentences into a
single written sentence when all of the following conditions are
met:
1. The two sentences are felt to be too closely related to be
separated by a full stop;
2. There is no conecting word that would require a comma,
such as and or but;
3. The special conditions requiring a colon are absent;
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the semicolon
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the semicolon
Tolkien published The Hobit in 1937; the first volume of The
Lord of the Rings followed in 1954.
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape predominates in the Bordeaux
region; Pinot Noir holds sway in Burgundy; Syrah is largely
confined to the Rhône valley.
Women’s conversation is cooperative; men’s is competitive.
! If a suitable connecting word is used, then a joining comma is required,
rather than a semicolon.
Women’s conversation is cooperative, while men’s is
competitive.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the semicolon
Note, however, that certain connecting words do require a
preceding semicolon. The most common examples are
however, therefore, hence, thus, consequently, nevertheless
and meanwhile.
The company has made a profit for the past three years;
however, this situation is unlikely to continue.
The muderer has not been caught; consequently the search must
not be suspended.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the colon and the semicolon
I have the answer. Mark’s solution doesn’t work.
I have the answer; Mark’s solution doesn’t work.
I have the answer: Mark’s solution doesn’t work.
Punctuation 1: commas, colons and semicolons
• the colon and the semicolon
Nika is upset. Matej is having a nervous breakdown.
Nika is upset; Matej is having a nervous breakdown.
Nika is upset: Matej is having a nervous breakdown.