Administrative Assistant / Secretary: The Basics of Punctuation

Punctuation

Purpose of Punctuation
The sole purpose of punctuation is to make the text clear. If a mark of punctuation does not clarify the text, it should be omitted. Of course, you’ll follow your boss’s preference if he or she instructs you, for example, to insert more commas or semicolons than today’s magazines and newspapers typically use. When public changes occur, not every person immediately approves. But if a matter is left to your discretion, remember that the old tried-and-true comma rule also applies for many other marks of punctuation: “When in doubt, leave it out.”
Nevertheless, there are still standards and formalities in punctuation that you must fully grasp, not only to satisfy your boss but also to help promote your own career. Once it leaves the office, your work speaks for itself. You want it to be a source of pride for both your employer and you.

Following is a list of punctuation marks with usage rules and examples for each.

The Period
A period is used at the end of a declarative sentence to denote a full pause:
- I am going to town.
- You may go with me if you wish.
Use a period, not a question mark, when the sentence contains an indirect question:
- He could not understand why she was leaving.
Also use a period for a request phrased as a question:
- Will you please return the diskette when you are finished.
The period is used in decimals to separate a whole number from a decimal fraction:
- 5.6 percent
- $19.50
It is also used in abbreviations:
- Mrs.
- Ph.D.
- etc.

The Comma
The presence of a comma, or its absence, can cause different interpretations of a written sentence. It is thus of vast importance, particularly in legal documents. The comma tells the reader to pause. Some writers can tell where commas belong by reading their sentences aloud and inserting commas where there seems to be a natural pause. This only works, however, if you read a sentence carefully and accurately.

Series
Commas are used to separate nouns in a series or adjectives in a series of the same rank modifying the same noun:
- The workers picked cherries, peaches, and plums.
- We swam in cool, clear, fresh water.

Some bosses may prefer to omit the comma before the and in such sentences unless it’s needed for clarity. The same applies to commas before but and or. Many writers believe these words take the place of the final comma in a series.

Sometimes a term consisting of years, months, and days is considered not a series but a single unit of time. No commas are used:
- Interest will be computed for 6 years 3 months and 2 days.

Compound and Complex Sentences
Two sentences are often connected with a comma and conjunction, such as and or but. A comma is used between the clauses of a compound sentence:
- John went to the theater, but he left before the play ended.
Do not confuse this with a compound predicate, which takes no comma:
- John went to the theater but left before the play ended.
An adverbial clause usually follows the independent clause, and no comma is used. But for emphasis, the order of the clauses is sometimes transposed. Then a comma is used.
Usual order: John was met by a large delegation when he came home.
Transposed order: When John came home, he was met by a large delegation.

Introductory Expressions
Introductory expressions, such as transitional words and phrases, mild exclamations, and other independent expressions, are set off by a comma when they occur alone at the beginning of a sentence:
- Yes, I will go.
- Well, perhaps she is right.
- Nevertheless, I wish he had waited for me.
- To tell the truth, I think you should go.
- As a rule, he arrives very early.

A few introductory expressions are more emphatic without punctuation, however, and need not be followed by a comma:
- Doubtless she just couldn’t be here.
- At least you tried.
- Undoubtedly the plane’s engines both failed.
- Indeed you may bring your friends with you.
To distinguish between the two, ask whether you naturally pause after the word or words in question. A comma is used to signal the natural pause.

Other Transitional Words
A comma is used to set off the transitional words however, therefore, and moreover when used within the sentence or as the first or last word of the sentence:
- Jean may not arrive until noon, however.
- Her problem, therefore, must be solved at once.
- I will be there, moreover, as soon as I can.
 

Sometimes though is used to mean however and should be set off with commas:
- I will be there, though, if at all possible.

Prepositional Phrases
No comma is used for prepositional phrases within a sentence unless the phrase comes between the subject and the predicate of the clause:
- I am sure that because of your generosity we will be able to build the new dormitory.
- The bag, in addition to a hatbox, will be sent to you today.

Contrasting Phrases
Contrasting expressions within a sentence are set off by commas:
- The lion, not the tiger, growled.
- We walk slowly, never quickly, to the garage.
- This letter was meant for you, not for me.
- BUT—This letter was meant for you but not for me.

Nonrestrictive Modifiers
Nonrestrictive modifiers are phrases or clauses that could be omitted without affecting the meaning of the main clause. These should be set off from the rest of the sentence by a comma or by parenthetical commas:
- John, my favorite friend, is visiting me.
- That car is, I believe, a new model.
- Mary Brown, who lives next door, is in the third grade.
- BUT—That is the girl who lives next door.

Infinitive Phrases
An infinitive phrase used independently is set off by commas:
- The color is too dark, to list one fault.
If the phrase is used as a modifier, it is not punctuated:
- The piano is too large to fit in the room.

