AfricaBrief: Episode #4 of 10 How to Become a Writer in a Week Punctuation by Sarah Stanley Brought to you by: The News of the World Punctuation is relatively straightforward. This lesson lists the most common punctuation marks, explains how to use them and gives examples. Brackets ( [ ] ) → Add your own words to clarify part of a quotation: The writer also said that “[she] will be traveling to Traverse City, [Michigan] as part of the tour.” Colon ( : ) → Introduce a list: The following artists will be shown: Andy Warhol, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso. Introduce a statement that expands upon the clause before the colon: And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. Comma ( , ) → Denote a break within a sentence or direct address of a person or group: Please don’t stop the music, Rihanna. Separate any of the following: • Two or more adjectives: Michigan is a cold, gray place. • Items in a list: I enjoy running, skiing, weightlifting, and eating. • The name of a city from the name of a state: I live in Chicago, Illinois. • Two independent clauses: The waiter still hasn’t taken our order, and the show starts in five minutes. • Direct quotations: Quoth the raven, “Nevermore.” Em Dash ( — ) → Make a brief interruption within a sentence or a parenthetical phrase: Johnny asked me—with a straight face, I might add—if he could borrow the car for the weekend. Double Quotation ( “ ) → Enclose a direct quotation: “What are you doing?” she asked me. Exclamation Point ( ! ) → End a sentence and denote excitement or emphasis: Stop what you’re doing and dance! Hyphen ( – ) → Add a prefix: Trans-Atlantic flights are costly. Create compound words: Spider-Man can be so whiny. Write numbers as words: Next week I’ll turn twenty-nine for the eighth time. Parentheses ( () ) → Indicate clarification: Please bring home some real butter (as opposed to margarine). Indicate an afterthought or personal commentary: Anyone can edit Wikipedia (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Period ( . ) → End a sentence: The sentence has ended. Question Mark (?) → End a sentence and denote inquiry: Why are you wearing a tutu in court? Semicolon ( ; ) → Separate two related but independent clauses: I don’t understand why Thor is driving; he lost his license in a bet. Separate a series of items that already contain commas: • For our wedding colors, I chose white, the color of innocence; red, the color of passion; and yellow, the color of lemons. • I have lived in Detroit, Michigan; Paris, France; and Sydney, Australia. Apostrophe ( ’ ) → Denote possession: Did you take Cleopatra’s snake? Denote a contraction: It’s just odd that no one will confess to microwaving my vase. Single Quotation ( ‘ ) → Denote a quotation within a quotation: “So then he says, ‘Look ma, no hands!’ like an idiot.”