PUCTUATION

AND
CAPITALIZATI
ON RULES

1.- Punctuation Rules

Punctuation is used to create sense, clarity and stress in sentences. You use punctuation
marks to structure and organize your writing.
Lets see this example:
You can quickly see why punctuation is important if you try and read this sentence which has
no punctuation at all:
perhaps you dont always need to use commas periods colons etc to make sentences clear
when i am in a hurry tired cold lazy or angry i sometimes leave out punctuation marks
grammar is stupid i can write without it and dont need it my uncle Harry once said he was
not very clever and i never understood a word he wrote to me i think ill learn some
punctuation not too much enough to write to Uncle Harry he needs some help
Now let's see if punctuating it makes a difference!
Perhaps you don't always need to use commas, periods, colons etc. to make sentences clear.
When I am in a hurry, tired, cold, lazy, or angry I sometimes leave out punctuation marks.
"Grammar is stupid! I can write without it and don't need it," my uncle Harry once said. He
was not very clever, and I never understood a word he wrote to me. I think I'll learn some
punctuation - not too much, enough to write to Uncle Harry. He needs some help!

THE PERIOD, FULL STOP OR POINT

The period (known as a full stop in British English) is probably the simplest of the
punctuation marks to use. You use it like a knife to cut the sentences to the required length.
Generally, you can break up the sentences using the full stop at the end of a logical and
complete thought that looks and sounds right to you.
MARK THE END OF A SENTENCE WHICH IS NOT A QUESTION OR AN EXCLAMATION
EXAMPLES
Rome is the capital of Italy.
I was born in Australia and now live in Indonesia.
The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

INDICATE AN ABBREVIATION
Many abbreviations require a period. Dr, Mr, Mrs, and Ms do not take a period in British English,
nor do most abbreviations taken from the first capital letters such as MA, Phd, or CIA. In
American English, some of these do require periods or both usages are correct (with and
without periods). If you require 100% accuracy in your punctuation, refer to a detailed style
guide for the abbreviation usage rules in the variety of English you are using.
EXAMPLES
I will arrive between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.
We are coming on Fri., Jan. 4.
ELLIPSIS
Often you will see a sentence concluding with three dots. This indicates that only part of the
sentence or text has been quoted or that it is being left up to the reader to complete the
thought.
EXAMPLES
The Lord's Prayer begins, "Our Father which art in Heaven...'"
He is always late, but you know how I feel about that...
PERIOD AFTER A SINGLE WORD
Sometimes a single word can form the sentence. In this case you place a full stop after the word
as you would in any other sentence. This is often the case when the subject is understood as in
a greeting or a command.
EXAMPLES
"Goodbye."
"Stop."
PERIODS IN NUMBERS
Numbers use periods in English to separate the whole number from the decimal. A period used
in a number is also called a "decimal point" and it is read "point" unless it refers to money.
EXAMPLES
10.43$ = ten dollars and 43 cents
14.17 = fourteen point one seven

THE COMMA
There are some general rules which you can apply when using the comma. However, you will find that in
English there are many other ways to use the comma to add to the meaning of a sentence or to
emphasize an item, point, or meaning.
Although we are often taught that commas are used to help us add 'breathing spaces' to sentences they
are, in fact, more accurately used to organize blocks of thought or logical groupings. Most people use
commas to ensure that meaning is clear and, despite grammatical rules, will drop a comma if their
meaning is retained without it.
SEPARATE PHRASES, WORDS, OR CLAUSES IN LISTS
When making a list, commas are the most common way to separate one list item from the next. The final
two items in the list are usually separated by "and" or "or", which should be preceeded by a comma.
Amongst editors this final comma in a list is known as the "Oxford Comma".
A SERIES OF INDEPENDANT CLAUSES (SENTENCES)
EXAMPLES
I met Harry, we went for a swim together, and afterwards Harry went home.
I like your son, I might even love him, but he is not a very good soccer player.
A SERIES OF NOUNS
EXAMPLES
For dinner I had soup, fish, chicken, dessert, and coffee.
This afternoon I went to Oxford Circus, Picadilly, Hamstead, and Gatwick Airport.
A SERIES OF ADJECTIVES
A list of adjectives usually requires commas. However, if an adjective is modifying another adjective you
do not separate them with a comma (sentence 3).
EXAMPLES
She was young, beautiful, kind, and intelligent.
The house we visited was dark, dreary, and run-down.
She was wearing a bright red shirt.
A SERIES OF VERBS
EXAMPLES
Tony ran towards me, fell, yelled, and fainted.
The boy leapt, spun, twisted, and dove into the water.

