Grammar - Punctuation: When and How to Use Them

Compiled from Grammar Builder Book 3

The rules:

1. A comma (,) is used to separate words or phrases in these ways:

1. Place a comma between each noun or adjective of quality in a list, BUT use and before the last noun or adjective.
• We brought ham sandwiches, jelly and soft drinks for the party.
• Patrick’s puppy is a cuddly, mischievous and adorable animal.  

2. Place a comma between each phrase in a list, BUT put and before the last phrase.
• I looked out the window and saw a man playing a guitar by the side of the street, a lady buying a drink and a middle-aged man getting out of his car.

3. Place a comma after an adverbial clause of time that begins a sentence.
• After we had finished lunch, we went for a movie.

        (adverbial clause of time)

·         We went for a movie after we had finished lunch.

                                             (adverbial clause of time)

4. Place a comma after a long phrase that begins a sentence.
• Desperate to make some money, Sam worked 72 hours a week during the summer break.

5. Place a comma before and after a clause or phrase that gives additional information in a sentence.
• Zack, my friend’s cousin, is pursuing a course in law.

                  (extra information)

2. A colon (:) is used in these ways:

1. To introduce a list of items that add to what was mentioned in the first part of the sentence.
• We brought many items to the weekend flea market: vases, teapots, plates and bronze figures.

2. To introduce information that explains what was mentioned or described in the first part of the sentence.
• I have a question for you: why is your work incomplete?
• Finally, I decided to hire a web designer to design my website.

Important!

• Colons are usually used after phrases like as follows, for example, in this way and like this.

3. A semicolon (;) is used in these ways:

1. To bring together two separate sentences which are connected in ideas.
• Sally is down with the flu; her husband is not in the best of health either.
• This company is well-known; its health products have won many international awards.

2. To separate phrases in a list when they have commas within them BUT use a semicolon with and before the last phrase.

·         The companies that have agreed to sponsor our event are Wilkins, Smith and Sons; Stanley and Associates; and Baxter Incorporated.

4. A hyphen (-) is used in these ways:

1. To join two or more words to make compound words
• Great-grandparents, brother-in-law, a chocolate-flavoured drink, a UK-based company, a well-known artist, state-of-the-art technology

2. To join prefixes to words
• Anti-social, anti-ageing
• Ex-boyfriend, ex-classmate
• Self-conscious, self-discipline, self-employed
• Semi-final, semi-furnished, semi-finished

3. To join words for fractions and numbers
• Twenty-nine, thirty-five
• Two-thirds, one-quarter

4. To join two or more words to form an adjective (eg. five-year old, twenty-dollar) used before a noun (eg. boy, the park) to modify the noun.
• His niece is four years old. He has a four-year-old niece.     

• She picked up five dollars at the train station. She picked up a five-dollar note at the train station.