Special Punctuation Marks: Hyphens, Dashes, Brackets,

Parentheses, and Semicolons

Hyphens -

•  Rule 1: Use a hyphen to divide a word at the end of a line. Examples- Mrs. Hlinak’s students wrote very care-

ful punctuation notes. Mrs. Hlinak expects her students to ap-

ply the punctuation rules to their writing.

Rule 1: Use a hyphen to divide a word at the end of a line.

A: Divide a word only between syllables. Incorrect: tyra-nnosaurs Correct: tyran-nosaurs

B: Do not divide a one-syllable word. Incorrect: play-ed Correct: played

C: Divide an already hyphenated word at a hyphen. Incorrect: great-un-cle James Correct: great-uncle James

D: Do not divide a word so that one letter stands alone. Incorrect: i-magined Correct: imag-ined

Hyphens -

•  Rule 2: Use a hyphen with compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine and with fractions used as modifiers. –  thirty-five students –  forty-eighth state – one-third pint of milk

Hyphens – Rule 3: Use a hyphen with

certain prefixes and suffixes…

A) the prefixes all-, ex-, great-, and self-

all-star ex-principal great-aunt self-confidence

B) the suffixes –elect and –free

president-elect sugar-free

C) all prefixes before a proper noun or proper adjective

mid-September pro-American

Hyphens -

•  Rule 4: Hyphenate a compound adjective when it precedes the noun it modifies. well-worn book small-town girl

Prac%ce:  Show  which  word  needs  a  hyphen.  

1.  Mar%n  is  on  an%  inflammatory  medica%on.  2.  There  are  sixty  seven  people  wai%ng  in  line.    3.  Who  do  you  think  should  be  her  vice  presiden%al  candidate?    4.  We  live  in  a  post  September  11    era.    5.  John’s  mom  thinks  she  lacks  self  confidence.      

Prac%ce:  Show  which  word  needs  a  hyphen.  

6.  Robert’s  ex  girlfriend  called  him  last  night.    7.  The  Civil  War  took  place  in  the  nineteenth  century.    8.  His  was  an  all  state  running  back  his  senior  year  in  high  school.    9.  Mom  will  turn  forty  six  this  August.    10.  The  other  day,  when  it  was  hot  and  humid,  Robert  and  I  went  swim  ming.    

Prac%ce:  Show  which  word  needs  a  hyphen.  

11.  A  two  thirds  majority  is  required  to  win.    12.  Three  quarters  of  the  students  lost  their  planners.    13.  Chad  Johnson  is  a  liXle  too  self  confident  for  his  own  good.    14.  The  woman  was  very  soY  spoken.    15.  McKenzie  is  a  very  hard  hi\ng  spiker.      

Parentheses ( )

•  Use parentheses to enclose material that is added to a sentence, but is not considered of major importance. The American writer Langston Hughes (1902-1967) is

best known for his poetry. My great-uncle Ed (he’s Grandma’s brother) is odd.

Prac%ce:  Show  where  parentheses  should  be  added.  

16.  Harriet  Tubman  1820-­‐1913  is  remembered  for  her  work  on  the  Underground  Railroad.    17.  In  the  United  States,  the  term  bank  holiday  in  England  the  words  mean  legal  holiday  refers  to  the  closing  of  all  banks  as  created  by  Franklin  Delano  Roosevelt  on  March  6,  1933.    18.  George  Eliot  whose  real  name  was  Mary  Ann  Evans  wrote  poems  and  several  well-­‐known  novels.      

Prac%ce:  Show  where  parentheses  should  be  added.  

19.  Jenny  the  girl  that  lives  in  the  yellow  house  invited  you  to  her  birthday  party  next  week.  20.  I  am  going  to  the  park  to  play  with  Richard  who  goes  to  school  with  me.  21.  Sam  the  boy  from  the  school  helped  me  with  my  homework.  22.  The  map  figure  2  will  help  you  understand  the  explorer's  route.  23.  My  uncle  the  one  that  is  really  nice  came  to  visit  yesterday.    

