Use of English 2

Punctuation

Prof. Carolina Núñez Puente

 PUNCTUATION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
ELEMENTS OF WRITING. In an essay, a few words can be
misspelled here and there without altering the sense of the
arguments; however, if the punctuation is wrong, the
arguments being made in the essay will be ruined.

The different PUNCTUATION MARKS (, / . / — / etc.) are

like the musical notes that provide rhythm to music. Can you
imagine how boring a musical piece would be if it were
played on just one or two notes? That is why you must make
a wide use of punctuation marks: to provide your writing with
a varied rhythm.
What is this thing called love?
What is this thing called, love?
What? Is this thing called love?
What is this thing called? "Love?"
What is this thing called? “Love.”

What is absolutely vital to read these sentences right?

To respect the PUNCTUATION in order to

make the pauses right and use the correct intonation
 Although there is a connection between punctuation and
pauses, punctuation marks do NOT represent the pauses of
oral language but the pauses that separate grammatical
segments. If you have this clear, you will never write one
comma between a Sbj. and a V. We must not confuse the
written and the oral, since we don’t write as we speak. Has
anyone thought how things would be if we spoke as we write?

Victor Borge: “Phonetic Punctuation”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIf3IfHCoiE&list=
RDTIf3IfHCoiE&start_radio=1&rv=TIf3IfHCoiE&t=21
 The dash (—) is very useful towards the end of a clause
or sentence when the writer wishes to stress an additional
and important point. Don’t leave spaces before or after dashes
in MLA style.

E.g. ___________________________________________

The comma (,) should be chosen only to separate individual

words or phrases (e.g. when making a list). Never use it on its
own to divide two full clauses—e.g. It was a fine day, the sun
was shining. Putting a comma before and (in a more than two
elements series) is called the Oxford, Harvard or serial comma;
it is necessary (only) to avoid misunderstandings.

E.g. __________________________________________
 Other reasons to use the comma

-Introductory word (1) / phrase (2) / clause (3) to divide

conditional and concessive* sentences, e.g.:

(1) Oh, I forgot there was an exam today.

This rule always applies with adverbial complements:
Yesterday, I saw the last episode of my favorite TV series

(2) If I were you, I would read and study a little every day

(3) Although ecological cars are expensive,

environmental protection justifies the cost

*A concessive clause is a subordinate clause

that offers a contrast with the main clause
-To set off nonessential elements:
(1) Adjectival or relative clauses: We went to Ferrol,
which is 40 minutes away from Coruña
(2) Participial phrases: My aunt, slowed by a knee injury,
rarely goes hiking anymore
(3) Adverbial clauses: When I hear that song, I always
feel like dancing
(4) Appositives: Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf’s famous
novel, is set in the post-WWI period
(5) Transitional expressions: …, for example, …
(6) Contrasted elements: … , but also …
-With vocatives, geographical names, and items in dates and
addresses:

-Austin, Texas, is the most open-minded city in its state

-She was born on Monday 28, November, 1999
-Hobson Computing, 5th Avenue, New York, NY 32065

-With direct quotations: “You are weird,” said Sylvia

More information at http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/commas/

 The colon (:) separates two clauses that rely on each
other for full sense or impact. Thus, put a colon between two
independent clauses when the second explains, illustrates,
paraphrases, or expands upon the first; then, the colon can
sometimes replace “because” or longer causal phrases.
Moreover, you can write a colon before a list of items (where
there is no clause)
E.g. __________________________________________
 The semi-colon (;) should be used to separate two
clauses whose subject matter is closely related. It thus
prevents an overuse of stops and commas. Hence, a semicolon
is an alternative to “comma + conjunction.” E.g.:

-It was a fine day, for the sun was shining

-It was a fine day; the sun was shining

You should use a semi-colon BEFORE conjunctive adverbs

and expressions such as namely, however, therefore, that is,
i.e., for example, e.g., for instance, etc.—and you should put a
comma after them. Besides, the semicolon can be used in a
complex enumeration with several commas.

E.g. ____________________________________________
 Colons and semi-colons cannot be used interchangeably in
most cases

INCORRECT *I have one goal; to find my way in life

CORRECT I have one goal: to find my way in life

The second clause depends on the first one for full meaning
---

INCORRECT *I need to buy: bread, apples, and tea

CORRECT I need to buy the following: bread, apples, and tea

Although colons are used to introduce a series of items, they

must NOT be used after a verb or a preposition
 Brackets () and pair of dashes — … — are used to
isolate a thought or piece of information that is secondary
to the main material. Square brackets […] are used for
editorial clarification: According to Parker, “families can
[actually] be horrible” (101).
E.g. __________________________________________

The full stop/period (.) should be used as sparingly as

possible. A profusion of full stops prohibits flow and can
irritate.
E.g. __________________________________________
 The question (?) and exclamation marks (!).

When a question is asked, a question mark is obligatory.

Exclamation marks are generally used to surprise or amuse.
When reproducing a speech, exclamation marks should be
used if the tone or the volume of the speaker are strong.

An academic paper must avoid exclamation marks and

have very few or no questions. Research is a space of
reflection for both author and reader; therefore, keep cool.

