# HG changeset patch # User Oleksandr Gavenko # Date 1285313118 -10800 # Node ID 194768e8450e6eb95364bf428ecc8a26b5ff7a88 # Parent f450dea56f098534cb56c8e2e67cb51146575d69 English Punctuation Guide. diff -r f450dea56f09 -r 194768e8450e en-punctuation_en.rst --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/en-punctuation_en.rst Fri Sep 24 10:25:18 2010 +0300 @@ -0,0 +1,275 @@ +-*- mode: outline; coding: utf-8 -*- + + English Punctuation Guide. + +* Punctuation symbol. + + ! exclamation mark + "" single quotation marks + '' double quotation marks + ' apostrophe + , comma + - hyphen + . full stop (period USA) + : colon + ; semi colon + ? question mark + ... ellipsis + +* General rules. + + * Put end-of-sentence punctuation inside quotation marks. + * Put commas and other sentence punctuation outside of parentheses. + * Put a comma (plus a space) before and, but, or, and nor when they join two + sentences. + * The semicolon (;) is not used widely in English and probably should be + avoided by non-native writers. + * Names of newspapers, books, movies, ships, magazines, journals, and poems + are usually italicized or underlined. + +** Capital letter. + + 1 A capital is used for the first letter of a new sentence, of quoted speech + or proper nouns. + 2 The first letter of a sentence does not need to be capitalized if it is + included in parenthesis within another sentence. + 3 A capital letter is always used for the first person singular subjective + personal pronoun I. + 4 A capital is used for the first letter of key words in headings and titles. + If such titles are hyphenated then both components are given capitalized + first letters. + 5 A capital is used for the first letter of key words in historical events. + 6 A capital is used for the first letter of religions and many other + religious words. + 7 A capital is used for the first letter of names of months and days of the + week, but not of seasons. + 8 Holidays should also be capitalized. + +Example: + + [3] My boss and I agreed that I should make up for the time I had lost. + [4] The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries + [4] The Centers for Disease Control + [4] Vice-President Dick Cheney + [5] The Battle of Waterloo + [5] The Great Fire of London + [6] Devout Christians do daily Bible study. + [7] After a long, hot summer she married him on a sultry Saturday in September. + [8] January 1 is New Year's Day. + +** Spaces. + + * Put one space after punctuation. + * Put no spaces before punctuation, but always put a space between words. + * Put no spaces after periods inside abbreviations. + * Put no space before or after an apostrophe. + * Put no space on the "inside" of quotation marks (often called "quotes"). + * Put no space on the "inside" of parentheses. + +Some old rules: + + * Put two spaces after colons and between sentences. + + +* Exclamation mark, '!'. + + * Exclamation marks act as a full stop. + * An exclamation mark is most often used to show shock, surprise, horror or + pleasure. + * No space is needed before an exclamation mark, at least one space after one + (two spaces for purists). + +Example: + + Oh! Wow! Brilliant! + It was shocking! + +* Apostrophe, "'". + + * Apostrophes next to the letter ('s) indicate possession or belonging. + * They are also used to show missing letters in shortened words, especially in + informal writing. + * No space is needed before or after the apostrophe. + +Example: + + This is Lynne's web site. + It's a nice day today, isn't it? I've got an idea. Let's go out. + +* Comma, ','. + + 1 Separate items in long lists. + 2 Commas point out brief pauses in a complex sentence or a long prepositional + phrase. + 3 Comma is included before the conjunction 'and' which comes + before the final element of a list (for purists). + 4 Introduce a direct quote. + 5 Separate appositives (a noun, or noun phrase) or non-defining relative + clauses. + 6 Use a comma if your subject has two or more adjectives describing it. + * You do not put a space before a comma, but you do need a space after one. + ? We don't usually put a comma before the word 'and'. + +Example: + + [1] There were a lot of people in the room, teachers, students and parents. + [2] The teachers were sitting, the students were listening and the parents + were just worrying. + [2] Although he wanted to come, he wasn't able to attend the course. + [3] I like reading, listening to music, and visiting with my friends. + [4] The boy said, "My father is often away during the week on business trips." + [4] His doctor replied, "If you don't stop smoking, you run the risk of a + heart attack." + [5] Bill Gates, the richest man in the world, comes from Seattle. + [5] My only sister, who is a fantastic tennis player, is in great shape. + [6] The powerful, resonating sound caught our attention. + +* Colon, ':'. + + 1 Colons precede a list, an explanation or an example. + 2 The colon is used to separate two main clauses where the first is an + introduction to the second. + 3 To introduce a direct quote (a comma can also be used in this situation). + * You do not put a space before a colon, but you do need a space after one. + +Example: + + [1] There are two main shopping areas in Nottingham: Broadmarsh Centre and + Victoria Centre. + [2] The pilot had an awful realization: he had forgotten to turn off the gas + at breakfast time. + [3] He announced to his friends: "I'm getting married!" + +* Full stop (period), '.'