PUNCTUATION
AND CAPITALIZATION
STRUCTURE
ü Objective
ü Introduction
ü The principal marks of
punctuation
ü Capitalization
ü Summary
ü Key words
ü Self Assessment Questions
Objective:
The objective of this
lesson is to make the students understand the use of punctuation and
capitalization.
Introduction:
Punctuation is the
correct use of the various stops or marks in writing so as to make the meaning
of a sentence or a passage clear. The marks of punctuation are a great help to
the reader, e.g, compare the following two sentences:-
The inspector says, “ The lady is
beautiful.”
“The Inspector,” says the lady, “is
beautiful.”
From the above example, it is quite
clear that these marks of punctuation may alter the sense of a sentence. Punctuation
has a single and practical purpose: to make writing clear and easy to
understand. Think of your writing as a set of information rather like a rail
timetable or a page on an internet website. All the information can be there
but if it is badly laid out it will be confusing and hard to understand. In
writing, these marks do the same job as the spaces, columns, and special signs
on a timetable and the graphics and other ways of organizing the information on
a web page.
The
principal marks of punctuation are:
1. Full stop (.)
2. Comma (,)
3. Semi-colon (;)
4. Colon (:)
5. Sign of Interrogation (?)
6. Sign of Exclamation (!)
7. Inverted Commas (“ ”)
8. Apostrophe (')
9. Dash (_)
10. Hyphen (-)
THE FULL
STOP (.)
The Full Stop represents the greatest
pause and separation.
1.
The
full stop indicates the end of a complete sentence. It is used at the end of
all sentences except interrogative and exclamatory sentences. Examples: 1. Don’t
go there. 2. You should not lose your temper.
2.
It
is used after initials or abbreviations: L L.B., M.A., R.K. Kapoor, etc.
Note: Mr, Mrs and Ms can be written
without a full stop, as these have come to be considered as the full spellings.
THE COMMA
(,)
The comma represents the shortest
pause. It is used:
• To separate three
or more words of the same parts of speech when only the last are connected by
‘and’. Examples: 1. He is wise, prudent, intelligent and tactful. 2. Wheat,
rice, tea and grains are grown in India.
• When words of the
same class go together in pairs, each pair is separated by a comma. Examples:
1. Rich and poor, high and low, young and old, all will die. 2. By night or by
day, at home or abroad, he is a constant source of anxiety to his father.
• It is used to
separate phrases in series. In this case, comma is also used before the ‘and’
preceding the last member of series. Example: She gave Mita a plant, Deepak a
tie, and me a beautiful frock.
• It is used to separate clauses in
series. Example: I do not know who he is, how he got in, or why he is here.
• It is used before and after a
participle phrases when that phrase can be expanded into a sentence. Example: Samudragupta,
having defeated the neighbouring kings, led his armies into Deccan.
• A comma is used to separate an
infinitive phrases. Example: To prove my point, I produced my birth
certificate.
• A comma is used to set off
expressions that are in apposition. Example: Swami Dayanand Saraswati, the
founder of the Arya Samaj, was a great Vedic scholar.
• A comma is used to separate words or
word groups not necessary to the main idea of a sentence: The bridge, I think,
will open only to light vehicles.
• It is used to separate sharply
contrasting quotations: I want food, not water.
• It is used to separate words that
change a statement into a question: You are going, aren’t you?
• It is used to set off a noun of
address: Lata, will you not listen to me?
• It is used to set off an absolute
construction; The sun having set, we all went home.
• It is used to separate introductory
expressions like ‘yes’, ‘No’, ‘Oh’ and ‘well’. Examples: 1. Oh, I don’t know
about her. 2. Well, we will try to come. 3. Yes, you can go there.
• A comma is used to set off direct
quotations: His mother said, “He will not go there.”
• A comma is used to set off each item
in a date: He was born on October 26, 1976.
• A comma is used to set off each item
in an address: Our house in Urban Estate, Kurukshetra, is a beautiful one.