Dialogue
A comma is used to separate a dialogue quotation from the main sentence:
- “Please go with me,” the boy said.
- “What do you think,” Mr. Bleeker asked, “the mayor will do next?”
Commas also separate the name of the person addressed in dialogue from the remainder of the sentence:
- “Will you come with me, John?”
- “But, Jane, how do you know that the plane is late?”
A confirming question within a sentence is set off by commas:
- “He left, did he not, on the noon plane?”

Repeated Words
A comma is used for clarity and to avoid confusion when the same word is repeated:
- Whoever goes, goes without my consent.

Omission
When words are omitted in one part of a sentence because they were used in a previous part, a comma is used to show where the words were omitted:
- Sam’s first car was a Cadillac, and mine, a Ford.

Transposed Adjective Order
An adjective normally precedes the noun it modifies. When an adjective follows a noun, the adjective is set off by commas; when an adjective precedes a noun but also precedes the article before the noun, a comma follows the adjective:
- The physician, dignified and competent, told them the bad news.
- Dignified and competent, the physician told them the bad news.

Numbers
A comma is used in writing large numbers, separating the thousands digits from the hundreds, the millions digits from the thousands, and so forth:
- 249,586
- 1,345,000
A comma is used to separate two or more unrelated numbers:
- On August 1, 2015, the museum was visited by 437 people.
- Out of eighty, twenty were discarded.
Do not forget the second comma when the date occurs in the middle of the sentence:
- She left for England on June 22, 2016, and returned a month later.
However, it is acceptable if your boss prefers no commas at all:
- She left for England on June 22 2016 and returned a month later.

Addresses
Elements of an address are set off by commas:
- He lives at 410 Hawthorne Street, Chicago, Illinois, near the University of Chicago campus.
On an envelope address, there is no comma between the state and the zip code.

Titles
A comma is used to separate a name and a title:
- The letter was from Mrs. Masterson, our president, and contained a list of instructions.
Set off Jr. and Sr. from a proper name by a comma. A roman numeral is not set off by a comma:
- Philip W. Thompson, Sr.
- Philip W. Thompson III
Degrees are also set off by a comma:
- Jennifer Galt, M.D.
But descriptive titles are not:
- Attila the Hun

Company Names
Company names consisting of a series of names omit the last comma in the series:
- Pate, Tate and Waite
When and Company completes a series of names, the last comma is also omitted:
- Pate, Tate, Waite and Company
Set off Incorporated from the name of a company by a comma:
- Johnson Brothers, Incorporated

The Question Mark
A question mark closes a question:
- What time is it?
A question mark is used to express a doubt:
- He is older (?) than she.
If the question is indirect, no question mark is used:
- I wonder whether he will be here.
When a question is asked in the middle of a sentence, the question is enclosed by commas and the sentence ends with a question mark:
- They are arriving, aren’t they, on the noon train?
When the question is enclosed in parentheses, the question mark is inside the parentheses, not at the end of the sentence:
- The magazine (did you see it?) describes the city in great detail.
If the question mark is part of a quotation, it is placed inside the closing quotation mark; if it is not a part of the quotation, it is placed outside the closing quotation mark:
- The statement ended, “And is that all?”
- What did she mean by “jobless years”?
If the last word in a question is an abbreviation and thus contains a period, the question mark is also used:
- Do you think he will arrive by 4 p.m.?
When it is desired to make a question of a statement, the question mark is used:
- He is arriving today?
- Really?

The Exclamation Point
An exclamation point is used when making extravagant claims or to express deep feeling:
- Here is the finest car on the market!
- The announcement was unbelievable!
An exclamation point is used after a word or phrase charged with emotion:
- Quick! We don’t want to be late.
It is also used for double emphasis:
- Did you catch that innuendo!
Caution: Some people get into the habit of using exclamation points far too often to express strong emotion, and they end up blunting the very purpose of the punctuation. For effective writing, show emotion through the choice of words instead, and reserve exclamation points for only the strongest of feelings.

The Semicolon
A semicolon is used when the conjunction is omitted between parts of a compound sentence:
- I went with them; I should have stayed at home.
A semicolon precedes words such as however, moreover, or otherwise when they introduce the second of two connected full sentences:
- She is arriving at noon; however, she will not stay long.
If parts of a series contain inner punctuation such as a comma, the parts are separated by a semicolon:
- He came to see his mother, who was ill; his sister, who lived in the next town; and his old schoolmate.

The Colon
The colon generally follows a sentence introducing a tabulation or a long quotation:
- The following quotation is from the Detroit Free Press: “Regardless of what may be accomplished, the company will still be involved.”
- During your first year, you will study such subjects as these: algebra, physics, chemistry, and psychology.
Exception: When the tabulated list is the object of a verb or a preposition, a colon is never used:
- During your first year, you will study algebra, physics, chemistry, and psychology.

