Punctuation 2026

Comma

-use to separate items in a series

-use to separate between 2 or more adjectives (try reorder)

-use to separate independent clauses w/ fanboys

-use to set off nonessential info

-use after introductory elements (yes, no, etc)

-use after intro elements (words that end with -ed or -ing)

-use after transitional phrases with a semi colon

-use to set off nouns used directly

Dash

-use a pair to set off nonessential info

-use a dash to separate two independent clauses

Colon

use after independent clause to introduce a list or illustration

semi colon

-use to join independent clauses

-use between items in a series containing internal punctuation

Parenthesis rules

-use to set off explanations or definitions

-if parenthetical material occurs within a sentence don’t capitalize first word or put period at end. You can put exclamation or question at end if it is a question inside the parentheses

-if it is at the end of a sentence, put period outside of parenthesis

-if it’s its own sentence, put period inside

apostrophe

-use to show missing letters Like don’t is do not

-use to show possession

quotation

-use to indicate the beginning and end of words

-use single quotes to set off a quote within a quote

Phrases

group of words without a subject and verb

clauses

group of words with its own subject and verb

independent clause

can stand alone with a subject and verb

Dependent clause

cannot stand alone

fragment

pretends to be a complete sentence but is either missing a part or cannot stand alone

2 types of sentence fragments

missing part and dependent clause

How to fix a fragment

connect to a nearby sentence or fill it in with missing elements

Run on sentences

2 or more independent clauses not punctuated correctly

2 types of run on sentences

-fused: no punctuation between clauses

-comma splice: 2 independent clauses joined by a comma

ways to fix a run on sentence

comma + fanboy

Semicolon

Period

Restructure

Colon (if illustration)

Dash (if interruption)

parallel form rules

use with coordinating conjunctions

Use with conjunctive pairs (either/or, neither/nor)

Use with lists

Use for comparisons with than or as

misplaced modifier rules

Related worlds should be placed physically close

A sentence should flow from subject to verb to object

Put limiting modifiers in front of words they modify

Avoid split infinitives when they are awkward

Split infinitives when they are awkward

agreement rules

Must agree with antecedent in terms of number, gender, and case

Subject pronouns

-I, you, he/she/it, we, you, they

object pronouns

me, you, him/her/it, us, you, them

possessive pronouns

my/mine, your/yours, his/hers/its, their/theirs, our/ours, whose

indefinite pronouns

-anyone, neither, everyone, each, anybody, no one, either, nobody, everybody, somebody

titles and amounts

titles, time, money, and distances are singular

subjects that look plural but are singular

-new, mathematics, politics

compound subjects with and

two subjects joined by and take a plural verb

Prepositional phrase rule

ignore prepositional phrases, match the verb to the main subject

compound subjects with or/nor

the verb agrees with the closest subject

indefinite pronouns (singular)

everyone, someone, nobody, each

indefinite pronouns (plural)

both, few, many, several

indefinite pronouns (depends on meaning)

all, some, none, most

collective nouns

usually singular when acting as one group

who/whom

use she/they