A SERIES OF PHRASES
EXAMPLES
The car smashed into the wall, flipped onto its roof, slid along the road, and finally stopped against a tree.
The dog leapt into the air, snatched the frisbee in its mouth, landed, and ran off into the forest.
ENCLOSING DETAILS
Use a comma to enclose non-defining relative clauses and other non-essential details and comments. The comma is
placed on either side of the insertion.

EXAMPLES
China, one of the most powerful nations on Earth, has a huge population.
Jason's grandmother, who was born in 1930, lived through the Second World War.
Cats, unlike dogs, do not respect their masters.
My friend, Jim, likes to go scuba diving.
PARTICIPIAL PHRASES

EXAMPLES
Hearing that her father was in hospital, Jane left work immediately.
Walking to the bus stop that morning, Sam knew it was going to be a special day.
TAG QUESTIONS
EXAMPLES
She lives in Paris, doesn't she?
We haven't met, have we?

INTERJECTIONS
EXAMPLES
Yes, I will stay a little longer, thank you.
No, he isn't like other boys.
Wait, I didn't mean to scare you.
A FINAL WARNING
Putting a comma in the wrong place can lead to a sentence with a completely different meaning, look at these two
sentences:
I detest liars like you; I believe that honesty is the best policy. = I detest you because you are a liar.
I detest liars, like you; I believe that honesty is the best policy. = You and I both detest liars.

THE EXCLAMATION MARK

The exclamation mark is used to express exasperation, astonishment, or surprise, or to emphasise a
comment or short, sharp phrase. In professional or everyday writing, exclamation marks are used sparingly
if at all.
EXAMPLES
Help! Help!
That's unbelievable!
Get out!
Look out!
You can also use exclamation marks to mark a phrase as humourous, ironic or sarcastic.
EXAMPLES
What a lovely day! (when it obviously is not a lovely day)
That was clever! (when someone has done something stupid)
In very informal writing styles (SMS, chat, Twitter or Facebook, etc.), an exclamation mark is sometimes
combined with a question mark to indicate both surprise and slight uncertainty. Double and triple
exclamation marks are common in very informal writing styles, but are a sign of being uneducated in less
casual correspondance.
EXAMPLES OF CASUAL WRITING
He's getting married!?
That's insane!!!
THE QUESTION MARK
Use the question mark at the end of all direct questions.
EXAMPLES
What is your name?
Do you speak Italian?
You're spanish, aren't you?
Do not use a question mark for reported questions
EXAMPLES
He asked me what my name was.
She asked if I was Spanish.
Ask them where they are going.

Long questions still need question marks

EXAMPLES
Isn't it true that global warming is responsible for more and more problems which are having a disastrous
effect on the world's climate and leading to many millions of people in countries that can least afford it
having to contend with more and more hardship?
Why is it that even though you are unkind to me, ignore me when I ask you for help, and consistently
forget to thank me when I do favors for you, you still claim to want me to be your friend and appear
surprised when I prefer to hang out with other people?
Question marks can sometimes appear within sentences
EXAMPLES
There is cause for concern (isn't there?) that the current world economic balance is so fragile that it may
lead to a global economic downturn.
"Why is she here?" asked Henry.
THE COLON
The colon expands on the sentence that precedes it, often introducing a list that demonstrates or
elaborates whatever was previously stated.
EXAMPLES
There are many reasons for poor written communication: lack of planning, poor grammar, misuse of
punctuation marks, and insufficient vocabulary.
He collected a strange assortment of items: bird's eggs, stamps, bottle tops, string, and buttons.
Peter had an eclectic taste in music: latin, jazz, country and western, pop, blues, and classical.
He had just one fault: an enormous ego.
The colon is also used to divide the hour from the minutes in writing a time in English.
EXAMPLES
4:15 = "four fifteen"
6:45 = "six fourty-five"
QUOTATION MARKS
Use quotation marks to cite something someone said exactly. When rephrasing what someone told you,
no quotation marks are needed.
EXAMPLES
"I'm going to the store now," she said.

 Harry

told me, "Don't forget your soccer jersey."

