Category: Punctuation

Semicolons The Oatmeal calls semicolons “the most feared punctuation on earth”. If you’re afraid, don’t be! This lesson will be quick, easy, and solve your semicolon woes. Join Independent Clauses An independent clause is a complete thought with a subject and a verb; it can be a complete sentence. You can join independent clauses with…

Quotation Marks No one agrees about quotation marks. American usage is frequently the exact opposite of British usage, Canadians often form a hybrid, and exceptions abound. So, can you just do what you like with quotation marks? Well, not quite. Here are some rules that you do need to follow: American Style: 5 Easy Rules…

Parentheses and Brackets Parentheses provide non-essential information in unquoted text. Brackets provide additional information in quoted text. Parentheses As with commas and dashes, you can use parentheses to insert some non-essential text into your writing. If the parentheses occur within a sentence, place the final period or comma outside the parentheses and don’t capitalize the…

It’s, They’re, You’re Now that you know the rules for apostrophes, it’s time to look at some common problems. It’s vs. Its It’s has a contraction because it’s short for it is or it has. It’s -10C today. It’s been great talking to you. Its is possessive. Just like his, my, yours and other possessive…

Hyphens and Dashes Hyphens and Dashes look similar. This is a hyphen: – This is a dash: — (made by writing two hyphens) Connect Words and Numbers with a Hyphen You can combine two words with a hyphen to create a compound adjective or name: I love Chinese–American food. Mary–Lou Conway–Richardson had the longest name…

Ellipses Ellipses are used in informal and formal writing. Informal If you want to express a pause or a trailing off in your writing, use an ellipsis. An ellipsis is always three dots, but if you put an ellipsis at the end of a sentence you need to use a period as well (for a…

Commas The comma is arguably the most versatile punctuation mark. Since its list of uses is so lengthy, let’s get going! Lists If you have a series of three or more things, separate those words with commas. Wrong: Braeden bought apples bread yoghurt and zucchini at the grocery store. Right: Breaden bought apples, bread, yoghurt,…

Colons Even though semicolons and colons look similar and have similar names, they have different functions. Introduce a List Colons indicate that a list is coming up. However, you can only use a colon after an independent clause. Wrong: My favourite punctuation marks are: semicolons, colons, and ellipses. Right: I have three favorite punctuation marks:…

Apostrophes Apostrophes are frequently misused, but the rules about them aren’t complicated. Possession If you have a singular noun that doesn’t end in -s, add an apostrophe + s. The dog’s dinner smells strange. Marie’s bouquet includes orchids. If you have a singular noun that ends in in -s, you can either add an apostrophe…

When Should You Use the Comma? – Use commas to separate items in a list. – Use a comma after introductory word, phrase, words that come before the main phrase. – Use a comma before a quotation. – Use a comma to join two long phrases. – Use commas to set off clauses, phrases, and…