Correct Punctuation

STEVIEBOY1 · Aug 3, 2014

What are the rules in English for the correct use of the colon, semi colon and the correct use of the apostrophe. I was told off at work this week for not using these items of punctuation correctly.

Matt Crunk · Aug 3, 2014

Sorry, that's above my pay grade. I think I know how to correctly use them, but explaining it isn't so easy.

newsman · Aug 3, 2014

STEVIEBOY1 said:
What are the rules in English for the correct use of the colon, semi colon and the correct use of the apostrophe. I was told off at work this week for not using these items of punctuation correctly.

Steve,

It looks like you are in the UK. Some rules for your majesty's English are different than those for those of us across the ocean.

These are the basics as I remember them from journalism school and my time as a copy editor.

A semicolon is use to link two independent clauses that are closely related in thought connected by conjunctive adverbs or transitional phrases.

The following sentence is a good example of a semicolon in action:

There are basically two ways to write: with a pen or pencil, which is inexpensive and easily accessible; or by computer and printer, which is more expensive but quick and neat.

Apostrophes are interesting little critters. They are usually used to show ownership of something or are used in conjoining two words into one.

The most common problem I have seen with apostrophes occurs with dates. For example 1950s would be correct. 1950's is not.

They can also be used to conjoin words. IS NOT can be turned into ISN'T.

Back when I was a full-time copy editor for a mid-sized newspaper I knew this stuff inside and out. It's like doing push ups. The more you do. The better you get at it. When you stop. You lose what you gained.

I can spot an English publication in minutes by changes in punctuation. My favorite is the placement of periods and quotations.

HudsonHawk · Aug 3, 2014

The rules are not always easy to explain, and there almost always exceptions. In what way did you use them?

STEVIEBOY1 · Aug 3, 2014

HudsonHawk said:
The rules are not always easy to explain, and there almost always exceptions. In what way did you use them?

I was writing the start of a typed holiday programme, for example.

Passengers names; Mr & Mrs Smith,

I was told it should be

Passengers names: Mr & Mrs Smith

I see the above comments about the differences in British English, (Yes I am in the UK), & American English. I too can tell straight away if a book in written by an US author or a British author. I stayed with cousins in the USA some years ago and was talking to here American friends and my cousin had to explain certain words I was using which they had not of until I was speaking with them. It's very interesting.

McPeppers · Aug 3, 2014

Here you go, friend.
American Punctuation by the Oxford Dictionary

Zombie_61 · Aug 4, 2014

"England and America are two countries separated by a common language."
George Bernard Shaw

rjb1 · Aug 5, 2014

This doesn't answer your question, but may be an interesting illustration of the need for care in the use of punctuation. (Some of my students assert that small errors or omissions in punctuation don't make that much difference.)
1: Let's eat, Granny!
2: Let's eat Granny!

F. J. · Aug 5, 2014

Implied Cannibalism through improper Grammar . . .

rjb1 said:
This doesn't answer your question, but may be an interesting illustration of the need for care in the use of punctuation. (Some of my students assert that small errors or omissions in punctuation don't make that much difference.)
1: Let's eat, Granny!
2: Let's eat Granny!

Or an advertisement supposedly seen at a restaurant:
"KIDS EAT FREE LIVE CLOWN ON WEDNESDAYS.":eeek:
What a difference one period (or even a semi-colon) can make!

newsman · Aug 6, 2014

rjb1 said:
This doesn't answer your question, but may be an interesting illustration of the need for care in the use of punctuation. (Some of my students assert that small errors or omissions in punctuation don't make that much difference.)
1: Let's eat, Granny!
2: Let's eat Granny!

I love that one. The clown comment was also quite interesting since I really don't like clowns.

Here's something for your students to consider:

When I was in journalism school all "copy" had to be in by 7 AM the next day. All the grades were subjective. That is if the teacher liked it they could give you a B. Then they would start taking 10 points off for spelling errors, 10 points off for each grammatical error and fifty for anything that wasn't factually correct.

