Questions tagged [punctuation]

This tag is for questions about punctuation. This encompasses marks such as the period/full stop, comma, dash, and parentheses, used to separate structural units and perform other roles that clarify the meaning. USE THE 'SYMBOLS' tag for currency symbols, accents and so forth.

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1 vote
2 answers
789 views

AE/Scientific language: When to use a comma before "which"

I'm struggling with the question whether to put a comma before "which" in many instances. While the general rule is "if the content after which is necessary to understand the rest of ...
3 votes
6 answers
37k views

When does a comma change the meaning of a sentence?

Match the two sentences with their meaning: 1) I had a discussion with a friend and a programmer. 2) I had a discussion with a friend, and a programmer. Meanings: a) I talked to a friend ...
1 vote
2 answers
710 views

Stops or dashes for pauses in dialogue

What is the correct punctuation when one wants to include breaks or pauses in dialogue? Sometimes I use stops. For example, "It is possible...I...could be wrong." I have heard this is wrong and ...
0 votes
1 answer
90 views

Parentheses preceding the subject? [closed]

I've been thinking about the following pattern for some time: Linseed oil... soaks into the (visible and microscopic) pores When I was a kid, this wasn't the way I was taught to use parentheses: ...
2 votes
1 answer
183 views

Hyphens with "vs." and "versus"... with time frames as well, such as a.m. and p.m

Are hyphens needed on each side of "vs." and "versus" below? And are hyphens required/needed on each side of "to" with the phrasal adjective involving time in the last example? They are phrasal ...
0 votes
1 answer
25k views

How to punctuate two quotes within a sentence

Should I put a period at the end of the first quote within this sentence? We often hear, "That's not me." or "I wasn't raised that way." OR should it read: "That's not me" or "I wasn't raised ...
3 votes
1 answer
10k views

Usage of 'in in' in a sentence

Is punctuation required between the repeated in's? "...users who are still active yet haven't logged in in more than x days..."
3 votes
3 answers
2k views

Book Title With Exclamation Mark Followed by a comma

I was wondering if the following sentence is written correct for an essay: From 1607 to 1700, according to Eric Foner in his book Give Me Liberty!, over half a million people migrated to America ...
3 votes
3 answers
515 views

Rule of punctuation when a principal sentence is followed by two or more subordinate sentences

I put below a text I found in a written reply I came across: "...in the Audit Report, it is stated that we did not rebut the Draft Audit Report (DAR). The actual fact is otherwise: we had prepared ...
0 votes
0 answers
15 views

hyphen used to mean "to" [duplicate]

In nonfiction, can the hyphen be used for dual purposes (i.e., between figures and in compound modifiers) within the same phrase? Unfortunately, I cannot recast these commonly uttered phrases. This ...
0 votes
1 answer
941 views

Position of question mark after a quotation (that is not itself a question) and a citation [duplicate]

In British English, where should one place the question mark in the following sentence? Was it true that "the food was all gone" (Bloggs, 2013, p. 287) Inside the quotation marks, after them, or ...
11 votes
3 answers
26k views

Proper Apostrophe Usage with Initialisms: CCS' or CCS's?

I work with a company whose name is frequently reduced to an initialism (acronym). Let's say the name is "Cool Computer Systems" (CCS). I am engaged in an ongoing, bloody battle with the ...
0 votes
1 answer
55 views

What's intended by the semi-colon in this sentence? [duplicate]

Purposely means both "on purpose, by design; intentionally, deliberately". Why use a semi-colon here rather than a comma?
27 votes
2 answers
14k views

What is the name of the glyph that separates sections of a chapter? [duplicate]

What is the mark of punctuation called that sometimes separates sections of a chapter with a glyph placed in the middle between the margins? It's hard to explain, but here's a picture. Does this have ...
1 vote
2 answers
63 views

Is "$50-to-$75-million-a-year business" confusing?