Emphasis or Anticipation
The colon is also used to stress a word, phrase, or clause that follows it or when a sentence creates anticipation for what immediately follows:
- The newspaper published a startling statement: the city had been completely destroyed by fire.

Time
The colon is used to separate hours and minutes in expressions of time:
- 4:15 a.m. CST

Titles
The colon is used to separate a title from a subtitle:
- Gone With the Wind: A Story of the Old South

Quotation Marks
Double quotation marks are used to set off any material quoted within a sentence or paragraph. If the quoted material consists of several paragraphs, the opening quotation mark is used at the beginning of the quotation and at the beginning of each paragraph within the quotation; a closing quotation mark, however, is used only at the conclusion of the quotation. It is not used at the end of each paragraph within the quotation, as many people mistakenly think. For example:
The passage he read aloud was from the first chapter: “The discovery of this energy brings us to the problem of how to allow it to be used. The use of atomic power throws us back to the Greek legend of Prometheus and the age-old question of whether force should be exerted against law.
“The man of today must decide whether he will use this power for destruction or for peaceful purposes.” When he had finished the reading, there was loud applause.

Quotations Within Quotations
Single quotation marks indicate a quotation within the quotation:
- He said, “Did you hear John make the statement, ‘I will not go with her,’ or were you not present at the time he spoke?”

Titles
In printed text, the titles of essays, articles, poems, stories, or chapters are set off within quotation marks; titles of plays, books, and periodical publications are italicized:
- The name of the article is “I Believe.”
- The Eternal Echos CD contains the poem “Tread Gently.”
- The title of the book is Journey Into Night.
- It was first published in Harper’s Magazine.

Quotation Marks and Punctuation
Place quotation marks outside the comma and the period:
- “Don’t stop now,” he said, “when you have so little left to finish.”
Place quotation marks inside the colon and the semicolon:
- He called her a “little witch”; that was right after she broke his model plane.
Place quotation marks outside an exclamation point or a question mark when the quoted material alone is an exclamation or a question:
- “I passed my test!”
Place quotation marks inside an exclamation point or a question mark when the quoted material alone is not an exclamation or a question:
- Didn’t he claim to be “too tired”?

Italics
Italics are sometimes used for emphasis:
- Notice where you are, not where you have been.
But the best writing avoids italics for this purpose, depending on choice of language to bring out the emphasis. As mentioned earlier, italics are used for the names of books, pamphlets, and periodicals:
- Saturday Evening Post
- Black Beauty
- Washington Daily News
The names of ships are italicized but not abbreviations in front of them.
- Sea Witch
- USS Heinz
Note: When using a typewriter and not a word processor or computer, indicate italics by underlining:
- Sea Witch
- USS Heinz
- Washington Daily News

The Apostrophe
As a mark of omission, the apostrophe may denote that a word has been contracted intentionally:
- It’s time to go.
- Haven’t you finished the task?

Possession
To show possession, use an apostrophe followed by an s after a singular noun:
- the city’s founder
Use it alone after plural nouns ending in s:
- the books’ titles
Plural nouns not ending in s form the possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s:
- men’s clubs
- sheep’s clothing
The plural of compound nouns and joint possessive nouns is formed by adding an apostrophe followed by an s to the second word only:
- the Secretary-Treasurer’s decision
- Mary and John’s cassette player
But if the items are separately owned, the compound nouns each add an apostrophe followed by an s:
- Mary’s and John’s coats
No apostrophe is used with possessive pronouns:
- his
- hers
- its
- yours
- ours
- theirs
The apostrophe is used to express duration of time:
- a day’s traveling time
- twelve months’ duration
For a proper name ending in s, use an apostrophe followed by an s:
- Lewis’s hat
- Miss Bliss’s book
Two proper names are traditionally observed as exceptions:
- Moses’ robe
- Jesus’ parable
For proper names ending in s, use an apostrophe only:
- The Joneses’ boots were left in the hall.

The Em Dash
The em dash (in typing, indicated by two hyphens) is used to introduce an added thought:
- I shall go with you—you don’t mind, do you?
The em dash also breaks the continuity of a thought as a digression:
- “The Scherzo Sonata” by Tolstoy is a sad story—but the writing is magnificent.
It is sometimes used before and after a parenthetical expression in place of commas:
- Henry Higgins—bareheaded and without a coat—left the house and ran down the road.
Sometimes you can think of an em dash as a super comma. When a sentence already contains a series separated by commas, a dash is a good tool for separating a clause that might otherwise look like it was part of the series. Consider the following:
- The Mississippi River weaves among Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana—a state famous for its French culture—before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico.

