End Punctuation – Punctuation Rules Notes

Period Rules:

First : Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence

Second : Place a period at the end of an imperative sentence

Third : Use a period after initials

Fourth : Use a period after the letters and numbers of an outline

Fifth : Place a period after an abbreviation

NOTE: Do NOT punctuate postal codes (NY, AZ, OH, etc.)

Question Mark: Use a question mark at the end of an interrogative sentence.

Exclamation Point:

First : Use an exclamation point after an exclamatory sentence (one showing strong feeling.

Second : Use an exclamation point after a word or phrase that shows strong feeling (Yeah! You did it!)

Ellipsis and Apostrophes – Punctuation Rules Notes

Ellipsis Rules:

First: To show words have been omitted in a quotation

Second: If words from a quotation are omitted at the end of a sentence, place the ellipsis AFTER the period that marks the conclusion of the sentence. (i.e. you will have 4 periods)

Third: To show a pause.

Apostrophe Rules:

First : Use an apostrophe in a contraction to show where letters have been omitted.

Second : Use an apostrophe when the first 2 digits are omitted from the year.

Third : Use an apostrophe when taking letters or words out of context.

Fourth : Use an apostrophe to show possession.


Italics and Quotation Marks - Punctuation Notes Continued…

Underlining: (a.k.a italics)

First : Underline names of ships, planes and trains.

Second : Underline the title of books, magazines, movies, newspapers, plays, television shows, record albums, CD’s, tapes, long stories , and works of art,

Third : Italics, in printed materials, function the same as underlining.

Fourth : Underline a number, letter or word that is being discussed or used in a special way.

Fifth : Use for foreign words that have not been adopted into the English language.

Quotation Marks:

First : Use quotation marks “.” to indicate someone’s exact word or words

(NOTE: In dialogue, each time a new person speaks, a new paragraph begins.)

Second : Use quotation marks to enclose the titles of chapters, articles, poems, essays, short stories, nursery rhymes, songs and electronic files

(NOTE: Any “item” that is contained within a larger one is usually placed in quotation marks.)

Third : To distinguish a word that is being discussed; that a word is unfamiliar slang or to point out that a word is being used in a special way.

Fourth : Always place periods and commas inside quotation marks. (Place exclamation points or question marks inside quotation marks when it punctuates the quotation, and outside when it punctuates the main sentence.)


Colons and Semicolons - Punctuation Notes Continued…

Colon Rules::

First : Use a colon after the salutation/greeting of a business letter.

Second : Use a colon in writing the time

Third : Use a colon to formally introduce a quotation, sentence or a question

Fourth : Use a colon introduce a list

Fifth : Use a colon to distinguish between a title and a subtitle

Semicolon Rule:

First: Use a semicolon (;) to join two independent clauses that are closely related. (The rain stopped; the sun came out.)

Second: Use before a conjunctive adverb (and a comma after it) when the word connects two independent clauses in a compound sentence.

Third: To separate groups of words that already contain commas


Punctuation Notes Continued…

Hyphen Rules:

First: To make compound words.

Second: To join a capital or lowercase letter to a noun or participle.

Third: To join compound numbers

Fourth: Use with prefixes or suffixes to avoid confusion or awkward spelling.

Fifth: To divide a word, only between its syllables, at the end of a line of print.

Sixth: To join two or more words that serve as a single adjective.

Dash Rules:

First: To indicate a sudden break or change in the sentence. (Used for special emphasis)

Second: To set off an introductory series from the clause that explains the series.

Third: To set off parenthetical material which explains or clarifies a word or phrase.

Fourth: To indicate interrupted or faltering speech in dialogue

Fifth: To emphasize a word, a series, a phrase, or clause.

Comma Rules: lots of them—see attached pages. J

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