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Punctuation
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These resources provide guidelines for using punctuation in your writing.
Although punctuation marks are small, punctuation takes on significant tasks: separating ideas, relating ideas to one another, clarifying meanings, and indicating changes from one voice to another. Without proper punctuation, readers can get confused and frustrated rather quickly. The following is a brief guide to all the puncutation types you will encounter in English and activities designed to give you practice with each of them.
Sentence Punctuation
In formal and semi-formal English writing, the sentence is the smallest complete textual unit. Aside from titles, anything less than a sentence (lacking an explicit or implicit noun or an explicit or implicit verb) is not acceptable. Most sentences in English end with periods (.), while question sentences end with question marks (?), and sentences indicating very strong emotions or voice end with exclamation marks (!):
- Doris is working in accounting these days.
- (You) Bring these papers to the notary.
- (Management class begins at) 9:30 in the morning.
- What’s the minimum page length for the final paper?
- I won a full scholarship!
Questions and exclamations tend to be shorter than other sentences. Although there are no hard and fast rules to follow for sentence length, it is a good idea to keep them from becoming “run-on” sentences. If you do not limit the length, you risk confusing your audience. If a sentence you have written is getting overly long (which is probably the case if there are a lot of other punctuation marks in the sentence, or a lot of information with no punctuation at all), break it down into smaller idea units and insert periods for each:
Without Correct Punctuation
Chiyoko is doing the presentation tomorrow, it will cover Reconstruction following the American Civil War, there were so many topics that we covered in the Civil War chapter that I don’t know how she was able to choose just one, and the presentation has to be less than twenty minutes!
With Correct Punctuation
Chiyoko is doing the presentation tomorrow. It will cover Reconstruction following the American Civil War. There were so many topics that we covered in the Civil War chapter that I don’t know how she was able to choose just one. The presentation has to be less than twenty minutes!
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Welcome to the Purdue OWL Commas: Quick Rules
7. Use a comma near the end of a sentence to separate contrasted coordinate elements or to indicate a distinct pause or shift.
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Every Punctuation Mark Matters: A Minilesson on Semicolons
- Resources & Preparation
- Instructional Plan
- Related Resources
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" demonstrates that even the smallest punctuation mark signals a stylistic decision, distinguishing one writer from another and enabling an author to move an audience. In this minilesson, students first explore Dr. King's use of semicolons and their rhetorical significance. They then apply what they have learned by searching for ways to follow Dr. King's model and use the punctuation mark in their own writing. Note that while this lesson refers to the "Letter from Birmingham Jail," any text which features rhetorically significant use of semicolons can be effective for this minilesson.
Featured Resources
Examples of Dr. King's Use of Semicolons, shorter passages : Use these excerpts from "Letter from Birmingham Jail" to analyze Dr. King's stylistic choices regarding use of the semicolon.
Example of Dr. King's Use of Semicolons, longer passage : This excerpt is useful for examining how Dr. King's use of the semicolon relates to the rhetorical device of repetition.
Example from Dr. King's Letter with No Semicolons : This passage gives students an opportunity to decide where they would place semicolons.
From Theory to Practice
Years of research and anecdotal evidence demonstrate that traditional methods of grammar instruction simply do not work. One common complaint about grammar instruction stems from its lack of context-its reliance, for example, on abstract rules and bare examples. While these stark examples clarify grammatical ideas, they fail to capture language, including its grammar and punctuation, in action, in the real-life texts that surround us. By incorporating the texts that students read or compose on their own, this lesson highlights the thoughtful choice of the semicolon to create rhetorical effect in an audience, demonstrating how one author uses the seemingly insignificant punctuation mark to express his ideas and urges students to follow the model in their own writing. Only by exploring language in context, written for a particular time and place, can students discern the subtle ways that punctuation affects meaning.
