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27i OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

27i When are quotation marks wrong?

Never enclose a word in quotation marks to call attention to it, to intensify it,
or to be sarcastic.
NO Im very happy about the news.
YES Im very happy about the news.
Never enclose the title of your paper in quotation marks (or underline
it). However, if the title of your paper contains another title that requires
quotation marks, use those marks only for the included title.
NO The Elderly in Nursing Homes: A Case Study
YES The Elderly in Nursing Homes: A Case Study
NO Character Development in Shirley Jacksons Story The Lottery
YES Character Development in Shirley Jacksons Story
The Lottery
E X E R C I S E 2 7 - 4 Correct any errors in the use of quotation marks and other
punctuation with quotation marks. If you think a sentence is correct, ex-
plain why. For help, consult 27e through 27i.
1. Dying in a shabby hotel room, the witty writer Oscar Wilde supposedly said,
Either that wallpaper goes, or I do.
2. Was it the Russian novelist Tolstoy who wrote, All happy families resemble
one another, but each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way?
3. In his poem A Supermarket in California, Allen Ginsberg addresses the
dead poet Walt Whitman, asking, Where are we going, Walt Whitman? The
doors close / in an hour. Which way does your beard point tonight?
4. Toni Morrison made this reply to the claim that art that has a political
message cannot be good art: She said that the best art is political and
that her aim was to create art that was unquestionably political and
beautiful at the same time.
5. Benjamin Franklins strange questionWhat is the use of a newborn
child? was his response to someone who doubted the usefulness of
new inventions.

CHAPTER 28

Other Punctuation Marks

This chapter explains the uses of the dash, parentheses, brackets, ellipsis
points, the slash, and the hyphen. These punctuation marks arent used often,
but each serves a purpose and gives you options with your writing style.
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When can I use a dash in my writing? 28a

DASH

28a When can I use a dash in my writing?

The dash, or a pair of dashes, lets you interrupt a sentence to add informa-
tion. Such interruptions can fall in the middle or at the end of a sentence. To
make a dash, hit the hyphen key twice (--). Do not put a space before,
between, or after the hyphens. Some word processing programs automati-
cally convert two hyphens into a dash; either form is correct. In print, the
dash appears as an unbroken line approximately the length of two hyphens
joined together (). If you handwrite, make the dash at least twice as long
as a hyphen.

Using dashes for special emphasis

If you want to emphasize an example, a definition, an APPOSITIVE, or a con-
trast, you can use a dash or dashes. Some call a dash a pregnant pause
that is, take note, something special is coming. Use dashes sparingly so that
you dont dilute their impact.

EXAMPLE
The care-takersthose who are helpers, nurturers, teachers,
mothersare still systematically devalued.
Ellen Goodman, Just Womans Work?

DEFINITION
Although the emphasis at the school was mainly languagespeaking,
reading, writingthe lessons always began with an exercise in politeness.
Elizabeth Wong, Fifth Chinese Daughter

APPOSITIVE
Two of the strongest animals in the jungle are vegetariansthe ele-
phant and the gorilla.
Dick Gregory, The Shadow That Scares Me

CONTRAST
Fire cooks foodand burns down forests.
Smokey the Bear

Place what you emphasize with dashes next to or nearby the material it
refers to so that what you want to accomplish with your emphasis is not lost.
NO The current argument isone that faculty, students, and
coaches debate fiercelywhether to hold athletes to the same
academic standards as others face.
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28a OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

YES The current argumentone that faculty, students, and

coaches debate fiercelyis whether to hold athletes to the
same academic standards as others face.

Using dashes to emphasize an aside

An aside is a writers comment, often the writers personal views, on whats
been written. Generally, this technique isnt appropriate for ACADEMIC WRIT-
ING, so before you insert an aside, carefully consider your writing PURPOSE
and your AUDIENCE.

Television showed us the war. It showed us the war in a way that wasif
you chose to watch television, at leastunavoidable.
Nora Ephron, Scribble Scribble

A L E R T S : (1) If the words within a pair of dashes require a question

mark or an exclamation point, place it before the second dash.

A first datedo you remember?stays in the memory forever.

(2) Never use commas, semicolons, or periods next to dashes. If such a

need arises, revise your writing.
(3) Never enclose quotation marks in dashes except when the meaning
requires them. These two examples show that, when required, the dash
stops before or after the quotation marks; the two punctuation marks do
not overlap.

Many of George Orwells essaysA Hanging, for exampledraw on

his experiences as a civil servant.
Shooting an Elephantanother Orwell essayappears in many
anthologies.

