Republic of the Philippines

CHRIST THE KING COLLEGE

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Calbayog City
MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION

Module 6: Punctuations
Punctuation marks provide visual clues to readers, telling them how they should read the
sentence. Some punctuation marks tell you that you are reading a list of items while other marks
tell you that a sentence contains two independent ideas. Punctuation marks tell you not only
when a sentence ends but also what kind of sentence you have read. This chapter covers
different types of punctuation and the meanings they convey.

One of the punctuation clues to reading you may encounter is the comma. The comma
is a punctuation mark that indicates a pause in a sentence or a separation of things in a list.
Commas can be used in a variety of ways. Look at some of the following sentences to see how
you might use a comma when writing a sentence.
• Introductory word: Personally, I think the practice is helpful.
• Lists: The barn, the tool shed, and the back porch were destroyed by the wind.
• Coordinating adjectives: He was tired, hungry, and late.
• Conjunctions in compound sentences: The bedroom door was closed, so the children knew
their mother was asleep.
• Interrupting words: I knew where it was hidden, of course, but I wanted them to find it
themselves.
• Dates, addresses, greetings, and letters: The letter was postmarked December 8, 1945.

EXERCISE 1: On your own sheet of paper, use commas correctly to edit the following
paragraphs.

1. My brother Nathaniel, is a collector of many rare unusual things. He has collected lunch
boxes, limited edition books, and hatpins at various points of his life. His current collection of
unusual bottles has over fifty pieces. Usually, he sells one collection before starting another.

2. Our meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 20. In that time, we need to gather all our
documents together. Alice, is in charge of the timetables and schedules. Tom, is in charge of
updating the guidelines. I am in charge of the presentation. To prepare for this meeting, please,
print out any e-mails faxes or documents you have referred to when writing your sample.

3. It was a cool crisp autumn day when the group set out. They needed to cover several miles,
before, they made camp so they walked at a brisk pace. The leader of the group Garth, kept
checking his watch and their GPS location. Isabelle Raoul and Maggie took turns carrying the
equipment while Carrie took notes about the wildlife they saw. As a result, no one noticed the
darkening sky until the first drops of rain splattered on their faces.

4. Please, have your report complete and filed by April 15, 2010. In your submission letter
please include your contact, information the position you are applying for, and two people we
can contact as references. We will not be available for consultation after April 10 but you may
contact the office if you have any questions. Thank you HR Department.

Another punctuation mark that you will encounter is the semicolon (;). Like most
punctuation marks, the semicolon can be used in a variety of ways. The semicolon indicates a
break in the flow of a sentence, but functions differently than a period or a comma. When you
encounter a semicolon while reading aloud, this represents a good place to pause and take a
breath.
EXERCISE 2: On your own sheet of paper, correct the following sentences by adding
semicolons. If the sentence is correct as it is, write OK.

1. I did not notice that you were in the office; I was behind the front desk all day.
2. Do you want turkey, spinach, and cheese roast beef, lettuce, and cheese or ham, tomato,
and cheese? OK
3. Please close the blinds; there is a glare on the screen.
4. Unbelievably, no one was hurt in the accident. OK
5. I cannot decide if I want my room to be green, brown, and purple green, black, and brown or
green, brown, and dark red. OK
6. Let’s go for a walk; the air is so refreshing.

The colon (:) is another punctuation mark used to indicate a full stop. Use a colon to
introduce lists, quotes, examples, and explanations. You can also use a colon after the greeting
in business letters and memos.

EXERCISE 3: On your own sheet of paper, correct the following sentences by adding
semicolons or colons where needed. If the sentence does not need a semicolon or colon, write
OK.

1. Don’t give up you never know what tomorrow brings. OK

________________________________________________________________
2. Our records show that the patient was admitted on: March 9, 2010 January 13, 2010 and
November 16, 2009.
________________________________________________________________
3. Allow me to introduce myself: I am the greatest ice-carver in the world.
________________________________________________________________
4. Where I come from there are three ways to get to the grocery store by car, by bus, and by
foot. OK
________________________________________________________________
5. Listen closely you will want to remember this speech. OK
________________________________________________________________
6. I have lived in: Sedona, Arizona Baltimore, Maryland and Knoxville, Tennessee.
________________________________________________________________
7. The boss’s message was clear: Lateness would not be tolerated.
________________________________________________________________
8. Next semester, we will read some more contemporary authors, such as: Vonnegut, Miller,
and Orwell.
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9. My little sister said: what we were all thinking “We should have stayed home.”
________________________________________________________________
10. Trust me I have done this before. Ok
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Quotation marks (“ ”) set off a group of words from the rest of the text. Use quotation marks to
indicate direct quotations of another person’s words or to indicate a title. Quotation marks
always appear in pairs.

EXERCISE 4: Copy the following sentences onto your own sheet of paper, and correct them
by adding quotation marks where necessary. If the sentence does not need any quotation
marks, write OK.

1. Yasmin said, I don’t feel like cooking. Let’s go out to eat. OK

________________________________________________________________
2. “Where should we go?” said Russell.
________________________________________________________________
3. Yasmin said “it didn’t matter to her.”
________________________________________________________________
4. “I know,” said Russell, “let’s go to the Two Roads Juice Bar.”
________________________________________________________________
5. “Perfect!” said Yasmin.
________________________________________________________________
6. “Did you know that the name of the Juice Bar is a reference to a poem?” asked Russell.
________________________________________________________________
7. “I didn’t!” exclaimed Yasmin. Which poem?
________________________________________________________________
8. “The Road Not Taken,” by Robert Frost Russell explained.
________________________________________________________________
9. “Oh!” said Yasmin, “Is that the one that starts with the line, two roads diverged in a yellow
wood?”
________________________________________________________________
10. “That’s the one” said Russell.
________________________________________________________________

An apostrophe (’) is a punctuation mark that is used with a noun to show possession or
to indicate where a letter has been left out to form a contraction.

EXERCISE 5: On your own sheet of paper, correct the following sentences by adding
apostrophes. If the sentence is correct as it is, write OK.
1. “What a beautiful child! She has her mother’s eyes.”
2. My brother’s wife is one of my best friends.
3. I couldn’t believe it when I found out that I got the job!
4. My supervisors informed me that I wouldn’t be able to take the days off.
5. Each of the student’s responses were unique.
6. Wont you please join me for dinner tonight? OK
Parentheses ( ) are punctuation marks that are always used in pairs and contain
material that is secondary to the meaning of a sentence. Parentheses must never contain the
subject or verb of a sentence. A sentence should make sense if you delete any text within
parentheses and the parentheses.

EXERCISE 6: On your own sheet of paper, clarify the following sentences by adding
parentheses. If the sentence is clear as it is, write OK.

1. Are you going to the seminar this weekend (I am?)

2. I recommend that you try the sushi bar (unless you don’t like sushi.)
3. I was able to solve the puzzle (after taking a few moments to think about it.)
4. Please complete the questionnaire (at the end of this letter.)
5. Has anyone besides me (read the assignment?)
6. Please be sure to circle not underline (the correct answers.)

A dash (—) is a punctuation mark used to set off information in a sentence for emphasis.
You can enclose text between two dashes, or use just one dash. To create a dash in Microsoft
Word, type two hyphens together. Do not put a space between dashes and text.

EXERCISE 7: On your own sheet of paper, clarify the following sentences by adding
dashes. If the sentence is clear as it is, write OK.
1. Which hairstyle do you prefer-short or long?
2. I don’t Know-I hadn’t even thought about that.
3. Guess What-I got the job!
4. I will be happy to work over the weekend-if I can have Monday off.
5. You have all the qualities that we are looking for-in a candidate intelligence, dedication, and a
strong work ethic.

A hyphen (-) looks similar to a dash but is shorter and used in different ways.
EXERCISES

1. Each sentence contains a punctuation error. On your own sheet of paper, correct each
sentence by adding the correct punctuation. The headings will let you know which type
of punctuation mistakes to look for. If the sentence does not need corrections, write OK.

Commas
a. The wedding will be July 13, 2012.
b. The date by the way, is the anniversary of the day that they met.
c. The groom, the bride, and their parents are all planning the event.
d. Actually, all of their friends, and relatives are involved in the planning.
e. The bride is a baker, so she will be making the wedding cake herself.
f. The photography, the catering, and the music will all be friends.

Semicolons
a. Some people spend a lot of money hiring people for wedding services; they are lucky to have
such talented friends.
b. The flowers; will be either roses, daisies, and snapdragons orchids, tulips, and irises or
peonies and lilies.

Colons
a. There will be three colors for the wedding: white, black, and gold.
b. They’ve finally narrowed down the dinner choices: salmon, steak, and a vegan stew.
c. Their wedding invitations contained the following quote from the Roman poet Ovid: If you
want to be loved, be lovable.

Quotes
a. The invitations said that the wedding would be “outdoor casual.”
b. “What exactly does ‘outdoor casual’ mean?” I asked the bride.
c. She told me to “dress comfortably and wear shoes that do not sink into the ground.”

Apostrophes
a. On the day of the wedding, we’re going to rent a limo.
b. My brother’s wife will make the arrangements.
c. She’s a great party organizer.

Parentheses
a. On the day of the wedding, the bride looked more beautiful than ever and (I’ve known her for
fifteen years.)
b. All the details ((were perfect in my opinion.)

Dashes
a. Everyone danced at the wedding - except my mother.
b. It was to be expected - she just had hip surgery.

Hyphens
a. The groom -danced with his new mother in law.
b. It was a spectacular, fun filled - day for everyone.

2. Each sentence contains a punctuation error. On your own sheet of paper, correct each
sentence by adding commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes, parentheses, hyphens,
and dashes as needed.

a. My mother’s garden is full of beautiful flowers.

b. She, has carefully planted several species of roses peonies and irises.
c. She is especially proud of her thirty-year-old Japanese maple tree.
d. I am especially proud of the sunflowers “I planted them!”
e. You should see the birds - that are attracted to the garden hummingbirds, finches, robins, and
sparrows.
f. I like to watch the hummingbirds (they are my favorite.)
g. (We spend a lot of time in the garden) planting weeding and just enjoying the view.
h. Each flower has its own personality: some seem shy and others seem bold.
i. Aren’t gardens wonderful?
j. You should come visit sometime “Do you like to garden?”

3. The following paragraph contains errors in punctuation. On your own sheet of paper,
correct the paragraph by adding commas, semicolons, colons, apostrophes,
parentheses, hyphens, and dashes as needed. There may be more than one way to
correct the paragraph.

May 18 2011

Dear Hiring Manager

Allow me to introduce myself, in my previous position - I was known as the King of Sales. I hope
to earn the same title within your company. My name is, Frances Fortune. I have thirteen years’
experience in corporate sales and account management. I have been the top rated seller (for
two years in a row) in my previous position. Clients recognize me as dependable honest, and
resourceful. I have a strong work ethic and great interpersonal skills. I excel; at goal setting and
time management. However, you don’t have to take my word for it- I will be happy to provide
personal and professional references upon request. You’re welcome to contact my previous
employer (to inquire about my work performance.) “I look forward to speaking with you in person
in the near future.”

Sincerely

Frances Fortune

4. Read the following paragraph. Edit by adding apostrophes, parentheses, dashes, and
hyphens where needed. There may be more than one correct way to edit some
sentences. Consider how the punctuation you choose affects the meaning of the
sentence.

I was a little nervous - about the interview it was my first in years. I had to borrow my
roommates suit, but it fit me well. A few days ago, I started to research the company’s history
and mission. I felt like I was well qualified for the job. When I arrived, I shook hands with the
interviewer she had a strong grip! It nearly caught me off guard, but I did my best to smile and
relax. I was a little distracted by all the books in the woman’s office she must have had a
hundred books in that tiny room. However, I think my responses to her questions were good. I’ll
send her an e-mail to thank her for her time. Hopefully shell call me soon about the position.

References:
https://2012books.lardbucket.org/books/successful-writing/

Prepared by:

ERWIN J. AMOTO
Instructor
English 212 – English Composition for Teachers