Harry told me not to forget my soccer jersey.
If quoting others within a quote, both single and double quotation marks are used to set the two
separate quotations off from each other.
EXAMPLE
'I haven't spoken to Peter for months,' Dianne said.'The last time I spoke to him he said, "I'm going to
Bahrain and won't be back for about three years", I've heard nothing since then'.
You may see single or double quotation marks used to mark out idiomatic or unfamiliar expressions
EXAMPLES
I've always thought that he was very annoying, a bit of a 'pain in the neck.'
I'm not sure what you mean by "custodial care", but I'm sure you will explain it to me.
Quotation marks both single and double are also used for specific purposes in bibliographic references
or when citing sources in academic writing. There are a number of ways of organising bibliographies
which set out standard formats. Most organisations and academic institutions will prefer one of these
or have their own format published in a 'style guide'.
EXAMPLE
"The Migration Flight of the Lesser Tweazle", by Jeremey Adams, The Bird Spotter Magazine, July 2009.

THE SEMICOLON
The semicolon is somewhere between a full stop and a comma. Semicolons can be used in English to
join phrases and sentences that are thematically linked without having to use a conjunction (example
1 below). Semicolons can also be used instead of commas to separate the items in a list when the
items themselves already contain commas (example 2 below).
EXAMPLES
I like your brother; he's a good friend.
Many great leaders, Churchill, leader of Britain during the Second World War; Alexander, the great
Emperor and general; and Napolean, the brilliant French general, had strong characters, which were
useful when their countries were at war but which did not serve them well in times of peace.

THE APOSTROPHE

The apostrophe probably causes more grief than all of the other punctuation marks put together! The problem nearly always seems to
stem from not understanding that the apostrophe has two very different (and very important) uses in English: possession and
contractions.

THE APOSTROPHE IN CONTRACTIONS

The most common use of apostrophes in English is for contractions, where a noun or pronoun and a verb combine. Remember that
the apostrophe is often replacing a letter that has been dropped. It is placed where the missing letter would be in that case.

Type

Without contractions

Contractions

Using "not"

is not, has not, had not, did not,

isn't, hasn't, hadn't, didn't,

would not, can not

wouldn't, can't

she is, there is, he is, it is, Mary

she's, there's, he's, it's, Mary's,

is, Jim is, Germany is, who is

Jim's, Germany's, who's

Using "am"

I am

I'm

Using "will"

I will, you will, she will, we will,

I'll, you'll, she'll, we'll, they'll

Using "is"

they will
Using "would"

I would, you would, he would, we

I'd, you'd, he'd, we'd, they'd

would, they would

Using "have"

I have, you have, we have, they

I've, you've, we've, they've

have
Using "are"

you are, they are, we are

you're, they're, we're

People, even native English speakers, often mistake its and it's, you're and your, who's and whose, and they're, their and
there. See below for the difference.
EXAMPLES
It's a nice day outside. (contraction)
The cat is dirty. Its fur is matted. (possession)
You're not supposed to be here. (contraction)
This is your book. (possession)
Who's at the door? (contraction)
Whose shoes are these? (possession)
They're not here yet. (contraction)
Their car is red. (possession)
His car is over there. (location)
THE POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE
In most cases you simply need to add 's to a noun to show possession
EXAMPLES
a ship's captain
a doctor's patient
a car's engine
Ibrahim's coat
Marianna's book
Plural nouns that do not end in s also follow this rule:
EXAMPLES
the children's room
the men's work
the women's club
Ordinary (or common) nouns that end in s, both singular and plural, show possession simply by adding an apostrophe after
the s.
EXAMPLES
the bus' wheel
the babies' crying
the ladies' tennis club
the teachers' journal
Proper nouns (names of people, cities, countries) that end in s can form the possessive either by adding the apostrophe + s
or simply adding the apostrophe. Today both forms are considered correct (Jones's or Jones'), and many large organizations
now drop the apostrophe completely (e.g. Barclays Bank, Missing Persons Bureau) when publishing their name.

 EXAMPLES
The

Hughes' home (or the Hughes's home)

Jones's shop (or Mr Jones' shop)
Charles' book (or Charles's book)

Mr

2.-

Capitalization Rules

Capitalization

is the writing of a word with its first letter in uppercase and the remaining letters in lowercase.

Rule

1. Capitalize the first word of a document and the first word after a period.

Rule

2. Capitalize proper nounsand adjectives derived from proper nouns.

Examples:
the

Golden Gate Bridge

the Grand Canyon
a Russian song
a Shakespearean sonnet
a Freudian slip

With

the passage of time, some words originally derived from proper nouns have taken on a life, and authority, of their own and no longer
require capitalization.

