Punctuation

#species/thought #status/seedling

Define these:

Prompts

Close punctuation ::: 18th- and 19th-century punctuation style that tended to use a lot of commas and marks

Open punctuation ::: Contemporary punctuation style that uses minimal punctuation, especially comma

Open punctuation mantra :: "When in doubt, leave it out."

Three approaches to punctuation employed by different writers:

Three approaches to punctuation employed by different writers:

Three approaches to punctuation employed by different writers:

;;
Analytical or syntactical

Aural punctuators use punctuation to ?? :: suggest how the words should be voiced.

Visual punctuators are most concerned about :: not having too many or too few punctuations

Analytical or syntactical punctuators punctuate according to ?? :: grammatical and syntactical units.

How do analytical or syntactical punctuators differ from aural and visual punctuators? :: They are less subjective.

Most contemporary house styles use ?? rather than ?? to designate decades. :: Arabic figures, words

When should you interpret punctuation conventions more liberally as a copyeditor? :: When working with experienced literary or professional writers.

To master the syntactical approach to punctuation, you must be able to identify ?? :: various grammatical units

Three most important grammatical units to identify when punctuating. :: independent clauses, dependent clauses, and phrases

Subject ::: doer or receiver of a verb's action or state

Finite verb ::: a verb form marked to show its particular grammatical function

A finite verb is not a ?? (to be, to go, to walk), a ?? (being, going, walking), or a ?? (been, gone, walked). :: infinitive, present participle, past participle

Clause ::: group of related words that includes both a subject and a finite verb.

Independent clause ::: clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence

Dependent clause ::: clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence

Phrase ::: a group of related words that does not contain both a subject and a finite verb

Three principal uses of punctuation:

Three principal uses of punctuation:

Three principal uses of punctuation:

;;
Set off phrases within sentences

Three most common terminal punctuation marks :: period, question mark, and exclamation point

A sentence dialogue ends with ?? to indicate an interruption. :: an em dash

A sentence dialogue ends with ?? to indicate a thought that trails off. :: an ellipsis

If a speaker's tag follows an interrupted dialogue, a comma goes after ?? but not after ?? :: an ellipsis, an em dash

Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:

Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:

Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:

Most common pitfalls when using terminal punctuation:

;;
placement for quotations

How should sentence fragments be used? :: Sparingly; to approximate speech

In a series of short questions, when should the first words be lowercased and when should they be capitalized? :: lowercase in short questions, capitalize in long questions

What is mechanically incorrect in the following sentence:
The topic for debate was, should this program be funded?
;;
Should (Embedded formal questions should always be capitalized.)

Per Chicago, why should all embedded questions be capitalized? :: By analogy with dialogue.

Explain why the question mark in the middle of the following sentence is acceptable:
Should this program be funded? was the topic for debate.
;;
When a formal question is the subject of a sentence, it retains its question mark

??, requests politely phrased as questions, embedded tag ques­tions, and one-word interrogatives take a terminal period. :: Indirect questions

Indirect questions, ??, embedded tag ques­tions, and one-word interrogatives take a terminal period. :: requests politely phrased as questions

Indirect questions, requests politely phrased as questions, ??, and one-word interrogatives take a terminal period. :: embedded tag ques­tions

Indirect questions, requests politely phrased as questions, embedded tag ques­tions, and ?? take a terminal period. :: one-word interrogatives

Rhetorical questions ::: Questions with an obvious or unnecessary answer

Rhetorical questions are normally followed by ?? :: a question mark

When a rhetorical question ends with a period, what is the writer trying to do? :: Produce an effect or assertion, not elicit a reply

Punctuate:
The question is whether the project should be funded
;;
The question is whether the project should be funded.

Punctuate:
Would you please complete your report by Friday
;;
Would you please complete your report by Friday.

Punctuate:
We all believe don't we that he will win
;;
We all believe, don't we, that he will win.

Punctuate:
Employees should not second-guess company policy by asking why
;;
Employees should not second-guess company policy by asking why.

Punctuate:
It's 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Have you ever felt such heat
;;
It's 97 degrees Fahrenheit. Have you ever felt such heat?

When a parenthetical sentence stands on its own, where would you put the terminal punctuation? :: Inside the closing parenthesis

Punctuate:
Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased. (Business and self-help books were the second largest category)
;;
Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased. (Business and self-help books were the second largest category.)

