- •О.И. Килюшева, и.T. Канева, е.Н. Свирелкина
- •Contents
- •Preface
- •Setting Off Independent Clauses
- •Use a comma before and, but, or, so, nor, yet, for when those words are used to connect two independent clauses.
- •Always use a comma to introduce contrasting information.
- •Setting Off Items in a Series
- •Use commas to separate parts in a series of three or more items.
- •Coordinate attributive adjectives in a series are set off by commas.
- •Insert commas as necessary to separate items in series in the following sentences.
- •Insert commas as necessary to separate items in series in the following sentences.
- •Insert commas in the following sentences:
- •Setting Off Introductory Elements
- •Introductory Adverb Clauses
- •2. Introductory Phrases
- •3. Introductory Transitional Words and Phrases
- •Setting Off Non-Essential Material
- •1. Nonrestrictive modifiers
- •Identify the errors in these sentences. Any sentence that is incorrect contains only one error.
- •Using Comma in Other Conventional Contexts
- •Using Commas Around Direct Quotations
- •Using Commas between Names and Titles or Degrees
- •Using Commas in Dates and Addresses
- •Using Commas with Greetings, Closings, and Large Numbers
- •Insert commas in the following sentences to prevent misreading.
- •1. With Asyndetic Independent Clauses
- •In which of the examples might a semicolon be preferred to the full stop?
- •2. Semicolon with Transitional Phrases
- •3. A Semicolon and a Comma
- •Insert semicolon as needed in each of the following sentences.
- •The colon
- •1. A List of Items
- •2. Introducing Quotes
- •3. Connecting Ideas
- •4. Introducing an Appositive
- •5. Other Uses of Colon
- •2C Write your own proverbs, for example:
- •Use commas and colons where they are appropriate.
- •Add commas and colons where appropriate to these sentences:
- •Insert a colon as needed in each of the following sentences:
- •1. Abrupt Break in Thought.
- •2. Setting Off Parenthetical Material
- •3. Setting Off Explanation
- •1. Quoting Words, Phrases, and Short Passages from Prose
- •2. Using Quotation Marks with Other Punctuation Marks
- •Test Yourself
- •Bibliography
The colon
The colon is a formal mark that mainly serves an introductory purpose.
1. A List of Items
The colon is used after an independent clause to introduce a list. This may be a series of clauses, phrases, or words.
Success depends on three things: talent, determination, and luck.
Note: Do not use a colon after such as, including, or a form of the verb to be:
On rainy days at camp, we played board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit.
One morning I woke up to find that someone had taken all of my valuables, including my watch, my camera, and my money.
Still in my locker were my toilet kit, my flashlight, and my wallet - now empty.
The routine includes the following: twenty knee bends, fifty leg lifts, and five minutes of running in place.
2. Introducing Quotes
The colon is used to introduce one or more complete sentences quoted from formal speech or writing. Commas may also be used, but a colon provides greater pause and emphasis:
In the opening sentence of his novel Scoromouche, Rafael Sabatini says of his hero: “He was born with the gift of laughter, and a sense that the world was mad.”
Consider the words of John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
3. Connecting Ideas
A colon can be used between two ideas that are closely connected. In fact, it acts like a linking word in the way it connects them, and has the meaning of the following liking words:
Because
The river is polluted: there is a paper factory upstream.
He must have been very angry: he didn’t even say goodnight.
Indeed/ in fact
He comes from an athletic family: both his parents are Olympic gymnasts.
The river is more than polluted: it is an open sewer.
So/ as a result
But I was in disguise when I met them: of course they didn’t recognize me.
The river is polluted: why are they swimming in it?
Namely/ and that is/ in other words/ for example
Empress Wu’s eldest son came to a fast Wu-type end: she had him murdered.
The river is polluted: don’t drink the water.
4. Introducing an Appositive
A colon may also be used to introduce an appositive; in this case, the colon means AND THAT IS… or NAMELY.
Most people in Egypt speak the same language: Arabic.
5. Other Uses of Colon
The colon follows the salutation in a formal letter:
Dear Mr. Mayor: Dear Ms. Watson:
To Whom It May Concern:
The colon separates hours from minutes when the time of day is shown in numerals:
8:40 6:30 11:15
The colon separates titles and subtitles, and the parts of Biblical citations:
Charles Dickens: An Introduction to His Novels
Eros and Civilisation: A Philosophical Inquiry into Freud
Isaiah 28:1 - 6
1 Corinthians 3:6 - 7
1C
Write a phrase after the colon to complete the unfinished sentences:
1. I think Mary is in love:
2. I’m sure I will pass my exam:
3. Silvia is interested in animals:
4. The dress was elegant, sensual, and provocative:
5. He was bitten by a cobra:
6. I had a terrible hangover this morning:
7. Suddenly I remembered my grandmother’s advice:
8. She thinks she is a model: