Punctuation is the term used for the marks, such as the period/full stop, comma, dash, and parentheses, used to separate structural units, and perform other roles that clarify the meaning.
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2answers
198 views
What is the origin of the '.' (full stop/period) [closed]
What is the origin of the '.' (Full stop/period) in written English? Is it known when this sign appeared the first time in written English?
1
vote
2answers
742 views
How to punctuate a quoted rhetorical interrogative sentence that ends a declarative sentence?
Below is the sentence I am writing. I am not sure whether I should just end it with an interrogation mark within the quotes, with a period within the quotes, no in-quote punctuation except ...
7
votes
3answers
219 views
Can I say this in English: “Hard- and Software”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Use of hyphens when writing repeated compound words that has common parts
In German we can use a hyphen as indication that there is a continuation of the current word ...
-1
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1answer
529 views
Is there a comma after and/or before though in a sentence?
Is there a comma after and/or before "though" in a sentence?
For example, I am talking about a method that is very slow. At the end of the paragraph I say:
We will see in the following sections ...
1
vote
2answers
163 views
Ands and Commas
I'm trying to construct a relative clause that's deliberately crammed with a lot of info. This is to illustrate to someone the flexibility of relative clauses (versus adjectives).
Here's my ...
0
votes
1answer
68 views
Is this comma splice? [closed]
Running outdoors burns about five percent more calories than running on a tread mill, in part because there is greater wind resistance outdoors.
Apparently this is correct and there is no comma ...
1
vote
1answer
169 views
Do I need a comma after “when in (%time)”?
The company had just started to make money when in 1914 the World War put an end to its aspirations.
OR:
The company had just started to make money when in 1914, the World War put an end to ...
-1
votes
3answers
97 views
Use of comma after “accidentally” [closed]
Is a comma required after accidentally?
I accidentally sent you the wrong number.
4
votes
2answers
159 views
Proper punctuation of “John’s last words were ‘———’ ” [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How should I punctuate around quotes?
When attributing a quote to someone, you put a comma before the quote:
John said, "———"
But is the comma still used in the ...
1
vote
3answers
447 views
Comma or semicolon after “No” when responding to a question
Given this question:
Will I have any migration issues with all of the files after the upgrade?
Which of these are correct?
No, the new software can still open the old files.
or
No; the ...
2
votes
2answers
116 views
Forward slashes: are they acceptable in Commonwealth English prose?
In Commonwealth English is it acceptable to write this in a magazine article:
If there are there any nearby towns/villages …
0
votes
2answers
160 views
Comma comes before the full subject
I am trying to teach my students about commas and one of them asked if generally, not all the time, a comma comes before the full subject. I believe this is 90% of the time the case. I was wondering ...
1
vote
2answers
701 views
What's the double hyphen after greetings in emails?
I usually see just format in the emails I receive daily:
Hello Dorian--
I'm calling you in regard with the something...
Thanks,
I see comma after the greetings too but I am not sure ...
2
votes
0answers
30 views
“Please” and comma [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
In what cases should I use a comma after “please”?
Do I have to use comma after "please" in the beginning of the sentence?
E.g.
"Please, specify the ...
2
votes
0answers
36 views
husband-and-wife team or husband and wife team? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When is it necessary to use a hyphen in writing a compound word?
Referring to a sentence from an online magazine:
"Lonely Planet was started in 1975, when the British ...
3
votes
1answer
148 views
Entire sentence in parentheses
I am formatting a new book for my company and ran into a problem.
There is a sentence that reads:
Before beginning, watch Part I in the DVD series, God & the History of Art. (If available as ...
0
votes
0answers
28 views
How should punctuation marks be arranged next to quotation marks or parentheses? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
When should end punctuation go inside quotes?
Where does the period go when using parentheses?
Here is an example:
My favorite word is "cat."
Here is another ...
2
votes
6answers
290 views
Are these commas placed correctly?