Is "$50-to-$75-million-a-year business" confusing? (No, I cannot recast as much as I'd like to.) Could $50 above be initially construed as fifty dollars? Or is the phrase clear as I have it? I ...
3 votes
0 answers
636 views

Using a slash (/) between multi-word phrases [duplicate]

How would you suggest using a forward slash (/) between multi-word phrases? Should a slash be even used between multi-word phrases? For example - Following are the open/in progress issues. or ...
0 votes
0 answers
162 views

Is it "first-degree-murder charges" or "first-degree murder charges"?

Is it "first-degree-murder charges" or "first-degree murder charges"? Is " first-degree-murder" bundled together to modify "charges"? Or is "first-degree" bundled together to modify "murder charges"...
1 vote
1 answer
27k views

Is "family-owned-and-operated business" punctuated correctly?

Is "family-owned-and-operated business" punctuated correctly? Yes or no? Certainly looks better than: a family-owned- and -operated business And in predicative position, is this okay? "The business ...
3 votes
2 answers
14k views

Can the period be dropped in "vs" when used as part of a compound modifier?

I'm editing a passage. I'm not bound by a style guide. I think that I could omit the period after vs and not break any punctuation rules. The boss said that the hyphens are required because the names ...
1 vote
2 answers
6k views

When to use ellipsis (suspension points)

Continuing this thought: Learning English as a second language I was taught that suspension points meant uncertainty, omission of words or interrupted thoughts. There are plenty of threads ...
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

How to list a small group of people with short descriptions?

I was wondering how to list a small group of people, giving each of them a short description/introduction in a single sentence? (Or if that's bad practice, in multiple sentences?) Example: The A-...
0 votes
2 answers
142 views

Which is correct use of comma in this phrase [duplicate]

"I live in Munich", says Carlos or "I live in Munich," says Carlos Which of these 2 punctuations is correct ?
1 vote
1 answer
3k views

How to punctuate a question within a thought [duplicate]

In a third-person narrative, I want to punctuate the following sentence: Wasn't art supposed to impact the reader in an emotional way, she wondered. How would that line be punctuated? I know I ...
-1 votes
1 answer
135 views

What kind of punctuation should be used here? [duplicate]

What type of punctuation should be used in the sentence "What is Stonehenge you might ask"?
1 vote
2 answers
14k views

When is it appropriate to use a hyphen? [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate: To hyphenate or not? What is the proper way to spell "side dish"? Is it: "side dish" or "side-dish"? Also, Is it "ham-fried" or "ham fried"? Basically, when do you use ...
0 votes
1 answer
7k views

can we use 2 " 's" in a sentence like this? [closed]

I wonder if this sentence is rightly or wrongly punctuated : 'It's "How I Met Your Mother" 's time'.
1 vote
1 answer
329 views

Does the use of the symbol slash for "or" come from the use of "|" in computer programming? [closed]

Does the rise of acceptance in "/" for "or" come from the use of "|" in computer programming (For "OR")? If not is there any correlation?
0 votes
1 answer
713 views

Using comma to delimit the name of a group and its constituents?

You are probably familiar with this comic which illustrates the possible ambiguity caused by leaving out the Oxford comma: However, this strikes me as plain wrong. I thought comma would not be used ...
1 vote
2 answers
847 views

Rules on hyphenating phrases

I see a ton of questions on hyphenated words, specifically, but nothing on the more general question how/when they're supposed to be used vs omitted. Another great answer gives some general rules on ...
2 votes
1 answer
400 views

Does imperative + semicolon + declarative necessitate a causal relationship?

For instance, take the sentence "Go wash the windows; I like green bears." Given that the two clauses must be closely related because they are joined by a semicolon, is there any other way to ...
3 votes
2 answers
246 views

General term for punctuation that surrounds a word or phrase?

Is there a general term for punctuation that surrounds a word or phrase? Something that includes brackets and quotes, but there may be other types of punctuation, formal or otherwise, that have the ...
3 votes
2 answers
5k views

Comma before "with," "who," "having" for non-compound sentences

I've noticed my résumé and cover letter have multiple sentences like the ones (slightly edited) below: I offer excellent computer skills, with a typing speed of 80–120 WPM. I recently met ____,...
8 votes
2 answers
18k views

Reimplement or re-implement? [duplicate]

Which form is correct (or more correct): reimplement or re-implement? And to extend the question a little bit, are there any rules concerning both, e.g. re-scan or rescan, re-evaluation or ...
0 votes
1 answer
46 views

"Both win in this case, the students [...] and science..." is the sentence incorrect?