• Separate short co-ordinate clauses: Steam
propels, elevates, lowers, pumps, drains, pulls, drives etc.
• If a word is repeated for emphasis,
each time it is separated with a comma: Cricket, cricket, cricket, you don’t
have any other thing to talk about.
• A comma is used to mark the omission
of a word, especially a verb: Aisha was wearing a blue dress; Lisa, a red one.
• It is used to separate the
adjectives of equal rank: He is kind, noble, honest and sincere.
• It is used before ‘but’ and ‘for’
when they connect clauses. Examples: 1. He is intelligent, but he is not
diligent. 2. I went his home, for I wanted to meet him. But it is not used
before ‘but’ and ‘for’ when they are used as prepositions. Example: He is
intelligent, but lazy. I brought a book for my sister.
• A comma is used when subordinate
clause comes before the principal clause. Example: If you do this by tomorrow,
I shall be satisfied. But, if the subordinate clause follows the principal
clause, it will not be separated by a comma. Example: I shall be satisfied if
you do this by tomorrow.
• A comma is used to separate a non
defining relative clause from the rest of the clause. Examples are the
following:
I am looking for Sonu, who has taken
away my book.
I am shifting to Hisar, when I have
been posted.
A defining clause is not separated in
this way:
I met a girl who has taken away my
book.
I am shifting to the city where I have
been posted.
SEMI COLON
(;)
It represents a longer pause than that
indicated by a comma. It is used:
• To separate clauses
of a compound sentence if they contain a comma. Examples: 1. He was a brave,
large-hearted man; and we all honoured him. 2. Reading makes a full man;
speaking, a ready man; writing, an exact man.
• It is used between
independent clauses not connected by a conjunction. Examples: 1. Her court was
pure; her life serene. 2. He went his way; I went mine.
• It is used before
such expressions as however, then, moreover, nevertheless, hence, thus, for
instance, consequently, that is, therefore, indeed, still, besides, yet and accordingly,
if they come between independent clauses not connected by a conjunction:
Our teacher is very strict; therefore,
I do a lot of work.
COLON (:)
It represents a still longer pause
than that indicated by the semi-colon. It is used:
·
Before
enumeration. Examples: 1. Send me the following articles: pen, paper and
note-books. 2. The principal parts of a verb are: the present tense, the past
tense and the past participle.
·
To
introduce a long quotation. Example: Dr, Johnson says: “Some desire is
necessary to keep life in motion.”
·
To
introduce an explanation or clarification. Example: This is what I want: a
beautiful house with proper furnishing.
·
Between
sentences grammatically independent but closely connected in sense. Example: Study
to acquire a habit of thinking: no study is more important.
SIGN OF
INTEROGATION OR QUESTION MARK; (?)
A sign of interrogation is used after
sentences, which ask questions:
What is your name?
Where are you going?
Will you meet me?
It should be noted that the sign of
interrogation is never used after an indirect question. Example: He asked her
whether she would come to meet him or not.
SIGN OF
EXCLAMATION; (!)
·
The
sign of exclamation is used after such words, phrases or sentences which
express sudden feeling, emotion, excitement, wish, surprise, intense longing
etc.: Examples: 1. What a pleasant surprise! 2. Help! I will drown. 3. Sit! 4. Alas!
He is dead.
·
It
is also used for short commands. Examples: 1. Get out! 2. Shut up! 3. Don’t
touch!
·
Declarative,
imperative or interrogative sentences may become exclamatory if spoken with
strong feeling. Examples are as follows:
v
She
forgot her purse. (Declarative)
v
She
forgot her purse! (Exclamatory)
v
Wait
for me. (Imperative)
v
Wait
for me! (Exclamatory)
v
Did
you sit here? (Interrogative)
v
Did
you sit here! (Exclamatory)
INVERTED
COMMAS (“”)
Inverted commas indicate the beginning
and end of a quotation, or of the actual words used by the speaker.