EXERCISE 28-1 Write a sentence about each topic, shown in italics. Use
dashes to set off what is asked for, shown in roman, in each sentence. For
help, consult 28a.

EXAMPLE science, a definition

Ecologythe study of the interactions among animals, plants, and the
physical environmentis closely related to both biology and geology.

1. movie, a contrast 6. social science, a contrast

2. singer, an appositive 7. writing, an example
3. hobby, an example 8. teacher, an appositive
4. a fact, an aside 9. business, a definition
5. career, a definition 10. technology, an aside
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When can I use parentheses in my writing? 28b

PARENTHESES

28b When can I use parentheses in my writing?

Parentheses let you interrupt a sentence to add various kinds of information.
Parentheses are like dashes (28a) in that they set off extra or interrupting
wordsbut unlike dashes, which emphasize material, parentheses de-
emphasize what they enclose. Use parentheses sparingly because overusing
them can make your writing lurch, not flow.
Using parentheses to enclose interrupting words

E X P L A N AT I O N
After theyve finished with the pantry, the medicine cabinet, and the
attic, they will throw out the red geranium (too many leaves), sell the
dog (too many fleas), and send the children off to boarding school (too
many scuffmarks on the hardwood floors).
Suzanne Britt, Neat People vs. Sloppy People
EXAMPLE
Though other cities (Dresden, for instance) had been utterly destroyed
in World War II, never before had a single weapon been responsible
for such destruction.
Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen,
Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum
ASIDE
The older girls (non-graduates, of course) were assigned the task of
making refreshments for the nights festivities.
Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

The sheer decibel level of the noise around us is not enough to make
us cranky, irritable, or aggressive. (It can, however, affect our mental
and physical health, which is another matter.)
Carol Tavris, Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion

Using parentheses for listed items and alternative numbers

When you number listed items within a sentence, enclose the numbers (or
letters) in parentheses. Never use closing parentheses to set off numbers in
a displayed list; use periods.
Four items are on the agenda for tonights meeting: (1) current treasury
figures, (2) current membership figures, (3) the budget for renovations,
and (4) the campaign for soliciting additional public contributions.

A L E R T S : For listed items that fall within a sentence, (1) use a colon
before a list only if an INDEPENDENT CLAUSE comes before the list, and
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28b OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

(2) Use commas or semicolons to separate the items, but be consistent with-
in a piece of writing. If, however, any item contains punctuation itself, use a
semicolon to separate the items.

In legal writing and in some BUSINESS WRITING, you can use parentheses
to enclose a numeral that repeats a spelled-out number.
The monthly rent is three hundred fifty dollars ($350).
Your order of fifteen (15) gross was shipped today.
In ACADEMIC WRITING, especially in subjects in which the use of figures
or measurements is frequent, enclose alternative or comparative forms of the
same number in parentheses: 2 mi (3.2 km).

Using other punctuation with parentheses

When a complete sentence enclosed in parentheses stands alone, start it with
a capital letter and end it with a period. When a sentence in parentheses falls
within another sentence, never start with a capital or end with a period.

NO Looking for his car keys (He had left them at my sisters
house.) wasted an entire hour.
YES Looking for his car keys (he had left them at my sisters house)
wasted an entire hour.
YES Looking for his car keys wasted an entire hour. (He had left
them at my sisters house.)

Never put a comma before an opening parenthesis. If the material

before the parenthetical material requires a comma, place that comma after
the closing parenthesis.

NO Although clearly different from my favorite film, (The Wizard

of Oz) Gone with the Wind is also outstanding.
YES Although clearly different from my favorite film (The Wizard of
Oz), Gone with the Wind is also outstanding.

You can use a question mark or an exclamation point within parentheses that
occur in a sentence.
Looking for clues (what did we expect to find?) wasted four days.
Never use quotation marks around parentheses that come before or after any
quoted words.

NO Alberta Hunter (Down Hearted Blues) is known for singing

jazz.
YES Alberta Hunter (Down Hearted Blues) is known for
singing jazz.
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When do I need to use brackets in my writing? 28c

BRACKETS

28c When do I need to use brackets in my writing?

Brackets allow you to enclose words that you want to insert into quotations,
but only in the specific cases discussed next.

Adjusting a quotation with brackets

When you use a quotation, you might need to change the form of a word (a
verbs tense, for example), add a brief definition, or fit the quotation into the
grammatical structure of your sentence. In such cases, enclose the material
you have inserted into the quotation in brackets. (This example uses MLA
STYLE for PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES; see 33b.)