Examples:
herculean (from the ancient-Greek hero Hercules)
quixotic (from the hero of the classic novel Don Quixote)
draconian (from ancient-Athenian lawgiver Draco)

The main function of capitals is to focus attention on particular elements within any group of people, places, or things. We can speak of a lake
in the middle of the country, or we can be more specific and say Lake Michigan, which distinguishes it from every other lake on earth.

Capitalization Reference List

Brand names
Companies
Days of the week and months of the year
Governmental matters
Congress (but congressional), the U.S. Constitution (but constitutional), the Electoral College, Department of Agriculture. Note: Many
authorities do not capitalize federal or state unless it is part of the official title: State Water

Resources Control Board, but state water board; Federal Communications Commission, but federal regulations.
Historical episodes and eras
the Inquisition, the American Revolutionary War, the Great Depression
Holidays
Institutions
Oxford College, the Juilliard School of Music
Manmade structures
the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic
Manmade territories
Berlin, Montana, Cook County
Natural and manmade landmarks
Mount Everest, the Hoover Dam
Nicknames and epithets
Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson; Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat
Organizations
American Center for Law and Justice, Norwegian Ministry of the Environment
Planets
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, but policies vary on capitalizing earth, and it is usually not capitalized unless it is
being discussed specifically as a planet: We learned that Earth travels through space at 66,700 miles per hour.
Races, nationalities, and tribes
Eskimo, Navajo, East Indian, Caucasian, African American (Note: white and black in reference to race are lowercase)
Religions and names of deities
Note: Capitalize the Bible (but biblical). Do not capitalize heaven, hell, the devil, satanic.
Special occasions
the Olympic Games, the Cannes Film Festival
Streets and roads

Lowercase

Reference List

Here is a list of categories not capitalized unless an item contains a proper noun or proper adjective (or, sometimes, a trademark). In such
cases, only the proper noun or adjective is capitalized.
Animals
antelope, black bear, Bengal tiger, yellow-bellied sapsucker, German shepherd
Elements
Always lowercase, even when the name is derived from a proper noun: einsteinium, nobelium, californium
Foods
Lowercase except for brand names, proper nouns and adjectives, or custom-named recipes: Tabasco sauce, Russian dressing, pepper
crusted bluefin tuna, Mandy's Bluefin Surprise

Heavenly bodies besides planets

Never capitalize the moon or the sun.
Medical conditions
Epstein-Barr syndrome, tuberculosis, Parkinson's disease
Minerals
Plants, vegetables, and fruits
poinsettia, Douglas fir, Jerusalem artichoke, organic celery, Golden Delicious apples
Seasons and seasonal data
spring, summertime, the winter solstice, the autumnal equinox, daylight saving time

Rule

3. A thorny aspect of capitalization: where does it stop? When does the Iraq war become the Iraq War? Why is the legendary
Hope Diamond not the Hope diamond? Everyone writes New York City, so why does the Associated Press Stylebook recommend New
York state? There aren't always easy formulas or logical explanations. Research with reference books and search engines is the best
strategy.

In the case of brand names, companies are of little help, because they capitalize any word that applies to their merchandise. Domino's
Pizza or Domino's pizza? Is it Ivory Soap or Ivory soap, a Hilton Hotel or a Hilton hotel? Most writers don't capitalize common nouns
that simply describe the products (pizza, soap, hotel), but it's not always easy to determine where a brand name ends. There is Time
magazine but also the New York Times Magazine. No one would argue with Coca-Cola or Pepsi Cola, but a case could be made for Royal
Crown cola.

If a trademark starts with a lowercase word or letter (e.g., eBay, iPhone), many authorities advise capitalizing it to begin a sentence.

Example: EBay opened strong in trading today.

Rule

4. Capitalize titles when they are used before names, unless the title is followed by a comma. Do not capitalize the title if it is
used after a name or instead of a name.

Examples:
The president will address Congress.
Chairman of the Board William Bly will preside at the conference.
The chairman of the board, William Bly, will preside.
The senators from Iowa and Ohio are expected to attend.
Also expected to attend are Senators Buzz James and Eddie Twain.
The governors, lieutenant governors, and attorneys general called for a special task force.

 Rule

5.

Titles are not the same as occupations. Do not capitalize occupations before full names.

