#punctuation tips

[myfirstisthefourth]

I shall share punctuation advice every time it scrolls by. I shall also continue to screw up my punctuation on the regular. I will try though...I promise!!😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣

Punctuation Rules

Punctuation is like the very last thing I actively think about when writing something (what's the point of fixing the punctuation of a sentence you'll end up taking out or editing anyway?) but it is still an important step!

Having proper punctuation increases your credibility and the overall quality of your work. Also, it’s doubly important in professional work, emails, and resumes. With that, let’s get into it!

Commas

We use them all the time. We get them wrong all the time. There are six rules for where you can use commas:

Use to separate items in a list or series:

The book was long, tedious, and painful.

The comma after tedious is called the Oxford’s comma. Feel free to debate if you need it in the reblogs, but you won’t get in trouble professionally if you use it or leave it out (in most cases.) It always comes before ‘and’ in a list to prevent confusion of the items:

I ran into my mother, my best friend and a scientist. (1 person?)

Is very different from

I ran into my mother, my best friend, and a scientist. (3 people)

2. Use to separate independent clauses, with a coordinating conjunction.

An independent clause is just a sentence that makes sense on its own.

A coordinating conjunction is: and, but, or so.

Miley had a ton of work to do, so she set her alarm early.

3. Use after an introductory statement.

Introductory statements begin with many different words, but typically: Before, after, when, while, as soon as, etc.

Before her first class, Stacy looked up her prof on Rate Your Teacher.

Main point about this, “Before her first class” is not an independent clause, it needs a second part.

4. Use to surround info in a sentence

This info is not essential to the sense-making of the sentence, but it should be relevant.

Parents, no matter how skilled, cannot function at 100% all the time.

5. Addresses and Dates

6. And with direct quotes

Important for essay writing.

Casey said, “I hate this house!”

Colons:

Introduce a list after a complete sentence:

I have three favourite foods: spaghetti, chowder, and garlic bread.

2. Use after ‘the following’ or ‘as follows’

Please provide the following information: your date of birth, full name, and address.

3. Don't use with sentence fragments

A sentence fragment is an unfinished sentence (that doesn’t make sense on its own).

My favourite foods are: spaghetti, chowder, and garlic bread.

This is wrong because, “My favourite foods are.” Isn’t an independent clause.

4. Introduce an explanation

My parents ask one thing of me: that I try my hardest.

5. Introduce a quotation

Mom always quoted the bible: “The truth will set you free.”

6. And times (12:00)

Semi-Colon:

Not super common, but makes you look good if you can use it properly.

Separate two related independent clauses

I never drink Starbucks; it tastes burnt.

2. Similar, but with conjunctions: however, moreover, therefore, nevertheless, etc.

I don’t like Starbucks; however, it does the job.

Agatha didn’t witness anything; nevertheless, she was called in to court.

3. Use to avoid misreading in a series

The invited guests are the club leader; the treasurer; the new member, Jason Tanner; and Wanda Johnson, the investor.

Semicolons clarify the separation between the four people. Had it been, “The club leader, the treasurer, The new member, Jason Tanner…” it would seem that the new member and Jason Tanner are two different people.

Apostrophes – Possessive

‘s shows possession of a singular noun

The girl’s parents were quite rich.

2. S’ shows possession of a plural noun

The students’ books were all over the place. (there are multiple students who have books)

3. ‘s to singular words ending in s, and nouns that are plural

My boss’s office My children’s toys

Apostrophes – Contractions

Use to combine two words (they are, he is, there is, etc.)

It is -> It’s a beautiful park They are -> They’re really good friends You are -> you’re good at this and so on.

[penstricken]

Smartening Up Your Writing Style

Smartening Up Your Writing Style #writingtip #writetip #fiction #writers #amwriting #editing #writingcommunity #writerslife

The final stage of drafting and re-drafting is both thrilling and gruelling. Your story is all but finished. Indeed, as the author, you might well be tempted to say it is finished. But it’s not. Anyone who has ever attended a job interview knows that it’s not enough to simply be qualified. You need to cut your hair, trim your nails, straighten your tie and generally make a bit of an effort.…

[scifibabee]

Dialogue Punctuation Cheat Sheet

hey friends, i've found myself talking about dialogue grammar a lot as i do more and more beta'ing, so figured it'd be helpful to share more broadly :)

1. Dialogue + Tag (same sentence):

"I missed you," he said. "I missed you," Will said.

Use a comma inside the quotation marks.

Don't capitalize the dialogue tag unless it starts with a name.

2. Dialogue + Action (separate sentence):

"I missed you." He stepped closer.

Use a period inside the quotation marks.

The action isn't a dialogue tag, so it stands as its own sentence.

3. Dialogue Split in Two (same sentence continues):

"I think," he murmured, "that you should stay." "I think that," he murmured, "Will should stay."

Use a comma before closing the quotation mark and after the tag.

Don't capitalize the second part unless it's a name or proper noun.

4. Dialogue Split in Two (separate sentences):

"You're here," he said. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

Use a period after the tag, because the next quote is a new sentence.

Capitalize the new sentence of dialogue.

5. Tag + complete sentence of dialogue:

He released a breath before answering, "Always."

Use a comma after the tag.

Capitalize the complete sentence of dialogue.

6. Questions & Exclamations:

"Are you serious?" he asked. "Don't touch me!" he snapped.

Keep the ? or ! inside the quotes.

Follow with a lowercase tag unless it starts with a name.

hope this is helpful for somebody out there!!

[thatsbelievable]

[azus-reyan]

Punctuation marks (? , ! .), with fun facts. 

The comma ( , )

✅ Serial comma: Ted played with Jack, Jason, and his dog Max.

✅ Bracketing comma: A tortoise named Jonathan, the oldest living land animal, is aged 192 years. Or: Jonathan, aged 192 years old, is the oldest living land animal.

✅ Joining comma: The Eiffel Tower was originally made for Barcelona, but was built in Paris.

✅ Introductory comma: With 116 lanes, the largest bowling alley in the world is in Japan.

Period or the full stop ( . )

✅ The longest English word has 45 letters.

✅ Abbreviations: Dr. William Macewen was the first doctor to successfully remove a brain tumor.

✅ Initials: The first satellite launched by N.A.S.A was called Explorer One.

✅ Decimals: The value of Pie is 3.14.

Question mark ( ? )

✅ Did you know that honey never spoils?

Did you know that octopuses have three hearts?

Exclamation point ( ! )

✅ Bananas are berries but strawberries aren’t!

A shrimp’s heart is in its head!

Semi color ( ; )

✅ Koalas sleep up to 22 hours a day; they’re basically professional nappers.

Cows have best friends; they get stressed when separated.

Colon ( : )

✅ List: The world is full of fun facts: Flamingos aren’t born pink, your ears and nose never stop growing, and Russia has eleven time zones!

✅ Elaboration: The shortest war was between Britain and Zanzibar: it lasted 38 minutes. 

✅ Quotation: He said: “Saturn’s rings can tell us how the solar system was born.” 

Em dash ( — )

✅ Interruption: The Great Wall of China—spanning over 13,000 miles—was originally built to protect against invasions.

✅ Additional information: The giraffe—the tallest land animal—can grow up to 18 feet tall.

En dash ( – )

✅ Range indication: The day–night cycle influences all living creatures.

✅ Connection of related items: The land–sea balance affects the planet’s climate.

Hyphen ( - )

✅ Joining parts of words: The ice-cream cone is enjoyed all around the world.

✅ Dividing a word by the end of a line: In the past, hyphens were used at the end of lines to split long words, helping maintain neat a-nd consistent text layouts in printed books and newspapers.

Parenthesis ( )

✅ Clarifying a point: The cheetah is the fastest land animal (it can reach 60 miles per hour).

✅ Minor thoughts: The Amazon rainforest produces 20% of the world's oxygen (it's called the lungs of the Earth).

Brackets ( [ ] )

✅ The giant panda's diet consists mostly of bamboo [despite being a carnivore]

Apostrophe ( ‘ )

✅ Showing possession: Shakespeare's plays are still performed all over the world.

✅ Forming contractions: “Can't” is one of the most common contractions in the English language.

 Quotation marks ( “ “ ) 

✅ Indication of speech: Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

✅ Highlighting words or phrases: “A Temporary Matter” is the first short story in ‘Interpreter of Maladies’.

Ellipses ( … )

✅ Omission: In the famous phrase "To be or not to be... that is the question," the ellipsis is used to omit part of the original quote.

Pausing or trailing off: People often say, "I saw something strange... but I can't explain it," pausing to build suspense.

Slash ( / )

✅ Indication of alternatives: Some people are team dog/cat when it comes to pets, but did you know that people who own both often live longer?

✅ Separation of lines of poetry: In "Bohemian Rhapsody," the lyrics "Is this the real life? / Is this just fantasy?" slashes are used instead of "or", to separate lines.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Punctuation Marks

In speaking, we use pauses and the pitch of the voice to make what we say clear. Punctuation plays a similar role in writing, making it easier to read.

Punctuation consists of both rules and conventions. There are rules of punctuation that have to be followed; but there are also punctuation conventions that give writers greater choice.

The standard English punctuation is as follows: period/full stop, comma, apostrophe, quotation, question, exclamation, brackets, braces, parenthesis, dash, hyphen, ellipsis, colon, semicolon.

. PERIOD/FULL STOP

Use a period/full stop to mark the end of a sentence:

We went to France last summer.

We were really surprised that it was so easy to travel on the motorways.

In addition to closing sentences, we also use full stops in initials for personal names:

G. W. Dwyer

David A. Johnston, Accountant

Full stops are also used after abbreviations, although this practice is becoming less common:

Arr. (arrival)

etc. (etcetera)

Dr. (doctor)

, COMMA

We use commas to separate a list of similar words or phrases:

It’s important to write in clear, simple, accurate words.

We do not normally use a comma before and at the end of a list of single words:

They travelled through Bulgaria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

American English does use a comma in lists before and:

We took bread, cheese, and fruit with us.

Note: the Oxford comma, also known as a serial comma, is placed immediately before the conjunction—usually “and,”. “or,” or “nor”—in a series of three or more terms.

We use commas to separate words or phrases that mark where the voice would pause slightly:

I can’t tell you now. However, all will be revealed tomorrow at midday.

We had, in fact, lost all of our money.

James, our guide, will accompany you on the boat across to the island.

' APOSTROPHE

Apostrophes are used to mark possession and to mark contractions. They are also used to denote a quotation mark in material that is already being quoted.

It was James’ car that the drunk driver hit.