When a parenthetical sentence is tucked inside another sentence, ?? :: It does not take a terminal punctuation mark.

Punctuate:
Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased (business and self-help books were the second largest category)
;;
Last year popular fiction accounted for half of all books purchased (business and self-help books were the second largest category).

Punctuate:
Three mice died (they refused to eat), and two others lost a third of their body weight.
;;
Three mice died (they refused to eat), and two others lost a third of their body weight.

How do you punctuate a tucked-in parenthetical comment consisting of two sentences? :: First sentence with terminal punctuation mark; second sentence without

At the end of a quota­tion, the terminal punctuation mark is placed ?? :: inside the closing quotation mark

Punctuate:
Jones stated that the manufacturing schedule was "entirely unrealistic"
;;
Jones stated that the manufacturing schedule was "entirely unrealistic."

When a quoted question is in the middle of a question, where will you put the question mark of the quoted question? :: Inside the quotation marks.

Punctuate:
Who can forget his "Who doesn't like Nascar" remark
;;
Who can forget his "Who doesn't like Nascar?" remark?

If a quoted question is interrupted by a speaker's tag, where will the question mark go? :: At the end off the quotation, inside quotation marks

Punctuate:
"What is the penalty" he asked, "if we cannot complete the project on time"
;;
"What is the penalty" he asked, "if we cannot complete the project on time?"

In what case is a question mark or an exclamation point placed outside the closing quotation mark? :: When the punctuation is added as an editorial comment.

Punctuate:
Was it Jones who concluded that "the manufacturing schedule is entirely unrealistic"
;;
Was it Jones who concluded that "the manufacturing schedule is entirely unrealistic"?

What is the British convention in punctuating? :: Punctuation in quotation mark if part of original quote.

In traditional British style, single quotation marks are normally used to ?? :: enclose direct quotations.

In traditional British style, double quotation marks are normally used to ?? :: enclose nested quotations

Punctuations to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.

Punctuations to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.

Punctuations to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.

Punctuations used to join two independent clauses into a compound sentence.

;;
dash

Compound sentence ::: A sentence made up of two independent clauses.

Four materials that bond independent clauses.

Four materials that bond independent clauses.

Four materials that bond independent clauses.

Four materials that bond independent clauses.

;;
punctuation

Punctuate: IND coordinate conjunction IND :: IND, coordinate conjunction IND.

Punctuate: IND adverb IND :: IND; adverb [,] IND.

Punctuate: IND transitional expression IND. :: IND; transitional expression, IND.

Punctuate: IND IND :: IND;IND. or IND: IND. or IND-IND.

Coordinate conjunction ::: A word that connects clauses that are equal to each other.

Seven traditional coordinating conjunctions (cue: FANBOYS) :: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so

When is the comma before a coordinating conjunction connecting two IND omitted? :: When the clauses are short and readers won't misinterpret which elements are joined.

Give two examples of conjunctive adverbs. Use examples you haven't mentioned before. :: however, indeed, moreover, nevertheless, then, therefore, thus

Give at least one instance when the comma after an adverb connecting two IND is omitted? :: After then, therefore, or thus; when transition is not abrupt; when no emphasis is desired

Give one example of a transitional expression. Use an example you haven't mentioned before. :: for exam­ple, in addition, in other words, namely, that is

A semicolon precedes a transitional expression only when ?? :: what follows is an independent clause.

What punctuation marks can precede a transitional expression connecting an IND and a DEP? :: comma, dash, or DEP inside parentheses

When do you use a semicolon to directly join two IND? :: The IND are closely related or antithetical statements (functions like "and").

When do you use a colon to directly join two IND? :: When the second IND amplifies or illustrates the first (functions like "because").

When do you use a dash to directly join two IND? :: When signaling an abrupt change of thought or tone.

In Chicago style, the first word of an independent clause following a colon is in what case? :: lowercase

Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is

Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is

Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is

Chicago style calls for capitalization of the first word of an independent clause following a colon when what follows the colon is

;;
a series of two or more complete sentences

CONTINUE: PITFALL RUN-ON SENTENCES

References

Einsohn, A., & Schwartz, M. (2019). The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications (4th ed.). University of California Press.