Further Reading
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
- 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
- 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
- 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Materials and Technology
- Grammar Handbook, for reference
- General classroom writing supplies (board, overheads, or chart paper, notebooks and pens/pencils, and so forth)
- Internet access
- PDF version , from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project (not printable)
- Image of original , from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project (not printable)
- HTML version , from the Seattle Times (printable)
- Examples of Dr. King's Use of Semicolons, shorter passages
- Example of Dr. King's Use of Semicolons, longer passage
- Example from Dr. King's Letter with No Semicolons
This definitive version of the letter is copyright and cannot be printed.
Preparation
- Students should be assigned to read the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" prior to this class session, so that they are familiar with the text and its contents before they begin this activity. You can make copies of the letter for your students from the Website above, or direct students to the URL for one of the sites to read the text online.
- Ideally, students should be given time to explore the timeline at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project Website, which documents the highlights of Dr. King's life. Be sure to take time to discuss the ideas from the letter and its historical context.
- Consult the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" from the Univeristy of Pennsylvania for background information on the letter.
- Provide paper copies of the text for each student-because students will be looking closely at the text, they should have a copy of the letter that they can mark on (e.g., circle semicolons).
- Make copies of the handouts of the shorter passages and the longer passage as well as the handout of a passage with no semicolons from Dr. King's letter for students. Alternatively, make overheads of these pages and arrange for an overhead projector.
- Check your grammar textbook for information on semicolons, noting the pertinent section or page number on the board for students' reference. Alternatively, you can point students to the Purdue OWL Overview of Punctuation .
Student Objectives
Students will
- explore the use of the semicolon in their own and others' texts.
- review the rhetorical use and significance of the semicolon.
- revise their own writing, based on the stylistic knowledge gained from their exploration.
Instruction & Activities
- Ask students, working alone or in groups, to search out and circle as many semicolons in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" as they can find. Be aware that owing to different editors, the copies of King's letter included in many anthologies exhibit slightly different punctuation and phrasing. Nevertheless, these varied texts demonstrate fairly consistent punctuation, including semicolons. If there is a pertinent question regarding a semicolon, the copies of the letter on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project Website should be considered the definitive texts, as they are the copyright versions endorsed by the King family.
- Once students have had a chance to work through the letter, ask them to share passages that they have found with the class.
- Pass out the handout of sample shorter passages that use semicolons, or display the sentences on an overhead projector. Students will use these sentences to analyze Dr. King's punctuation in context, as the rhetorical work of an author trying to connect with an audience that may or may not agree with his political protest.
- Ask students to go through the sentences circling the semicolons.
- Why did Dr. King use a semicolon here instead of a stronger period or a weaker comma?
- How does this semicolon shape the meaning of its sentence, its paragraph, the work as a whole?
- Does this semicolon help King to reach his audience? Why or why not?
- Look closely at a longer passage from the letter . Begin by reading the passage aloud.
- Where does Dr. King use repetition in the passage? What is the point of the repetition?
- Where does Dr. King use semicolons in the passage? What ideas do the semicolons join?
- Why would Dr. King choose one sentence with semicolons over two or three short sentences?
- Where does Dr. King use short sentences in the passage? What role does the short sentence play rhetorically?
- What overall conclusions can you draw about Dr. King's style, including his use of sentence length and punctuation, from this passage?
- Next turn to students' own decisions about when to use the semicolon. Share the handout of a passage which does not use semicolons . Begin by reading the passage aloud.
- Ask students to imagine that they are the letter's authors and to identify places in the passage where they might insert a semicolon. Give them a few minutes to explore the passage alone or in groups.
- After students have had sufficient time, ask them to identify places where they would insert semicolons in the passage. Students will typically choose more than one place. Some join the sentences beginning "A just law" and "An unjust law"; others may choose to join the two sentences that begin "Any law." Encourage students to share the possibilities they have identified.
- Why are these two sentences related?
- What rhetorical advantage does the author gain by linking the clauses in the reader's mind?
- What rhetorical advantage does the author lose by abandoning the short, abrupt stops that periods create?
