End Stop Punctuation
A full sentence is separated by the next sentence with what is called "end stop" punctuation.
End stop punctuation includes:
- question marks
- exclamation marks
- periods
In Detail
- Most sentences will end with a period.
- In very specific cases, in academic writing, you might use an exclamation mark, but these should be used very sparingly.
- Similarly, a question mark is something that should be used very judiciously in academic writing.
- One rhetorical question may be used to great effect. Six of them, not so much.
Examples:
- Did you ever see a coyote in real life?
- One ran across the road right in front of us!
- Then it went off into the distance.
Commas & Comma Splices
The most common punctuation error that students make is around commas.
In part this is due to the very nature of the comma as punctuation.
- The advice around how to use commas often has to do with a vague sense of where a "pause" is appropriate.
- But there are a few places where pauses are necessary and commas must be found:
- when separating items in a list
- when setting aside parenthetical modifiers
- before a coordinating conjunction joining two independent clauses
- at the end of an introductory clause/phrase
Top Rules for Commas
- Use a comma separating elements in a list. Example: I like to eat apples, bananas, and oranges.
- Use a comma to set aside a parenthetical modifier. Example: My brother, that silly boy, spilled his drink
- Use a comma when joining two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction. Example: I like to read, but I love to write
- Use a comma after an introductory phrase. Example: Upon opening the door, she saw a bear in her living room
Semi Colons
In order to avoid a comma splice, you can join two independent clauses together with a semi-colon. Semi-colons can also be used in lists when the items within the list have commas within.
Independent Clauses
joined with semi colons
- I love reading books; I especially love reading scary books.
- Movies are never better than books; some movies may be as good as some books.
- Going home after a long journey is comforting; the old saying "home sweet home" is true.
Lists with Semi-colons
- Life-altering things happened in New York City on May 24, 1883; December 8, 1980; February 26, 1993; and September 11, 2001.
- I have many cousins who have brown hair, blue eyes, and glasses; who are tall, skinny, and smart; and who love books, movies, and chocolate.
- Last year, I travelled to Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Melbourne, Australia; and Jakarta, Indonesia.