Source: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Language-Arts-Kids-3249/punctuation.htm
Here is a list of the uses of all punctuation marks. Remember though that even with this list, you may find exceptions!
Punctuation Rules
Comma Usage:
1. Use a comma to separate items in a series. A series is three or more related words, phrases or clauses.
Example: He aimed, focused, and took the picture.
2. Use a comma between two or more adjectives that come before a noun. Do NOT use a comma if the adjectives express a single idea. To decide whether to use a comma, try reading the adjectives with and or reverse the adjectives. If the sentence sounds awkward, do NOT use a comma.
Example: Leon photographed the dilapidated, rusty jalopy.
Leon uses an expensive Japanese camera. (try test above)
3. Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
Example: We wanted a picture of the sunrise, but it rained that day.
4. Use a comma after words, phrases and clauses that come at the beginning of a sentence.
Example:
Words: Oh, I need a sharper pencil.
Phrases: During the long meeting, he fell asleep.
Clauses: After the session ended, I spoke to Hal.
5. Use a comma to separate interrupters, nouns of direct address and unnecessary appositives in a sentence.
Example:
Interrupters: words that break up a sentence and add emphasis.
You know, of course, the purpose of this meeting.
Noun of Direct Address: name of person or persons spoken to directly.
Come into my office, James, for a few minutes.
Appositive: adds information about the noun that directly precedes it. Use comma ONLY if it is NOT necessary to identify the noun.
The president, Harold White, will present the award.
The documentarySpace Exploration won an award.
6. Use a comma to separate month and day from a year. Use a comma to separate year from rest of sentence. Do NOT use commas to separate month and year.
July 4, 1776
January 12, 1987, is the date of the banquet.
Halley’s comet appeared last during April 1986.
7. Use a comma to separate city and state. If the address is within a sentence, use a comma after the state as well. Do NOT use a comma between state and zip code.
Does Chicago, Illinois, have the world’s largest building?
Denise lives at 10 Palm Court, Lima, OH 45807.
8. Use a comma after the greeting in a friendly letter and after the closing in ALL letters.
Dear John,
Sincerely yours,
9. Use a comma to separate a quotation from the rest of the sentence. Place commas and periods inside quotation marks.
“Please open your books now, “ said Mr. Smith.
“Here,“ Kim replied, “is Tasmania.”
Quotation Marks:
Direct quotation: Speaker’s direct words
Indirect quotation: tells what someone says without using exact words.
1. Use quotation marks to set off a speaker’s words from rest of sentence. Begin a direct quote with capital letter.
“Here is Tasmania,” she said. “ It is off the southeastern coast of Australia.”
“Please reply, “said Mr. Smith, “if you know the answer.”
2. Use quotation marks around titles of short works, like short story, articles, poem, chapter of book, song. Capitalize important words. Do NOT capitalize any unimportant words, like the, a, an, and, of, for, or, unless they are the first or last word of the title.
“Jug of Silver”
“How to Ask for a Raise”
“The Star-Spangled Banner”
Colons and Semicolons:
Colons:
1. Use a colon after the greeting in a business letter.
Dear Sir: Dear Mrs. Smith:
2. Use a colon before a list of items in a sentence. Words like following or these often signal the use of a colon.
In music we study these composers: Copeland, Ives, and Barber.
Bring the following: your book, a notebook, and a harmonica.
3. Use a colon between the hour and the minute in time.
8:15 P.M.
Semicolons:
1. Use a semicolon (;) in place of a conjunction in a compound sentence, if the independent clauses are closely related.
I practiced for three hours; now I am ready.
Abbreviations and Numbers:
Abbreviations:
1. Most abbreviations are followed by a period.
2. Organizations (like PTU) use capitals but no periods.
3. State abbreviations by Postal Service are 2 capital letters and no period. (like OH for Ohio)
4. You CANNOT abbreviate the months of May, June and July.
5. Do NOT use capitals or periods after units of measure, except for inch.
6. If you use an abbreviation for the unit of measure, use numerals with it. (like 1 ft)
Numbers:
1. Spell out numbers under one hundred and numbers at the beginning of a sentence.
2. Use numerals for numbers over one hundred and for sections of writing. (like Chapter 6 Unit 13 Line 5)
Apostrophes:
1. Use an apostrophe and s to singular nouns and to plural nouns NOT ending in s to show possession. Add just an apostrophe to plural nouns ending in s to show possession.
2. Add an apostrophe and s to form the plural of letters, numerals, symbols and words that refer to themselves.
Dot your i’s.
Make your 4’s and 9’s correctly.
3. Use an apostrophe in contractions to replace missing letters.
it’s (it is) you’re (you are) doesn’t (does not)
Hyphens, Dashes, Parentheses:
Hyphens:
1. Use a hyphen to divide a word (between syllables) at the end of a line.
2. Use a hyphen to join the parts of compound numbers and to join two or more words that work together as one adjective before a noun.
thirty-two one-half teaspoon long-range plans
Dash: (longer than a hyphen)
1. Use dashes to show a sudden change of thought.
Tom and Alex are very close---most brothers are.
Parentheses:
1. Use parentheses to enclose unnecessary information or information that the readers may already know.
Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) was a pioneer in aviation.
The president (Cooper Smith) presented the award.
