25 More About Punctuation
KEY CONCEPTS
Colons are used to introduce a single idea, a range of items or a list.
The movie can be described with a single word: boring.
The representatives have three choices for the proposed budget: approve it, propose amendments or vote against it.
Semicolons provide clarity for lists that include additional information.
The local artists on the committee are Sammi Paige, a stand-up comedian; Rodrigo Blanche, a sculptor who leads Saturday workshops; and Cleo Theiss, a graphic designer.
Hyphens can be used to join words and clarify modifiers.
The doctor said the coach will take a much-needed vacation.
Media writers should limit the use of exclamation marks.
You’re crying.
:’(
You’re cheering a friend.
\o/
Or you’re using your imagination to visualize a cat.
=^.^=
We use punctuation in a variety of evolving ways, such as in the emoticons shown above. Although this lesson won’t cover much more about emoticons, we will study common usage guidelines for punctuation marks beyond periods, commas, apostrophes and quotation marks.
COLONS :
A colon can add emphasis, especially at the end of a sentence.
The coach had only one objective: winning.
A colon can introduce a list:
She had lived in three large cities: Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
However, do not use a colon if the list flows naturally from the existing sentence structure, such as after a preposition or a verb.
Her three favorite cities are Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
(The list naturally follows the verb are.)
She has lived in Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
(The list naturally follows the preposition in.)
Also, media writers often use colons for Q and A interviews.
Q: What are your favorite cities.
A: I just love Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Now it’s your turn to practice.
SEMICOLONS ;
For media writers, one important function of a semicolon is to clarify detailed lists with multiple elements. Semicolons can clarify city/state lists.
She has lived in Waurika, Oklahoma; Plano, Texas; and Eudora, Kansas.
Other uses of semicolons are more a matter of style than proper usage.
Here’s a related flip card for semicolons:
EXCLAMATION POINTS!
Exclamation points can annoy many readers!!! They are also called exclamation marks, and they are usually unnecessary!!!
If you need to use an exclamation point for extreme emphasis within a direct quote, place it inside the closing quotation mark, and don’t use a comma between the quote and the attribution. Study the two sentences below:
Correct – “You just won a million dollars!” the mother screamed to her daughter.
Incorrect – “Let’s try a flip card for review!”, the instructor said.
HYPHENS-AS-JOINERS
The AP Stylebook describes hyphens as “joiners.” They can be used to provide clarity, although editing decisions about hyphens are often subjective.
For example, look at the two options below.
UNCLEAR – They stayed at a dog friendly hotel.
CLEARER – They stayed at a dog-friendly hotel.
The second sentence provides clarity by joining dog and friendly with a hyphen. The hyphen turns dog-friendly into a single modifier describing hotel.
Media writers sometimes include people’s ages in their reporting, and hyphens help provide clarity there as well.
The celebrity has an 8-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.
The 10-year drought has finally ended.
Try this flip-card question. (And notice the hyphen usage in “flip-card question.”)
“QUESTION MARKS WITH QUOTATIONS?”
You use a question mark at the end of a question.
“Do you know the rules for using question marks with quotations?” the instructor asked.
In the sentence above, the question mark goes inside the closing quotation mark, and no comma is needed between the quote and the attribution.
Similarly, if you are using quotation marks to show the title of a movie, book or other work of art that includes a question mark, the question mark goes inside the closing quotation mark.
Ashton Kutcher starred in “Dude, Where’s My Car?”
Notice that the sentence above does not use a closing period.
For special situations involving quotes within quotes, use single quote marks for the inner portion and standard double quotation marks on the outside. Here’s an example:
“Did you like the movie ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?” she asked.
(The movie title is set off in ‘single quotes’ within the word-for-word question, which is inside “standard quotation marks.”)
Here’s another question with a movie title in it.
ELLIPSIS …
The Associated Press Stylebook says that you should “treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and two spaces.”
Journalists use ellipses sparingly so that readers won’t think they are distorting information. However, ellipses are occasionally useful when you transcribe, instead of paraphrase, a direct quote. Here’s an example:
AWKWARD – “I have decided, um, really, just like today or yesterday, that I will declare my candidacy for president now.”
CLEARER – “I have decided … that I will declare my candidacy for president now.”
We haven’t covered all punctuation marks. For example, you can become a professional writer – and a skillful writer at that – without ever using a dash. However, some writers find dashes, such as the ones used in the previous sentence, extremely useful.
(Similarly, some professional writers use parentheses frequently, while others avoid them entirely.)
MORE PRACTICE FOR PROFICIENCY
Below are additional usage questions based on this chapter. These questions may help you study for course assignments or a proficiency exam.
Advance through the following set of practice questions by using the forward button.
WRITING EXERCISE
1. Write a sentence that uses a colon to introduce at least three items in a list. Include additional identifying information for each item in your list so that you also use semicolons for clarity. (Study the examples above closely before you write your sentence.)
2. Write a one-sentence direct quote with attribution. The direct quote should be a question.
3. Write your own sentence that contains a hyphenated modifier before a noun.
4. In two tightly constructed sentences, explain your key takeaway from this chapter. Do not use any first-person pronouns (such as I, me, my or mine) in your writing.
