PUNCTUATION Where to Place a Comma: In a List Commas are used to separate items on a list. Example: I invited Sue , Ann , Matt , Steve , and Mary to my party. In a compound sentence A compound sentence is a sentence composed of two or more independent clauses. Example: I studied hard for my test, but I did not get an A on my test. In a conjunction A conjunction is a word that connects other words in a sentence. Example: I take piano AND guitar lessons. Some sentences containing a conjunction also need a comma. Example: I knew my sister would like what I bought her for her birthday , BUT I didn’t expect her to scream when she opened her present. Appositives An appositive is a noun or pronoun in a sentence that is placed next to another noun or pronoun to help identify it. Commas should be placed before and after the appositive if the sentence would still be a sentence without the appositive. Example: My Mom , the chief surgeon at the hospital , is coming to talk to our class on Career Day. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Before and After Interrupters An interrupter is a word or phrase that INTERUPTS the flow of a sentence. You need one comma BEFORE an interrupter and one comma AFTER. Example: My brothers , Jay and Todd , play ice hockey. Colons A colon is used to introduce words, phrases, or sentences. A colon looks like this : Example of colon placement: Mom has to buy three things at the store : milk, orange juice, and soap. Semi-colons A semi-colon is most often used to connect two related sentences. A semi-colon looks like this ; Example of semi-colon placement: Malcolm is a good basketball player ; he is the team’s leading scorer. Contractions A contraction is a word made up of two words put together. The apostrophe is in place of a letter in one of the words. When writing a contraction, don’t forget the apostrophe. Examples: don’t (do not) wouldn’t (would not) aren’t (are not) you’re (you are) © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.
Abbreviations An abbreviation is a properly shortened version of a word. When writing an abbreviation, don’t forget the period. Examples: Dr. Mrs. St. Aug. Dialogue When you are directly quoting someone in a sentence, you need to include quotation marks around the direct quote. A comma sometimes is needed in a sentence containing a direct quote as well. If a quote ends with a question mark or exclamation point, a comma is not needed. Examples: “Where did Jake go? ” Brian asked. “Please come home at 5:00 ,” Mom said. © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted for the purchaser to print copies for non-commercial educational purposes only. Visit us at www.NewPathLearning.com.