Chapter 5 Punctuation

1. City, State

Place commas between city and state names, and another comma after the state names, unless ending a sentence.

Right	They moved from Phoenix, AZ, to Austin, Texas.
Wrong	Kansas City, MO is the site of the conference.
Right	Kansas City, MO, is the site of the conference.
Right	Washington, DC, was the destination.

2. Colons and Semicolons

Use colons at the end of sentences to introduce lists and after introductory statements that use words “as follows” or “following.” Do not use colons between verbs, prepositions and direct objects.

Right	They asked everyone: her sister, brother, cousin and mother.
Right	They asked others, such as her sister, brother, cousin and mother.
Right	They will talk about the following: (1) admissions criteria; (2) financial aid; and (3) student activities.
Right	The topics were leadership, motivation, enthusiasm and creativity.
Wrong	The topics were: leadership; motivation; enthusiasm; creativity.

Use semicolons to divide two parts of compound sentences (two independent clauses) when clauses are not connected by conjunctions.

Right

We already received your report; the follow-up mailing is needed.

Semicolons connect independent clauses that use connecting words like “therefore” or “however.”

Right

We already received the reports; therefore, follow-up mailings are unnecessary.

3. Commas

Do not use commas before “and” in simple listings. Use commas only if the last items are compound ideas that require “and” as part of the items.

Right	The flag of the United States is red, white and blue.
Right	The restaurant offered pancakes, French toast, and ham and eggs.

Do not use commas before “Jr.” or “Sr.” after a person’s name.

Right	John Smith Jr.
Right	John Smith IV
Right	Thurston Howell III

Use commas to introduce complete, one-sentence quotations within paragraphs. Colons should be used to introduce longer quotations.

Right	She said, “I don’t want to go.”
Right	She said: “I don’t want to go. I’m tired. The cat’s sick, and I have no interest in post-modern art.”

Do not use commas at the start of partial or indirect quotations.

Right	She said the play “was the finest drama Williams wrote.”
Wrong	She said the play, “was the finest drama Williams wrote.”

Omit commas before “of” in writing names and address.

Right	Butch Cassidy of Sundance, Utah
Wrong	Butch Cassidy, of Sundance, Utah

Watch for missing commas. If you use interruptive clauses with commas at the end, you’d better check and insert commas at the beginning.

Right	Mr. Budet, president of University Federal Credit Union, spoke at the meeting.
Wrong	Mr. Budet, president of University Federal Credit Union spoke at the meeting.
Right	Executives, such as Mr. Brown and Ms. Smith, also attended.
Right	Executives such as Mr. Brown and Ms. Smith also attended.
Wrong	Executives such as Mr. Brown and Ms. Smith, also attended.
Right	She drove from Seattle, WA, to Austin.
Wrong	She drove from Seattle, WA to Austin.
Right	The car, which was silver, raced down the road.
Wrong	The car, which was silver raced down the road.
Wrong	The car which was silver raced down the road. (See That/Which in Misused Words)

4. Company Names

Use Co. or Cos. when a business uses either word at the end of its proper name. Spell out the words “company” and “companies” when used alone in other references.  Additional guidelines:

• For possessives: Ford Motor Co.’s profits.

• Spell out the names of theatrical organizations.

• Do not use a comma before Inc. or Ltd.

5. Dangling Modifiers

Avoid dangling or misplaced adverbs or adjectives. Although adverbs can be placed at the beginning of a sentence, before or after the modified word, or at the end of a sentence, it's best to directly place regular adverbs before the modified verbs, adjectives or nouns. You can be more flexible with placement of irregular adverbs.

Right	Walking across the lawn, I got mud on my shoes.
Wrong	Walking across the lawn, mud covered my shoes. (In this construction, mud is walking across the lawn.)

6. Dates

Omit commas between months and years if dates are excluded.

Right	Dec. 12, 2000
Right	December 2000

7. Exclamation Points

Rarely use them!

8. Hyphenation

Many two-word phrases are two separate words when used as nouns, verbs or adverbs but take hyphens when used as adjectives. Double check the way words are used in your sentence. As a rule, phrases after the verb are not hyphenated.

Adverbs ending in –ly are usually not hyphenated.

