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| A Full stop is used to divide sentence from sentence. They are also placed at the end of abbreviated words, e.g., Hon. Sec., Dr., Nos. 1-5, though it is worth noting that with the advent of word processing open punctuation is now widely used. For example: eg Dr Smith etc. |
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| Comma usage is in some respects a question of personal writing style: some writers use commas liberally, while others prefer to use them sparingly. Most modern North American style guides now recommend using fewer commas rather than more, so when faced with the option of using a comma or not, you may find it wise to refrain. |
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| For instance, the use of a comma before the "and" in a series is usually optional, and many writers choose to eliminate it, provided there is no danger of misreading: |
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 We bought scarves, mittens and sweaters before leaving for Iceland.
(comma unnecessary before "and")
We ate apples, plums, and strawberry and kiwi compote. (comma
needed before "and" for clarity) |
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| You will usually use the semicolon to link independent clauses not joined by a co-ordinating conjunction. Semicolons should join only those independent clauses that are closely related in meaning. |
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Abdominal exercises help prevent back pain; proper posture is also
important.
The auditors made six recommendations; however, only one has been
adopted so far. |
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| Do not use a semicolon to link a dependent clause or a phrase to an independent clause. |
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[WRONG] Although gaining and maintaining a high level of physical fitness
takes a good deal of time; the effort pays off in the long run. |
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[RIGHT] Although gaining and maintaining a high level of physical fitness
takes a good deal of time, the effort pays off in the long run. |
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| Generally, you should not place a semicolon before a co-ordinating conjunction that links two independent clauses. The only exception to this guideline is if the two independent clauses are very long and already contain a number of commas. |
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[WRONG] The economy has been sluggish for four years now; but some
signs of improvement are finally beginning to show. |
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[RIGHT] Although gaining and maintaining a high level of physical fitness
takes a good deal of time, the effort pays off in the long run. |
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| It may be useful to remember that, for the most part, you should use a semicolon only where you could also use a period. However, there is one exception to this guideline. When punctuating a list or series of elements in which one or more of the elements contains an internal comma, you should use semicolons instead of commas to separate the elements from one another: |
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Henry's mother believes three things: that every situation, no matter how
grim, will be happily resolved; that no one knows more about human
nature than she; and that Henry, who is thirty-five years old, will never be
able to do his own laundry. |
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| Writers often confuse the colon with the semicolon, but their uses are entirely different. |
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When to Use a Colon
The colon focuses the reader's attention on what is to follow, and as a result, you should use it to introduce a list, a summation, or an idea that somehow completes the introductory idea. You may use the colon in this way, however, only after an independent clause: |
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He visited three cities during his stay in the Maritimes: Halifax, Saint John and Moncton.
Their lobbying efforts were ultimately useless: the bill was soundly defeated.
My mother gave me one good piece of advice: to avoid wasting time and
energy worrying about things I cannot change. |
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| [WRONG] His neighbor lent him: a pup-tent, a wooden canoe, and a slightly battered Coleman stove. (colon between verb and objects) |
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| [RIGHT] His neighbor lent him a pup-tent, a wooden canoe, and a slightly battered Coleman stove. |
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| [WRONG] Her three goals are: to improve her public speaking skills, to increase her self-confidence and to sharpen her sales techniques. (colon between verb and subject complement) |
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| [RIGHT] Her three goals are to improve her public speaking skills, to increase her self-confidence and to sharpen her sales techniques. |
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| [WRONG] We traveled to: London, Wales and Scotland. (colon between preposition and objects) |
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| [RIGHT] We traveled to London, Wales and Scotland. |
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If you have
