Q&A for How to Use English Punctuation Correctly

Return to Full Article

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    I have so many problem with articles (The , A / An). How can I master them?
    Community Answer
    Keep practicing. Read a lot of English text and pay attention to how they are used. A/An are very easy to distinguish - they're the same thing, the 'n' is just added if the article comes before a word that starts with a vowel sound (eagle, angry, honest, Indian, etc.). For explanation and examples of the different uses of A/An and The, check out www.englishpage.com/articles/a-an-vs-the.htm.
  • Question
    How do I use [sic] properly?
    Community Answer
    You can use it immediately after an error in a quotation (commonly a misspelling). This is something most people are relatively unlikely to ever need to use; it's mainly used by journalists or authors when they quote writing that contains an error and want to make clear that the error was present in the original source, not made by the current writer/publication. For example: A statement released by the Trump campaign said, "We need too [sic] make America great again."
  • Question
    What about this sign: ~ ?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Known as a "tilde," the ~ symbol is often used in a mathematical context to indicate approximation or proportionality.
  • Question
    How do I interpret the meaning of "Have had a look. Will do. Will send a detailed reply to Fred"?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It means, "I looked at it. I will do as you have suggested. I will respond to Fred in detail."
  • Question
    How can I punctuate last names to show ownership?
    Community Answer
    If you want to show ownership for one person, you would add an " 's" at the end of the name (e.g., John Doe's house). If you'd like to show ownership for more than one person, you'd add an "s' " (e.g., the Does' house).
  • Question
    Is it proper to say "The cookbook on the shelf has many good vegetarian recipes in them"?
    Community Answer
    No, the "them" at the end of your sentence refers to the cookbook, a single object. So "them" should become "it."
  • Question
    How do I punctuate the title of a book in a sentence?
    Community Answer
    In a title, capitalize the first word and all other main words. Do not capitalize prepositions.
  • Question
    Is this correct: "I, John Smith, received a call today from the store."?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Always use commas to separate phrases that are extra information. In other words, if the sentence still makes sense without the phrase, commas should be used to separate it from the rest of the sentence, just as you have done.
  • Question
    How would I punctuate "There was a huge traffic jam on the motorway it stretched for miles it took us three hours to airport this left us feeling exhausted"?
    Community Answer
    "There was a huge traffic jam on the motorway. It stretched for miles. It took us three hours to get to the airport. This left us feeling exhausted." or "There was a huge traffic jam on the motorway; it stretched for miles. It took us three hours to get to the airport. This left us feeling exhausted." A better way to write it: There was a miles-long traffic jam on the motorway. It took us three hours to get to the airport and left us feeling exhausted.
  • Question
    Which punctuation is correct at the end of an exclamatory question?
    Community Answer
    A question mark followed by an exclamation point.
  • Question
    How does one correctly use "."?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    A "period" or "full stop" is placed at the end of a declarative sentence and at the end of abbreviations such as "Mr." and "etc." It is also used as a decimal point in mathematics and as a "dot" in Internet addresses.
  • Question
    "The undersigned received a letter from Rita Mortizs' attorney" - is this correct?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Mortiz's.
  • Question
    Can I end a sentence with a question mark and an exclamation mark together?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Yes, it's commonly done in informal (but not formal) writing.
  • Question
    If it belongs to her, is it Grace's or Graces'?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Grace's.
  • Question
    In a form letter, where I just fill in certain blanks, is it correct to use (s) after a word to show it can be singular or plural depending on the individual case? Ex: 45 page(s) or one page(s)?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If you specify a number, use an "s" when there is more than one item. Use "(s)" if you don't specify a number but want to allow for the possibility of one item or more than one item.
  • Question
    What about using "..." to ignore certain parts in a quote? Curious how this works.
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    Usually, most authors use "[" and "]" to indicate where they omitted certain parts of a long quote. "John, who was in the [...] said that all animals are equal". If the author only needs this specific part of the source quoted to get the point across, then this method can be used to shorten the quote. It works the other way around, too, adding your own words to the quote to make the structure of the original sentence clear. "John [said that] all animals are equal". This is used when the original quote is so complex that those words ("said that") do not appear in that position in the original quote.