This is the sentence from a newspaper:
Gu Kailai, wife of a Chinese politician at the centre of a major scandal, did not deny murdering a British man during her one-day trial that ended on ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Punctuation in “or in other words”
In a Math.SE question, I used the sentence:
“some two of these propositions are true and the third one is false”, or in other words, “exactly 2 of 3 propositions are true”
Here I used “or in ...
0
votes
7answers
735 views
Full stop, double stop, period and colon
At different times I see "full stop" used online. Does this just mean a period, or is it something more or less? I would assume it refers to a period specifically at the end of a sentence, but does it ...
0
votes
2answers
3k views
“Especially” and commas
I'm curious about the correct usage of commas in the following sentence:
"Secondary electron emission from metallic and especially dielectric surfaces is a fundamental process of great technological ...
0
votes
3answers
395 views
Punctuation of sentence ending with the word “period” for emphasis
I really enjoyed The Dark Knight Rises and want to send a grammatically correct tweet about it. Unfortunately correct punctuation of the following eludes me:
In other news The Dark Knight Rises ...
7
votes
3answers
490 views
Is a comma necessary in “What’s funny, is …”?
In the sentence
What’s funny is Cat’s dry humour.
Wouldn’t it be better to put a comma after “funny”:
What’s funny, is Cat’s dry humour.
This question entails a (at the time of writing) ...
0
votes
1answer
145 views
What’s the proper punctation for: “Work”, you ask?
I’m writing a tweet that starts with:
Put on a tie today. “Work,” you ask?
But I’m not sure where the punctuation should be. Is the above correct? Or, is it something like:
Put on a tie ...
4
votes
2answers
185 views
Punctuation following “along the lines of ”
When the phrase “along the lines of” introduces an indirect quote, what punctuation, if any, is used?
This is the original sentence that brought up the issue:
I heard replies along the lines of ...
3
votes
2answers
158 views
Quotation mark usage in the sentence given
A leading article in Britain's Independent newspaper has the following (my emphasis):
It is also evident, albeit in a different form, in the Global Investment Summit that opened on Thursday with a ...
4
votes
3answers
226 views
Punctuating a phrase leading up to a question
In formal writing (like a technical paper), is there a generally accepted way to punctuate the break between an introductory phrase and a question in a sentence like this?
Let's ask ourselves ...
2
votes
5answers
1k views
Semicolons at the end of list items
In school, we were taught to end each list item with a semicolon. But I have never actually seen this. Can somebody please confirm this? Should we end each list item with anything at all?
I've seen ...
1
vote
2answers
198 views
Comma in “more than $6 billion to settle a long-running lawsuit, in a pact that also permits”
Visa Inc., MasterCard Inc. and some large banks agreed to pay scores of retailers—from giant Publix Supermarkets Inc. to an interior-design store in Minnesota—more than $6 billion to settle a ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
Apostrophe usage
I'm having a disagrement with the correct use of the apostrophe in the following sentence.
It is your responsibility to declare your fuel purchase at the checkout and not the stores.
I think ...
6
votes
2answers
639 views
How does using a semicolon or a full stop change meaning?
Federal agencies and Wal-Mart are investigating the charges; C. J.’s Seafood did not respond to The Times’s request for comment.
In this statement, what is the effect of semicolon in the meaning ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
What is the correct punctuation to use in this case?
If I have a sentence like:
The royal family is extremely rich: The sled that pulls the princess
is shaped like a golden swan, the celebrations last 3 days, and the
bride and groom walk under a ...
2
votes
0answers
59 views
Dot and parenthesis at the end of line/sentence, how to deal? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Where does the period go when using parentheses?
If I had a parenthesis at the end of the sentence, do I put the dot before or after it?
For example, do I write:
I ...
6
votes
2answers
269 views
Letter-shape as Description
I’ve got a text using phrases like “an L-shaped room” and “around the bend of the L”. I’ve heard this usage in speech, but not before in writing.
