Punctuation
Thursday
Daily Grammar Practice
Day 4 – Almost there!
Time to punctuate.
Punctuation is determined by the types of clauses, the
kinds of phrases, and even the types of words in the
sentence – don’t forget to look back at the week’s work to
help you.
1. Look to Monday for any proper nouns to capitalize or
possessive nouns to add apostrophes.
2. Look to Tuesday for types of phrases that require
commas.
3. Look to Wednesday for multiple clauses that might
need punctuation between them.
4. Look at
Wednesday to
determine
sentence purpose
and final end
punctuation.
Abbreviations
OR
= Insert punctuation
____________ = Underline/italicize
= Capitalize
= End punctuation
Mo
ins r e
ide
!
Capitalization
1. Capitalize proper nouns
Examples: Thomas, Nebraska
2. Capitalize proper adjectives
Examples: Mexican food, Greek theater
3. Capitalize the first word of each sentence.
Underlining/Italicizing
**Underlining and italicizing are the SAME THING**
Quotation Marks
What to underline/italicize:
- Titles of LONG things: newspapers, magazines, CDs, movies,
novels, plays, musical compositions, etc.
- Titles of short things: short stories,
poems, songs, articles, episodes of TV
shows, etc.
- Names of ships, planes, trains, and artwork
- Dialogue and words copied from other
sources
- Foreign expressions
- Commas and periods that follow quoted
words always go inside closing quotations
marks (I said, “Go home.”)
Apostrophe
- Use apostrophes to make words possessive and to make
contractions.
- Don’t use apostrophes to make words plural.
- Possessive pronouns don’t use apostrophes (hers, its, our,
your, etc.)
- Be sure you have a real word before your apostrophes:
children’s toys, not childrens’ toys
- If the word is plural and ends in s, add apostrophe only: dogs’
owners.
- Colons and semicolons that follow
quoted words always go outside closing
quotations marks (We’re “friends”; we
don’t date.)
- Use single quotations marks only to
enclose quotes within quotes.
“Fred screamed, ‘Go for it!’ and that is
when I looked,” explained Mark.
- Use double quotations marks in all other
situations. (He’s a real “team player.”)
- Treat singular nouns ending in -s like any other singular
noun: boss’s, Brutus’s
Semi-colons
Joins two INDEPENDENT CLAUSES without a coordinating conjunction
Examples:
He likes apples; she likes oranges.
He goes to Harvard; however, she goes to Yale.
Semicolons can also be used in a series with commas for clarity
Example:
We went to London, England; Paris, France; Madrid, Spain; and Rome,
Italy.
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(Can you name the song?!?!)
COMMAS with CLAUSES
The type of clauses in a sentence as well as the placement of those clauses in
relationship to each other will determine if a comma is needed. Compare your
sentences to the structures below.
1.
1 st in d ep en de n t cla use , CC 2 nd in d ep en de n t cla use
(Place a comma between two independent clauses joined by a coordinating
conjunction.)
Examples:
Joe likes pizza, but Fred likes tacos.
My mother drove me to school, but my brother rode his
bike.
He was a singer and producer, and he was able to
spot talent.
2.
NO
C OM
M
COM A WIT
ject
POU H A S
verb
ND
I
VER MPLE
Ex a
CC
B
mp l
verb
Jo e
s lik es:
To m
es p
sum pitche izza bu
s
My mer ca baseb t does
brot
mp.
al l a n o t l
her
nd r ike v
w as
ides
eg
hes
bike etable
an d
s.
at
feed
ad ve rb d e pe nd en t cl au se, in de pe n de n t clau se
s hi
s pe
(Place a comma after an adverbial dependent clause that begins a
t liz
a rd .
sentence.
Examples:
If it rains, we’ll go inside.
If I paint for two more hours, I should be able to
finish.
Because Jason was brave, he battled a fierce
dragon.
Don’t forget to watch for SUBORDINATING
CONJUNCTIONS when looking for adverb
dependent clauses.
su b
NO
C OM
M
B EF A I F T H
O RE
inde
E
pen
THE INDEP
d en
E
D EP
t cl a
END ND ENT
u se
ENT
C
, ad
Ex a
CLA LAUSE
verb
mp l
U SE
IS
dep
We ’
e
end
ll go s:
e
I pa
nt c
ins
i
laus
I ha nt whe ide if it
e
v e m n th
ra i n
e re
s
o re
.
wor is ple
k be
n
cau ty of fr
se I
e
didn sh air.
’t p a
int y
e ste
rd ay
.
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COMMAS with PHRASES
The type of phrases in a sentence as well as the placement of those phrases in
relationship to each the rest of the sentence will determine if a comma is
needed. Compare your sentences to the structures below.
1.
in tro du ctory p rep osi tio nal ph rase ,
(Follow a prepositional phrase that begins a sentence with a comma.)
Examples:
After English class, we go to lunch.
For the costume party, Jody dressed as a lion.
On Saturday, we will rehearse our routine.
2.
,n o ne sse nti al a ppo sitiv e ,
(Nonessential means “not needed” – this is an
appositive that is fluff information in the sentence.)
Ty p
ical
l
y, N
Examples:
Nonessential - We read The Great Gatsby, a novel, in class.
Essential - We read the novel The Great Gatsby in class
O NE
Com
SSE
mo n
…us
Nonessential – Mercury, the planet, is closer to the sun than any other planet.
Essential – The planet Mercury is closer to the sun than any other planet.
3.
,n o ne sse nti al a dje ctiv e d ep en de n t cl ause ,
(Again, nonessential means “not needed” so this is a clause that can be
removed and the sentence still has the same meaning.)
Examples:
Nonessential - Jane, who drives a red car, is nice.
Essential - All students who skip school should be suspended.
(When you remove “who skip school”, the whole meaning changes!)
Nonessential – The Matrix, which I saw again last week, is my favorite
movie.
Essential – The dress that I liked had been sold.
(When you remove “that I liked”, makes it apparent why the person is
Don’t forget to watch for RELATIVE PRONOUNS
when looking for adjective dependent clauses.
THAT, WHICH, WHO, WHOM, WHOSE
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NTIA
L=
e th
C OM
MO
e co
mm
a!
NN
OUN
OTHER COMMA USES
Se parate ite ms i n se ri es wi th c omma s
Examples:
Please buy apples, oranges, and bananas.
I like the warm, fuzzy blanket.
Se t off a n o un o f dire ct a dd ress
Examples:
Tom, please hand me the phone.
Please don’t sit there, Sue.
Coach, we expect to win the game.
More Comma Uses
d ay of we e k, mo n th d ate , ye ar
Examples:
The baby is expected on Sunday, February 27, 2000
in Georgia.
Fo llo w an in tro du ctory w ord wi th a co mma
Examples:
Well, I hope these grammar rules come in handy.
However, you must use them.
Yes, you may borrow my bicycle.
Why, it’s Lena!
A letter dated May 26, 1888, was found in the old
house at 980 West Street, Davenport, Iowa,
yesterday.
ci ty, state ,
Se t off an in te rru pte r wi th com mas
Examples:
We moved to Peachtree City, Georgia, in 1975.
Examples:
These rules, I think, will help you if you use them.
That is, of course, an Indian teakwood screen.
Our family has lived in Grand Forks, North Dakota,
since the war.
End Punctuation
De cl arativ e s en te nce – ends with a
period
In te rro gati ve se n ten ce – ends with
a question mark
Excl amato ry sen te nc e – ends with
an exclamation mark
Imp erati ve se n te n ce – can end
with a period but can also end with an
exclamation mark if it is a very firm,
intense command
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