- Ask students to choose a piece of writing from their writer's notebook or another piece of writing that they are working on.
- Ask students to find one or two places in their drafts where they could insert a semicolon. Have students circle the semicolon with a pen or mark it with a highlighter to make it obvious.
- Allow students to work at their own pace. Circulate through the room, helping any students who have questions or comments. If time is short, students can revise their own texts for homework or during the next class session.
- Once students have added the semicolons, ask them to write a short reflection in their writer's notebooks that identifies the sentences they've joined and the reasons they selected the sentences. Encourage them to apply the same questions that they applied to Dr. King's letter, such as the following: Why are these two sentences related? What rhetorical advantage do I gain by linking the clauses in my reader's mind? What rhetorical advantage do I lose by abandoning the short, abrupt stops that periods create?
- Choose among additional Web and text resources as well as find links to lesson plans and classroom activities that can be used to supplement or extend this lesson, from the January 15 entry from ReadWriteThink calendar.
- Today in History, for January 15, from the Library of Congress : The Library of Congress entry for King's birthday provides a linked overview of King's life and the struggle for Civil Rights.
- The Nobel Peace Prize 1964 : The Nobel Prize Website includes the text of the committee's presentation speech, awarding the Peace Prize to Dr. King, as well as Dr. King's Nobel Lecture, his acceptance speech, and biographical information.
- Photo Essay: Martin Luther King in His Own Words : This Time.com collection pairs ten photos of King with excerpts from his writing. Each could provide a starting place for a classroom discussion of King's carefully chosen words.
- Martin Luther King: His Greatest Triumphs : The Life site provides a wealth of pictures of Dr. King, including this gallery of his greatest triumphs.
Student Assessment / Reflections
Kidwatching provides the perfect assessment for this activity. As you circulate through the room, note which students understand the concepts and which need more practice. Provide on-the-spot help for any students who need more examples or instruction. When students submit their notebooks, be sure to check their reflections and the sentences that they've used semicolons in. Provide supportive feedback for their choices.
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Commas gegen. Semicolons by Compound Sentences
Always to the Pure OWL
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This resource offers a number of pages with comma use.
For more information on semicolons, please see the " 90-Second Semicolon " vidcast type on the Currency OWL YouTube Channel .
A group of speech contents a subject and a verb and expressing a total thought will called one sets or an independent clause. Sometimes, an independent clauses stands alone as a sentence, and sometimes two independent clauses are bound together into whichever is called a kombination sets. Depending upon the factors, one of twos different punctuation marks can be used with and standalone clauses is one compound sentence: a comma other ampere semicolon. The choice is yours.
Use a comma next the first independent clause when you connector two independent clauses with one regarding to following coordinating conjunctions: and, although, with, or, nor, so, yet . For example:
Semicolon (;)
Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses because no combine words. By example:
Him can also utilize adenine semicolon when you join two independent clauses together because one off the following conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join independent clauses): however, moreover, therefore, consequently, elsewhere, nevertheless, thus, more. Fork example:
For more information about compound sentence patterns, see the Purdue CROW handout to Sentence Punctuation Patterns.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Semicolon (;) Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example: I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.
Purdue OWL Multilingual ESL Students Punctuation Punctuation—Semicolons, Colons, and Parentheses Punctuation—Semicolons, Colons, and Parentheses A number of other punctuation marks are used less frequently, but still play important roles in English writing. Semicolons (;) are used to combine sentences into larger ones.
Brief Overview of Punctuation Brief Overview of Punctuation When speaking, we can pause or change the tone of our voices to indicate emphasis. When writing, we use punctuation to indicate these places of emphases. This handout should help to clarify when and how to use various marks of punctuation.