I am unsure regarding this usage of 'both'. A friend of mine told me it is not correct. Both win in this case, the students who learned a new technique and science with more replications. Could ...
1 vote
2 answers
706 views

What's the the proper usage of apostrophes for possession when two might be used? See example

I've looked other places online to try and find the answer to this question and was unable to confirm if I should use an apostrophe for both words or not. It seems awkward to do so but grammar rules ...
1 vote
1 answer
1k views

Quoting text that omits Oxford commas in a paper that includes Oxford commas

I'm writing a paper, and I quote several lists from a source that doesn't use Oxford commas. Sic seems way too strong for the situation, since there's no real error in the quotes, just a different ...
2 votes
0 answers
122 views

What to call a brief sentence that comes before/after the main clause with only a comma

Here is my passage. I believe I'm doing it right, but I'm not sure why. Does this have a specific name? It doesn't seem like an interjection to me, so I'm not sure why I'm so comfortable using a ...
2 votes
1 answer
3k views

Capitalization of school subjects [duplicate]

What is the rule determinating whether or not we need to capitalize them? Sometimes I see "Math" ; "Physics" in the middle of a sentence, and sometimes lower case is used.
0 votes
2 answers
32k views

Should there be a comma after "Thank you"?

Should there be a comma anywhere in the following sentence? Thank you Annie for making us proud.
1 vote
1 answer
165 views

What's the correct punctuation for the following phrase? [closed]

Suppose I am discussing two books, one authored by John Smith and James Wilson, the other authored by Anthony Jones. In comparing the two books, I wish to say: 'The disagreement between Jones and ...
0 votes
4 answers
9k views

Hyphens in "nationally top ranked" [duplicate]

In order to combine "nationally" and "top-ranked" would the resulting qualifier be written as "nationally-top-ranked" or "nationally top-ranked"? Edit: I do not immediately see the applicability of ...
1 vote
2 answers
940 views

Punctuation in an indirect quotation

Consider the brief passage: "I love your work, but calling you 'the artist' {1} just doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore. What shall I call you?" "OK. Call me George." {2} So my instincts ...
4 votes
1 answer
4k views

Number Abbreviated as "No." followed by a Colon

As I understand it, the preferred abbreviation for Number is "No." If we want to then follow that abbreviation with a colon, like in a form for instance, what does style dictate we do? Is it:...
0 votes
1 answer
412 views

Questions without a question mark (New Yorker) [duplicate]

How to listen to music How a City in France got out the World's first Short-Story vending machines How we learn fairness What makes great detective fiction according to T.S. Elliot What went wrong at ...
1 vote
2 answers
102 views

Direct speech or not

I have a question regarding the sentence below. Before the guards can move to block your path, you hear "Let him speak." Is this direct speech? And do I need a comma after hear? The word hear ...
1 vote
1 answer
49 views

Does another comma belong somewhere in this sentence?

In conclusion, their failure to properly house their animals and educate the human population are just two reasons why zoos are not as good as they claim to be. I'm trying to say that their failure ...
1 vote
2 answers
98 views

No question mark after reported question

I am not sure if this was asked before since I don't know if there is a specific terms for this usage. Is it fine not to put a question mark at the end of a sentence like this? He hadn't gone to ...
1 vote
2 answers
5k views

Use of commas and "thus far" in the "The Gettysburg Address"

It is for us the living, RATHER(should here be a comma or no comma) to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have THUS FAR so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be ...
2 votes
2 answers
377 views

Is this use of comma correct?

Are the following two sentences correct? Does the comma need to be there? Walking down the stairs, she sighed. When he told her she had missed a form, she sighed.
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

Is the punctuation of generational suffixes dropped when they occur at the end of a sentence? [duplicate]

Is the punctuation of generational suffixes (e.g. "Jr.", "Sr.") dropped when they occur at the end of a sentence? For instance, I liked Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. The obvious answer seems to be yes, ...

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