PUNCTUATIONS

1. PUNCTUATIONS

2. DEFINITION • It is a device for making it easy to read and understand printed matter. It replaces the stops, the pauses and the emphases we give to words in our speech. • It is very important because it helps to determine meaning. I tell you today you will be with me in paradise. He has a brother who is an artist.

3. FULL STOP • It is used at the end of all sentences except questions and exclamations. • It is used after abbreviations such as M.A. and initials. • It is used after an indirect question. Why she left the country so quickly has never been explained

4. THE QUESTION MARK • This is the end mark for all questions. When are you going to Accra? Why did they play so badly? • A request, suggestion or command phrased as a question out of politeness does not require a question mark. Will you please shut the door. • Use the question mark at the end of a statement that is phrased like a question. You expect me to believe this story?

5. INTERJECTIONS • It is a word or a sound used to express sudden feeling or emotion. Oh! (Pain and surprise), Ah! (Surprise and satisfaction) Hello! (Greetings or surprise), Hey! (To attract attention) Alas! (A literary form expressing sorrow and disappointment.) • There are some interjections without any conventional symbols to represent them. Tut tut.

6. EXCLAMATION • The exclamation sign is used to communicate strong feelings – enthusiasm, surprise, urgency, disbelief. • It may appear after a word or a phrase or at the end of a sentence. It may be used in place of a question mark to express strong feeling: How could you do it! How could you!

7. EXAMPLES • Meeting and parting: Hello! Good bye! So long! • Agreement and Disagreement: Yes! No! Uh huh! No way! • Direct address, Insult: George! Good girl! You idiot! • Alarm or attention getting: Sssh! Look out! Help! • Special Occasions: Happy birthday! Congratulations! • Socially unacceptable forms: Swear words with religious names. • Taboo words usually referring to body parts and functions: Fuck you! Shit!

8. CAPITALIZATION • Capitalize the first letter of a sentence. Capitalise the pronoun I. Do not capitalize a whole sentence except for special reasons. • Capitalize all proper nouns: names of people, places, organizations, events and titles. Capitalize all words derived from proper nouns. • Capitalize religious names and terms: names of God in all religions Religious figures: Christ, prophets, saints • Religious books, movements, denominations.

9. CAPITALIZATION • Family relationships used as names: Mother Theresa, Father Mapple, Sister Elizabeth. • Titles preceding and following names. • Days of the week, months of the year and holidays. • Names of countries and languages. • First word of a direct quote. • All major words of a title.

10. COMMA • It is the most frequently used punctuation mark and the most abused. • The comma has two primary functions: it separates elements within a sentence and it sets off non-essential expressions in a sentence.

11. COMMAS THAT SEPARATE • The comma is used to separate three or more items in a list: She wrote novels, short stories, plays and poems. • To separate two or more adjectives that modify the same noun: She is a pretty, tall lady. • It is used to separate introductory requests or commands. Please remember, all assignments must be on my desk by Friday. • To mark off direct speech from the tag. ‘Tell me,’ he said, ‘how you know his name.’

12. COMMAS THAT SET OFF • Two commas are used to set off expressions that are not necessary for the structural completeness of a statement. We can deliver the goods on Sunday, or if you like, on Monday. Jesus, if my memory serves me right, was at a wedding once. • It is used to mark off phrases like however, therefore, of course, for instance, by all means, additionally. • Use paired commas to mark appositives and appositive phrases. Jim, our trusted guide, led us through the thick jungle. Alexander, the Greek military commander, wept because there were no more worlds for him to conquer.

13. COLON • It is used to separate two sentences when the second explains more fully the meaning of the first. Richard’s work is unsatisfactory: his answers are thoughtless, his spelling is careless and his handwriting is bad. • It is used to separate a list of items from an introductory statement which often contains the following words: as follows, the following or a number. Answer the following: Monica speaks four languages: English, French, Ga and Hausa. • It is not used after words like for example, that is, such as, namely, for instance.

14. COLON • It is used to introduce a quotation. Shakespeare said: ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be.’ • It introduces a word that summarises a sentence. All life revolves around one thing: money. The officer thought her excuse was valid: self-defence. • It is used to separate the title and the subtitle of a book or an article. AIDS: The Killer Disease. • It is used traditionally to separate the hour from minutes and chapter and verse in Biblical references.

15. SEMI COLON • It is used to join two sentences that are related. If the sentences are not related treat them as separate sentences. Bob is going for his MBA; Janet already has hers. His mother won’t let him; she is afraid he might get hurt. Your car is new; mine is eight years old. • It is used to separate clauses which have internal commas and a misreading might occur if commas are used. Among those present were the Asantehene, OtumfuoOsei Tutu II; the Minister of Education, Professor OpokuAgyemang; the Vice Chancellor, Professor William Ellis and many other dignitaries.

