PUNCTUATIONS and CAPITAL LETTERS

Now, lets move on with another topic. Simple and easy to follow; basic. Check this out, yo!!

When we speak, we do many things which help to make clear what we say, doesn't it? For example, we change the sound of our voices or the speed of our sentences. We also use our hands to stress an important word. But this things cannot be done in a written sentence because it is a 'SYMBOL'. So, to help to make clear the meaning of a written sentence, we use Punctuation Marks and Capital Letters. Did you guys get it???

.	?	!	( )
[ ]	:	;	‘
“ ”	/	,	-
…

Let me give you some examples,okay . . .

 The Full Stop ( . )

The Full Stop is used:

1. at the end of a sentence:

    e.g. It was cold this morning.

2. after abbreviation (short forms of words):

    e.g. exam.

          Jan.

          Feb.

          St.

3. after initials (first letters of a person's or any name):

    e.g. M.N. (Milon Nandy)

The Comma ( , )

The Comma is used:

1. to make a pause:

    e.g. We saw, from the top of a hill, the green valley.

2. to separate words in a list:

    e.g. We ate cakes, sweets, fruits, bread and jam.

3. to separate a list of Adjectives:

    e.g. It s cold, dreary, wet and foggy that day.

4. before the inverted commas ("  ") of a speech:

    e.g. He asked, "Where is your house?"

5. in various parts of the address:

    e.g.  20, Market Square, 

            Kudat,

            Sabah.

6. after the name of a person spoken to:

    e.g. "Nandy, come here at once".

The Question Mark (?)

The Question Mark is used:

1. at the end of a sentence which is a question: 
     e.g.

• How old are you?
• What is that?
• He should quit smoking, shouldn't he?

2. a series of brief questions:

• Who is responsible for executing the plan? the coach? the coaching staff? the players?  

*Do not put a question mark at the end of an indirect question.

• The instructor asked the students what they were doing.
• I asked my sister if she had a date.
• I wonder if Cheney will run for vice president again.
• I wonder whether Cheney will run again. 

  The Colon ( : )

The Colon is now seldom used but is necessary:

1. to introduce an enumeration (naming one by one).

    e.g. Send me the following articles: a pen, a ruler, a brush and some writing paper.

2. to introduce long questions:

    e.g. The following are the chief cities: London, Paris, Moscow, New York.

3. to introduce a speech or quotations beginning with the words like "thus", "as follows", etc.:

    e.g. The poet Keats wrote of autumn thus:

               "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!"

4. Before a list or an explanation that is preceded by a clause that can stand by itself.

    e.g. (a) Inviting one to go on

                There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you        still have time.

  

           (b) The charter review committee now includes the following people:

• the mayor
• the chief of police
• the fire chief
• the chair of the town council

The Quotation Marks ( "  " )

                                             

Quotation Marks are used:

1. to enclose all spoken words or represents quoted:
    e.g. " I will not do it," he said.
           " Listen," she said, "to what I am saying."

2. to mark the title of a book, play, etc.
    e.g. (a) "Treasure Island" was written by Robert Louis Stevenson.
           (b) Have you listened to "The Tales of Hoffman?"

The Exclamation Mark ( ! )

The Exclamation Mark is used:

1. after certain commands spoken in a nervous, or sudden, or excited way:
    e.g. Listen! Be quiet! Don't do that!


2. after certain words representing the sounds made by creatures:
    e.g. Caw! Caw!

3. to show a feeling of surprise, excitement, etc.
   e.g. Hurray! Goal!

CAPITAL LETTER

Capital Letters are used:

1. for the first letter of a sentence:
    e.g. That is my book.

2. for the first letter of all Proper Nouns (names of person, countries, cities, etc.)
    e.g. Nandy, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, January, Sunday, Ruby, Cinema

3. for the Personal Pronoun 'I' :
    e.g.  You and I must not quarrel.

4. for the first letter of a speech:
    e.g. He asked, "What is that?"

5. for the first letter of every line of poetry:
    e.g. Hope springs eternal in the human breast,
           Man never is, but always to be blest.

6. for the first letter of words in titles of books, etc.:
    e.g. "Simple English Grammar"