“James said, ‘If you come any closer I’ll call the police.’”

'...' or "..." QUOTATION MARKS

Quotation marks in English are ‘…’ or “…”. In direct speech, we enclose what is said within a pair of single or double quotation marks, although single quotation marks are becoming more common.

Lydia said, “Is this my prom dress?”

Quotation marks are used to inform a reader either of something that was spoken or something that is being directly copied from another work. Quotes should also be placed around a word if it is used in a specific context or otherwise bears special attention. In informal applications, quotations can also be used to denote something that is ironic.

? QUESTION MARK

Use question marks to make clear that what is said is a question. When we use a question mark, we do not use a period/full stop:

Why do they make so many mistakes?

! EXCLAMATION POINT/MARK

Use an exclamation point/mark after a command or other expression that expresses strong feeling or deserves special emphasis:

For the last time, stop distracting me!

Fire! Fire!

We use exclamation points/marks to indicate an exclamative clause or expression in informal writing. When we want to emphasise something in informal writing, we sometimes use more than one exclamation point/mark:

Listen!!

Use exclamation points sparingly. Overuse dilutes their impact.

( ) [ ] { } PARENTHESIS, BRACKET, BRACES

Parentheses note non-essential information that could be skipped without altering the meaning of a sentence. Brackets are most commonly employed in academic writing within a quotation where the writer is omitting or explaining something. In either case, the writer places a bracket within the quote [explains or places an ellipsis and] closes the bracket to continue the quote. Braces are used quite rarely and are employed to essentially make a list within a list.

Cora (the woman who lives down the street from Jane) works as a paralegal.

Professor Brown claims, “She [the novel’s central character] is an example of a strong African-American woman.”

Before I go on vacation I need to pack my bags {clothes, toiletries and shoes}, unplug the TV, and close all of the windows.

more on: ( ) PARENTHESES

Use parentheses to enclose information that is helpful or informative but not essential:

When you get to that big farmhouse (three miles from I-270), turn left.

If parentheses enclose a question or exclamation, keep the question mark or exclamation point inside the parentheses:

Shema received Omar’s text (when did he get an iPhone 6s?) and replied yesterday.

However, capitalize or include periods only if the parenthetical sentence is not enclosed within another complete sentence:

I told my partner (we had been married only five days) that I missed her desperately.

I told my partner that I missed her desperately. (We had been married only five days.)

more on: [ ] BRACKETS

Use brackets to add an explanation or comment to a direct quote:

Berta wondered aloud, “Why did it [Joker] end that way?”

“This poem [“We Real Cool”] made Brooks famous,” explained Professor Choi.

Use brackets to enclose text that is already in parentheses:

According to this chart (Temperature Extremes [Fig. 4]), we've had a record-setting winter.

Put the Latin word “sic” in brackets to indicate that a mistake in a word or phrase appeared in the original source:

Their fundraising letter began, “Dear Fiends [sic].”

— DASH

Dashes are generally not in common use but denote a tangent within a thought. There are two kinds of dashes, an “en” dash and an “em” dash.

En dashes essentially are the same glyph as hyphens but fill a different purpose. Em dashes are longer, an easy way to remember is that an en dash is the length of an “n” and an Em dash is the length of an “m”.

I think that my dog is a genius — but doesn’t everybody think their pet is?

Dashes are able to substitute for commas and semicolons in the right situation. They can replace commas to note non-essential information or semicolon to note an example. Despite, and because of this versatility dashes should not be frequently employed in your writing.

The multitude of applications make dashes easy to overuse taking away from, rather than adding to clarity in your writing.

Note: Dashes can either connect to the surrounding words or be separated by a space, it is an issue of style, be sure to ask your professors if they have a preference.

more on: — EM DASH

Formed by two hyphens, dashes mark an abrupt break in a sentence. Less formal than either parentheses or commas, a dash—highlighting whatever is set apart—also creates a dramatic pause.

Use a dash (instead of parentheses) when a parenthetic expression is lengthy, contains commas, or deserves special emphasis:

My grandmother's house—the apartment in the city, not the clapboard cottage on the beach—has been sold.

Daynel told me—and don’t breathe a word of this to anyone—that he was fired Wednesday.

Use a dash to emphasize or to set off a single word, an appositive, or a summary:

There’s one way in which to succeed—hard work.

I cannot believe what she puts on her hamburger—sauerkraut.

They graduated, married, and divorced—all this change in just six months.

Use a dash to show an abrupt change in thought:

You are NOT dragging me to that movie—oh, what the heck, start the car.

Use a dash to mark an interruption or pause in dialogue:

“Would—would you mind terribly?”

- HYPHEN

Hyphenate multiple words acting as a single adjective before a noun:

state-of-the-art design

greenish-blue eyes

Hyphenate compound numbers:

twenty-eight

ninety-three

Hyphenate certain prefixes and suffixes:

all-school assembly

self-esteem

Hyphenate words to avoid ambiguity:

Since Sylvia auctioned all my records, I’ll have to re-collect them.

Hyphenate some compound words to avoid awkward double or triple letters:

anti-inflammatory

cross-stitch

Use a dictionary to check standard usage of hyphenated words, e.g., whistle blower, whistleblower, or whistle-blower.

Never use a hyphen between an adverb ending in “ly” and the adjective it modifies.

