English Guide to Punctuation
The Apostrophe
You use an apostrophe for the following reasons:
1: To show who owns something
1) With nouns (plural and singular) not ending in an s add 's - the children's books, the people's parliament, a Mother's pride
2) With plural nouns ending in an s, add only the apostrophe - the guards' duties, the Nuns' habits, the Joneses' house
3) With singular nouns ending in an s, you can add either 's or an apostrophe alone - the witness's lie or ∫ (be consistent) Exception: ancient or religious names. Jesus' strength, Achilles' heel
4a) For common possession, only add 's to the last name - Janet and Jane's house
4b) Where possession is not common, add to each - Janet's and Jane's homes
Expert Tip and Common Error!
Pronouns
With the exception of one's, pronouns (its, his, hers) do not require an apostrophe.
The colon (:) and the semi-colon (;)
You use a colon for the following reasons:
1: Before a list, summary or quote
A) Before a list - I could only find three of the methods: saltation, corrosion and corrasion.
B) Before a summary -To summarise: Hitler invaded France, went so far and then stopped.
C) Before a quote - As Jane Austen wrote: it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
2: To complete a statement of fact
Where the colon is used in place of the following or thus. There are only three kinds of people: the good, the bad and the ugly.
You use a semi-colon for the following reasons
1: To link two separate sentences that are closely related - The children came home today; they had been away for a week.
2: In a list that already contains commas - Germany, led by Adolf Hitler; USSR, by Josef Stalin; Britain, by Winston Churchill; and the USA, by F. D. Roosevelt.
Using Brackets
There are two types of brackets, round ones () and square ones []
Use round brackets (aka parentheses)
for additional information or explanation
1) To clarify or inform - Russia’s army was large (very large) but ill equipped.
2) For asides and comments - The army was very weak (absolutely awful).
Use square brackets for editorial information, etc
1) To amend or supplement the given details - His first battle [The Battle of Bosworth] was in 1485.
2) To replace phrases for clarity or brevity - [The treaty] decreed that no Germany could not unite with Austria.
The Comma
Use a comma
1: Between a list of three or more words
To replace the word and for all but the last instance - Up, down, left and right.
2: Before a conjunction
A) When but or for are used - I did my best to answer the question, but the evidence was hard to find.
B) When and or or are used the comma is optional - The flag is red, white, and blue. [known as the Oxford comma] The sizes are small, medium or large.
3: To give additional information
A) To indicate contrast - The snake was brown, not green, and it was quite small.
B) Where the phrase could be in bracket - The recipe, which we hadn't tried before, is very easy to follow.
C) Where the phrase adds relevant information - Mr Hardy, 68, ran his first marathon five years ago.
D) Where the addition is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence - Mr Hardy, who enjoys bird watching, ran his first marathon five years ago.
E:)Where the main clause of the sentence is dependent on the preceding clause - If at first you don't succeed, give up. Though the snake was small, I still feared for my life.
4: for opening phrases, conjunctive verbs, etc.
A) Introductory or opening phrases - In general, sixty-eight is quite old to run a marathon. On the whole, snakes only attack when riled.
B) Conjunctive verbs - Unfortunately, the bear was already in a bad mood and, furthermore, pink wasn't its colour.
C) Following for example, that is, etc - You should use commas, for example, around 'for example'.
There are some exceptions: namely, when using abbreviations.
The Comma Part 2
Use a comma in these circumstances as well
1: where a pause is required
A) To make the reading more natural - Whatever happens, don't panic.
B) To avoid confusion - To Margaret, Jenny left her favourite book.
2: in address or quotation
A) When addressing someone by name - So, Murray, I'm sending you to Outer Mongolia.
B) When quoting direct speech - And then the boss said, "I'm sending you to Outer Mongolia."
3: to indicate the omission of a word or phrase
Use too much sugar and the mixture will be sweet, [use] too little and it will be sour.
Ending a sentence
End a sentence with one of these:
1: A Question Mark - End direct questions, requiring a response, with a question mark.
May I borrow your copy of the book? What did you think of the play?
2: An Exclamation Mark Add emphasis to the statement by using an exclamation mark - I loved the play!
3: A Full Stop - End all other sentences with a full stop.
Quotation Marks
1) Use quotation marks every time you make a quote from a piece of writing.
For direct speech - Janet asked, "Why can't we go today?"
For quotes inside quotes, use single quotation marks - Billy said, "So then John told her 'I don't want to go today' and Janet cried."
2) For words that are defined, that follow certain phrases or that have special meaning
1) Stating a definition - 'Buch' is German for book.
2) Following phrases such as entitled, marked and the term - The book was signed 'Terry Pratchett'.
3) Special meanings, noting inaccuracies or misnomers, etc - The 'free gift' actually cost us forty pounds.
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