Here is a list of the uses of all punctuation marks. Remember though that even with this list, you may find exceptions!
Punctuation Rules
Comma Usage:
1. Use a comma to separate items in a series. A series is three or more related words, phrases or clauses.
Example: He aimed, focused, and took the picture.
2. Use a comma between two or more adjectives that come before a noun. Do NOT use a comma if the adjectives express a single idea. To decide whether to use a comma, try reading the adjectives with and or reverse the adjectives. If the sentence sounds awkward, do NOT use a comma.
Example: Leon photographed the dilapidated, rusty jalopy.
Leon uses an expensive Japanese camera. (try test above)
3. Use a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence.
Example: We wanted a picture of the sunrise, but it rained that day.
4. Use a comma after words, phrases and clauses that come at the beginning of a sentence.
Example:
Words: Oh, I need a sharper pencil.
Phrases: During the long meeting, he fell asleep.
Clauses: After the session ended, I spoke to Hal.
5. Use a comma to separate interrupters, nouns of direct address and unnecessary appositives in a sentence.
Example:
Interrupters: words that break up a sentence and add emphasis.
You know, of course, the purpose of this meeting.
Noun of Direct Address: name of person or persons spoken to directly.
Come into my office, James, for a few minutes.
Appositive: adds information about the noun that directly precedes it. Use comma ONLY if it is NOT necessary to identify the noun.
The president, Harold White, will present the award.
The documentarySpace Exploration won an award.
6. Use a comma to separate month and day from a year. Use a comma to separate year from rest of sentence. Do NOT use commas to separate month and year.
July 4, 1776
January 12, 1987, is the date of the banquet.
Halley’s comet appeared last during April 1986.
7. Use a comma to separate city and state. If the address is within a sentence, use a comma after the state as well. Do NOT use a comma between state and zip code.
Does Chicago, Illinois, have the world’s largest building?
Denise lives at 10 Palm Court, Lima, OH 45807.
8. Use a comma after the greeting in a friendly letter and after the closing in ALL letters.
Dear John,
Sincerely yours,
9. Use a comma to separate a quotation from the rest of the sentence. Place commas and periods inside quotation marks.
“Please open your books now, “ said Mr. Smith.
“Here,“ Kim replied, “is Tasmania.”
Quotation Marks:
Direct quotation: Speaker’s direct words
Indirect quotation: tells what someone says without using exact words.
1. Use quotation marks to set off a speaker’s words from rest of sentence. Begin a direct quote with capital letter.
“Here is Tasmania,” she said. “ It is off the southeastern coast of Australia.”
“Please reply, “said Mr. Smith, “if you know the answer.”
2. Use quotation marks around titles of short works, like short story, articles, poem, chapter of book, song. Capitalize important words. Do NOT capitalize any unimportant words, like the, a, an, and, of, for, or, unless they are the first or last word of the title.
“Jug of Silver”
“How to Ask for a Raise”
“The Star-Spangled Banner”
Colons and Semicolons:
Colons:
1. Use a colon after the greeting in a business letter.
Dear Sir: Dear Mrs. Smith:
2. Use a colon before a list of items in a sentence. Words like following or these often signal the use of a colon.
In music we study these composers: Copeland, Ives, and Barber.
Bring the following: your book, a notebook, and a harmonica.
3. Use a colon between the hour and the minute in time.
8:15 P.M.
Semicolons:
1. Use a semicolon (;) in place of a conjunction in a compound sentence, if the independent clauses are closely related.
I practiced for three hours; now I am ready.
Abbreviations and Numbers:
Abbreviations:
1. Most abbreviations are followed by a period.
2. Organizations (like PTU) use capitals but no periods.
3. State abbreviations by Postal Service are 2 capital letters and no period. (like OH for Ohio)
4. You CANNOT abbreviate the months of May, June and July.
5. Do NOT use capitals or periods after units of measure, except for inch.
6. If you use an abbreviation for the unit of measure, use numerals with it. (like 1 ft)
Numbers:
1. Spell out numbers under one hundred and numbers at the beginning of a sentence.
2. Use numerals for numbers over one hundred and for sections of writing. (like Chapter 6 Unit 13 Line 5)
Apostrophes:
1. Use an apostrophe and s to singular nouns and to plural nouns NOT ending in s to show possession. Add just an apostrophe to plural nouns ending in s to show possession.
2. Add an apostrophe and s to form the plural of letters, numerals, symbols and words that refer to themselves.
Dot your i’s.
Make your 4’s and 9’s correctly.
3. Use an apostrophe in contractions to replace missing letters.
it’s (it is) you’re (you are) doesn’t (does not)
Hyphens, Dashes, Parentheses:
Hyphens:
1. Use a hyphen to divide a word (between syllables) at the end of a line.
2. Use a hyphen to join the parts of compound numbers and to join two or more words that work together as one adjective before a noun.
thirty-two one-half teaspoon long-range plans
Dash: (longer than a hyphen)
1. Use dashes to show a sudden change of thought.
Tom and Alex are very close---most brothers are.
Parentheses:
1. Use parentheses to enclose unnecessary information or information that the readers may already know.
Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) was a pioneer in aviation.
The president (Cooper Smith) presented the award.
Last modified: Friday, 21 June 2013, 9:32 AM