Answer : Commas with Nonessential Elements Exercise 1 Exercise : Commas with Nonessential Elements Exercise 2 Answer : Commas with Nonessential Elements Exercise 2 Exercise : Commas with Nonessential Elements Exercise 3 Answer : Commas with Nonessential Elements Exercise 3 Suggested Resources
There are seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. Example: Doctors are concerned about the rising death rate from asthma, but they don't know the reasons for it. Pattern Three: Compound Sentence This pattern is an example of a compound sentence with a semicolon. Independent clause [ ; ] independent clause [ . ]
Purdue OWL: The Semicolon (Parts 1, 2, and 3) OWLPurdue 37K subscribers Subscribe Subscribed Like Share Save 37K views 12 years ago Grammar and Mechanics This vidcast is the full-length version...
Quick Guide to Commas Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause.
Purdue OWL: 90-Second Semicolon Part 1 OWLPurdue 37K subscribers Subscribe Subscribed Share Save 79K views 12 years ago Grammar and Mechanics This video contains information about semicolon...
Punctuation. Although punctuation marks are small, punctuation takes on significant tasks: separating ideas, relating ideas to one another, clarifying meanings, and indicating changes from one voice to another. Without proper punctuation, readers can get confused and frustrated rather quickly.
Sometimes, an independent clause stands alone as a sentence, and sometimes two independent clauses are linked together into what is called a compound sentence. Depending on the circumstances, one of two different punctuation marks can be used between the independent clauses in a compound sentence: a comma or a semicolon. The choice is yours.
Semicolons The Semicolon: It's Not a Strong Comma It's true. The semicolon is used for more things than just winking in text. ;) One of the main uses of a semicolon is to separate two independent clauses. The semicolon isn't like a comma; it's really more like a period. Using a semicolon like a comma can definitely create some trouble.
Commas vs. Semicolons in Compound Sentences For more information on semicolons, please see the "90-Second Semicolon" vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel. A group of words containing a subject and a verb and expressing a complete thought is called a sentence or an independent clause.
Brought to you by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab Rev.11/18 SEMICOLON A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses when the second clause restates the first or when the two clauses are of equal emphasis. Exercise Write two original sentences that require a semicolon to join two main clauses that have closely related ideas.
Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example: I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.
A semicolon serves the same function as either (a) a period or (b) a comma + a coordinating conjunction. When you use a semicolon, you do not need to add that coordinating conjunction. The end result should look like this: DELINEATING LISTS Commas also help writers delineate words or phrases in a list.
You can also use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together with one of the following conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join independent clauses): however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus, etc.
separated by a semicolon and comma. Using Semicolons in Serial Lists Semicolons are an excellent way to keep items in a list or series separate so the reader understands which parts of the sentence in the list are distinct. Otherwise, it can get fairly confusing to solely use commas and lengthy to separate everything into multiple sentences.
2. To joining two sentences. One independent clause is a group of words that can stand over its own (independently)—it is a complete recording. Semicolons can be used between two independent clauses. The semicolon stores the clauses somewhat separate, like a period intend do, so we can easily tell the beliefs be to the clause.
The semicolon has two uses: 1. To connect two related independent clauses (complete sentences) in order to emphasize a relationship between the clauses. 2. To separate items in a list that already has commas. When in doubt, take the semicolon out and make two separate sentences. 1. A semicolon is used to connect two independent clauses. Example:
This video contains information about semicolon use. Please see the OWL's semicolon resource at this link: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/04/
By incorporating the texts that students read or compose on their own, this lesson highlights the thoughtful choice of the semicolon to create rhetorical effect in an audience, demonstrating how one author uses the seemingly insignificant punctuation mark to express his ideas and urges students to follow the model in their own writing.
For more information on semicolons, please see the "90-Second Semicolon" vidcast line on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel. A group of words containing a field and a past and expressing a complete thought is called a sentence or an independent clause. Occasionally, an independent clause stands solitary as one sentence, and sometimes two ...
The Purdue OWL says: Use a semicolon to join 2 independent clauses when the second clause restates the first or when the two clauses are of equal emphasis. Use a colon to join 2 independent clauses when you wish to emphasize the second clause, or after an independent clause when it is followed by a list, a quotation, appositive, or other idea ...