. + + 1 Full stops (periods in the USA) go at the end of sentences that are + statements. + 2 They are also used to mark abbreviations. If such an abbreviation occurs at + the very end of a sentence, the final dot is not usually written twice. + * You do not put a space before a full stop, but you do need at least one + space after one (two spaces for purists). + +Example: + + [1] My name is Lynn. I am a teacher. + [2] An overhead projector is often referred to as an O.H.P. + +* Hyphen, '-'. + + * Hyphens are used to connect words or syllables, or to divide words into + parts. + * You don't use a space on either side of a hyphen. + +Example: + + There were ninety-nine red balloons. + +* Question mark, '?'. + + 1 Question marks go at the end of sentences that are questions. + 2 You need a question mark at the end of tag questions. + * For quotes within quotes, use single quotes. + * You do not put a space before a question mark, but you do need at least one + space after one (two spaces for purists). + +For example: + + [1] Is my name Lynn? Of course it is. + [2] It's a nice day, isn't it? + +* Semicolon, ';'. + + 1 Semicolons are used to separate two sentences that would otherwise be + joined with a word such as 'and', 'because', 'since', 'unless' or 'while'. + 2 To separate groups of words that are themselves separated by commas. + * You do not put a space before a semicolon, but you do need a space after one. + +Example: + + [1] I'm looking forward to our next lesson; I'm sure it will be a lot of fun. + [2] They plan to study German, for their travels; chemistry, for their work; + and literature, for their own enjoyment. + + +* Quotation mark (speech mark), '""', "''". + +Double quotes '""', single quotes "''". + + * Quotation marks (single or double) are used to show words that are directly + spoken (direct speech). + * Only the words actually being quoted are enclosed by speech marks. + * You need a space before the opening speech mark, but no space after it, and + a space after the closing one, but no space before it. + * Another general rule is to use a comma after the introduction to quoted + speech or writing. + * Sometimes when writing a spoken sentence it is split in two. The speech + marks must then be placed at the beginning and end of each part of the + sentence. Commas are used to separate the spoken part from the rest of the + sentence. + * If you need a question mark or exclamation mark the markers that punctuate + the quoted words are enclosed by the speech marks. + +Example: + + "Could everyone sit down please," said the teacher. + Jaime said, "I love you." + "I wonder," she said quietly, "whether people will ever truly understand each other." + "I don't understand," replied Nathan. "Do you understand?" asked Nathan. "I don't understand!" shouted Nathan. + Nathan replied, "I don't understand." Nathan asked, "Do you understand?" Nathan shouted, "I don't understand!" + He wrote in 1946 that, "The key word in digital computer is 'digital'." + +* Ellipsis, '...'. + + 1 Ellipsis used to show that something has been omitted, indicate missing + words in an incomplete quotation. + +Example: + + [1] Chomsky suggested that, "Language is a system that...can be described in + an algebraic notation." + +* Dash, '-', '--'. + + 1 The dash should be used when making a brief interruption within a + statement, a sudden change of thought, an additional comment, or a dramatic + qualification. + +* Parentheses '()'. + + 1 Use parentheses to clarify, to place an afterthought, or to add a personal + comment. Be sure to include the period after the closing parenthesis. + +Example: + + [1] Steve Case (AOL's former CEO) resigned from the Time-Warner board of + directors in 2005. + [1] You will need a flashlight for the camping trip (don't forget the + batteries!). + [1] Most grammarians believe that parentheses and commas are always + interchangeable (I disagree). + +* Brackets '[]'. + + 1 Use brackets to signify an editor's note in a regular piece of writing. You + can also use brackets to clarify or to revise a direct quote so that it + appeals to your own writing. + 2 The first brackets are rounded, and brackets inside brackets are squared. + +Example: + + [1] "[The blast] was absolutely devastating," said Susan Smith. + +* Slash '/'. + + 1 Use the slash to separate "and" and "or", when appropriate. + 2 The slash can replace the word "and" to join two nouns. + 3 The slash is used when quoting lyrics and poetry to denote a line break. Be + sure to add spaces between your slashes here. + +Example: + + [1] To register, you will need your driver's license and/or your birth + certificate." + [2] The student/part-time employee has very little free time. + [3] "Row, row, row your boat / gently down the stream / life is but a dream." +