. . . ELLIPSIS

Use three spaced periods (ellipsis) to indicate the omission of one or more words in a direct quote. Beginning a quotation with an ellipsis is unnecessary. End a quotation with an ellipsis only if words have been omitted from the end of the final quoted sentence:

“Now, as a nation . . . we were founded on the idea that everybody should have an equal opportunity to succeed.”

“brilliant . . . an amazingly insightful film”

If the ellipsis represents the omission of a complete sentence or more, use four periods instead of three:

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person. . . . We are the change that we seek.”

: COLON

Use a colon to introduce ideas or a series of details that explain the preceding independent clause. A colon may call attention to an appositive, example, list, or a quotation:

Only one thing was important to her: the truth.

The reasons for divorce are many: money, infidelity, children, or boredom.

The sense of unity with nature is vividly shown in Zen Buddhist poetry: “An old pine tree preaches wisdom.”

Use a colon when required by convention:

Biblical references: Genesis 1:1

Business letter salutations: Dear Professor Devall:

Certain titles and subtitles: Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution

Periodical Volume and Number: Harper’s 203:16

Periodical Volume and Page Number: Harper’s 203:98–101

Time: 12:15 a.m. to 12:30 a.m.

; SEMI-COLON

We use semi-colons instead of full stops to separate two main clauses. In such cases, the clauses are related in meaning but are separated grammatically:

Spanish is spoken throughout South America; in Brazil the main language is Portuguese.

/ SLASH

The slash indicates contrasting terms or paired items:

Durand took Advanced Astrophysics on a pass/fail basis.

Although the player/manager committed eight errors in three innings, he still wouldn't take himself out of the game.

When quoting a poem, use a slash to indicate the end of a line, adding a space before and after the slash:

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity.”

Sources and other related articles: 1 2 3 4 5

[sxnniiwrites]

Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes

Did you know that there's a difference between -, –, and —? There is! Your local grammar geek is here to help.

Hyphens: Hyphens are the shortest dash (-). These are used for compound words and phrases with hyphens in the middle. This post (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/open-and-closed-compound-words/) has a lot of great information about different types of compound words.

Note that hyphens are not used to cut a phrase short. Father-in-law, pet-friendly, self-motivated. The hyphen is used to connect the words of a compound phrase.

En Dashes: En dashes (–) are the second longest dash. They are used to indicate a range. For example, you may write a time period as 1993–1995. If you're estimating a number of objects, you may write that there are 3–5 objects.

For clarity, here's a hyphen and an en dash side by side again: -, –.

Em Dashes: Em dashes (—) are the longest dash and used similarly to commas or parentheses. They can be used to cut off a sentence or add facts and information. For example:

"'You lied! You told me that—' 'I didn't know she would be there!'"

"The dachshund—known for its long body and short legs—is a clever and playful breed."

To recap: Hyphens (-) are used for a certain type of compound words. En dashes (–) are used to indicate ranges. Em dashes (—) are used to interject. Note that none of these three dashes have spaces before or after. I hope this helps!

[hunn1e-bunn1e]

Pronoun and Verb Tenses With Charts and Example Sentences

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

I was doing a lesson from my Freshman Composition course and after seeing these charts, decided that it would be best to save them for later personal use, i.e. on Tumblr. So, I thought, why not just share these charts with you all so that you can review them and potentially improve your future writing? I hope that these are useful to whoever needs them, let me know if you want any more of these kinds of posts in the future, and I guess I'll regurgitate stuff from the course. You all have no idea how long this shit took me to finish, so you better be grateful. —Benny🐰

                                                                                                   

Pronoun Tenses

with example sentences from me~ (since they didn't accompany the chart)

1st Person Singular:

Subject Pronouns: "Creative writing is something I enjoy the most." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing makes me feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "Creative writing is my passion." Possessive Pronouns: "An escape of mine is creative writing." Reflexive Pronouns: "Usually, I enjoy creative writing myself."

2nd Person Singular:

Subject Pronouns: "Creative writing is something you enjoy the most." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing makes you feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "Creative writing is your passion." Possessive Pronouns: "An escape of yours is creative writing." Reflexive Pronouns: "Usually, you enjoy creative writing yourself."

3rd Person Singular (Male & Female):

Subject Pronouns: "Creative writing is something he/she enjoys the most." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing makes him/her feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "Creative writing is his/her passion." Possessive Pronouns: "An escape of his/hers is creative writing." Reflexive Pronouns: "Usually, he/she enjoys creative writing himself/herself."

3rd Person:

Subject Pronouns: "In the case of creative writing, it is something most people enjoy." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing is well-liked because it makes people feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "As for creative writing, the author's passion is captured in its words." Possessive Pronouns: "Creative writing allows the author to be adventurous, that is its purpose." Reflexive Pronouns: "Creative writing itself, can be considered art."

1st Person Plural:

Subject Pronouns: "Creative writing is something we enjoy the most." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing makes us feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "Creative writing is our passion." Possessive Pronouns: "An escape of ours is creative writing." Reflexive Pronouns: "Usually, we enjoy creative writing ourselves."

2nd Person Plural:

Subject Pronouns: "Creative writing is something you enjoy the most." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing makes you feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "Creative writing is your passion." Possessive Pronouns: "An escape of yours is creative writing." Reflexive Pronouns: "Usually, you enjoy creative writing yourselves."

