Joys of Punctuation and Capitalization

Joys of Punctuation

Equally as important as the words you use are the punctuation marks you choose.
Why, you ask?
Correct punctuation demonstrates not only that you know how to put a sentence on paper but also that you appreciate how punctuation can affect meaning. Periods, commas, colons, and the like tell your reader when to pause, how to relate two ideas, and much much more. It's true. I swear.

Example:
Some of you may have already seen this, but it's useful and apropos:
Sentence: "a woman without her man is nothing"

Punctuation 1: "A woman without her man is nothing."
This implies that any woman who does not have a man is incomplete.

Punctuation 2: "A woman: without her, man is nothing."
By adding a colon and a comma, we've changed the meaning. The clause reads like a definition. Now the sentence implies that men are incomplete without women.

Cool, huh? To make sure the meaning you have and the meaning your reader walks away with are one and the same, you need to use the right marks in the correct places, and to do this, you need to know who your friends are (punctuation-wise) and what they can and cannot do. Remember, this is just a short list. You should reference your handbook, instructor, or tutor with any specific questions.

Commas
Commas are probably one of the most important punctuation marks, the most often used, and the most often misused and abused. They are either left out, forced to do things they cannot do, thrown in arbitrarily, or just plain old out of place. Yet they--because of their very nature--allow us to make lists, introduce ideas, insert relevant comments, and so much more. For all these reasons, plus the fact that you know you want to use them, it is wise for us to review the most common uses of The Comma. , , , , , , ,

(1) Commas and Lists

When you have a list of three or more elements (words, phrases, or clauses), use a comma to separate them.

EXAMPLE:

My favorite flowers are irises, tulips, and lilies.

To find the lab, go outside, turn left at the tree, walk about fifty yards, and turn right.

(2) Commas and Independent Clauses

When you have independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, or, for, nor, so, but, yet), use a comma to separate them.

EXAMPLE:

Standard therapy may be less expensive, but sometimes experimental treatments are worth the money.

(3) Commas and Introductory Clauses and Phrases

When you begin a sentence with an introductory clause (like this one) or a long phrase, use a comma after it to set it off from your independent clause (a.k.a. main sentence).

EXAMPLE:

Before moving back east, my parents will have to sell their house.

(4) Commas and Adjectives

When you have two adjective both modifying the same thing, use a comma to separate them. To test whether or not you might need a comma, see if the word and could logically fit in between them. If so, then add the comma.

EXAMPLE:

The careful, patient student will use good punctuation. (CORRECT--the student is both careful and patient.)

The careful AND patient student will use good punctuation. (CORRECT)

The blue, cotton dress is on sale. (INCORRECT)

The blue AND cotton dress is on sale. (INCORRECT--unless you're talking about 2 different dresses.)

The blue cotton dress is on sale. (CORRECT--blue is describing what type of cotton.)

There are more uses of the comma, and I suggest you reference a handbook at some point to learn them. But this is a brief list to get you started.

Semicolons
Now that you're in college, I bet you really really want to use a semicolon, the mark of an intellectual and an academic, to be sure. However, semicolons are tricky marks, and a misused one can cause embarrassment to both the writer and the semicolon. So if you feel compelled to use one, please use it wisely, and heed the following rules: ; ; ; ; ; ;

(1) Semicolons and Sentences

When you have two independent clauses (or word group that could stand by itself as a whole sentence) and if they aren't joined by a coordinating conjunction, use a semicolon. Remember, both clauses MUST be full sentences.

EXAMPLE:

Sophia is sleeping on the futon; perhaps she'll stay there all night.

For more details, check out Modes of Correction

(2) Semicolons and Lists

When you have a sentence with a lot of internal punctuation or a list of elements which are themselves mini lists, use a semicolon to join the larger elements.

EXAMPLE:

Austin went shopping and bought apples, oranges, and peaches; a pair of shoes and new laces; and a cd, walkman, batteries, and new headphones.

I bought cards for Terry, Byron, and Tamika; and for Crystal, I got a calling card.

(2a) This also holds true for dates and cities.

EXAMPLE:

I have lived in Gwinn, Michigan; St. Peters, Missouri; Naperville, Illinois; and DeKalb, Illinois.