16. Semi Colon • Do not use the semicolon as the equivalent of a colon. The colon is used to indicate that something is to follow, usually a series of items. My records show that the following students have not handed in their assignments: James, Poku, Nsiah, Badu and Gyamfi. • Do not use a semicolon in place of a comma. Although I seldom have trouble with grammar or spelling; I never seem to use the right punctuation. We stayed up until two o’clock in the morning; hoping that they would arrive.

17. THE HYPHEN • It is used to link the parts of compound nouns that begins with the prefix ex-, self- and all- or that end with the suffix elect: ex-judge, ex-president, self-control, all-star, president-elect. • It is used to link the parts of a compound noun that include a prepositional phrase. Daughter-in-law, man-of-war. • Use a hyphen to link the parts of a compound adjective that is made up of an adjective and a noun. Hot-air balloon, short-term loan.

18. THE HYPHEN • Use a hyphen to link the parts of a compound adjective when the last word is a proper noun. Un-American ideas, pre-Egyptian artifacts, pro-Chicago fan. • Use a hyphen to link the parts of a compound adjective when one part is a number and the other is an adjective or a noun. A ten-pound weight, a one hundred-dollar bill. • Use a hyphen to link the parts of a compound adjective when the second part is a participle and the compound adjective precedes the noun it modifies. Earth-shattering news, hair-raising story, old-fashioned clothes.

19. THE DASH • It is used to indicate a comment, an explanation or an unexpected turn of events. We offer the best service in town – and the fastest. • Many people would sooner die than think – and usually die. • The information that Fred gives you on every subject under the sun is always very full and is given with an air of complete confidence. There is only one thing wrong with it – it is never correct. • Never put off till tomorrow that which you can do today. – Benjamin Franklin. • Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow – Aaron Burr. • Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow – Mark Twain.

20. ELLIPSIS • Three periods with a space before and after. ( … ) • It is used to indicate that a sentence trails off. • It creates an effect of uncertainty or it suggests an abrupt suspension of thought. As I was saying, she is ugly and mean and …

21. APOSTROPHE • To indicate possession. My mother’s father is in the room. • To indicate the omission of some letters. I’ll go home. They’re in the room. • The formation of plurals of letters and numbers. Cross your t’s. She was born in the 80’s.

22. QUOTATION MARKS • There are two pairs: single ‘ ’ and double “ ”. Select one of them and use it consistently through your work. When you open a quotation it must be closed. • They are used to mark the beginning and the end of a passage quoted directly from a speech or a book or a passage. • They are used to mark the titles of essays, short stories and poems. Book titles are put in italics. • They are used to indicate a borrowed word or a word used ironically.

23. EXAMPLES • Shakespeare said, ‘There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face.’ • ‘There is no art to find the mind’s construction in the face,’ Shakespeare said. • ‘There is no art,’ Shakespeare said, ‘to find the mind’s construction in the face.’ • The teacher asked, “Who said, ‘Humbleness is young ambition’s ladder’?” • The woman said, “Last night, I heard someone shouting ‘Help! Help!’ from the neighbouring house.”

24. EXERCISE • Kennedy said ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country. • ask not what your country can do for you kennedy said but ask what you can do for your country. • She was trying to explain abenagladys said repeatedly you are a witch you are a witch and so I hit her with the cutlass

25. EXERCISE have you slept enough asked her mother yes ezinma replied let us go not before you have had your breakfast said ekwefi we shall be going said nwoyes mother I will tell obierikas wife that you are coming later as they trooped through okonkwos obi he asked who will prepare my afternoon meal I shall return to do it said ojiugo

26. EXERCISE “Have you slept enough?” asked her mother. “Yes,” Ezinma replied. “Let us go.” “Not before you have had your breakfast,” said Ekwefi. “We shall be going,” said Nwoye’s mother. “I will tell Obierika’swife that you are coming later.” As they trooped through Okonkwo’sobi he asked, “Who will prepare my afternoon meal?” “I shall return to do it,” said Ojiugo.

27. EXERCISE • when asantewaa met kofi she thought he was a nice looking guy with pleasant manners she didnt know many people in town where shed moved recently so she was pleased when he asked her out they found they liked many of the same activities playing basketball going jogging and watching football on tvasantewaa enjoyed kofis company however kofis feelings were more intense soon after they met only four weeks after their first date kofi insisted that asantewaa promise to marry him I promise to be a good husband he said I will never give you what is called broken heart when a surprised asantewaa refused kofis mild mannered personality changed dramatically he began to call asantewaa frequently as many as twenty times a day to tell her that she belonged to him asantewaa who was really a kind person hated to hurt his feelings but kofis scary personality change made her want to do only one thing get away eventually she moved and took a job in another region she left no forwarding address