Ellipses
To show omission of words in quoted material, three spaced dots (ellipses) are used if material is deleted within the sentence. When the last part of a quoted sentence is omitted, it is followed by three spaced dots plus its punctuation. At the end of the quotation, only the punctuation is used:
- “Five hundred firemen . . . attended the ball. . . .”
- Mr. Brown went on to say: “The shoe department functions smoothly. Many salespeople have won prizes for efficiency.”
Ellipsis dots may also be used to mark a thought expressed hesitantly:
- He said, “If . . . if I do go with you, will you return early?”

Parentheses
Parentheses are used to enclose matter that is introduced by way of explanation:
- If the lessor (the person owning the property) agrees, the lessee (the person renting the property) may have a dog on the premises.
Parentheses are used to enclose figures that enumerate items:
- The book contained chapters on (1) capitalization, (2) spelling rules, (3) troublesome verbs, and (4) punctuation.
They are also used to enclose citations of authority:
- The definition of action is “the process or state of being active” (American College Dictionary).
And they are used to enclose figures repeated for clarity, as in legal documents:
- He was willed five thousand dollars ($5,000) by his uncle.
- You will be paid twenty (20) percent interest.

Brackets
Brackets and parentheses are sometimes used interchangeably; however, brackets have two common uses:
- They identify changes to quoted material.
- They enclose digressions within parentheses.

Changes to Quoted Material
If you are quoting someone but make a change to the quote in order to clarify something, you should put your change within brackets. Consider the following:
- Original quote—“Everyone knew it was about to break any day now.”
- Revised quote—“Everyone knew it [the dam] was about to break any day now.”

Digressions Within Parentheses
Sometimes you will find situations where you need an extra set of parentheses nested within a previous pair. Consider the following:
- The computer’s memory (Random Access Memory [RAM] and Read Only Memory [ROM]) is where software is loaded.

The Hyphen
Hyphens are used both in spelling and in punctuation. When it is used as punctuation, it is not part of a word or phrase. There are four general ways the hyphen can be used as punctuation:

1. Breaking a word at the end of a line

2. Combining words that form a compound adjective

3. Acting as a substitute for a repeated word

4. Indicating special pronunciations

Line Breaks
Most word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word, have a built-in hyphenation feature that you can turn on and off. This feature automatically adds hyphens to long words that won’t fit on the end of a line. Sometimes the computer’s idea of where to put a hyphen can cause the hyphenated word to look ridiculous.

Therefore, it’s important for you to know the general rules regarding line break hyphenation. Here are some of those rules:
- Don’t break one-syllable words.
- Don’t break a word if just one letter is left on a line.
- Break hyphenated compound words at the hyphen.
- Break closed compound words between the words.

Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives are groups of words or phrases used in a sentence to describe a noun. Consider the following:
- It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
- I wouldn’t touch that line with a ten-foot pole.
- The computer’s processor has a 512 single-byte bus.
- Eight-month-old kittens were given away.
- Eight month-old kittens were given away.
Do not use hyphens when the first word of a compound adjective ends in -ly. The following examples are incorrect:
- It was a highly-motivated student body.
- It was a beautifully-made sweater.

Hyphens as Substitute Words
If a word repeats with a different modifier in a sentence, it can make the sentence sound long and difficult. One way to solve this problem is to use a hyphen. Consider the following examples:
- We both over- and underestimated the amount of driving time for the trip.
- The Dallas Cowboys used a three-, four-, and five-man line.
- Most computers today have either a 32- or 64-bit processor.

Hyphens for Pronunciation
You can use hyphens when writing dialogue in order to achieve a particular pronunciation in the reader’s mind:
- “S-s-s-s,” said the snake.
- “Mr. S-s-smith,” he stuttered, “May I p-p-please have some w-w-water?”

The Slash
The slash is often used as shorthand or when the choice between outcomes is nebulous. Since the slash is often ambiguous, it should be used with caution.
The slash is used for the following:
- With and/or combinations
- To indicate other relationships between words

And/Or Combinations
The slash can be used to indicate options that are available, to indicate equal possibilities, or to show that something has more than one function. For example:
- The potter worked alone in the cold garage/studio.
- Dear Sir/Madam:
- The ingredients of the drink are: ice, rum, lime/lemon, and cola.

Indicating Other Relationships
The slash can be used to separate elements that are being compared, to separate origins and destinations, to separate the numerals in a date, to indicate a period that spans two or more calendar years, in place of the word per, and to write fractions.
- The Redskins/Cowboys rivalry has a long history.
- The Dallas/Atlanta flight was canceled.
- 12/31/2016
- For the 2015/16 school year, the eighth graders will be taking technology education for the first time.
- 1000 km/hour
- 1/2 = 1/4 + 1/4