Punctuation: The Colon, Semicolon, and More Flashcards
What are the Linking functions of the colon “:”
Def.
- Can link an independent or dependent clause with another independent or dependent clause when there’s a strong connection.
- Can introduce a list.
- Can introduce item.
- Can introduce quotes.
eg.,
- Both movies are great, but SkyPal has one thing that makes it better: dogs that play sports. (independent ,fanboys dependent : dependent)
- We needed to find three more items on the scavenger hunt: a four-leaf clover, a cauldron, and an abandoned ship. (List)
- I only wanted one thing from the grocery store: peanuts. (Item)
- My friend Liz says it best: “Never open a jar of pickles you can’t close.” (quotes)
- Remember to take off your glasses when you drive through a tunnel: you can’t see when it’s that dark. (Explain with independent)
- I drank way too much soda: I am never going to fall asleep. (Emphasize with independent)
The Colon as a Separator
Def. Separator used in titles, citations, and hours-minutes-seconds.
eg.,
- Bear Man: Adventures in Alaska (title)
- 1 Corinthian 13:4 (citation)
- It is now 10:14 AM
Semicolon “;” as a linker
Def. Link two related ideas that can stand on their own as individual sentences.
eg.,
- I don’t want to ride the Mega Sky Coaster; I’m afraid of heights, and that ride sounds terrifying!
- I want to get a pet turtle; however, I think it might scare my baby brother.
Semicolon “;” and Complex lists
Def. When a list is too complicated that it’s confusing to use commas, therefore you use a semicolon to separate a complex list.
eg.,
- I’ve lived in New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; and Knoxville, TN. (places)
- I need to buy a textbook, a workbook, and a dictionary for Spanish; a calculator for math; and a map for geography. (a list under a list)
Italics and Underlining
Italics Def. Used to emphasize or used for titling.
eg.,
- “That’s a really spicy pepper.” (emphasizing)
- The Hobbit The Thief and The Cobbler Hounds of Love. (titling)
Underlining Def. When writing by hands, it’s pretty hard to do italics; consequently, we will then use an underline for emphasizing or titling.
eg.,
- “That’s a really spicy pepper.” (emphasizing)
- The Hobbit The Thief and The Cobbler Hounds of Love. (titling)
Using Quotation Marks
Def. A little bit similar with italics and underlining, but only emphasizes the thing inside the header.
- Indicates when someone is speaking,
- Can be used to indicate a title.
eg.,
- “I like strawberry jam,” said Luffy.
- “The Yeast I Can Do”
Parentheses - ()
Parenthesis - (
Def. Separates unnecessary information from a sentence aside.
- Indicate remarks by a writer.
- Specify a definition or a reference.
- Show interruption.
eg.,
- The cookie (which was still warm) was delicious.
- Paige says, “Oh no, a tiger!” (Finch, Life and Times, p.38)
- “Furthermore (coughing), I must firmly state that…”
Dashes “—”
Def. Have four uses such as:
- I ran to the bus stop—but the bus had already driven away. (Can act like a comma connecting structures but in a more abrupt connotation).
- The bug—which landed in my nose—had to be the size of a football. (Can act like a parentheses in pairs).
- I have only ever wanted one thing—snacks! (Used like a colon).
- “Watch out for that—” WHAM! (Indicate interruptions in speech)
Hyphens “-”
Def.
- Used to join two different words into one creating a compound word.
- Hyphenate for clarity.
eg.,
- Instead of writing gray pants, you’ll write black-white pants.
- I want to buy my coop from the co-op.
Ellipses “…”
Def. Has two main uses.
- “Hello… Paige.” (Indicates pause in speech).
- “Words are… our most inexhaustible source of magic.” (Shows that a portion of a quoted material has been taken out.)
3.
Four ellipses (….) means
Ellipses and a period ending a sentence.
eg.,
“I like cheese_…_.”
