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Grammar English 2126 |
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A Handbook of Selected Punctuation Marks
Doug Nygren
March 6, 1997
Mail comments or questions to Doug Nygren
Colons
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1) A colon (:) is used to introduce series or lists.
A) Questionnaires were sent to three states: New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maine.
B) The steps are as follows:
- Construct a triangle...
- Connect the points...
2) A complete sentence, question, or long quotation is introduced with a colon.
A) One rule is supreme: Do not fire until the order is given.
B) I quote from his recent speech: "In times such as this... our only option is to declare war.
3) A colon is used to introduce speech into a dialog, and after the introductory address of a speaker.
A) Father: Has he asked you yet?
B) Jan: No, he hasn't asked yet.
C) Ladies and Gentlemen:...
4) Colons are used to punctuate indications of time, Bible references, volume and page references, and ratios.
A) At exactly 5:12 this afternoon...
B) Genesis 1: 13
C) Sports Illustrated 12: 5-8
D) At a ratio of 3:1
5) Colons are used to separate the subtitle from the main part of the title.
A) Homecoming: The Earth's Call
B) The Troubled Partnership: A Re-appraisal of the Atlantic Alliance
Parentheses
6) The independent part of a sentence that is not directly related to the main statement is enclosed in parentheses.
A) Three people (all in the fourth row) were talking loudly.
B)The pool will be open until Labor Day. (Last year it closed August 15.)
7) Parentheses are used to enclose letters or numbers to count items in a series, or with numbers or other symbols used appositively.
A) She traced the development of the symphony by using examples from the works of 1) Bach, 2) Beethoven, and 3) Mozart.
B) With each order of six (6), enclose a check or money order for three dollars ($3.00).
8) A place name that is not part of an official name but is necessary in a sentence is enclosed in parentheses.
A) The Springfield (Massachusetts) Museum shouldn't be confused as being the Springfield (Illinois) Museum.
9) When the parenthetical matter is a complete statement, the punctuation comes before the closing parentheses.
A) The pool will be open until Labor Day. (Last year it closed August 15.)
Question Marks
10) A question mark (?) is placed after a direct question.
A) Where are you going?
B) What are you doing?
11) A question mark follows an interrogative sentence even if it is part of a larger sentence.
A) How could he do that? I wondered.
12) If a declarative or imperative sentence is intended to be interrogative, the sentence ends with a question mark.
A) This is what we've been waiting for?
13) A question mark put in between parentheses is used to indicate uncertainty.
A) She said she'll return July 11(?).
Semicolons
14) Items in a series are separated by a semicolon (;) when the items already contain a comma or other form of internal punctuation.
A) The number of games played this season is: Green Team, 3; Blue Team, 2; and Red Team, 6.
15) Two independent clauses which are not joined by a conjunction are separated by a semicolon.
A) The old stadiums I liked; the new ones are atrocious.
16) If the clauses of a compound sentence are long or internally punctuated, a semicolon is used between the clauses, before the conjunction.
A) The girls, who had been waiting for hours for a chance to see their favorite movie star, pushed forward when he appeared; but their disappointment was great when he ran to his limo without even acknowledging their presence.
17) A semicolon is used between the independent parts of a sentence that contain commas indicating omitted words.
A) In Iowa there are eight delegates; Indiana, eleven; Illinois, thirteen.
18) Use a semicolon preceding explanatory phrases introduced by words such as for example, that is, or namely when the writer wants a stronger break than a comma would provide.
A) Secretaries have many unpopular assignments; for example, typing and making coffee.
Bibliography
Bergquist, Sidney R. New Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, New York: Delair Publishing Company, 1981.
Greenbaum, Sidney. Grammar and Usage, London: Handout, n.d.
Venolia, Jan. Write Right!, Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1988.
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