Basic Grammar Rules Part 1 – Punctuation

March 7, 2008 in Got English? by the editor | Add a comment

Punctuation can be tricky. There are not always hard and fast rules on all points. Sometimes the application and/or use of punctuation marks is pretty much left to the discretion of the writer. The main thing to keep in mind is that the purpose of punctuation marks is to guide the reader so that she fully understands what it is you are trying to say; just be consistent in your usage in parallel situations. The problem is, that although we are given some latitude in our use of punctuation, out-and-out misuse and abuse can confuse some readers and deeply disturb others ( myself included). This is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of all rules: I will just be discussing the points where I have noticed the most problems. That said, let’s begin.

Period [.]

A period is used -

  • at the end of a complete sentence or statement,
  • after most abbreviations,
  • but not after US Postal Service state abbreviations.

Exclamation Point [!]

An exclamation point is used -

  • after a sentence, phrase, clause or word that expresses surprise or strong emotion and (in my opinion) should be used sparingly.

Comma [,]

Ah, yes, the simple, lowly comma. Such an easy mark to make – just a little flick of the wrist – but what confusion (and aggravation) it can create when misused or over-used. Consider these two examples (taken from Lynne Truss’s book Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation):

  1. “Verily, I say unto thee, This day thou shalt be with me in paradise.” (He goes to heaven today.)
    “Verily I say unto thee this day, Thou shalt be with me in paradise.” (He goes to heaven but not necessarily today. Maybe after some time in Purgatory or something.)
  2. The convict said the judge is mad.
    The convict, said the judge, is mad.

A comma is used -

  • to separate independent clauses (an independent clause is simply a group of words that can stand alone as a sentence) that are joined by coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, yet, for and so. For example – “I went to the store, but my wife went home.” The comma separates the two clauses and comes before the conjunction but. The common mistake here is a construction such as this: “I went to the store, my wife went home.” This is bad. Don’t do it. If you leave out the conjunction, use a semicolon as in “I went to the store; my wife went home.” The semicolon replaces the comma and the conjunction. The key here is NEVER (at least not until you become a highly respected writer) use a comma by itself to join two sentences.
  • to separate three or more items in a list as in “While I was at the store I bought three apples, two oranges, six bananas and a loaf of bread.” (The comma after the last item in a list is optional [as you can see, I've left mine out]), but be consistent in whatever style you choose.

That’s not nearly all there is to commas, but that’s enough for now. My opinion on commas is that less is plenty enough. If you are willing, just observe these two rules and leave all other commas out of your writing for now, at least as you are writing. Go back later and insert them only as necessary for clarity.

Apostrophe [']

Apostrophes are used -

  • to form contractions. It is = it’s; they are = they’re; you are = you’re, and so on.
  • along with an s to indicate possession (Mike’s car, Sally’s book, the cat’s bird, and so on). Exceptions to this are, obviously, my, mine; his; her/hers; their, theirs; your, yours; our/ours and its.
  • at the end of plural words that end in s to form the possessive (the cats’ bird).
  • with an s to make letters and numbers plural (A’s, 8′s, etc.).

Do not use

  1. it’s as a possessive. Remember, it’s = it is; its (without the apostrophe) is the possessive form.
  2. you’re as a possessive. You’re is the contraction you + are. Your/yours is the possessive form.
  3. they’re as a possessive. Remember, they’re is the contraction of they are. Use their/theirs as the possessive form.
  4. who’s as a possessive. Whose is the possessive case.

Colon [:]

A colon indicates that what follows is an explanation or completes the idea of what has just been said. It can also be used to introduce a list. A complete sentence should precede the colon.

Examples -

  1. This I believe: All men are created equal. (It is optional whether or not you begin the second clause with a capital.)
  2. There are some things you will need to bring on the trip: a sleeping bag, comfortable shoes and a toilet kit. But not -
    You will need to bring: a sleeping bag, comfortable shoes and a toilet kit. (The first clause is not a complete sentence.)

Semicolon [;]

  • A semicolon can be used in place of a comma + conjunction to join two independent clauses as in “I like cookies and milk for a bed-time snack; my wife prefers ice cream.”
  • Semicolons are used to separate items in a list when those items contain internal punctuation as in “Some effective color combinations are red, green and blue; turquoise, ocher and avocado; and orange, black and yellow.”
  • A semicolon should be used before a conjunctive adverb as in “Yesterday was the election; however, bad weather kept many folks at home.”

Quotation Marks [" "]

In standard American usage, ending punctuation marks should go inside the quotes.

Correct - “Please don’t forget the difference between “your” and “you’re.”

Incorrect - “Please don’t forget the difference between “its” and “it’s”.

Well, I think that is quite enough for today. More to come later as time permits. I hope some of this has been helpful. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.

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