Brackets [ ]

•  Use brackets to enclose an explanation or added information within quoted or parenthetical material. The final speaker said, “If you don’t allow them [the

umpires] to do their jobs, we might as well not play the games.”

The next president (he was Ulysses S. Grant [1822-1885]) continued the Reconstruction program while trying to protect the rights of former slaves.

Dashes –

n Rule:  Use  a  dash  to  indicate  an  abrupt  break  in  thought  or  speech  

•  Examples – Mrs. Baum – she just left– will be one of the

judges of the talent show. – “Right over here – oh, excuse me, Mrs.

Musschoot– you’ll find the grammar books,” said Mrs. Hlinak.

–  Erin began, “The murderer is – but I don’t want to give away the ending.”

Prac%ce:  Insert  dashes  where  they  are  needed.  

24.  A  majority  of  the  gradua%ng  class  fiYy-­‐five  percent,  in  fact  is  going  to  college.    25.  According  to  the  Cons%tu%on,  only  one  person  and  that  is  the  President  can  appoint  jus%ces  to  the  Supreme  Court.    26.  Her  decision  not  to  resign  was  based  on  one  thought  she  enjoys  teaching  English  to  teenagers.    

Prac%ce:  Insert  dashes  where  they  are  needed.  

27.  Three  prominent  ci%zens  Edwin  Wilkes,  Tom  Smith,  and  Roberta  Marsh  were  elected  to  the  board.    28.  I  knew  the  material  perfectly  un%l  test  day.  29.  Math,  English,  psychology,  communica%ons  I  have  a  busy  schedule  this  quarter.    30.  No  one  and  I  mean  no  one  should  be  permiXed  to  smoke  in  a  restaurant.    31.  Folk,  blues,  and  Cel%c  these  are  all  types  of  music  I  really  enjoy.  32.  I  can  work  with  anyone  in  this  department  except  Sally.    

Semicolons  ;  

1.   Semicolons  Separate  Things  A) Separate  two  main  clauses  that  are  closely  

related  to  each  other  but  could  stand  on  their  own  as  sentences  

Semicolons  Here's  an  example:  •  I  have  a  big  test  tomorrow;  I  can't  go  out  tonight.  

The  two  clauses  in  that  sentence  are  separated  by  a  semicolon  and  could  be  sentences  on  their  own  if  you  put  a  period  between  them  instead:  •  I  have  a  big  test  tomorrow.  I  can't  go  out  tonight.  

Semicolons;    

B)  If  a  list  contains  items  with  commas,  semicolons  separate  the  items    

Example:    I  like  cows:  they  give  us  milk,  which  tastes  good;  they  give  us  beef,  which  also  tastes  good;  and  they  give  us  leather,  which  is  used  for  shoes  and  coats.  

Prac%ce:  Insert  a  semicolon.    33.  The  last  day  of  summer  vaca%on  finally  arrived  consequently  we  prepared  for  the  first  day  of  a  new  year.    34.  She  was  willing  to  run  the  fiYy-­‐mile  race  aYer  she  soaked  in  her  Jacuzzi  for  two  days.    35.  She  enjoys  ice-­‐ska%ng.  She  learned  how  to  roller-­‐blade  when  she  was  a  child.    36.  Paula  did  well  in  two  subjects  hence  she  will  have  a  high  average  at  the  end  of  the  year.    37.  My  mother  is  a  basketball  fan  thus  she  has  not  missed  a  single  home  game  in  the  last  three  years.      

Prac%ce:  Insert  a  semicolon.    38.  Today  we  do  not  use  comparisons  like  “most  unkindest  cut  of  all”  Elizabethan  plays  however  contain  many  double  nega%ves.    39.  The  group  was  composed  of  three  young  people:  Mary,  who  was  32  years  old  Javier,  who  was  28  years  old  and  Ming,  who  was  17  years  old.    40.  On  the  trip,  we  drove  through  Tampa,  Florida  Wichita,  Kansas  and  Fresno,  California.    41.  I  am  wearing  a  sweater  and  a  jacket  I  am  cold.    42.  The  old  dog  is  blind  it  is  deaf.  43.  Mix  all  the  ingredients  put  the  baXer  in  the  oven