ORIGINAL SOURCE
Current research shows that successful learning takes place in an active
environment.
Deborah Moore, Facilities and Learning Styles, p. 22

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H B R A C K E T S
Deborah Moore supports a student-centered curriculum and agrees
with current research [which] shows that successful learning takes
place in an active environment (22).

Using brackets to point out an error in a source or to add

information within parentheses
You may find an error in words you want to quotea wrong date, a mis-
spelled word, or an error of fact. Fix that mistake by putting your correction
in brackets, without changing the words you want to quote. This tells your
readers that the error was in the original work and not made by you.

Using [sic]
Insert sic (without italics), enclosed in brackets, in your MLA-style essays
and research papers to show your readers that youve quoted an error accu-
rately. Sic is a Latin word that means so, or thus, which says It is so (or
thus) in the original.

USE FOR ERROR

A journalist wrote, The judge accepted an [sic] plea of not guilty.

USE FOR MISSPELLING

The building inspector wrote about the consequence of doubling the
apartments floor space: With that much extra room per person, the
tennants [sic] would sublet.
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28d OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

Using brackets within parentheses

Use brackets to insert information within parentheses.
That expression (first used in A Fable for Critics [1848] by James
R. Lowell) was popularized in the early twentieth century by Ella
Wheeler Wilcox.

ELLIPSIS POINTS

28d How do I use ellipsis points in my writing?

The word ellipsis means omission. Ellipsis points in writing are a series of
three spaced dots (use the period key on the keyboard). Youre required to
use ellipsis points to indicate youve intentionally omitted wordsperhaps
even a sentence or morefrom the source youre quoting. These rules apply
to both prose and poetry.
The MLA Handbook no longer recommends that ellipsis points you have
inserted be enclosed in brackets to make it clear to your reader that the
omission is yours. See Chapter 33 for more information.

28d.1 Using ellipsis points with prose

ORIGINAL SOURCE
These two minds, the emotional and the rational, operate in tight har-
mony for the most part, intertwining their very different ways of know-
ing to guide us through the world. Ordinarily, there is a balance
between emotional and rational minds, with emotion feeding into and
informing the operations of the rational mind, and the rational mind
refining and sometimes vetoing the inputs of the emotions. Still, the
emotional and rational minds are semi-independent faculties, each, as
we shall see, reflecting the operation of distinct, but interconnected,
circuitry in the brain.
Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, p. 9

Q U O TAT I O N O F S E L E C T E D W O R D S , N O E L L I P S I S N E E D E D
Goleman explains that the two minds, the emotional and the rational
usually provide a balance in our daily observations and decision
making (9).

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H E L L I P S I S M I D - S E N T E N C E
Goleman emphasizes the connections between parts of the mind: Still,
the emotional and rational minds are semi-independent faculties, each . . .
reflecting the operation of distinct, but interconnected, circuitry in the
brain (9).
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How do I use ellipsis points in my writing? 28d

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H E L L I P S I S A N D PA R E N T H E T I C A L R E F E R E N C E
Goleman emphasizes that the two minds, the emotional and the ratio-
nal, operate in tight harmony for the most part . . . (9). [Note: In MLA
style, place a sentence-ending period after the parenthetical reference.]

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H E L L I P S I S E N D I N G T H E S E N T E N C E
On page 9, Goleman states: These two minds, the emotional and the
rational, operate in tight harmony for the most part . . . . [Note: In MLA
style, when all needed documentation information is written into a
sentencethat is, not placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence
theres no space between the sentence-ending period and an ellipsis.]

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H S E N T E N C E O M I T T E D
Goleman explains: These two minds, the emotional and the rational,
operate in tight harmony for the most part, intertwining their very dif-
ferent ways of knowing to guide us through the world . . . . Still, the
emotional and rational minds are semi-independent faculties (9).

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H W O R D S O M I T T E D F R O M T H E M I D D L E O F O N E S E N T E N C E
TO THE MIDDLE OF ANOTHER
Goleman states: Ordinarily, there is a balance between emotional and
rational minds . . . reflecting the operation of distinct, but interconnect-
ed, circuitry in the brain (9).