(3) Semicolons and Quotation Marks

If you are going to follow a quote with a semicolon, the semicolon goes outside of the quotation marks. Remember that in most cases (unless you are using parenthetical citations) the punctuation marks go inside the quotation marks. For more info about this, go HERE.

EXAMPLE:

Hundertwasser said that "the straight line is Godless"; however, this quotation is translated from his native language, German.

Colons
Colons are beautiful. Go on . . . say it, "Colons are beautiful."
Colons (the punctuation marks, not those not-so-pretty internal organs) are, like their semicolon cousins, the mark of a thinker. With a colon you say to your reader, "Hey you, pause for a second because I'm about to say something really important or give you a list that I know you're going to want to pay attention to." But there are still a few rules you need to keep in mind when using these impressive marks. (So many things to remember, so little time to remember them in.)

The main thing to remember when using a colon is that everything leading up to the colon must form a complete sentence. If it doesn't, you cannot use one.

: : : : :

(1) Colons and Explanations

When you have a statement that introduces an element that is an explanation or amplification of that statement, use a colon to set it off.

EXAMPLE:

There is only one thing you need in life: time. (CORRECT)

(2) Colons and Lists

When you have a complete sentence that sets up a formal list, use a colon.

EXAMPLE:

Some of the major American wars and conflicts of the past century are: W.W.I, W.W.II, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. (INCORRECT)

Some of the major American wars and conflicts of the past century include the following: W.W.I, W.W.II, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. (CORRECT)

(3) Colons and Titles

If you want to have a title and a subtitle for your work, use a colon.

EXAMPLE:

The Joys of Punctuation: A Lesson in Usage

(4) Colons and Quotations

When you have a long, formal quotation, you can use a colon, though we more often tend to use commas.

EXAMPLE:

As he lay in his deathbed, Oscar Wilde pointed to the wall and said: "My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or the other of us has to go." Then, he died.

NOTE: A teacher once told me that the colon acts something like the word namely. So if you could use that word and if, as was previously mentioned, you have a complete sentence before where you'd like to use the colon, go for it. Try it out!

Parenthesis
Ever have something to say that's either slightly off topic or a fairly detailed explanation of a term you just used? You know you have. Well, (if you hadn't already guessed) when you have one of these moments, you may be able to use parenthesis to get your point across. The following are some of the most common ways one might use these beautiful marks: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

(1) Parenthesis and Information

When you have ideas that are supplemental explanations or are meant to reiterate a previous idea so as to avoid confusion, use parenthesis to separate them. If the material you're going to add is closely related to the previous idea, you would use commas. If more loosely related, use parenthesis.

EXAMPLE:

I am sending you a photo (enclosed with this note) of my niece and her cat.

Please turn to page eleven (11) of the manual.

Dashes and Hyphens
Dashes and hyphens add that extra flare to your work, but they can be kind of tricky. Before we delve into how and when to use them, let me explain the difference between the two. A dash is, for our purposes, two hyphens. A - is a hyphen, and -- is a dash. Hyphens join two or more words so that they act as if they were one word. Dashes are like marks of an interruption (kind of like parenthesis).
And now, how to use them . . . - -- - -- - --

(1) Hyphens and Numbers

Use a hyphen when writing compound numbers or when using fractions to describe something.

EXAMPLE:

I am twenty-three years old.

I am one-third German.

(2) Hyphens and Compound Words

This is easiest shown:

EXAMPLES:

The cat gave me a pet-me-and-die look. (The words pet me and die are all being used to describe the look, so they need to have hyphens between them.)

He is a self-made man. (Use hyphens with the word self unless the dictionary says otherwise.

My step-mother lives in Chicago. (Use a hyphen to show family relations when the persons "title" isn't one word)

(3) Dashes and Side Comments

Use dashes when you are inserting comments or explanations that seem to be an abrupt shift from the normal flow of your sentence or when the added statement has a lot of internal punctuation already.

EXAMPLE:

Punctuation--whether you believe it or not--is actually a lot of fun.

The core members of the honors society--Jaime, John, and Cindy--were going to figure a way to help the new members.

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