Period And Comma

Period
A period [.] is used at the end of complete sentences that:
Makes a statement He is the heart of their defensive line.
Gives a command All assignments are to be handed in no later than noon on Thursday.
Makes a request Please open your textbooks and turn to page ten.
Asks an indirect question The principal asked me why my undershirt was showing.
It is also used with abbreviations that are not written in all capital letters:
Examples:
Ex., Mr., yr., p.m., i.e.
Note, if a sentence ends with the use of a quote, the period should be placed inside the quotation
marks.
- Mr. Noble insisted on calling John little one.
Comma
Commas are used for the following reasons:
To separate words in a series The guy threw the stone, jumped the wall, and ran away as quickly
as he could.
To set off information which when removed does not alter the intention/meaning of the sentence
The Causeway, which connects Portmore and Kingston, was replaced with the Portmore leg of the
toll road.
To separate adjectives She is tall, fair, beautiful, eloquent, and sassy.
To separate words/phrases of contrast Politicians represent the people, yet they exploit them.
To introduce a quote The defendant addressed the media today. He said, The truth must come to
light, and I will be found innocent.
To connect independent phrases Miss New York was the best model, but not the best speaker.
To avoid confusion Interestingly, the most interesting thing about Edward Seaga is the interest he
shows in Tivoli Gardens.
To set off introductory phrases/clauses On the arrival of each celebrity to the theatre, the
paparazzi flocked the vehicles.
 Question Mark

Question Mark

A question mark is used to end a question and in most cases, it immediately follows the question.

- What is the verdict?

- We all agreed that she was wrong, but, why didnt you inform her?

However, when a question is followed by a clause that modifies it, the question mark is placed at the
end of the statement.

- How could they hold him accountable for the theft, considering he had an alibi which was
substantiated?

As it relates to question marks being used with quotation marks, if the information being quoted is a
direct question, the question mark should be placed inside the quotation marks.

- Who won the match? Laura asked.

If the information being quoted is not a question, the question mark should be placed outside the
quotation marks.

- Whose words are these I are the one?

 Colon And Semi-Colon

Colon

The main purpose of the colon is to:

Introduce a list

This is the instance in which colons are most frequently used.

- The reporter asked the Minister the following questions: When are you leaving to attend the
international conference? What is your governments stance on the topic to be discussed?

- The recipe for grannys tasty sauce includes: garlic, tomato sauce, jerk sauce, browning, black
pepper and Chinese sauce.

Note: capital letters are used after colons if it precedes complete sentence(s).

Introduce a quotation or explanation

- Lionel Messi said at the postgame interview: Inter Milan played a patient game; they moved well
without the ball and made it very difficult for us.

- This watch is the better buy: it is made of stainless steel, has rubber strap, its water resistant and
has date display.

Note: colons are always placed outside quotation marks.

Introduce a statement
- Recall we had to say this every morning: Labour for learning before you grow old, for learning is
better than silver or gold, silver and gold will vanish away, but a good education will never decay.

Semicolon

This punctuation mark is used for two main purposes: to separate items in a long list, that itself
contains the use of commas (this is a prime example); and to replace periods and commas in joining
two independent sentences/clauses, to show their connection.

Separating items

Semicolons should be used if items to be listed are long, and contains commas.

- The basketball players shortlisted for the award include Kobe Bryant, a 6ft 6 guard of the Los
Angeles Lakers; LeBron James, a 6ft 8 forward of the Miami Heats; Kevin Durant, a 6ft 9 forward of
the Oklahoma City Thunder; and Dwyane Wade, a 6ft 4 Guard of the Miami Heats.

Joining Sentences

Semicolons are used in joining sentences, to show/emphasize their relation.

- The lawyer defended his client the best he could; he even found himself in contempt of court on two
occasions while feverishly cross examining two of the prosecutions witnesses.

Note: semicolons are always placed outside quotation marks.

Dash And Parenthesis

These punctuation marks are used when a sentence is interrupted to state a fact, share an opinion
and or to give an explanation. Since they are used for the same purposes, deciding which of the two
to use is usually left to the preference of the writer.
- The Miss Jamaica World winner is beautiful she is the most beautiful winner I have ever
seen. Or, The Miss Jamaica World winner is beautiful (she is the most beautiful winner I have ever
seen).

- Yao Ming was in the room the tallest man in the NBA at 7ft 6 talking to his teammates. Or, Yao
Ming was in the room (the tallest man in the NBA at 7ft 6) talking to his teammates

- He attacked the man eager to avenge deeds he had done to him. Or, He attacked the man (eager
to avenge deeds he had done to him).

Quotation Marks

The main use of quotation marks is to set off information which is a direct quote.
- You have no right to take my pen without my permission, John said.

- The author in her first piece wrote, Success is never ending, failure is never final.

Other uses include:

Indicating an ironic word The women in the mess hall at the prison, shared food to the inmates.

To specify nicknames/alias Erwin Magic Johnson

To indicate the title of artistic work Forever Young, is one of Jay-Zs singles from his latest
album.

The use of other punctuation marks with Quotation Marks

- Question marks, exclamation marks and dashes should be placed inside quotation marks if they are
a part of the quotation, otherwise they should be placed outside the quotation marks.

- Colons and semicolons should be placed outside quotation marks.

 Exclamation Mark

An exclamation mark is used at the end of a command, interjection and or a declaration.

- That is utter rubbish!

- Yes! he replied, I want it now!

Exclamation marks are placed inside quotation marks if the information being quoted is an
exclamation. Otherwise, the exclamation mark is placed outside the quotation marks.

- The dog barked woof! at the man.

- Stop referring to me as Oreo!

Note, commas and periods are not used after exclamation marks.

- I have been doing this for years! he said. NOT I have been doing this for years!, he said.

- The disaster is finally over! NOT The disaster is finally over!.