2.13: Some Punctuation Rules
- Page ID
- 122021
Some (but Not All) English Punctuation Rules
I. End Punctuation
A. Periods [.] (Also referred to as a Full Stop)
1. At the end of a statement
We went to the bookstore.
My classes run from Monday through Friday.
I am a teacher.
2. At the end of an imperative sentence
Pick up your dirty clothes.
Don’t let the dogs in the living room.
Skip lines when writing homework.
3. After an abbreviation
The package weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz.
Mt. St. Helens is a volcanic mountain.
I live on Phinney Ave. N.
4. After an initial
Donald R. Bissonnette
U. S. A.
T. B. Bourret
5. In outlining after Roman Numerals, capital letters, numbers, and small letters
Look at all the categories in this outline for examples, please.
B. Question Marks [?]: At the end of an interrogative sentence
Do you speak English?
Have you eaten dinner yet?
Will you be absent tomorrow?
How many children do you have?
C. Exclamation Points [!]
1. At the end of an exclamatory sentence
Watch out for that car!
What a great game!
What a day I had!
2. After an interjection that expresses strong feelings
Oh! I can’t believe it.
Holy cow! That was an expensive meal.
Right! I don’t trust him for a second.
II. Interior Sentence Punctuation (Commas Only)
1. Between the name of a city or town and the name of the state
Seattle, WA
South Attleboro, MA
San Francisco, CA
2. In a series
I bought bananas, apples, peaches, kiwis, and strawberries yesterday.
She is a wonderful, happy, beautiful, and intelligent child.
The boy goes to school, works at the music store, helps out at home, and sings at church.
3. Between the day and month of the year
August 24, 1945
September 7, 2001
April 24, 2005
4. To set off words such as yes, no, well, oh, etc. that come at the beginning of a sentence
Yes, I will help you tomorrow.
No, I don’t have any money to give you.
Oh, I am so sorry.
5. To set off the name of a person addressed directly
Thuy, please go to the board and write a sentence.
Will you open the door for me, Cheo?
As I said, Teresa, I want you to skip lines.
6. To set off adverbial clauses at the beginning of a sentence
When the door opened, I entered.
Although I love teaching, I don’t like correcting papers at night.
Because the sun was shining, people were happy.
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I entered when the door opened.
I don’t like correcting papers although I love teaching.
People were happy because the sun was shining.
7. To set off introductory words and phrases
She comes from Vietnam. Therefore, she speaks Vietnamese.
As a result of the accident, she had to miss a lot of school.
Nowadays, I don’t move as quickly as I did as a young man.
He ate the vegetables. However, he didn’t want to.
Having smoked most of his life, he found it difficult to quit.
8. To set off inserters (Inserters are words inserted in the middle or end of a sentence to help clarify meaning.)
I want to go, but I can’t go, however.
He doesn’t want to do it, yet he, nonetheless, will certainly do it.
My sister smokes a lot. I, on the other hand, have never smoked.
I enjoy doing a lot of things. I love traveling, for example.
9. Coordinating conjunctions followed by a subject
I will take you to the park, and your mother will bring you home.
You haven’t done your homework, so you can’t go to the movie with Tommy.
It is raining out, yet the boys want to go to the beach.
You speak English, don’t you?
He has a car, doesn’t he?
He can come, can’t he?
10. To set off participle phrases or reduced relative clauses
Agreeing to pay the fine, I wrote a check for $38.00.
The old man, stooping to pick up the book, winced because his back hurt him.
The dishes, washed and stacked next to the sink, still need to be put away.
11. In the salutation of a friendly letter
Dear Mom,
Dear Roger,
Dear Noonie,
12. After the complimentary closing of a letter
Sincerely yours,
Love always,
Yours truly,
13. After the last name when it comes before the first name
Bissonnette, Donald
Riley, Rosanne
Tran, Xuan Mai