·
Inverted
commas are used to enclose the direct words of a speaker:
She said, “I will not go with him.”
v
If
the direct quotation is broken by explanatory words, an extra set of quotation marks
is used:
“He is not reliable, “She said, “I
will not go with him.”
v
If
the first part of a broken quotation is a complete sentence, the second part
will begin with a capital letter:
“Ram is going to Delhi,” he said. “He
hasn’t told you?”
v
If
a quotation has more than one paragraph inverted commas will be used at the beginning
of each paragraph and at the end of the last paragraph only.
·
In
writing conversation, if there are two or more than two speakers, each speaker will
have a paragraph to himself:
“Will you go to see her?” she asked.
“No, never!” he replied.
“But she is your mother you should go
to her.” She said.
·
A
single quotation mark is used for a quotation within a quotation: “This,” she
said, “is clearly a case of ‘tit for tat’.”
·
The
inverted commas are used to enclose the titles of books, magazines, newspapers,
poems, stories, songs, etc.: “Joseph Andrews” by Henry Fielding is a satire on
the contemporary society.
·
The
inverted commas are used to draw special attention to a word or words: Any word
beginning with the prefix “ab-“is accented on the first syllable.
·
The
full stop or comma at the end of a direct quotation is always placed inside the
inverted commas:
She said, “I will not go.”
“I will not go,” she said.
·
The
semi-colon at the end of a direct quotation is always placed outside the inverted
commas: She said, “I can’t carry on this relationship,” then she started
crying.
·
A
quotation mark or an exclamation mark at the end of the direct, quotation will be
placed inside the inverted commas if it belongs to the quotation; but if it belongs
to the whole sentence, it will be placed outside: Examples:
Rama asked, “Are you
going to buy a car?”
Did Rama say, “Meenu is
going to buy a car.”?
PRACTICE SET
Have a little tea before
you go said my aunt to me I am already full replied I
Don’t be afraid O king said
the stranger I have not come to steal your gold
Stop he cried she shall not
die
Alas my dear son the king
added after a little pause why do you ask a thing I cannot grant you
Good bye he said we will
meet again
Child said Alladin’s mother
to whom are we indebted for this it doesn’t matter said Alladin let us sit down
and take our food
Good morning boys said the
teacher I suppose you have revised your lessons.
The principal announced
tomorrow will be a holiday
You say said the judge that
the bag you lost contained one hundred pounds yes your honour replied the man
May God forgive you said
the saint Go your way
APOSTROPHE
(‘)
·
The
apostrophe with ‘s’ is used to indicate possession: Ram’s book, dog’s tail,
Sita’s pen etc.
·
It
is used without ‘s’ to form the possessive of a plural noun ending in ‘s’: The
parents’ decision, the girls’ team
·
It
is used with ‘s’ to form the possessive of a plural noun that doesn’t end in
‘s’: Men’s uniform, children’s pencils.
·
It
is used in place of omitted letters in contractions: ‘tis (it is); don’t (do
not); shan’t (shall not); I’m (I am); I’ll (I will); It’s (It is); o’clock (of
the clock)
·
It is used to form the plurals of letters,
figures and signs: Examples:
1.
The
number 6615886 contains three 6’s and two 8’s there are four.
2.
M.A.’s, four B.A.’s and four B.Com’s in our
staff.
DASH (-)
11. The dash used to show a sudden
change in thought:
He has decided to start his new
business in- but have you seen his new car?
12. It is used along with a colon to
introduce a quotation: Shakespeare says:-
13. It is used to summarize several
subjects all belonging to the same verb: Rahul, Neetu, Mitu amd Suman- no one
went there to see her.
HYPHEN (-)
The hyphen is a smaller stroke as
compared to the dash. It is used to join the parts of a compound word:
Examples: 1. Brother-in-law, 2. Commander-in-chief, 3. Looker-on 4. Maid-servant
CAPITALIZATION
Capital letters are used in the
following cases:
·
The
first word of every sentence: Man is mortal.
·
The
first word of every line of a poem:
“For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in……………….”
·
The
first letter of a quotation: Ram said, “She will go with me.”
