Punctuation

…Items in a series

________________ are used in between words, phrases, or clauses in a series. (A series contains at least three items.)

Computers of tomorrow will be fun attractive and chatty.

Turn your computer on with the sound of your voice dial your computer when away from home and hear it read the day’s mail out loud.

DefinitionA ______________ is a cross between a period and

a comma. It is sometimes used in place of a period; other times, it serves the same function as a comma.

….After a SalutationA __________________ may be used after the

salutation of a business letter.

Dear Ms. Manners

DefinitionA ______________ can be used to indicate a

sudden break in a sentence, to emphasize a word or clause, and to show that someone’s speech is being interrupted.

… to divide a wordThe ___________________ is used to divide a word

when you run out of room at the end of a line. A word may be divided only between syllables.

… in contractionsA(n) ________________ is used to show that one or

more letters have been left out of a word to from a contraction

dont

Definition_________________ are used to indicate a pause or

a change in thought. They are used to keep words and ideas from running together, making our writing easier to read. No other form of punctuation is more important to understand than this one.

… to join two independent clauses

A _____________ is used to join two independent clauses which are not connected with a coordinate conjunction. (This means that each of the two clauses could stand alone as a separate sentence.)

My dad bought a robot-operated lawnmower I was anxious to see the thing work.

DefinitionA _______________ may be used to introduce a

list, letter, or important point. They are also used between the numbers in time.

….to indicate a sudden break

A ___________ can be used to show a sudden break in a sentence.

There is one thing actually several things that I find hard to believe about the superphone of the future. Push a few buttons, and it will print out everything from the news to sports scores to concert information.

DefinitionThe ______________ is used to join the words in

compound numbers from 21 to 99, to form compound words, and to divide words at the end of a line. It is also used to join number which indicate the life span of an individual, the scores of a game and so on.

DefinitionThe ______________________ is used to show

possession, to form plurals, or to show that a letter(s) has been left out of a word.

…to set off interjectionsA ___________________ is used to separate an

interjection or weak exclamation from the rest of the sentence.

No kidding you mean computers may be sewn into clothing someday?

Yes and don’t be surprised if that piece of clothing reminds you of your dentist appointment and homework assignments.

…as a formal introductiona ________________ may be used to formally

introduce a sentence, a question, or a quotation.

The author of the Nature Conservancy makes this alarming claim “By the year 2000, 20 percent of all the earth’s species could be lost forever.

…in a compound wordA __________________ is used to make a

compound word.

dot matrix printer

three dimensional television

14 year old Nintendo wizard

80 column screen

…for emphasisA ______________ may be used to emphasize a

word, series of words, a phrase, or a clause.

In the future, tiny TV cameras mounted on eyeglasses will transmit electronic images directly to the brain giving limited vision to the blind.

… in direct address_________________ are used to separate a noun of

direct address from the rest of the sentence. (A noun of direct address is the noun which names the person spoken to in the sentence.)

Jill listen to this. With a touch of a key an interior decorator can change fabrics and wallpaper on her computer screen.

…for emphasisA ________ is used to emphasis a word or phrase.

By the year 2000, immunologist say it may be possible to prevent one of our most chronic and painful diseases rheumatoid arthritis.

…to separate adjectives__________ are used to separate two or more

adjectives that equally modify the same noun.

Many intelligent well-educated scientists are convinced we will pick up signals from another galaxy around the year 2000.

…to set off independent clauses

Use a __________________ to separate independent clauses if they are long, or if they have internal commas.

After “setting the course” by guiding the mower around the perimeter of our lawn it was set to cut the grass but when I checked on it later, I discovered that our high-tech “work saver” had also cut Mrs. Crabb’s yard– and all of her flowers.

…to form singular possessives

The possessive form of singular nouns is usually made by adding a(n) __________________ an s.

The worlds population will double or triple by the year 2050.

Did Mr. Strandbergs last lecture have to do with endangered species?

…to set off appositivesAn appositive, a specific kind of explanatory

word or phrase, identifies or renames a noun or pronoun. Use _________________ to set off appositives.

Acid rain a form of pollution caused by burning coal affects most of North America.

… to introduce a listWhen introducing a list, the ______________

usually comes after a “summary” word(s)– the following, these things– or words describing the subject of the list.

To conserve water you should do the following three things install a “low flow” shower head, turn the water off while you brush your teeth, and fix drippy faucets.

… to express time or amount

The __________________ is used with an adjective which is part of an expression indicating time or amount.

Tomorrows schools will be much more plugged into technology that todays schools.

My father lost an entire days work when that thunderstorm knocked our power out.