E.g. _______________________________________
 Exclamation and question marks are punctuation marks
in themselves and do not require any further punctuation (, /
.) afterwards. Despite that, MLA style allows placing a
comma after a question or exclamation mark in case it
facilitates understanding, e.g.:

Tomlinson, Hugh, and Graham Burchell. Translators’

introduction. What Is Philosophy?, by Gilles Deleuze and
Félix Guattari, Columbia UP, 1994.
 Other Punctuation Signs
Hyphens:
-Use them to join two or more words together (e.g. brown-eyed,
broad-shouldered, half-eaten); add a prefix to a word (e.g. un-
American, re-edit, ex-husband); to write compound numbers
from twenty-one to ninety-nine
-In titles, don’t capitalize the word used in the second place if
unnecessary (e.g. “Challenging the Notion of Race through
Mixed-raced Individuals”; “African-American people”)

Slashes (mind the gap or not):

-Used to separate lines of poetry when writing them in prose
(“Will you walk a little faster?” said a whiting to a snail, /
“There's a porpoise close behind us, and he's treading on my
tail.” Lewis Carroll)
-to show choice (hot beverages: coffee/tea)
-in fractions or formulas (1/2, 4/6)
Apostrophes are used in three ways:

(1) To show possession

-With singular nouns not ending in “s,” add an apostrophe and
an “s”—e.g. student’s ideas. With first names ending in “s,” there
are 2 options: Charles’ book and Charles’s book
-With plural nouns ending in “s,” add an apostrophe after the
“s” (and avoid adding an extra “s”)—e.g. students’ ideas
-With plural nouns not ending in “s,” add an apostrophe and an
“s”—e.g. women’s rights, mice’s tails

(2) To mark plural forms

-Letters (e.g. Mind your p’s and q’s) / -Numbers: 2 options (e.g.
the 1990s the 1990’s)

(3) To indicate that a letter or number is omitted (e.g. can’t, I’ll)—

do not use contractions in formal writing.
 Inverted Commas

-Speech marks:

"What's for dinner?" the child asked.

"Delicious vegetables!" her mum replied.

-Quotation marks:

Emily Dickinson wrote: "One need not be a Chamber—to be

Haunted— / One need not be a House— / The Brain has
Corridors—surpassing / Material Place—"

-Special use marks:

To point out a word as a "word" in itself and not its meaning; for
emphasis (not to be used in MLA style); etc.
-MLA style use:

When inverted commas are combined with

other punctuation signs, the latter go inside the inverted commas
when they are simple (“,” / “.”) and outside them when they are
double (“”..”; / “...”:).

The titles of brief works (short stories, poems, etc.) go between

inverted commas.

If you need to duplicate inverted commas, use single ones inside

the larger segment, e.g.: “Kate Chopin’s Intricate Feminism: Reading
‘The Storm’ from a Class-Conscious Perspective”
 Examples

1. I always go to XYZ supermarket, since it is the closest

one to my home.
2. On Sunday, I bathed my puppy dog and was surprised
by how fast everything was—she’s really naughty but she
behaved this time.
3. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was an American writer, who
became the leader of First Wave Feminism.
4. To read feminist books is a good idea; however, sticking
to the theory without practicing it is not enough.
5. I went shopping and bought vegetables and fruit:
apples, pears, lemons, tomatoes, eggplants [BrE aubergines],
and zucchinis [BrE courgettes].
6. -A: “The weather is not that bad today. I think I’ll go for a
walk.”
-B: “Are you going to walk in this weather? Don’t forget
your scarf!”
 What happens
if you change the
punctuation
of a text?
 Are you a romantic person? If so, write a love letter;
if you’re not that romantic, write a heartbreak one.

Dear Hubert I want a man who knows what love is all

about you are generous kind thoughtful people who

are not like you admit to being useless and inferior

you have ruined me for other men I yearn for you I

have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart I can

forever be happy will you let me be yours Harriet

Dear Hubert,

I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are
generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you
admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for
other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever
when we’re apart. I can forever be happy—will you let me
be yours?

Harriet
Dear Hubert,

I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are
generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you.
Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me.
For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings
whatsoever. When we’re apart, I can forever be happy—
will you let me be?

Yours,
Harriet
 *For each number,
write “C” if the punctuation is correct, “W” if it is incorrect*

Two men (1 comma), sentenced to die in the electric chair

on the same day (2 comma), were led to the room in which they
would meet their maker. The priest had given them the last rites
(3 dash)__ the warden had given them the formal speech, and
the participants had said a final prayer.
The warden, returning to the first man, solemnly asked (4
stop). “Son (5 comma), do you have a last request?” (6 question
mark)
The man replied, “Yes sir, I do (7 stop). I
love dance music. Could you please play
the ‘Macarena’ for me one last time?
; (8 semicolon) Certainly (9 comma),”
replied the warden. He turned to the
other man and asked, “Well (10 comma),
what about you, son? What is your final
request?” “Please kill me first,” replied
the other man.
*Solutions to the Exercise*

1. C (put an apposition with 2 commas to frame nonessential information)

2. C (see 1)
3. W (a comma must open the introductory clause)
4. W (a comma or colon needed before indirect quotation)
5. C (a comma or a colon marks a word of direct address)
6. C (use a question mark to indicate a question; place it inside the quotation marks)
7. C (a period points out the end of the clause)
8. W (don’t add [more] punctuation after the question mark and close the quotation)
9. C (see 3)
10. C (a comma *sets off interrupting expressions)

*”to set off” here means “to mark” or “to start”

How well did you do it?

8-10 correct Were you a proofreader in a

past life?

5-7 correct There's no reason to hide under

the bed when you see a semicolon

4-6 correct “I can help you, I really can”

(The teacher)

1-3 correct You love the “Macarena,” you

say?