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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1answer
28 views
Punctuation for a Shakespeare quote
I am putting a quote on a plaque, but am uncertain how to punctuate it. Any help would be appreciated.
"This above all: to thine own self be true"
Do I put in a comma (which is in the original ...
3
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0answers
43 views
Is “qo” a step in the evolution of the question mark?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_mark
According to the wikipedia article I've linked to above, "qo" was sometimes used in the middle ages to abbreviate the latin word "questio" in the way that we ...
5
votes
3answers
101 views
If , as John Lawler says, orthography is not part of language, how can these commas interfere with today's discussion about gun control? [duplicate]
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
I read an interesting article on The New York ...
0
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2answers
49 views
Correct punctuation with two nouns? [duplicate]
There's an old play on words that goes like so:
Grammar: The difference between helping your uncle Jack off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse.
I've been told that it should ...
21
votes
4answers
1k views
How should I punctuate around quotes?
The American convention in quotations is (typically) to place punctuation inside quoted text. But I always run into situations where the punctuation of the quote interferes with the punctuation of the ...
-2
votes
2answers
51 views
Use of commas before a quote [closed]
In the following sentence, should there be a comma after the word slogan?
The 1958 Ford Edsel was advertised with the slogan "Once you've seen it, you'll never forget it."
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votes
3answers
46 views
“It may be updated below.” or “It may be updated, below.” [closed]
Which is the correct way to punctuate this sentence? Is the comma necessary?
Context:
The following is our initial estimate. It may be udpated, below.
The intent is to say that half a page from ...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Punctuation in English language [closed]
What are the most common rules of punctuation in English? And is there a possibility that the rules may differ in British and American usage?
3
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1answer
57 views
How to use hyphens appropriately when listing multiple hyphenated terms?
If multiple hyphenated terms share the same latter half, and I wish to list them without repeating that latter half, how should the hyphens be placed?
For example:
"I will be investigating ...
-2
votes
1answer
57 views
Correct comma placement in this sentence
Consider x, when the regulator is set to zero the integrand in x reduces to y.
Is this the correct comma placement? My thinking was "Consider x" is an introductory phrase, so it is OK to place ...
7
votes
3answers
261 views
Punctuation of an exclamative question
What is the proper way of writing an exclamative question:
What are you doing!?
What are you doing?!
or is it better to just leave it as a simple question?
1
vote
1answer
124 views
'[sic]' to indicate punctuation errors
Can [sic] be used to highlight a punctuational error?
In the sentence below, the bracketed sic would obviously denote that the punctuation preceding it was an error — that is, a semicolon ...
0
votes
0answers
57 views
Should a sentence ending with “Ph.D.” end with one or two periods? [duplicate]
Should a sentence ending with the word Ph. D. end with one or two periods?
He has a Ph.D.
He has a Ph.D..
Is there some established formatting rule for this situation? It might be a ...
2
votes
1answer
62 views
Use semicolon or period when telling a result of an action?
If you look at these sentences, the second one is result of the first:
Alex shouts and feels pain in his leg, and he rubs the place with hand and looks at the leg. His leg swelled little bit.
So ...
1
vote
1answer
62 views
What punctuation should follow after a list introduced by a colon?
The whole department: John, Jeff, Jean, and the accountant [?] were thrown into jail.
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8answers
8k views
Is there a standard ordering for the question mark and the exclamation mark used together?
We've all wanted to express certain questions, rhetorical or not, with annoyance, excitement, surprise, frustration and so on. What better way than with both a question mark (?) and an exclamation ...
0
votes
2answers
74 views
What to do about multiple sentences following a colon?
For example:
It happened only a handful of times in my lifetime: once when I went to the store. It just had to be done. There was no choice. Another when heading to the beach in 2013...
Should I ...
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0answers
62 views
Punctuations and “tumbles down the hill”
He jump but hardly reaches the stone and tumbles down the hill. He tries to catch some other edge or stone as he falls and catches a small hole with his two fingers in the left hand.
Something ...
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0answers
59 views
two comma between two words - comma and then comma [closed]
Their anger reduce gradually, and then, they sit down.
Please ignore the logical mistakes if any in the above sentence. My question is mainly on the comma(, and then,) ? Is that correct?
2
votes
2answers
134 views
Exclamation point inside a sentence
While reading the free Kindle edition of She by H. Rider Haggard (originally published in 1887), I noticed sentences like this one:
But now, to my intense horror, I knew that I could never put ...
-2
votes
0answers
28 views
Natural dialogue vs. comma splice [closed]
"Hello, Denver, this is Charlotte calling(;)(,) here are the results of the tests." Would a comma suffice in this sentence or should I use a semicolon. My dilemma is that it is dialogue and has to be ...
0
votes
3answers
90 views
Comma or full stop after ''come on''?
I’ve always wondered whether you should put a full stop or a comma after come on.
Come on, it’s just over there!
Come on. It’s just over there!
Which one is right?
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votes
0answers
49 views
Using otherwise to predicate an adjective. Should a pair of commas be used?
I would like to highlight the fact that the parameters are typically static in the following sentence:
In the case of this design the user can modify, otherwise static, parameters by using nested ...
0
votes
1answer
76 views
Do you have to capitalize a question that is after a comma?
Do you have to capitalize a question that is after a comma?
Example:
I'm not hungry, why do I have to eat?
EDIT
The sentence are formed by dependent clauses with the next structure:
...
