USING PUNCTUATION CORRECTLY
STUDY SHEET

INTRODUCTION

In order to punctuate your writing properly, you need to know several marks of punctuation. This Study Sheet will cover periods, question marks, exclamation points, hyphens, dashes, parentheses, underlining, and italics. For information on additional marks of punctuation which are NOT covered in this Study Sheet, see the following:      

      Quotation Marks
      Colon/Semicolon
      Apostrophe
      Commas

Marks of Punctuation

I.    END OF SENTENCE PUNCTUATION

A.    Period (.)

1.    Place a period at the end of all declarative sentences and commands.

                     Incorrect       I am going to the store
                     Correct         I am going to the store.

                     Incorrect       Give me a dollar
                     Correct         Give me a dollar.

2.    Place a period before a closing quotation mark.

                     Incorrect       John said, "I like your car".
                     Correct         John said, "I like your car."

B.    Question Mark (?)

1.    Place a question mark at the end of all direct questions.

                     Incorrect       What is your favorite color.
                     Correct         What is your favorite color?

2.    DO NOT place a question mark at the end of an indirect quotation, a sentence that describes a question but does not directly ask a question. Just use a period.

                     Incorrect       He asked me if I would go out with him?
                     Correct         He asked me if I would go out with him.

                     Incorrect       Mrs. Jones told me that I passed the test?
                     Correct         Mrs. Jones told me that I passed the test.

3.    Place a question mark before a closing quotation mark if the words inside the quotation marks are a question.

                     Incorrect       John asked, "What is your favorite color"?
                     Correct         John asked, "What is your favorite color?"

4.    Place a question mark after a closing quotation mark if the words inside the quotation marks are NOT a question.

                     Incorrect       Was it John who said, "Orlando is my favorite vacation spot?"
                     Correct         Was it John who said, "Orlando is my favorite vacation spot"?

C.    Exclamation Point (!)

1.    Place an exclamation point at the end of a sentence or after an interjection to show strong emotion or to emphasize a point.              

  Incorrect       I won five million dollars in the lottery.
  Correct         I won five million dollars in the lottery!

2.    Place an exclamation point before a closing quotation mark if the words inside the quotation marks indicate strong emotion or emphasis.

           Incorrect          Joan squealed, "Joe asked me to marry him"!
           Correct            Joan squealed, "Joe asked me to marry him!"

II.    HYPHEN                                                                                                            

     A hyphen is a short horizontal line ( – ) used within words.                                                                                                         

In many computer word processing programs (like WordPerfect and Microsoft Word), a hyphen can be made by using the number key pad: Make sure "NUMLOCK" is on. Then hold down the Alt key and type in 0150. Do not put a space before or after the hyphen.

Hyphens are used in a variety of ways.

A.    Written Numbers Using Hyphens

1.     Use a hyphen between the tens and units number when you are writing out the numbers twenty–one to ninety–nine in words. DO NOT use hyphens for other numbers.

2.     Use a hyphen between the numerator and denominator when you are writing out a fraction in words AND the fraction is an adjective.

 B.    Use a hyphen after a prefix followed by a proper noun or proper adjective.

C.    Use a hyphen in words beginning with the prefixes all–, ex– (meaning "former"), and self– and in words ending with the suffix –elect.

 D.    Use a hyphen to connect the words which form a compound noun.

 E.    Use a hyphen to connect the words which form a compound modifier that comes before the word being modified. DO NOT use a hyphen with compound parts which end in –ly or which are made up of proper names or proper adjectives.

III.   DASH

                A dash is a long horizontal mark ( — ) twice the length of a hyphen.                                                                                             

 In many computer word processing programs (like WordPerfect and Microsoft Word), a dash can be made by using the number key pad: Make sure "NUMLOCK" is on. Then hold down the Alt key and type in 0151. Do not put a space before or after the dash.

                A dash indicates an abrupt change of thought. Sometimes it sets off a phrase or clause for emphasis or dramatic effect.

IV. PARENTHESES

                A.   Parentheses (     ) set off material which is not essential to the meaning of the text or which gives more explanation of the text.

                            Bruce Springstein (also known as "The Boss") gave a free concert in Central Park last night.

 B.    Place parentheses around dates of birth and death which follow someone's name.

                            Robert Frost (1874-1963) read one of his poems at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy.          

V. UNDERLINE and ITALICS

                 Underline or italicize titles of complete works, such as books, magazines, newspapers, C.D.'s, paintings, sculpture, movies, and television shows.

                 NOTE: Place quotation marks around parts of those complete works.

                NOTE: Italics and underlining are the same; therefore, on the computer, you may italicize words that you underline when you are writing by hand.

Practices