Q U O TAT I O N W I T H W O R D S O M I T T E D F R O M T H E M I D D L E O F O N E S E N T E N C E
TO A COMPLETE OTHER SENTENCE
Goleman explains: Ordinarily, there is a balance between emotional
and rational minds. . . . Still, the emotional and rational minds are
semi-independent faculties, each, as we shall see, reflecting the opera-
tion of distinct, but interconnected, circuitry in the brain (9).
When you omit words from a quotation, you also omit punctuation related to
those words, unless its needed for the sentence to be correct.
Goleman explains: These two minds. . . operate in tight harmony (9).
[comma in original source omitted after minds]
Goleman explains that the emotional and rational minds work together,
while still,. . . each, as we shall see, [reflects] the operation of distinct,
but interconnected, circuitry in the brain (9). [comma kept after still be-
cause its an introductory word; form of reflecting changed for sense of sen-
tence]

28d.2 Using ellipsis points with poetry

When you omit one or more words from a line of poetry, follow the rules
stated above for prose. However, when you omit a full line or more from
poetry, use a full line of spaced dots.
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28e OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

ORIGINAL SOURCE
Little Boy Blue
Little boy blue, come blow your horn,
The sheeps in the meadow, the cows in the corn
Where is the little boy who looks after the sheep?
Hes under the haystack, fast asleep.
Q U O TAT I O N W I T H L I N E S O M I T T E D
Little Boy Blue
Little boy blue, come blow your horn,
.............................. .
Where is the little boy who looks after the sheep?
Hes under the haystack, fast asleep.

SLASH

28e When can I use a slash in my writing?

The slash (/), also called a virgule or solidus, is a diagonal line that separates
or joins words in special circumstances.
Using a slash to separate quoted lines of poetry
When you quote more than three lines of a poem, no slash is involved; you
merely follow the rules in 28d. When you quote three lines or fewer, enclose
them in quotation marks and run them into your sentenceand use a slash
to divide one line from the next. Leave a space on each side of the slash.
One of my mottoes comes from the beginning of Anne Sextons poem
Words: Be careful of words, / even the miraculous ones.
Capitalize and punctuate each line of poetry as in the originalbut even if
the quoted line of poetry doesnt have a period, use one to end your sentence.
If your quotation ends before the line of poetry ends, use ellipsis points (28d).
Using a slash for numerical fractions in manuscripts
To type numerical fractions, use a slash (with no space before or after the
slash) to separate the numerator and denominator. In mixed numbersthat
is, whole numbers with fractionsleave a space between the whole number
and its fraction: 1 2/3, 3 7/8. Do not use a hyphen. (For information about
using spelled-out and numerical forms of numbers, see 29o.)
Using a slash for and/or
When writing in the humanities, try not to use word combinations connected
with a slash, such as and/or. In academic disciplines in which such combina-
tions are acceptable, separate the words with a slash. Leave no space before
or after the slash. In the humanities, listing both alternatives in normal sen-
tence structure is usually better than separating choices with a slash.
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When do I use a hyphen at the end of a line? 28g

NO The best quality of reproduction comes from 35 mm

slides/direct-positive films.
YES The best quality of reproduction comes from 35 mm slides or
direct-positive films.
E X E R C I S E 2 8 - 2 Supply needed dashes, parentheses, brackets, ellipsis
points, and slashes. If a sentence is correct as written, circle its number. In
some sentences, when you can use either dashes or parentheses, explain
your choice. For help, consult all sections of this chapter.
1. In The Color Purple a successful movie as well as a novel, Alice Walker
explores the relationships between women and men in traditional African-
American culture.
2. W. C. Fields offered two pieces of advice on job hunting: 1 never show up
for an interview in bare feet, and 2 dont read your prospective employers
mail while he is questioning you about your qualifications.
3. Christina Rossetti wonders if the end of a life also means the end of love
in a poem that opens with these two lines: When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me.
4. After the internationally famous racehorse Dan Patch died suddenly from a
weak heart, his devoted owner, Will Savage, died of the same condition a
mere 32 1/2 hours later.
5. In his famous letter from the Birmingham jail on April 16, 1963, Martin
Luther King Jr wrote: You the eight clergymen who had urged him not to
hold a protest deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham.
6. The worlds most expensive doll house sold for $256,000 at a London
auction contains sixteen rooms, a working chamber organ, and a silver
clothes press but no toilet.
7. Patients who pretend to have ailments are known to doctors as
Munchausens after Baron Karl Friedrich Hieronymus von Mnchhausen he
was a German army officer who had a reputation for wild and unbelievable
tales.

HYPHEN

28f When do I need a hyphen in my writing?

A hyphen serves to divide words at the end of a line, to combine words into
compounds, and to communicate numbers.

28g When do I use a hyphen at the end of a line?