·
All
proper nouns, proper adjectives and personified objects:
India, Russia
Indians, Russians
O Death, O Sleep
·
All
nouns and pronouns used in reference to God:
O Lord, consider me Thy servant.
·
The
pronoun ‘I’ is written in capital.
·
The
interjection ‘O’ is written in capital.
·
Letters
denoting abbreviation are written in capita: L.L.B., B.Sc., M.A., M.Phil.
·
Names
of the days of the week and of the months of the year:
Sunday, Monday, January, October
·
Names
of books, newspapers, magazines, etc.:
‘Arms and the Man’, ‘Indian Express’, ‘India
Today’.
·
Important
events: The French Revolution, The Renaissance
PRACTICE SET
Add the correct punctuation to any five of the
following sentences:
Ana asked why do we need
another phone?
This new phone service is
great said one busy executive.
I don’t like telephones
Marina said they ring too often.
My sister asked can this
telephone really turn on your lights?
We need a phone that
answers itself the busy secretary said.
I am going to get a car
phone Davis said.
When he asked are we going
to get a mobile phone?
The four combinations
possible are red green green blue blue yellow and yellow red
Certainly not he asserted
you will not go there
I shall go if you insist
Do you still wish to go
there
Six hundred policemen he
whispered will be there to greet you young man
The snake climbed the
branch slowly and disappeared
Very easy sentences
commented the student
Pencils erasers sharpeners
clip pins and paper-cutters were all ling on the table
Summary:
In this lesson we
have learnt how to use full stop, comma, colon, semi-colon, capital letter, etc
in sentences, as also the rules of punctuation and capitalization.
Key words: Punctuation, capitalization.
Self Assessment Questions
Punctuate the following sentences:
My friend is danger he said
to himself let me help him if I can
The mouse heard the lions
roar
The boy shouted wolf the
farmers left their fields and came to him where is the wolf they cried the boy
laughed and said nothing
Sorely my disappointed he
said these grapes are sour why should I waste my time for them
Some want to catch the bus
for Okhla others want to go Kutumb.
Sandal wood the more it is
rubbed the more scent does it yield
Surrender exclaimed
joyfully how wonderful to have met you Suresh and other friends again.
Whats today its diwali a
festival of hindus
Go then said my father and
jump into the river.
Do you really want work
said the merchant yes you have any replied the boy then follow me and carry
this box to my house
The teacher told the class
that the earth is round
The stranger asked me why I
wasted my time
Who would not like to be a
teacher
Give everyman thy ear but
few thy voice
He was caught red-handed
therefore ha was arrested and sent to prison
He acts like a child he
goes first here and then there and no one knows what to do with him
This is the same house
where Gandhi Ji was born
The meeting will be held at
6 pm tomorrow
In he sentence Punit killed
the snake the verb killed is in the active voice
He has got a weeks holiday
Simple living and high
thinking is a principle of his life
After a few months stay I
ran away
I steal or beg my food
fight with my enemies run about the streets from sunrise to sun set smell at
every house and now and then receive a kick
Distinguish a true friend
from a false one is a wise saying
Our motto should be play up
play up the game
William Wordsworth says my
heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky
It was July 1990 early in
the morning when he woke up
An international industrial
exhibition was arranged b Indian government in Delhi.
The word Diwali is a
contraction of Sanskrit word Deepavali but do you have time to listen to me
Shakespeare says” Uneasy
lies the head that wears a crown:”
Akbar the great Mughal
Emperor was a lover of music
to err is human to forgive
divine
you have had three
accidents consequently you may not borrow the car
I came I saw I conquered
Guru Nanak Dev says truth
is great
Shakespeare wrote four
tragedies Hamlet Mcbeth King Leare and Othello.
The problem is this how we
will reach there without the address
As Ceaser loved me I weep
for him As he fortunate I rejoice at it But as he was ambitious I slew him
I had to meet my boss
yesterday therefore I couldn’t come to your place
She is quite and studious
he is noisy and active
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