Examples:
director

Steven Spielberg
owner Helen Smith
coach Biff Sykes

Sometimes

the line between title and occupation gets blurred. One example is general manager: is it a title or an occupation? Opinions differ.
Same with professor: the Associated Press Stylebook considers professor a job description rather than a title, and recommends using
lowercase even before the full name: professor Robert Ames.

Rule

6A.

Capitalize a formal title when it is used as a direct address.

Example:

Will you take my temperature, Doctor?

Rule

6B. Capitalize relatives' family names (kinship names) when they immediately precede a personal name, or when they are used alone
in place of a personal name.

Examples:
I

found out that Mom is here.

You look good, Grandpa.
Andy and Opie loved Aunt Bee's apple pies.

However,

these monikers are not capitalized with possessive nouns or pronouns, when they follow the personal name, or when they are not
referencing a specific person.

Examples:
My

mom is here.
Joe's grandpa looks well.
The James brothers were notorious robbers.
There's not one mother I know who would allow that.

Rule

6c. Capitalize nicknames in all cases.

Examples:
Meet

my brothers, Junior and Scooter.

I just met two guys named Junior and Scooter.

 Rule

7. Capitalize specific geographical regions. Do not capitalize points of the compass.

Examples:
We

had three relatives visit from the West.

Go west three blocks and then turn left.
We left Florida and drove north.
We live in the Southeast.
We live in the southeast section of town.
Most of the West Coast is rainy this time of year. (referring to the United States)
The west coast of Scotland is rainy this time of year.

Some

areas have come to be capitalized for their fame or notoriety:

Examples:
I'm

from New York's Upper West Side.

I'm from the South Side of Chicago.
You live in Northern California; he lives in Southern California.

Rule

8.

In general, do not capitalize the word the before proper nouns.

Examples:
I'm

reading the London Times.

fans of the Grateful Dead.

They're

In

special cases, if the word the is an inseparable part of something's official title, it may be capitalized.

Example:

We visited The Hague.

Rule

9. Do not capitalize city, town, county, etc., if it comes before the proper name.

Examples:
the

city of New York

New York City
the county of Marin
Marin County

Rule

10.

Example:

Always capitalize the first word in a complete quotation, even midsentence.

Bill said, "That job we started last April is done."

 Rule

11. For emphasis, writers sometimes capitalize a midsentence independent clause or question.

Examples:
One of her cardinal rules was, Never betray a friend.
It made me wonder, What is mankind's destiny?

Rule

12. Capitalize the names of specific course titles, but not general academic subjects.

Examples:
I must take history and Algebra 101.
He has a double major in European economics and philosophy.

Rule

13. Capitalize art movements.

Example: I like Surrealism, but I never understood Abstract Expressionism.

Rule

14. Do not capitalize the first item in a list that follows a colon.

Example: Bring the following: paper, a pencil, and a snack.

Rule

15.

Do not capitalize "the national anthem."

Rule

16a. Composition titles: which words should be capitalized in titles of books, plays, films, songs, poems, essays, chapters, etc.? This is a
vexing matter, and policies vary. The usual advice is to capitalize only the "important" words. But this isn't really very helpful. Aren't all words in a
title important?

The following rules for capitalizing composition titles are universal.

Capitalize the title's first and last word.
Capitalize verbs, including all forms of the verb to be (is, are, was, etc.).
Capitalize all pronouns, including it, he, who, that, etc.
Capitalize not.
Do not capitalize a, an, or the unless it is first or last in the title.
Do not capitalize the word and, or, or nor unless it is first or last in the title.
Do not capitalize the word to, with or without an infinitive, unless it is first or last in the title.

Otherwise, styles, methods, and opinions vary. Small words such as or, as, if, and but are capped by some, but lowercased by others.

The Associated Press Stylebook recommends capitalizing all prepositions of

more than three letters (e.g., With, About, Across).

Hyphenated words in a title also present problems. There are no set rules.
Some writers, editors, and publishers choose not to capitalize words following
hyphens unless they are proper nouns or proper adjectives (Ex-Marine but
Ex-husband). Others capitalize any word that would otherwise be capped in
titles (Prize-Winning, Up-to-Date).

Rule 16b. Many books have subtitles. When including these, put a colon
after the work's title and follow the same rules of composition capitalization
for the subtitle.

Example: The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage

Note that A is capitalized because it is the first word of the subtitle.

Bibliography
http://www.edufind.com/english-grammar/punctuation/
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp