PUNCTUATION

A.      Punctuation

Punctuation is the usage of marks in phrase, sentence or text. Punctuation marks is used to organize writing to create sense, clarity and stress in sentences. There are many kinds of marks in punctuation for different functions.

1.       Full stop: full stop is used to cut the sentences and to indicate an abbrevation.

2.       Comma: comma is used to separate phrase, words, or clauses in list, enclosing details, participal phrases, tag questions, interjection. Putting a comma in different place will make different meanings even if the words are the same.

3.       Exclamation mark: the exclamation mark is used  to express exasperation, astonishment or surprise, or to emphasis a comment or short, sharp phrase. It can also be used to mark a phrase as humorous, ironic or sarcasm. In very informal writing style such as Short Message, chat and so on this mark is sometimes combined with a question mark to indicate surprise and a slight of uncertainty. While double and triple marks are the sign of being uneducated in less casual writing.

4.       Question mark: the question mark is used at the end of all direct question. Don’t use the mark for reported questions. Long questions still need question mark. The mark can sometimes appear within sentences.

5.       The colon: the colon is used to introducing a list that demonstrates whatever was previously stated and alo to devide the hour from the minutes in writing a time in English.

6.       The semicolon: the semicolon is used to join phrases and sentences that are thematically linkedwithout using a conjuntion it is also used to separate the items in a list when the items already contain commas.

7.       The quotation mark: the quotation mark is used to copy something that someone said exactly alike. The mark doesn’t need to use when rephrasing what somene told us. Both single and double quotation marks are used  when quotating within a quote. It’s to separate the quotations off from each other.

8.       The apostrophe: the apostrophe is used in possession and contractions. Contractions is when a noun or pronoun are combined with to be, will not dan so forth.

9.       The hypen and the dash: hypens are not separated with the word, they linked with the words. It is used to link two or more words together. In some cases, a hypen can change the meaning of sentence. Hypens are also used in compound numbers and also when a number forms part of an adjectival compound.   As for dash, it has a space on either side and is only used to add comments the same way when we use brackets. In formal writing though, we should use the bracket rather than the dash because a dash is considered less formal. Dashes can create emphasis in a sentence.

10.   Parentheses and brackets: generally, parentheses are the round brackets and brackets are the square brackets. Square brackets are used for special purposes such as in technical manuals. While round brackets are used in a similar way to commas when we want to give more explanation, an afterthought or comment.