  • Question
    Please help me punctuate this sentence: The Times of India has called the movie the biggest blockbuster of the decade.
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    It is fine the way you have it. If it's a direct quote from the newspaper, you can add quotation marks around "the biggest blockbuster of the decade."
  • Question
    Other than in email addresses, how should "@" be used?
    Community Answer
    There aren't really other cases where @ is used in proper English grammar. Many times @ is used informally, but it wouldn't be correct in academic/professional writing.
  • Question
    Can I use a single mark, " ' ", as a quotation mark?
    Community Answer
    You can if you are quoting within a quote or dialogue; for example, "Mom, Jane said I was a 'sneaky, slithery snake.' " The modern British system is the opposite: first a single quotation mark, then a double mark inside the single mark.
  • Question
    How would I punctuate the following sentence? "His direction was as follows go out of the town north to the main road. When you come to T-junction, turn left and go five hundred meters. The hotel is in front of you."
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Place a colon after "follows." You can capitalize "go" if you wish. Place an article ("a" or "the") in front of "T-junction." Some people would hyphenate "five-hundred."
  • Question
    Can I use an exclamation mark or question mark more than once at the end of a sentence to signify emphasis? e.g. It's amazing!! Is he all right??
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Yes, if you're writing informally.
  • Question
    What, if any, punctuation is needed to represent the writer's thoughts? For example, "Well, I thought I knew him."
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    If you want to emphasize a direct quote, use quotation marks. If you're merely displaying a line of thinking, the quotation marks are not needed.
  • Question
    Regarding the placement of punctuation marks before or after a closing quotation mark: How is this done in other languages? Is it illogical American exceptionalism, or stubborn British insufferability?
    Rhonda Crook-Roddy
    Community Answer
    Both American and British systems make sense. This is similar to the Oxford comma argument. There are many issues of far greater importance to fuss about, but I would say go with the system in place where you are! When in Rome...
  • Question
    Aren't the above examples (NSA, CIA) abbreviations, not acronyms?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    The definition of "acronym" is a bit loose. Some say -- as you suggest -- that an acronym is a coined word that is pronounced as a word, such as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States). Others, however, accept as acronyms abbreviations (like NSA, CIA, and USA) in which the individual letters are pronounced.
  • Question
    What is the proper usage of "..." and "...."?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Both are known as an ellipsis (plural: ellipses). The three-dot variation is used within a quotation to indicate the omission of one or more words. The four-dot variation is used at the end of a quotation, suggesting an uncompleted thought.
  • Question
    "Don't tell anything about this to mom and dad; okay?" Why's a semicolon used instead of a comma?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    A comma would be used there. A semicolon simply implies a slightly longer pause than a comma does.
  • Question
    I'm using part of a Bible verse. It is divided into two parts by semicolon. I only wish to use first half, should I keep semicolon at end or trail off with three dots?
    Donagan
    Top Answerer
    Use an ellipsis (dots) to indicate that additional material in the passage is not being quoted. There is no need for the semicolon in this case.
  • Question
    What is the purpose of a bracket used on the first letter of a word?
    Community Answer
    Brackets typically enclose letters or words that have been changed from the original piece of writing or speech. If the first letter is changed, it was most likely just a change in capitalization either to correct erroneous capitalization or to better fit the flow of the current piece of writing the quote is being included in.
  • Question
    Do we have to write names of amenities with capital letters such as the town hall, post office, police station?
    Community Answer
    Only if it is used as an official title. If you are using a general term, it should not be capitalized.
  • Question
    I'm having an argument with a friend about the use of "John and I went to the beach" or "Me and John went to the beach". I believe the first example is correct grammatically, but he believes it is optional. Who's right?
    Tom De Backer
    Top Answerer
    First, it is proper to put yourself last when listing more than one person; it's "John, Cindy and I", not "I, John and Cindy." Second, the choice of pronounce depends on its place in the sentence: if it is used before the verb, then "I" is correct; if its used after the verb, then "me" is correct. Compare: "John and I went to the beach" to "Ann saw John and me at the beach." So you're correct, and this isn't an optional rule; "John and me went to the beach" is just not grammatically correct. Your friend wouldn't say "Me went to the beach," would he? The same rule applies.
Ask a Question

      Return to Full Article