3rd Person Plural:

Subject Pronouns: "Creative writing is something they enjoy." Object Pronouns: "Creative writing makes them feel happy." Possessive Adjectives: "Creative writing is their passion." Possessive Pronouns: "An escape of theirs is creative writing." Reflexive Pronouns: "Usually, they enjoy creative writing themselves."

Verb Tenses

with example sentences (+ extra sentences from me, using the different pronoun tenses from above.)

2nd Person Singular:

Simple Present: "You exercise every day." Present Progressive: "You are exercising right now." Simple Past: "You exercised yesterday." Past Progressive: "You were exercising all morning." Present Perfect: "You have just exercised." Present Perfect Progressive: "You have been exercising for years." Past Perfect: "You had exercised before going to work." Past Perfect Progressive: "You had been exercising when she called you." Future - Will: "You will exercise tomorrow." Future - Going To: "You are going to exercise tomorrow." Future Progressive: "You will be exercising by 10 today." Future Perfect: "You will have exercised by noon." Conditional Simple: "You would exercise if someone could do it with you." Conditional Progressive: "You would be exercising now if someone could have done it with you." Conditional Perfect: "You would have exercised already if someone could have done it with you." Conditional Perfect Progressive: "You would have been exercising all morning if someone had been able to do it with you."

3rd Person Singular (Male & Female):

Simple Present: "He/she visits family every day." Present Progressive: "He/she is visiting family right now." Simple Past: "He/she visited his/her family yesterday." Past Progressive: "He/she was visiting family all morning." Present Perfect: "He/she has just visited his/her family." Present Perfect Progressive: "He/she has been visiting his/her family for years." Past Perfect: "He/she had visited his/her family before going to work." Past Perfect Progressive: "He/she had been visiting family when someone called him/her." Future - Will: "He/she will visit his/her family tomorrow." Future - Going To: "He/she is going to visit family tomorrow." Future Progressive: "He/she will be visiting his/her family at 10 today." Future Perfect: "He/she will have visited his/her family by noon." Conditional Simple: "He/she would visit his/her family if he/she had the time." Conditional Progressive: "He/she would be visiting his/her family if he/she could have had the time." Conditional Perfect: "He/she would have visited his/her family already if she had had the time." Conditional Perfect Progressive: "He/she would have been visiting family all morning if she had been able to spare some time."

1st Person Plural:

Simple Present: "We talk every day." Present Progressive: "We are talking right now." Simple Past: "We talked yesterday." Past Progressive: "We were talking all morning." Present Perfect: "We have just talked." Present Perfect Progressive: "We have been talking for years." Past Perfect: "We had talked before going to work." Past Perfect Progressive: "We had been talking when she called me." Future - Will: "We will talk tomorrow." Future - Going To: "We are going to talk tomorrow." Future Progressive: "We will be talking at 10 today." Future Perfect: "We will have talked by noon." Conditional Simple: "We would talk if we wanted to." Conditional Progressive: "We would be talking now if we could have wanted to." Conditional Perfect: "We would have talked already if we wanted to." Conditional Perfect Progressive: "We would have been talking all morning if we wanted to."

2nd Person Plural:

Simple Present: "You all exercised every day." Present Progressive: "You girls are exercising right now." Simple Past: "You lot exercised yesterday." Past Progressive: "You guys were exercising all morning." Present Perfect: "You both have just exercised." Present Perfect Progressive: "You kids have been exercising for years." Past Perfect: "You boys had exercised before going to work." Past Perfect Progressive: "You people had been exercising when she called you." Future - Will: "You all will make dinner tomorrow." Future - Going To: "You girls are going to make dinner tomorrow." Future Progressive: "You lot will be making dinner by 10 today." Future Perfect: "You guys will have made dinner by noon." Conditional Simple: "You both would make dinner if you had help." Conditional Progressive: "You kids would be making dinner now if someone could have had help." Conditional Perfect: "You boys would have made dinner already if you had help." Conditional Perfect Progressive: "You people would have been making dinner all night if no one helped you."

3rd Person Plural:

Simple Present: "They garden every day." Present Progressive: "They are gardening right now." Simple Past: "They gardened yesterday." Past Progressive: "They were gardening all morning." Present Perfect: "They have just gardened." Present Perfect Progressive: "They have been gardening for years." Past Perfect: "They had gardened before going to work." Past Perfect Progressive: "They had been gardening when she called them." Future - Will: "They will garden tomorrow." Future - Going To: "They are going to garden tomorrow." Future Progressive: "They will be gardening by 10 today." Future Perfect: "They will have gardened by noon." Conditional Simple: "They would garden if the rain stopped." Conditional Progressive: "They would be gardening if the rain stopped." Conditional Perfect: "They would have gardened already if the rain stopped." Conditional Perfect Progressive: "They would have been gardening all day if the rain had stopped."

🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.•°•.🐇.

[thebookworm0001]

I have personal beef with ai generated writing because one of the tells for it is em-dashes

And as someone who uses em-dashes too much because I adore them, how dare ai take one of my favorite forms of punctuation and turn it into a red flag

It’s fucking rude

[sunnylandsworldwithwords]

No shame! here’s proper punctuation with a simple format and the dictionary definitions because i used to be that writer who was where some of you are now. 💖

1. Full stop

A full stop is the punctuation name for a mark that is used to show the end of a sentence, as shown in this punctuation example:

'Lucy went clothes shopping. She bought a lovely new skirt.'

