Basic Guidelines for Punctuation Usage

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Basic Guidelines for Punctuation Usage
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Full Stop (.)

• SENTENCE DIVISION
• Full stops are used to close sentences. A new
  sentence has a capital letter.
• Example
• I looked out of the window it was snowing again
• I looked out of the window. It was snowing
  again.

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Full Stop (.)

• Do not normally put full stops before
  GRAMMATICALLY INCOMPLETE SENTENCES
• Example
• She phoned me. As soon as she arrived.
• She phoned me as soon as she arrived

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Semi-colon ()

• INSTEAD OF FULL STOPS
• Semi-colons are sometimes used instead of full
  stops, in cases where sentences are grammatically
  independent but the meaning is closely connected.
  Semi-colons are not nearly as common as full
  stops or commas.
• Example
• Some people work best in the mornings, other do
  better in the evenings.
• Some people work best in the mornings other do
  better in the evenings.

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Semi-colon ()

• IN LISTS
• Semi-colons are also used to separate items in a
  list, particularly when these are grammatically
  complex.
• He mentioned the four objectives of the CAP
• Income support for a large population of family
  farms (the social component)
• Increase in production and productivity mainly by
  the absorption of yield-increasing technical
  innovations
• Food security (intended as an increase in
  self-sufficiency ratio
• Common price and price stability for agricultural
  products.

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Colon()

• EXPLANATIONS
• Colons are often used before explanations
• We decided not to go on holiday we had too
  little money.
• DIRECT SPEECH
• When direct speech is introduced by a name
• Polonius What do you read my lord?
• Hamlet Words, words, words

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Colon()

• LISTS
• A colon can introduce a list.
• The main points are as follows
• 1.
• 2..
• 3.
• We need three kinds of support economic, moral
  and political.

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Colon ()

• SUBDIVISIONS
• A colon can introduce a subdivision of a subject
  - for instance, in a title or heading.
• Punctuation colon
• Supply chain coordination the case of dairy
  products in Syria
• CAPITAL LETTERS
• In British English, it is unusual for a capital
  letter to follow a colon (except at the beginning
  of a quotation). However, this can happen if a
  colon is followed by several complete sentences.
• My main objections are as follows
• First of all, no proper budget has been drawn up.
• Secondly, there is no guarantee that.

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Dash (-)

• The use of dash can be similar to the use of
  brackets
• My mother-who rarely gets angry-really lost her
  temper
• A dash can introduce an afterthought
• We will arrive on Monday morning - at least, I
  think so.

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Comma (,)

• Commas generally reflect pauses in speech.
• LISTS
• We use commas to separate items in a series or
  list. In British English, a comma is not usually
  used with and between the last two items unless
  these are long. Compare
• I went to Spain, Bosnia, Syria and Mexico. (US
  Syria, and Germany)
• I spent yesterday playing the guitar, listening
  to jazz records, and talking about the meaning of
  life.

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Comma (,)

• ADJECTIVES
• In predicative position, commas are always used
  between adjectives.
• The director was tall, dark and handsome.
• Word Order
• If words or expressions are put in unusual places
  or interrupt the normal progression of a
  sentence, we separate them off by commas.
• My father, however, did not agree.
• Mr Hindi, director of the NAPC, introduced the
  lecturer.

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Comma (,)

• Identifying Expressions
• The woman who was sitting behind the reception
  desk gave Paul a big smile
• Mrs Kate, who was sitting behind the reception
  desk, gave Paul a big smile
• Clause connected with and, but or or are usually
  separated by commas unless they are very short.
• She had very little to live on, but she
  would never have dreamed of taking what was
  not hers
• She was poor but she was honest

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Comma (,)

• Direct Speech
• A comma is generally used between a reporting
  expression and a piece of direct speech
• I dont like this one, said Julia.
• Subordinate Clauses
• When subordinate clauses begin a sentences, they
  are often separated by commas.
• If you are ever in London, come and see me
• Come and see me if you are ever in London

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Comma (,)

• Commas are not used before THAT-clauses
• It is quite natural that you want to meet your
  mother
• It is quite natural, that you want to meet your
  mother
• No commas before that, what, where in indirect
  speech structures
• Everybody realized that I was a foreigner
• Everybody realized, that I was a foreigner
• They quickly explained what to do
• They quickly explained, what to do

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Comma (,)

• In the beginning of a sentence
• However,
• In addition,
• In the light of the conclusion already stated,
  .
• Which
• She cycled from Damascus to Aleppo, which is
  pretty good for a woman of 75.