Is there any standard way to indicate that a letter ...
6
votes
3answers
5k views
Capital letter after ellipsis
I was talking to a friend of mine over Skype, and I typed this:
Ok... Now I want more pork pie.
I'd like to know, should there be a capital letter after the ellipsis …? Should it be written the ...
5
votes
1answer
851 views
Punctuation of direct speech, edge cases
I recently learned that I have developed a consistent, but entirely wrong approach to punctuating direct speech in fiction. I am in the unenviable position of trying to relearn.
Previously I wrote ...
5
votes
1answer
263 views
What is the name for punctuation marks such as commas and periods that separate things like clauses or sentences?
When I'm editing people's writing, I recently started writing the comment "put an article here" rather than "put a 'the' or 'a' here".
Similarly, right now I have to put, "you need a comma or period ...
4
votes
2answers
180 views
“E.g.” or “e. g.” (with a blank)?
What is the correct form, and why, in scientific papers (US English)?
e.g.
e. g.
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votes
2answers
123 views
Can I omit a colon and use a comma instead in this sentence to dramatize?
original sentence -> The purpose is to disclose some information
new sentence -> the purpose: to disclose some information
last version(I'm asking about) -> The purpose, to disclose information
2
votes
1answer
513 views
Multiple sentences inside parenthesis
I have read the few questions about punctuations in parenthesis, but I think none of them answers my question. I've looked at:
Where does the question mark go — inside or outside the parentheses?
In ...
4
votes
2answers
310 views
Who ''coined'' the term “scare quotes,” and why is the word “scare” used?
I have seen this term used frequently and I had never heard of it until a few months ago. I am wondering if most readers of general newspapers and magazines (where such a term is often used) are aware ...
0
votes
0answers
33 views
full-stop / period before or after closing bracket? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
In which cases is a comma/period placed inside or outside of parentheses?
Is the convention (write something in brackets.) And start a new sentence.
or is it (More like ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Usage of “and” and comma when writing numbers UK style
I am trying to understand the rules for writing numbers in words under the UK rules (with "and"). I understand how to write small numbers (up to a few thousands), but I am not sure when to use "and" ...
1
vote
2answers
160 views
It doesn't matter if you're [blank]
How should I punctuate "it doesn't matter if you're [blank]" to disambiguate the following two sentences:
Q: "Which hand should I use to shoot a basketball?"
A: "It doesn't matter if you're ...
3
votes
1answer
137 views
In “type of guy” constructions, do you use hyphens or not? For example [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
To hyphenate or not?
"Did you see this silly poll? It says that if I were a superhero, I would be Captain America."
"Really? I don't know; I see you as more of a ...
2
votes
2answers
608 views
Plurals of quotations: “Chorus of ‘Hello’s”; “Ooh”s & “Ah”s
Is there a way to pluralize a quotation? E.g.,
He was greeted with a chorus of “Hello”s.
or
Her daring earned “Ooh”s & “Ahh”s from around the room.
With actual dictionary words ...
24
votes
6answers
1k views
Punctuating question tags: A question mark is always required, isn't it. (Well, isn't it?)
Consider the sentence:
You didn't leave the dog in the car, did you?
In oral English, this statement may be spoken with a rising intonation or a falling one. If the former, it suggests that ...
1
vote
3answers
180 views
Two-part verbs — how to “factorize” a noun
What is the correct way to punctuate the following sentence?
X can be explained by and obtained out of Y.
X can be explained by, and obtained out of, Y.
6
votes
3answers
455 views
Straight quotes vs. curly quotes in formal writing [closed]
Should I use “ or " in very formal English writing?
4
votes
1answer
239 views
Is it proper grammar to omit an ending quote at the end of a paragraph? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How should I use quotation marks in sections of multi-line dialogue?
Why aren't double quotes always closed?
In some books I've read, the ending quote will be omitted if ...