Full stops are used to indicate that it is the end of a sentence, usually communicating a complete point or thought. It highlights a new sentence is about to begin.

2. Commas

Commas is the punctuation name for a mark that aregreat for breaking down sentences, combining two clauses or showing us when to pause.

'Despite the fact I hate maths, I quite like learning about fractions.'

This shows how commas can add emphasis and tell the reader when to pause. Sometimes, commas can be misplaced. This is called a comma splice, where two independent clauses are connected by a comma, when they should really be separated with a full stop or semi colon or connected with a connective.

3. Question marks

Question marks simply indicate that the speaker is asking a question. They're used at the end of question (or interrogative) sentences.

'Do you still want to keep your teddy bear?'

4. Exclamation marks

Exclamation marks is the punctuation name for a mark that can change the meaning and tone of a sentence. They still end a sentence, but they can add emotion - whether that's excitement, anger or nervousness!

'Look, it's a cat!'

'I'm so nervous about my SATs exams!'

'I can't believe you just said that!'

All three of these sentences convey very different emotions using an exclamation mark, so it can be confusing. Yet imagine if they used a full stop instead - these emotions would be much harder to read and understand.

A sentence which needs an exclamation mark is called an exclamatory sentence.

5. Colons

A colon is the punctuation name for a mark that is used to connect two clauses.

'Never go out in the sun without sunscreen: you#ll damage your skin.'

They're also great for introducing a list of three or more things.

'I'm visiting four cities this summer: Rome, Florence, Paris, and Seville.'

6. Semicolons

Semicolons get a bad reputation for being difficult, but in truth, they're super handy!

You can use a semicolon to join 2 main (or independent clauses) which have equal importance. For example,

'Katie was hungry; she hadn't eaten all day.'

Semicolons show a closer relationship between the clauses than a full stop would show.

7. Apostrophes

Apostrophe is a punctuation mark that can be quite confusing for many children, but it's really important that children learn how to use it properly.

Apostrophes are used to identify something that belongs to someone or to show a letter or multiple letters are missing from a word. Yet as simple as this sounds, many children and adults often misplace or forget apostrophes, even putting them somewhere they shouldn't be altogether. The following sentence shows how to use an apostrophe for contractions, where letters are missing from "were not", "of the clock" and "cannot".

"We weren't meant to leave before 4 O'clock, so we can't go yet."

Apostrophes can also be used to show the possessive form of a singular noun.

"The student's job was to make sure no one touched the pet rabbit's breakfast."

With plural nouns where the word already has an 's' at the end, an apostrophe just gets added at the end.

"The girls' toy truck had broken."

If the word is plural and doesn't have an 's' at the end, again one can be added.

"The women's business meeting had been delayed."

One of the most common misuses of apostrophes is putting them in words which are just plural and don't show possession or contraction. For example, words such as pencils, ghosts, houses, or guests never need an apostrophe.

8. Dash

A dash is the punctuation name for a mark that used to separate words into statements. There are two common types of dashes: en dash and em dash which vary in length. The en dash is twice as long as a hyphen and is most commonly used to signify a range between two words or numbers, for example the date range:

1990-2014.

Meanwhile,the em dash can be used in place of a comma, parenthesis, or colon to enhance readability or emphasize the conclusion of a sentence. For example:

She gave him her answer—No!

8. Hyphen

This list of punctuation marks isn't exhaustive, but it does contain the most commonly used punctuation marks with names. For example:

Sarah had a part-time job that she worked on a Saturday

9. Parentheses

A parenthesis is a word, phrase, or sentence that is inserted into writing as extra information using brackets, commas or dashes. For example:

'James (who was terrified of heights) was going to ride the biggest rollercoaster in the theme park

When a whole sentence is written inside a parenthesis then the full stop will be included inside the parenthesis, for example - Please read this story. (You'll be amazed.). However, if the majority of a sentence is written outside the parentheses, then the full stop should also be used on the outside, for example, You are late (aren't you?).

10. Brackets

Brackets is the punctuation name for a mark that is a curved symbol that looks like () and they are used to separate non-essential or additional information from a sentence. For example:

She finally answered (after taking five minutes to think) that she didn’t understand the question.

11. Quotation marks

Quotation marks is the punctuation name for a mark that is the primary type of punctuation used in quotes. These are inverted commas that are used as either single (‘ ’) or double (“ ”) sets. They are used either to mark the beginning and end of a title or quoted passage. For example:

Walking across the beach Mary said, "the weather is very sunny today".

12. Ellipsis

An ellipsis(plural ellipses) is a punctuation mark made up of 3 dots. Ellipses are commonly used to indicate the omission of words, lines or paragraphs from a quoted passage. For example:

'Today...we are proud to announce our new product.'

Dictionary version [better version In my opinion]

What is a typographical symbol?

The term typographical symbol, or any other number of phrases, refers to a character or symbol that isn’t considered to be a punctuation mark but may still be used in writing for various purposes. Typographical symbols are generally avoided in formal writing under most circumstances. However, you may see typographic symbols used quite a bit in informal writing.

Typographical symbol examples

The following examples show some ways that a writer might use typographical symbols. Keep in mind that some of these sentences may not be considered appropriate in formal writing.

The frustrated actor said she was tired of her co-star’s “annoying bull****.”

For questions, email us at anascabana@bananacabanas.fake!

The band had five #1 singles on the American music charts during the 1990s.

