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Punctuation Marks > Punctuation means the right use of different marks like the full stop, the comma, the semi-colon, the colon.
PUNCTUATION
Punctuation means the right use of different marks like the full stop, the comma, the semi-colon, the colon. quotation marks etc. in a written sentence.
The different punctuation marks are:
(a) Full stop (.)
(b) Question mark(?)
(c) Exclamation mark(!)
(d) Comma(,)
(e) Semi-colon(;)
(f) Colon(:)
(g)Quotation marks or inverted commas(" ")
(h) Parentheses( )
(i) Dash (_)
Hyphen (-)
Apostrophe(')
(a) Full stop(.) The full stop is used
(i) at the end of complete sentences which are statements and imperatives.
We have finished one book.
She is in love with herself.
Sit down.
Please speak a little louder.
(i) in initials and abbreviations.
K. Kaunda
B.A.
T. Mugabe
K. T. Williams
M.A. PH. D.
P. M.
M. Sc.
F.R.C.S.
M. D.
But no full stops are used in the abbreviations of international organisations, and commissions like:
UNO, UNESCO, WHO, ILO. OPEC
These abbreviations are often written without spaces.
Mr and Mrs also have dropped the full stops after them.
(b) Question mark.
A question mark is used at the end of a question.
Who are you?
Do you like fish?
(c) Exclamation mark. An exclamation mark is used at the end of an exclamation.
Hello!
Oh dear!
I have cut my finger!
Good gracious!
You eat so much!
What lovely hair!
Some sentences have the form of a question but the force of an exclamation.
We therefore put an exclamation, mark after them.
What a man! Is he a man! (at the end of Shaw's Arms and
the Man)
When will this world be ready to receive thy saints!
How long, Oh Lord!
How long! (from Shaw's St. Joan)
Aren't you a big fool!
(d) Comma.
The comma is the most important punctuation mark. Its placement in a sentence can change its meaning.
Old men and women should be treated with courtesy.
(old men and women = old men and old women) Old men, and women should be treated with courtesy.
(old men and women old men and all women)
It is used:
fi) to separate words in a series.
India, Pakistan and Bangladesh form part of the Indian sub-continent.
John, Robert and Tom are all brothers. His speech was short. precise and effective.
The last two words in the series are joined by the conjunction and generally no comma is used before the conjunction
(ii) to separate a noun or a noun phrase in apposition. bald.
Shakespeare, the greatest English dramatist, was
John, the baptist, came before Christ.
(iii)separate a non-defining relative clause from the rest of the to sentence.
His mother, who is a school teacher, is the daughter of a millionaire.
Sheikh, who preached non-violence, died on the mosque. Delhi, which is on the banks of the Mecca, is a historical city.
(iv) to separate words of address from the rest of the sentence.
Come hither, fellow.
Pardon me, Cassius.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.
(v) to mark off participial phrases.
On seeing his long lost son, he burst into tears.
Finding no one in the house, he came back.
Having lost a lot of money in business, he doesn't want to risk his money again.
His purse having been stolen, he had no money even to buy a
ticket.
(vi) to mark off adverbial clauses that come at the beginning of the sentence.
If you meet him, give him my message.
Since I know you, I won't ask for a security.
Though he had fallen ill near the examinations, he still
passed with credit.
(vii) to separate short co-ordinate clauses.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
He brought the starving man home fed him, gave him money. and sent him away.
I knocked at the door, but he did not come out.
He didn't know me, yet he gave me shelter for a night.
(viii) to mark off words and phrases like however, nevertheless. for example, therefore, that is, from the rest of the sentence.
He didn't want to contest the elections. Later, however, he changed his mind.
Everybody knew he was dead.
The mother, nevertheless, continued to believe that he would come back one day.
Let us, for example, consider the case of America.
We, therefore, request you to come here immediately.
(ix) to mark off words which otherwise could be put in parentheses.
She is hoping, as we all are, that her husband will come back.
The man in black. I think you have met him, is a most interesting character.
They thought him an idiot, which he is, and made fun of him at the party.
(x) to mark off question-tags.
You will come tonight, won't you?
You won't forget to post the letter, will you?
(xi) to mark off the reporting verb from the direct speech.
He said, "Remember to reach here at 8."
"Now go out and play," said the mother to her children.
(e) Semi-colon. A semi-colon is a longer pause than comma but shorter than a full stop.
