PUNCTUATION
Adapted from:
SWAN, Michael [1994] Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 506-509.
COMMA
Typical mistakes: *Everybody realised, that I was a foreigner.
*I didn't know, where I should go.
*The woman, who was sitting behind the desk, gave me a big smile.
*The woman who was sitting behind the desk, gave me a big smile.
1 Commas (, , ,) are not used before noun clauses (in other words, before that, what, where, when, if,
etc in reported speech, after verbs of saying and thinking).
Everybody realised that I was a foreigner.
I didn't know where I should go.
Tell me what you're going to do.
Frederick wondered if lunch was ready.
2 Commas are not used with 'identifying relative clauses' (that is to say, in cases where the relative
clause is necessary to give the subject a clear meaning). Compare:
Mrs Grange, who was sitting behind the reception desk, gave me
a big smile.
The woman who was sitting behind the reception desk gave me a
big smile.
3 Commas are often used after 'adverbial clauses' when these come first in a sentence.
When they come after the main clause, it is more usual not to have a comma. Compare:
If you're ever in London, come and look me up.
Come and look me up if you're ever in London.
4 Commas are used to separate items in a series or list, but they are often not used between the last
two items.
I'd like to visit Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Yugoslavia.
If the last two items are long, we are more likely to use commas.
I spent yesterday playing cricket, drinking beer, and talking about the meaning of life.
5 Commas are used to separate 'sentence-adverbs' when these come between parts of the verb, or
between the subject and verb, or the verb and complement, of a sentence.
My father, however, was determined to continue.
He had, surprisingly, kept his temper all day.
We were, believe it or not, in love with each other.
6 Commas are not usually used between grammatically separate sentences (in places where a full
stop would be possible). In these cases, we normally use either a full stop or a semi-colon.
Typical mistake: *The blue dress was warmer, on the other hand, the purple one was prettier.
(After warmer, it is better to put a full stop or a semi-colon.)
SEMI-COLON
1 Semi-colons (; ; ;) are often used instead of full stops, in cases where sentences are grammatically
independent but where the meaning is closely connected.
Some people work best in the mornings; others do better in the evenings.
It's a fine idea; let's hope it's going to work.
Commas are not usually possible in cases like these.
1
2 Semi-colons are also used to separate items in a list, particularly when these are grammatically
complex.
You may use the sports facilities on condition that your subscriptions are paid regularly; that you
arrange for all necessary cleaning to be carried out; that you undertake to make good any
damage;...
COLON
1 Colons (: : :) are often used before explanations.
We have had to abandon our holiday plans: the dates didn't work out.
Mother may have to go into hospital: apparently she's got a kidney infection.
My ideal society is a disciplined democracy: democracy above me and discipline below.
2 Colons can also be used before a list.
The main points are as follows: (i) . . , (ii)..., (iii)....
We need three kinds of support: economic, political and moral.
3 Colons are often used to introduce quotations.
In the words of Oscar Wilde: 'I can resist anything except temptation.'
4 In titles, colons can he used to separate a main heading from a sub-division.
Punctuation: colon
DASH
1 Dashes (—) are often used, especially in informal writing, to add afterthoughts.
We'll be arriving on Monday morning - at least, I think so.
2 In an informal style (especially personal letters), many people use dashes instead of colons or
semi-colons.
There are three things I can never remember - names, faces, and I've forgotten the other.
We had a great time in Greece - the kids really enjoyed it.
QUOTATION MARKS
Quotation marks can also be called 'inverted commas'.
1 Single quotation marks (' ') are often used when we talk about a word, or when we use it in an
unusual way.
The word 'disinterested' is sometimes used to mean 'uninterested'.
A textbook can be a 'wall' between a teacher and his class.
2 When we quote speech, we can use either single or double (" ") quotation marks.
"Hello," she said.
'Hello,' she said.
3 For a quotation inside a quotation, we use the kind of quotation marks that we are not using for
the main quotation.
"Good heavens," thought Jane. "What shall I do if he says 'Hello' to me?"
'Good heavens,' thought Jane. 'What shall l do if he says "Hello" to me?'