My internet provider is AT&T.

Period (.)

A period is used to end a declarative sentence. A period indicates that a sentence is finished.

Today is Friday.

Unique to them, periods are also often used in abbreviations.

Prof. Dumbledore once again awarded a ludicrous amount of points to Gryffindor.

Question mark (?)

The question mark is used to end a question, also known as an interrogative sentence.

Do you feel lucky?

Exclamation point (!)

The exclamation point is used at the end of exclamations and interjections.

Our house is haunted!

Wow!

Comma, colon, and semicolon

Commas, colons, and semicolons can all be used to connect sentences together.

Comma (,)

The comma is often the punctuation mark that gives writers the most problems. It has many different uses and often requires good knowledge of grammar to avoid making mistakes when using it. Some common uses of the comma include:

Joining clauses: Mario loves Peach, and she loves him.

Nonrestrictive elements: My favorite team, the Fighting Mongooses, won the championship this year.

Lists: The flag was red, white, and blue.

Coordinate adjectives: The cute, happy puppy licked my hand.

Try out this quiz on the Oxford comma!

Colon (:)

The colon is typically used to introduce additional information.

The detective had three suspects: the salesman, the gardener, and the lawyer.

Like commas, colons can also connect clauses together.

We forgot to ask the most important question: who was buying lunch?

Colons have a few other uses, too.

The meeting starts at 8:15 p.m.

The priest started reading from Mark 3:6.

Semicolon (;)

Like the comma and the colon, the semicolon is used to connect sentences together. The semicolon typically indicates that the second sentence is closely related to the one before it.

I can’t eat peanuts; I am highly allergic to them.

Lucy loves to eat all kinds of sweets;lollipops are her favorite.

Hyphen and dashes (en dash and em dash)

All three of these punctuation marks are often referred to as “dashes.” However, they are all used for entirely different reasons.

Hyphen (-)

The hyphen is used to form compound words.

I went to lunch with my father-in-law.

She was playing with a jack-in-the-box.

He was accused of having pro-Britishsympathies.

En dash (–)

The en dash is used to express ranges or is sometimes used in more complex compound words.

The homework exercises are on pages 20–27.

The songwriter had worked on many Tony Award–winning productions.

Em dash (—)

The em dash is used to indicate a pause or interrupted speech.

The thief was someone nobody expected—me!

“Those kids will—” was all he managed to say before he was hit by a water balloon.

Test your knowledge on the different dashes here.

Parentheses, brackets, and braces

These pairs of punctuation marks look similar, but they all have different uses. In general, the parentheses are much more commonly used than the others.

Parentheses ()

Typically, parentheses are used to add additional information.

I thought (for a very long time) if I should actually give an honest answer.

Tomorrow is Christmas (my favorite holiday)!

Parentheses have a variety of other uses, too.

Pollution increased significantly. (See Chart 14B)

He was at an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting.

Richard I of England (1157–1199) had the heart of a lion.

Square brackets []

Typically, square brackets are used to clarify or add information to quotations.

According to an eyewitness, the chimpanzees “climbed on the roof and juggled [bananas].”

The judge said that “the defense attorney [Mr. Wright] had made it clear that the case was far from closed.”

Curly brackets {}

Curly brackets, also known as braces, are rarely used punctuation marks that are used to group a set.

I was impressed by the many different colors {red, green, yellow, blue, purple, black, white} they selected for the flag’s design.

Angle brackets <>

Angle brackets have no usage in formal writing and are rarely ever used even in informal writing. These characters have more uses in other fields, such as math or computing.

Quotation marks and apostrophe

You’ll find these punctuation marks hanging out at the top of a line of text.

Quotation marks (“”)

The most common use of quotation marks is to contain quotations.

She said, “Don’t let the dog out of the house.”

Bob Ross liked to put “happy little trees” in many of his paintings.

Apostrophe (‘)

The apostrophe is most often used to form possessives and contractions.

The house’s back door is open.

My cousin’s birthday is next week.

It isn’t ready yet.

We should’ve stayed outside.

Slash and ellipses

These are two punctuation marks you may not see too often, but they are still useful.

Slash (/)

The slash has several different uses. Here are some examples:

Relationships: The existence of boxer briefs somehow hasn’t ended the boxers/briefs debate.

Alternatives: They accept cash and/or credit.

Fractions: After an hour, 2/3 of the audience had already left.

Ellipses (…)

In formal writing, ellipses are used to indicate that words were removed from a quote.

The mayor said, “The damages will be …paid for by the city … as soon as possible.”

In informal writing, ellipses are often used to indicate pauses or speech that trails off.

He nervously stammered and said, “Look, I … You see … I wasn’t … Forget it, okay.”

I don’t do not own any information listed above. This can all be found on google/chrome/safari

Divider credits go to @cafekitsune

[theyuniversity]

🧠🎓 If your grammar goal is to finally figure out how to use a comma properly,

THIS POST IS FOR YOU. 👈

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[andrewmfriday]

Punctuating Inner Monologue

Photo by Samantha Garrote

For a while now, I have been trying to navigate the way to format and punctuate inner dialogue. I’m always asking myself Am I doing this right? when I’m creating a scene.

So, I decided to do a little deep dive into unlocking the minds of my characters. Or to be more specific, how to express what they are thinking on this inside.

I was surprised at how many ways exist to present inner monologue.