It is used to separate independent clauses of a compound sentence that are not joined by a conjunction.
1. You can go and rest now; you haven't slept at all.
2. I saw him standing on the terrace; he was making some gestures towards his neighbour.
3. The hawk came down quickly; it had seen a rat on the ground.
● Semi-colon is also used to separate two independent clauses joined by for example, moreover, besides etc.
1. Men in towns know nothing about villages; my neighbour, for example doesn't know whether wheat grows on plants or trees.
2. I am not interested in seeing this film; besides. I haven't any money to spare.
f) Colon.
A colon is used to introduce an explanation or an elaboration.
1. We have good news for you: you have got the job.
2. A transitive verb has two voices in English: the Active and the Passive.
3. He received two presents on his birthday: a watch from his uncle and a badminton racket from his brother.
A colon is also used to introduce a quotation.
1. Shakespeare says: Discretion is the better part of valour.
2. The Bible says: The wages of sin is death.
3. A famous French philosopher said: If there were no God, it would be necessary to invent Him.
(g) Quotation marks or Inverted Commas. They are used to enclose words actually spoken, that is, direct speech, and also quotations.
She said, "Please take your seat". He shouted, "Where has everybody gone?"
Keats says, "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever".
Note that the full stop, the question mark and the exclamation mark are put within inverted commas.
Single inverted commas are used for a quotation within a quotation. Brutus, after the murder to Caesar said to the other conspirators; "Let's all cry, Peace, freedom, and liberty".
(h) Parentheses. They are used to mark off a phrase or a clause or a sentence within a sentence. Such a phrase or a clause or a sentence does not grammatically belong to the main sentence. We can also use dashes or commas to mark off such material.
The man in black (I think you have met him) is a most interesting character.
This television costs 200 dollars (including the taxes).
I will bring him along (that is, if he comes) to the party.
(i) Dash(_). A dash is used
(a) to indicate an abrupt break or change of thought.
Manager: No one except you was here when the theft took place.
Peon: Do you mean to say I am_?
Manager: No, I don't mean anything.
If only I had married him, we could have been happy_but why think of it all now?
(b) to tie up a scattered subject.
You, he and I_we are all to blame for the mishap.
(c) Hyphen.
A hyphen is shorter than a dash. It is used to connect the parts of a compound word:
1. mouth-organ,
2. good-for-nothing,
3. do-it- yourself-kit,
4. make-up, king-size,
5. foundation-stone,
6. full-fledged.
The use of a hyphen can sometimes change the meaning of a word. recover, re-cover (cover again) reform, re-form (form again) recollect, re-collect (collect again) relay, re-lay (lay again)
(d) Apostrophe. It is used
(i) to indicate that some letter or letters have been left out. This is often done in contractions used in conversations.
I have I've
I had I'd
I would I'd
I will I'll
It is it's
Let us let's
Do not don't
Shall not Shan't
Will not won't
(ii) to form a possessive case of nouns and pronouns
of Alice Alice's
of Smith Smith's
of Jones Jones
dresses of boys boys' dresses
tails of horses horses' tails
of one one' s
of everybody everybody's
(iii) to form
plurals of letters of the alphabet and figures and abbreviations.
Don't forget to dot your i's and cross your t's. Add four 5's and five 4's.
M.P.'s, M.A's, P.A's, Ph.D's
THE USE OF CAPITAL LETTERS
(a) A capitaI letter is used to begin a sentence.
Mountains have a great deal to teach man.
He who laughs lasts.
(b) To begin each line of poetry.
A man's destination is his own village.
His own fire, and his wife's cooking.
(c) To begin a quotation and direct speech.
Shakespeare says, " Cowards die many times before their death."
She said, " Look at those little boats moving up and down on the sea-waves."
(d) To begin proper nouns and adjectives formed from them.
Africa, Africans, Zambia. Kenya. William. Alice. Milton Obote. Shakespeare, A Shakespearean play. Indian tea. Chinese silk.
(e) To begin the name of a road, school, hospital, office etc.
Mall Road.
St. Xavier's school.
Mission H ospital.
Post Office.
Lenin Square. (The personal pronoun I is always written as a capital letter irrespective of its place in the sentence.)
(g) Abbreviations are also capitalized.
UNO, P.M., M.B.B.S., Ph. D.
(h) Capital letters are used to begin the word God and Lord and all pronouns that stand for God (He, His, Him).