Helpful Grammar and Punctuation tips!

By: Emma Tuss

-Use a period at the end of a declarative statement.

Example: I like snow cones.

Do not do: I like snow cones

Periods 

-Place a period after an abbreviation.

-Example: Monday = Mon.

Do not do: Tues or Wed

-Use a period after initials.

Example: Dan S. Donovon

-Do not do: Dan s donovon 

-Use a period after an imperative sentence.

Example: Pass the salt.

Do not do: Pass the salt

Apostrophes

-Use an apostrophe in a contraction to show where letters have been omitted.

Example: Can't = Cannot

Do not do: Cant 

-Use an apostrophe when taking letters or words out of context (they will also be underlined).

Example: You need to cross your t's.

Do not do: You need to cross your Ts. 

-Use an apostrophe when the first two digits are omitted.

from the number

Example: '84 = 1984

Do not do: 84

-Use a colon after the greeting of a business letter.

Example: Gentlemen:

Don't do: We need the following=

Colons 

-Use a colon in writing the time.

Example: 9:00-11:23

Do not do: 900 - 1123

-Use a colon to set off lists.

Example: Groceries: Milk, bread, cookies.

Don't do: Groceries. milk bread and cookies.

-Use  colon after divisions of topics in a writing. 

Example: Rule 1:

Don't do: Rule 2=

Semi colons

-Use a semicolon (;) to join two independent clauses that are closely related.

Example: The rain stopped; the sun came out. 

Don't do: The rain stopped the sun; came out

-Do not place and, but, or or after a semicolon.

Example: This scarf is pretty; I may buy it.

Don't do: This scarf is pretty I may buy it.

-If a word such as therefore or however appears after the semicolon, place a comma after it.

Example: You may go out to play; however, you must wear a jacket.

Do not do: You may go outside to play:However, you must wear a jacket. 

Commas

-Use a comma to set off a noun of direct dress (a person spoke to).

Example: Louise, come here, please.

Don't do: Louise come here please.

-Use a comma to set off interrupters in a sentence.

Example: The answer, I think, is fifty-four.

Don't do: The answer I think is fifty-four. 

-Use a comma to set off introductory words.

Example: No, I haven't seen it.

Don't do: No I haven't seen it.

-Use comma after the greeting of a friendly letter.

Example: Dear Kayla, 

Don't do: Dear Kayla.

Commas

-Use a comma after the closing of any letter.

Example: Sincerely yours, 

Don't do: sincerely yours.

-Use a comma to clarify a sentence.

Example: In the night, time was extremely important 

Don't do: In the night time was extremely important. 

-Use a comma to set off words or phrases in a series.

Example: Furniture, linens, and toys.

Don't do: Furniture and linens and toys.

-Use a comma between two or more descriptive adjectives.

Example: Bright, sparkling stars twinkled in the dark night.

Don't do: Bright sparkling starts twinkled in the dark night

Commas

-Use a comma to set off an appositive from the rest of the sentence.

Example: Ms. Reno, the bank president, spoke about loans.

Don't do: Ms. Reno the bank president spoke about loans.

-​Use a comma after a month and year or day in a date

Example: February, 1980 

Don't do: Feb 1980

-Use a comma between a city and state or  country.

Example: Miami, Florida

Don't do: Miami Florida

-Use a comma at the end of most directed quotations.

Example: "I would like a hamburger," Kim said.

Don't do: "I would like a hamburger. Kim said."

Commas

-Use a comma to set off a title following a name.

Example: Gloria Kole, D.D.S., is opening a new office.

Don't do: Gloria kole dds is opening a new office

-Use a comma to invert a name.

Example: Dickinson, Emily is famous.

Don't do: Dickinson emily is famous.

-Use a comma after a dependent clause at the beginning of a sentence.

Example: After we ate lunch, we went to a movie.

Don't do: After we ate lunch we went to a movie

-Use a comma before the conjunction that joins two independent clauses (compound sentences).

Example: Our outing was fun, we are glad to return.

Don't do: Our outing was fun we are glad to return

Commas

-Use a comma after two introductory prepositional phrases or after a long prepositional phrase when a subject follows it. 

Example: In the middle of the night, Frank boarded a plane for Japan.

Don't do: In the middle of the night. Frank boarded, a plane for Japan. 

-Use a comma after two an introductory participial phrase.

Example: Jumping on the bed, the toddler giggled with delight. 

Don't do: Jumping on the bed the toddler giggled with delight

​-Use a comma to set off adjectives in apposition. 

Example: Bright and shiny, the gem sparkled in the light

Example #2: The gem, bright and shiny, sparkled in the light.

Don't do: Bright and shiny the gem sparkled in the light

-Place a hyphen between fractions and certain numbers.

Example: Two-fifths

Hyphens

-Use a hyphen when dividing a word of two or more syllables at the end of a line. (You must have at least two letters on the first line and three on the following line.)

Example" Un-

happy.

Don't do: Un

happy.

-Use a hyphen to combine some prefixes with a base word.

Example: Ex-President

Don't do: Ex president.

Capitalization 

-Capitalize the first letter of the first word in  a sentence.

Example: Pearls are very elegant.

Don't do: pearls are very elegant

-Capitalize the pronoun I.

Example: I am very sad

Don't do: i am very sad

-Capitalize the first letter of the first word in most lines of property.

Example: Whose woods are these?

Don't do: Who's woods these are I think?

-Capitalize the first word, the last word, and all important words in any title also, capitalize verbs.

Example: Eight Is Enough.

Don't do: eight is enough

-Capitalize Roman numerals and the letters of the first major topics in an outline. Capitalize the first letter of the first word in an outline.

Example: III 

Don't do: iii

Capitalization

-Capitalize the names of organizations.

Example: Boy Scouts of America.

Don't do: boy scouts of america,

-Capitalize business names.

Examples: Fanton Enterprises.

Don't do: fanton enterprises

-Capitalize government bodies and departments.

Example: Senate and Congress.

Don't do: senate, congress

-Capitalize historical events, periods of time, and historical documents.

Example: Ice Age.

Don't do: iceage

-Capitalize names of days, months, holidays, and special days.

Example: Saturday, Fourth of July, December.. etc etc

Don't do: christmas, monday, june

Capitalizaton

-Capitalize President when it refers to the leader of the United States.

Example: President George Washington 

Don't do: pres. george, washington

-Capitalize a specific, well known area or event.

Example: Did President Bush work late at the Oval office?

Don't do: Did president, bush work late at the oval office?

​-Capitalize the first word of the greeting and closing of a letter.

Example: Dear Jane, 

Don't do: dear jane

Sources:

• Youtube.com
• My grammar book

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