End Marks, Commas,

Semi-Colons, & Colons

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 End marks

End mark =punct mark @ the end

of a sentence
! ? .
Periods are also used after some
abbreviations
 Periods
Periods come after certain abbreviations.
Types of Abbreviations Examples

Personal names J.R.R. Tolkien

Joan L. Nixon

Titles used with names Mr. Jr.

Mrs. Dr.
Ms.

Organizations Co. Inc.

 More Abbreviations
Types of Abbreviations Examples

Addresses Ave. Rd.

St.

Geographical names Ark. U.S.

D.C. St. Paul
Times A.M . Sept.

Units of measure ft. lb. sq.mi.

 Exceptions
When the abbrev. is followed by a zipcode,
do NOT use periods.
Example: Denville, NJ 07834
Some widely used abbreviations are written in
all caps and w/o period
Examples: NASA, CIA,CNN, FBI
 Commas
End marks separate complete thoughts, but
commas separate words WITHIN a complete
thought.
#1: Use commas to separate items in a
series
Series= 3+ items written in a row
items may be single words or word groups
WORDS IN A SERIES

I enjoy books, magazines, and comics. (NOUNS)

I analyzed, compared, and contrasted the two poems. (VERBS)

The book was funny, inspirational, and educational. (ADJ)

GROUPS OF WORDS IN A SERIES

In Wildwood, we swam in the ocean, built impressive sand

castles, and played an exciting game of volleyball. (PREDICATES)
 #2: Use a comma after introductory
words/phrases
Transition words:
For example, he sold millions of books.

Adverbs
Enthusiastically, James Dashner talks to Maze Runner fans.

Words/phrases showing time /place

During the book signing, Dashner met hundreds of fans.
 #3 Use commas between adjectives
I enjoyed the emotional, interesting novel.
 #4: Use a comma before conjunctions
Put a comma before a conjunction when the
conj. joins an indep. clause and a dep. clause
CONJUNCTIONS:
FOR, AND, NOR, BUT , OR, YET, SO
 Examples with commas & conjunctions
Middle schoolers read Rowlings books, but adults
also enjoy the Harry Potter series.
Some people do not have enough time to read all
of Rowlings, so they listen to audiobook versions.
 Indep. And Dep. Clauses
Indep. Clause= fancy word for something
that could stand alone as a sentence
Dep. Clause= fancy word for cant exist
alone

Ex: She wrote the book, but it wasnt published.

 #5: Use commas to set off an
expression that interrupts a sentence.

Ex: Do you like fantasy novels, Kyle?

Ex: Yes, I will definitely read The Golden Compass.
 #6: Use commas to set off appositives/
appos. phrases
An appos. is a n/pro/phrase that identifies or
explains another n or pro beside it.
Think of appositives as extra info.
 Appositives
A well-known historical fiction writer, Joan Lowery Nixon,
published many novels.
(The appositive Joan Lowery Nixon identifies who the
writer is)
Historical fiction, stories related to real events in history,
is an interesting genre.
(stories related to real events in history is an appos.
phrase that explains historical fiction)
 #7: Use commas to set off words used in
direct address
Direct address= using the name of the person to
whom you are speaking/ writing
Examples:
Ms. Rowling, please tell me about your
inspiration for writing.
Do you enjoy reading, Mr. Pullman?
Youre right, Mr. Tolkien, fantasy novels are
interesting.
 #8: Use commas to separate items in
dates and addresses
J.K. Rowling was born on July 31, 1965, in Yate,
England.
Friday, November 1, was when the film version of
Enders Game was released.
Author Rick Riordan can be contacted at 114 Fifth
Avenue, New York, New York.

**Note: if a date is not at the end of a sentence, it is

followed by a comma
 #9: Use commas in salutations and
closings of letters
Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Love,
Sincerely,
 Semicolons
Whatever comes before and after the semicolon
HAS TO be able to exist alone as separate
sentences.
The two sentences, linked by the ; must relate to
each other.
 Example of Semicolon Use
I enjoy reading novels; my favorite genre is
science fiction.
Science fiction is an interesting genre; it includes
speculation about what will happen in the future.
 Colons
A colon usually signals that more info follows.
Use a colon before a list of items.
 Examples of Colon Use
Students enjoy many book genres: realistic
fiction, mystery, biography, science fiction, and
fantasy.
 Exceptions
EXCEPTION: Never use a colon right after a
preposition or a verb.
INCORRECT= The Percy Jackson series includes:
romance, action, mystery, and suspense.
CORRECT= The Percy Jackson series could fit
into the following genres: romance, action,
mystery, and suspense.
 Additional Uses for Colons
****Time
EX: I will see the movie at 9:00P.M. on Friday.

****After the salutation of a business letter.

EX: To Whom It May Concern:
 Whew!!!
We are done with rules for end marks