Generally, try not to divide a word with a hyphen at the end of a line. It
makes reading easier. In printed books, hyphens are acceptable because of
the limits on line length. (Check your instructors preference.) If you must
divide a word, try hard not to divide the last word on the first line of a paper,
the last word in a paragraph, or the last word on a page.
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28h OTHER PUNCTUATION MARKS

When you cant avoid using a hyphen at the end of a line, break the word
only between syllables. If you arent sure about the syllables in a word, con-
sult a dictionary.

28h How do I use a hyphen with prefixes

and suffixes?
Prefixes are syllables in front of a roota words core, which carries the ori-
gin or meaning. Prefixes modify meanings. Suffixes also have modifying
power, but they follow roots. Some prefixes and suffixes are attached to root
words with hyphens, but others are not. Box 28-1 shows you how to decide.

B OX 2 8 - 1 S U M M A RY

Hyphens with prefixes and suffixes

Use hyphens after the prefixes all-, ex-, quasi-, and self-.
YES all-inclusive self-reliant
Never use a hyphen when self is a root word, not a prefix.
NO self-ishness self-less
YES selfishness selfless
Use a hyphen to avoid a distracting string of letters.
NO antiintellectual belllike prooutsourcing
YES anti-intellectual bell-like pro-outsourcing
Use a hyphen to add a prefix or suffix to a numeral or a word that starts
with a capital letter.
NO post1950s proAmerican Rembrandtlike
YES post-1950 pro-American Rembrandt-like
Use a hyphen before the suffix -elect.
NO presidentelect
YES president-elect
Use a hyphen to prevent confusion in meaning or pronunciation.
YES re-dress (means dress again) redress (means set right)
YES un-ionize (means remove the ions) unionize (means form a
union)
Use a hyphen when two or more prefixes apply to one root word.
YES pre- and post-Renaissance

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How do I use hyphens with compound words? 28i

28i How do I use hyphens with compound words?

A compound word puts two or more words together to express one concept.
Compound words come in three forms: an open-compound word, as in night
shift, hyphenated words, as in tractor-trailer, and a closed-compound word,
as in handbook. Box 28-2 lists basic guidelines for positioning hyphens in
compound words.

EXERCISE 28-3 Provide the correct form of the words in parentheses, ac-
cording to the rules in 28f through 28i. Explain your reasoning for each.
1. The tiger is (all powerful) _____ in the cat family.
2. (Comparison and contrast) _____ studies of tigers and lions show that the
tiger is the (more agile) _____ and powerful.
3. The tigers body is a (boldly striped) _____ yellow, with a white (under body)
_____.
4. Villagers seek to protect their homes by destroying tigers with traps,
(spring loaded) _____ guns, and (poisoned arrows) _____.
5. Many people who do not live near a zoo get to see tigers only in (animal
shows) _____, although (pro animal) _____ activists try to prevent tigers
from being used this way.

B OX 2 8 - 2 S U M M A RY

Hyphens with compound words

Divide a compound word already containing a hyphen only after that
hyphen, if possible. Also, divide a closed-compound word only between
the two complete words, if possible.
NO self-con-scious sis-ter-in-law mas-terpiece
YES self-conscious sister-in-law master-piece
Use a hyphen between a prefix and an open-compound word.
NO antigun control [gun control is an open-compound word]
YES anti-gun control
Use a hyphen for most compound words that precede a noun but not
for most compound words that follow a noun.
YES well-researched report report is well researched
YES two-inch clearance clearance of two inches
Use hyphens when a compound modifier includes a series.
YES two-, three-, or four-year program

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29a CAPITALS, ITALICS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND NUMBERS

Hyphens with compound words (continued)

Never use a hyphen when a compound modifier starts with an -ly
adverb.
NO happily-married couple loosely-tied package
YES happily married couple loosely tied package
Never use a hyphen with COMPARATIVE (more, less) and SUPERLATIVE
(most, least) compound forms.
NO more-appropriate idea [more is a comparative adverb]
YES more appropriate idea
NO least-significant factors [least is a superlative adverb]
YES least significant factors
Never use a hyphen when a compound modifier is a foreign phrase.
YES post hoc fallacies
Never use a hyphen with a possessive compound.
NO a full-weeks work eight-hours pay
YES a full weeks work eight hours pay

CHAPTER 29

Capitals, Italics, Abbreviations,

and Numbers
CAPITALS

29a When do I capitalize a first word?

First word in a sentence
Always capitalize the first letter of the first word in a sentence.
Four inches of snow fell last winter.
316