Right	newly renovated
Wrong	commonly-held belief

To hyphenate in a series, follow this example:

Right

He wrote 10- and 20-page papers.

9. Preferred Forms

A

all-terrain

B

bilingual

C

co-chair
co-sponsor
coed
child care cooperative (adjective)
co-op (noun)
course work (noun)
class work (noun)

D

data base or database (choose one and use it consistently)
decision-maker (noun)
decision making (verb)
decision-making (adjective)

E

extracurricular

F

follow-up
full-time employee (adjective)
She works full time. (adverb)
Fund raising is difficult. (noun)
the fund-raising campaign (adjective)
We are holding a fund-raiser. (event)
He is a fund raiser. (person)

I

interoffice
inter-related

L

lifestyle
long-range (adjective): The long-range plans are astounding.
long range (noun and adjective): The ideas cover a long range.
long-term (adjective before the noun): The long-term system will be in effect for many more years.
long term (adjectival phrase after the noun): The results will be firm and long term.

M

mainframe
microcomputer
multimedia
multipurpose

N

nonprofit

O

on-campus movies (adjective)
There are movies on campus each week. (preposition and noun)

P

part-time job (adjective)
Part time is the best option. (noun)
percent
playoffs
postdoctoral
postgraduate
pre-application
preschool

(For hyphenations with the prefixes “post” and “pre,” please consult your dictionary.)

R

re-evaluate
reinforce

(In general, use a hyphen when “e” follows the prefix “re.” There are exceptions and additions. Consult your dictionary to be sure.)

S

semicolon

T

time-sharing (all computer-related uses)

V

vice president
vice chair

W

well-being
world-renowned (adjective before the noun): She attended a world-renowned school.
world renowned (adjectival phrase after the noun) The school is world renowned.

10. Introductory Phrases

Introductory phrases such as “Last year” and “In 2001” do not require commas.

Right	Last year the board approved a tuition increase.
Wrong	In 1998, Larry R. Faulkner was named the university’s 27th president.
Right	In 1998 Larry R. Faulkner was named the university’s 27th president.

11. Quotes and Quotations

Follow these rules when using quotes and quotation marks:

Periods and commas go inside quotation marks.

Right	He said, “I’m going to the store.”
Wrong	He said, “I’m going to the store”.
Right	She told us “stay in school,” which was good advice.

Dashes, exclamation points and question marks go inside quotation marks when only applied to quotes. When applied to whole sentences, they go outside the marks.

Right	Sgt. Carter gave the following order: “Peel potatoes—then lights out!”
Right	Gomer Pyle said, “Golly, Sergeant!” when he heard the news.
Right	Francis Schaeffer’s book asks, “How Shall We Then Live?”
Right	What did Martin Luther King mean when he said, “I have a dream”?

Note: This usage prevails in the United States. Britain and Canada apply different rules where colons and semicolons are placed outside quotation marks. When text ending with one of these punctuation marks is quoted, colons or semicolons are dropped.

Right

The president said the plan needed “a few minor adjustments”; however, he did not reject it entirely.

In running quotations, new paragraphs should begin with open quotation marks (no closing marks). Only final paragraphs should contain closing quotation marks.

Right

The speech was as follows: “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. I have a few points to make. The first is to thank you for this honor. My accomplishments are noteworthy in so far as they help to advance this important field of human endeavor. “The second is to ask you to continue thinking about this critical issue. Only through continued research and experimental programs such as the one you’ve recognized today will we advance our cause and improve our society. “Finally, let me ask you to do more than turn your mental energies to this important effort. Give your total energies, in the form of financial support, volunteer time and active advocacy, for the sake of progress. Then we can together share this special honor. Thank you.”

When including quotes or “highlighted” words inside another quotation, use single quotes (‘) instead of double (“).

Right	In his charge to the committee, the chair said, “I have often told you, ‘don’t give up the ship.’ Thanks to your efforts, we’ve been able to reach our goal.”
Right	The chair said, “I have often told you, ‘don’t give up the ship.’”

12. End of Sentence Spacing

Use single spaces at the end of sentences and after colons. Double spaces date back to typewriters, when characters were allotted the same amount of space. Computerized typesetting adjusts spacing for a good fit. Extra spaces create gaps and look unprofessional.