That’s good news. I can use whichever method I find serves the purpose of what I am writing. But, wow, I just didn’t realize how many ways exist to show the inner demons of my characters. 

And I’m going to share what I found. This article is less about the purpose of inner monologue than how to punctuation it.

Methods of Punctuation and Formatting Inner Monologue

Quotation Marks:

With Dialogue Tags: A sudden gust of wind tousled his hair, and he couldn’t help but smile. “Grandma, I hope I’m making you proud,” he told himself. “Starting this food truck was a leap, but I know it’s the right path.”

This is punctuated just like regular dialogue between two characters. Instead of using the tag said, the writer uses thought, or as in the previous example told himself. Some sources claim a writer should NOT use quotation marks to express inner monologue, but I don’t know why a writer can’t do this if they want.

Italics:

For Emphasis: The moonlit night enveloped Mia as she walked along the deserted beach, the sound of crashing waves creating a soothing symphony. The salty breeze carried memories of a long-lost summer romance. He promised he’d come back, she mused, gazing at the vast expanse of the ocean.

I believe this is the most common way inner monologue is presented by writers. What follows are more specific examples.

First Person:

Italicized with Tag: The city lights glittered below me as I stood on the rooftop, a solitary figure against the urban panorama. Is this where I’m meant to be? I questioned, uncertainty clouding my thoughts. The distant hum of traffic echoed the restlessness within me. 

Italicized without Tag: The city lights glittered below me as I stood on the rooftop, a solitary figure against the urban panorama. Is this where I’m meant to be? Uncertainty clouded my thoughts. The distant hum of traffic echoed the restlessness within me. 

Third Person:

Italicized with Tag: As Emily wandered through the antique bookstore, the scent of old paper and leather bindings surrounded her. What a treasure trove of stories, she thought, her fingers gently tracing the spines. The creaky wooden floors seemed to whisper tales of bygone eras.

Not Italicized without Tag: As Emily wandered through the antique bookstore, the scent of old paper and leather bindings surrounded her. What a treasure trove of stories. Her fingers gently traced the spines. The creaky wooden floors seemed to whisper tales of bygone eras.

Omniscient:

Italicized with Tag: As the clock tower chimed noon, Mrs. Thompson greeted her neighbor, exchanging pleasantries while completely oblivious to the hidden chamber beneath her garden. Little do they realize the mysteries that coexist with their ordinary lives,Austin continued, a silent observer of the unfolding scenes.

Other Techniques:

Start a New Line: The old attic door creaked open, revealing a world frozen in time. Dust particles danced in the dim light as she stepped inside.  This place is a time capsule. Who left these treasures behind? What memories are hidden within these dusty pages? Time has woven its tapestry here, and I’m an intruder in this silent symphony of memories. Here, time stands still, and the echoes of yesteryears paint a portrait of nostalgia. A cracked mirror reflected the passage of years, and she gazed into it.

Dashes and Parentheses: The forest was eerily quiet—I knew he’d abandon me, the coward—and Emily took a cautious step forward, her instincts on high alert.

No Punctuation or Formatting:

Shortest Narrative Distance: For the shortest narrative distance, omit punctuation and formatting altogether, seamlessly integrating thoughts into the text. Here are some examples:

Free indirect speech (used in third person POV): Mary looked out of the window. The relentless rain had caught her off guard, and her umbrella was sitting forgotten by the door. Why did she always forget these things? A sigh escaped her lips as she contemplated the soggy journey that awaited her.

First person POV offers the shortest narrative distance for inner monologue. It’s built right in: The waves crashed against the shore, their rhythmic symphony pulling me into a reflective trance. Am I on the right path? My toes sank into the wet sand. The horizon seemed to hold answers, but the uncertainty lingered like a persistent tide.

Which method should you use? I don’t think it matters as long as you are consistent throughout the story.

My Linktree

[milady-pink]

Dear readers,

The difference between ?! And !? Is the order or priority.

When the question mark is first, that means the question and answer is more important or enunciated than the exclamation.

When the exclamation is first, the emotion and expression is more pronounced than the question itself. The emotion behind what is being asked is the main focus point instead of the question.

Thank you,

Writers

[jhsharman]

When the Red, Red Robin Comes Jog, Jog, Joggin' Along

Need Mary's curlers match her hair color?

[cardcaptorsakura96]

My Nemesis

Commas always get me when writing. Either forgot one or misplace it lol

[noriaki-kak]

Hewo,,,,I was wondering if you had any writings tips! Where did you learn your craft? Do you have a favourite author?

Ooh man, my answers to this are probably gonna be kinda disappointing ghfgd. I’m pretty much entirely self taught for fun and I don’t read as much as I wish I did nowadays. I like to try and match the way I write to the time period the scene’s setting is closest to. So a lot of my stuff ends up sounding flowery and old fashioned.

I’ve been wanting to find the time to start reading more because that’s one of the best ways to refine how you write, seeing what other people are doing. But for now, what I do is just look back at things I wrote a while ago and pick apart what I like and don’t like about it and what I wanna do with that in the future. It’s easier once you get some distance from something to look at it objectively.

I’m honored you’d think to ask but I’m truly the worst person to give tips bc I barely know what im doing gjfgd. I feel confident in writing character scenes with heightened intense emotions but everything else is a bit of a struggle. And I’m not even sure how to put into words what my process is even for the stuff I’m confident with.