Punctuation Marks and Their Uses (Video Notes)

Flashcards cover the key punctuation marks and their uses, with examples and rules as described in the video notes.

What punctuation marks were discussed in the video?

Comma, semicolon, hyphen, apostrophe, colon, period, quotation marks, question mark, exclamation mark, ellipses, dashes, and brackets.

What is the primary purpose of the comma in a sentence?

To avoid confusion for the reader.

How do you punctuate direct address with a name?

Place a comma before and after the name when addressing someone directly (e.g., Thank you, John, for…).

How is indirect address punctuated with a comma?

Use a comma after the group addressing the audience, such as in 'Ladies and gentlemen, …'.

What is the rule for using a comma with independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction?

Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction (and, but, or, nor) joining two independent clauses, unless both clauses are very short.

Give an example of two independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction with a comma.

Ellen left her job with IBM, and she went to Paris.

What is the rule for using a comma after an introductory expression?

Use a comma after the introductory expression, unless it is a very short prepositional phrase.

How should you punctuate a direct quotation?

Place a comma before and after the direct quotation; the sentence may end with a closing quotation mark, period, or other punctuation inside the quotes.

How should a complete date be punctuated with respect to the comma?

Place a comma between the day and the year in a date, e.g., June 2, 2006.

How do you format a city/state/address, including the comma usage?

Use a comma between the city and state (City, State ZIP); do not place a comma before the ZIP code.

What is the rule for listing three or more items with commas?

Use commas between items; include a comma before the conjunction (the Oxford comma) in lists of three or more items (e.g., paper, toner, and font cartridges). Do not place a trailing comma after the last item.

How are transitional expressions punctuated?

Place a comma before and after transitional expressions such as therefore, however, on the other hand.

What is the rule for nonessential (nonrestrictive) expressions with commas?

Use commas around nonessential expressions; removing them does not change the sentence’s essential meaning (e.g., Andre, who was there, can verify…).

When should you use a comma between two adjectives that modify the same noun?

Use a comma between two coordinate adjectives that independently modify the noun; do not place a comma after the second adjective; if the adjectives form a cumulative phrase, do not comma them.

What is the purpose of a semicolon?

To link two closely related independent clauses without a conjunction, and to separate items in a complex list where items themselves contain commas.

What is a hyphen and what is it used for?

A hyphen joins compound words that are not yet independent words or are used adjectivally; used in hyphenated numbers (twenty-one to twenty-nine) and hyphenated compound adjectives before a noun.

Give examples of hyphenated compound adjectives before a noun.

Examples: up-to-date report; highly-rated report (before a noun; hyphen connects the words in a compound modifier).

What is the apostrophe used for?

Omitting letters in contractions (e.g., don't); forming possessives (singular nouns, plural nouns ending in s, indefinite pronouns like someone’s); do not use with personal pronouns such as hers, his, its, ours, theirs, yours.

How is the possessive of a plural noun that ends in s indicated?

Place the apostrophe after the s (e.g., the cats’ toys).

What is the colon used for?

Introduce explanatory material or a list following an independent clause; offset a consequence or lead into a quotation; do not capitalize the following word after the colon.

What is the period used for?

End a sentence or indicate abbreviations; it is the default terminal punctuation mark.

How are quotation marks used, including nesting and punctuation placement?

Denote quotations; use double and single quotes for nested quotes; in American style, punctuation often goes inside the closing quotation mark (e.g., She said, "Hello.") with single quotes used for quotes within quotes.

What do question marks and exclamation marks indicate when placed at the end of a sentence?

Question marks indicate an interrogative; exclamation marks indicate excitement or strong emotion and may affect reading intonation.

What are ellipses and dashes used for?

Ellipses indicate omitted text or portions when quoting; dashes (em dash) separate thoughts or clauses and can function similarly to parentheses; en dash is used for ranges.

What are brackets and what are the main types used in writing?

Brackets include parentheses (round), curly braces, and square brackets; they offset text from the main body, with parentheses as the primary bracket type and the others for specialized usage.

What is the rule about italicizing or underlining titles?

Italicize or underline titles of books, magazines, newspapers, and other complete published works.

What are some spacing rules after punctuation (as stated in the notes)?

• One space after a comma, semicolon, or period in abbreviations; - One space after a period ending a sentence (modern practice varies; historically two spaces); - Two spaces after a period when starting a new sentence per traditional convention (not universally followed today).