My first grade was a -20. There was no grading on a curve.

And one teacher would put students papers on an overhead projector to show each of us...where we made our mistakes in front of all the other students in the class.

I told that teacher after the class was over that I would rather join the army than have another class with him.

Zombie_61 · Aug 6, 2014

newsman said:
...The clown comment was also quite interesting since I really don't like clowns...

Maybe the ones you've had weren't cooked properly.

Puzzicato · Aug 8, 2014

STEVIEBOY1 said:
I was writing the start of a typed holiday programme, for example.

Passengers names; Mr & Mrs Smith,

I was told it should be

Passengers names: Mr & Mrs Smith

Yes - in that context, you would always use a colon when signifying the start of a list.

MikeBravo · Aug 31, 2014

F. J. said:
Or an advertisement supposedly seen at a restaurant:
"KIDS EAT FREE LIVE CLOWN ON WEDNESDAYS.":eeek:
What a difference one period (or even a semi-colon) can make!

I ate a clown once.

It tasted funny.

MikeBravo · Aug 31, 2014

STEVIEBOY1 said:
What are the rules in English for the correct use of the colon, semi colon and the correct use of the apostrophe? I was told off at work this week for not using these items of punctuation correctly.

There I corrected it for you

STEVIEBOY1 · Aug 31, 2014

newsman said:
I love that one. The clown comment was also quite interesting since I really don't like clowns.

Here's something for your students to consider:

When I was in journalism school all "copy" had to be in by 7 AM the next day. All the grades were subjective. That is if the teacher liked it they could give you a B. Then they would start taking 10 points off for spelling errors, 10 points off for each grammatical error and fifty for anything that wasn't factually correct.

My first grade was a -20. There was no grading on a curve.

And one teacher would put students papers on an overhead projector to show each of us...where we made our mistakes in front of all the other students in the class.

I told that teacher after the class was over that I would rather join the army than have another class with him.

We had a few teachers like that at our secondary school. Seems they bred them that way then !

newsman · Sep 1, 2014

STEVIEBOY1 said:
We had a few teachers like that at our secondary school. Seems they bred them that way then !

No kidding. To some point I get it. At another level I have to wonder if the students learn anything or are just beat down by the teacher.

In my case it was Dr. Weston.

It's never a good thing when a public affairs reporting teacher is proud he fails more people than a thermodynamics professor.

I made it clear that if he failed me I was going in the army.

He thought that was extreme. I told him getting shot at was better than another semester with him.

Harp · Sep 1, 2014

STEVIEBOY1 said:
We had a few teachers like that at our secondary school. Seems they bred them that way then !

newsman said:
In my case it was Dr. Weston.

I made it clear that if he failed me I was going in the army.

He thought that was extreme. I told him getting shot at was better than another semester with him.

In my case it was Brother Sloan, a terror in English Lit, who quite literally slapped the hell out of us boys.
...but getting shot at is a lot worse; though that experience was much more instructive. And it made a poet out of me.

Sloan1874 · Sep 1, 2014

MikeBravo said:
There I corrected it for you

There, I corrected it for you. *cough*

My least favourite piece of punctuation is the semi-colon. It just seems to sit in a grey area, not quite a comma or a full-stop. I tend to use it in long lists with lots of sub-clauses. I'm a devotee of the Oxford comma, though...

Zombie_61 · Sep 1, 2014

Sloan1874 said:
...I'm a devotee of the Oxford comma, though...

:arated: Most sentences (perhaps all sentences) in which an Oxford comma could be used just seem wrong without one.

GHT · Sep 1, 2014

Offering advice on punctuation leaves you open to your own howlers, so I shall direct you here: Semicolon Howlers. And here: Colon Howlers. Humour helps you to remember.

Correct Punctuation

One Too Many

One Too Many

One of the Regulars

I'll Lock Up

One Too Many

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

One of the Regulars

One Too Many

One Too Many

One Too Many

One Too Many

One of the Regulars

I'll Lock Up

I'll Lock Up

I'll Lock Up

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