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votes
0answers
26 views
More than one subordinate clause punctuation
How would a sentence with more than one subordinate clause be punctuated. Try this:
Jenny's awed expression says it all as she gazes around the opulent hotel lobby (,?) while Phil relaxes in his ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
Comma or semicolon when omitting a conjunction
Perhaps someone could clarify the accepted punctuation for a sentence where a conjunction has been omitted. I'm quite clear about when a coordinating conjunction has been omitted but not as clear for ...
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 ...
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3answers
104 views
Comma usage near title in quotes
I can't seem to find any answer in my high school grammar textbook regarding the use of commas after titles that appear in quotes. Is this question addressed by American style guides?
I recently ...
2
votes
1answer
89 views
Why ; is called semicolon and what is its history? [closed]
Semi- is a Latin prefix meaning "half" and colon is another punctuation.
Should I therefore say that semicolon is a halved colon?
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Comma usage around the word 'still.'
When I read the following sentence out loud to myself, it seems to me that there should be a brief pause before and after the word 'still,' based on how it is being used in the sentence. However, I am ...
0
votes
1answer
47 views
Caveats of punctuation of nested quotes
I've found "How to punctuate a quote within a quote?" where the correct punctuation for the given example of nested quotes was:
“He leaned close to me, and said in a gravely and drunken voice, ...
0
votes
1answer
59 views
Is a period needed in a mid-sentence parenthetical quotation?
In this sentence ...
Correct wool velour carpeting is used ("It didn't hold up as well as Porsche would've liked," says Jim, "and they discontinued it after a while") and the restored mahogany ...
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6answers
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Using a comma before “but”
I was once told by an English professor that a comma should never be used before but in a sentence. For years, I have followed her advice but sometimes I just feel like it just needs to be there. On ...
3
votes
3answers
584 views
Writing “the class of 2014” in a résumé?
Is “class of 2014” correct?
Is “class of ’14” correct?
Assuming the reader is aware of the context, is simply using “’14” correct?
2
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6answers
3k views
Why is writing “$1” correct but writing “%100” isn't?
It seems like "%100" should be correct if "$1" is correct.
10
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2answers
3k views
Punctuation after “P.S.”
Somewhere in the craggy quagmire of my memory, I seem to recall that the nuns of my grade school days taught me that a P.S. (post script) is followed by a colon, i.e. P.S.:
Alas, the periods after ...
0
votes
3answers
94 views
Would you use a period after text: Thank you for helping to build the new building
My boss told me that I shouldn't have a period after the text:
Thank you for helping to build the new building.
She said that it is not a complete sentence.
2
votes
2answers
54 views
How would we punctuate a sentence which ends in an abbreviation and exclamation mark or question mark? [duplicate]
I was wondering what to do if I have abbreviation at the end of a sentence which ends in a question mark.
What is Google inc.?
What is Google inc.
What is Google inc?
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votes
2answers
5k views
How to write “till now” in a résumé? [closed]
I am writing a résumé. I want to specify that I started my education in 2009 and as of now I am at the 4th grade (in other words, still learning), so how should I specify that in résumé:
2009 - ...
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votes
1answer
132 views
Correct punctuation in song lyrics that aren't necessarily good English [closed]
Lots of music contains repetitions, incomplete sentences, and slang. I want to know if there's a "correct" way to add punctuation and breaks when transcribing the lyrics.
Take for example an excerpt ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
When is it appropriate to end a question without a question mark?
Basically, if I ask a rhetorical question, it's not really prompting for an answer. Does that mean it should not end in a question mark?
Here are two examples:
"What's New" used as a title for a ...
3
votes
1answer
693 views
Does a comma have to be used before 'because'?
I have a big house because my parents are rich.
I have a big house, because my parents are rich.
Are there are some exceptions as well?
3
votes
2answers
261 views
Punctuation with block-quotes
How do I properly place a comma after a big block-quote? Let's say I have a sentence like this:
The author states: < a big quote goes here. >, therefore...
Since my sentence continues after ...
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votes
3answers
96 views
Bracketed Capital Letter [duplicate]
What does the bracketed capital letter indicate in the revised version below? Is it essential, per the rules of proper punctuation, to do so? Are the ellipsis points (i.e., the spacing of the dots) ...
1
vote
4answers
171 views
Usage of brackets/parentheses [closed]
When and how do we use the different kinds of brackets/parentheses — (){}[] — while writing English (not code)?
0
votes
1answer
142 views
What's the name of a large curly brace? [duplicate]
I'm looking for a particular element for a project and I'm not sure what to google. What's the name of that large brace that is used to group items together? A crude Paint rendition:
5
votes
1answer
829 views
Symbol, punctuation, or abbreviation that indicates a “paraphrase”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the proper use of [square brackets] in quotes?
This question is born of practical necessity - one that I encountered while quoting a reference in "another" Stack ...
1
vote
1answer
116 views
What punctuation mark should I use? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the proper use of [square brackets] in quotes?
What do brackets in a quote mean?
When I add information beside a word in a Bible verse, what bracket should I ...
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votes
1answer
60 views
What is the best way in which to understand bracketed text?
Though a native English-speaker, I've always had trouble understanding bracketed text. It's fairly clear that parenthesis indicate "optional" text, as in below:
The (unusually quick) man stormed ...
5
votes
2answers
7k views
What is the proper use of [square brackets] in quotes?
I sometimes see square brackets used while quoting. My assumption is that they are replacing a pronoun with what the object of the pronoun, but I never know for sure because I don't usually get to ...
