# HG changeset patch # User Oleksandr Gavenko # Date 1476384323 -10800 # Node ID eddc8cb6aec76ffd32d94a38ba88e4f0a655c65e # Parent 071ba8ee0aaf435a1f21785d89dd5c9d73e1975e Remove some dumb/archaic rules. diff -r 071ba8ee0aaf -r eddc8cb6aec7 www/en-punctuation_en.rst --- a/www/en-punctuation_en.rst Thu Oct 13 20:39:20 2016 +0300 +++ b/www/en-punctuation_en.rst Thu Oct 13 21:45:23 2016 +0300 @@ -1,39 +1,46 @@ .. -*- coding: utf-8 -*- -============================ - English Punctuation Guide. -============================ +=========================== + English Punctuation Guide +=========================== +.. contents:: + :local: -Punctuation symbol. -=================== -:: +Punctuation symbol +================== + +``.`` full stop (period USA) + +``?`` question mark + +``!`` exclamation mark + +``""`` single quotation marks - ! exclamation mark - "" single quotation marks - '' double quotation marks - ' apostrophe - , comma - - hyphen - . full stop (period USA) - : colon - ; semi colon - ? question mark - ... ellipsis +``''`` double quotation marks + +````` apostrophe + +``-`` hyphen + +``,`` comma -General rules. -============== +``:`` colon + +``;`` semicolon + +``...`` 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. + * Put a comma (plus a space) before conjunction. + * The semicolon ``;`` is not widely used in English. -Capital letter. -=============== +Capital letter +============== 1. A capital is used for the first letter of a new sentence, of quoted speech or proper nouns. @@ -64,8 +71,8 @@ [7] After a long, hot summer she married him on a sultry Saturday in September. [8] January 1 is New Year's Day. -Spaces. -======= +Spaces +====== * Put one space after punctuation. * Put no spaces before punctuation, but always put a space between words. @@ -74,26 +81,21 @@ * 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 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). +* Exclamation marks act as a full stop. +* An exclamation mark is most often used to show shock, surprise, horror or + pleasure. +* Put space after an exclamation mark, not before. Examples:: Oh! Wow! Brilliant! It was shocking! -Apostrophe, "'". -================ +Apostrophe, ``'`` +================= * Apostrophes next to the letter ('s) indicate possession or belonging. * They are also used to show missing letters in shortened words, especially in @@ -105,8 +107,8 @@ 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, ','. -=========== +Comma, ``,`` +============ 1. Separate items in long lists. 2. Commas point out brief pauses in a complex sentence or a long @@ -116,10 +118,8 @@ 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. - 7. You do not put a space before a comma, but you do need a space after - one. + 6. Use a comma if your subject has two or more adjectives describing it. + 7. You do not put a space before a comma, but you do need a space after one. 8. We don't usually put a comma before the word 'and'. Examples:: @@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ [5] My only sister, who is a fantastic tennis player, is in great shape. [6] The powerful, resonating sound caught our attention. -Colon, ':'. -=========== +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 @@ -155,49 +155,45 @@ at breakfast time. [3] He announced to his friends: "I'm getting married!" -Full stop (period), '.'. -======================== +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. - 3. You do not put a space before a full stop, but you do need at least - one space after one (two spaces for purists). + 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 written twice. + 3. You do not put a space before a full stop, but after one. Examples:: [1] My name is Lynn. I am a teacher. [2] An overhead projector is often referred to as an O.H.P. -Hyphen, '-'. -============ +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. +* 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. Examples:: There were ninety-nine red balloons. -Question mark, '?'. -=================== +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. 3. For quotes within quotes, use single quotes. - 4. You do not put a space before a question mark, but you do need at - least one space after one (two spaces for purists). + 4. You do not put a space before a question mark, but after one. Examples:: [1] Is my name Lynn? Of course it is. [2] It's a nice day, isn't it? -Semicolon, ';'. -=============== +Semicolon, ``;`` +================ 1. Semicolons are used to separate two sentences that would otherwise be joined with a word such as 'and', 'because', 'since', 'unless' or @@ -212,10 +208,10 @@ [2] They plan to study German, for their travels; chemistry, for their work; and literature, for their own enjoyment. -Quotation mark (speech mark), '""', "''". -========================================= +Quotation mark (speech mark), ``""``, ``''`` +============================================ -Double quotes '""', single quotes "''". +Double quotes ``""``, single quotes ``''``. * Quotation marks (single or double) are used to show words that are directly spoken (direct speech). @@ -244,8 +240,8 @@ Nathan shouted, "I don't understand!" He wrote in 1946 that, "The key word in digital computer is 'digital'." -Ellipsis, '...'. -================ +Ellipsis, ``...`` +================= 1. Ellipsis used to show that something has been omitted, indicate missing words in an incomplete quotation. @@ -255,15 +251,15 @@ [1] Chomsky suggested that, "Language is a system that...can be described in an algebraic notation." -Dash, '-', '--'. -================ +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 '()'. -================= +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 @@ -278,8 +274,8 @@ [1] Most grammarians believe that parentheses and commas are always interchangeable (I disagree). -Brackets '[]'. -============== +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 @@ -291,8 +287,8 @@ [1] "[The blast] was absolutely devastating," said Susan Smith. -Slash '/'. -========== +Slash ``/`` +=========== 1. Use the slash to separate "and" and "or", when appropriate. 2. The slash can replace the word "and" to join two nouns.