VI. Other Punctuation

A. Use Semicolons To…

1. To join 2 independent clauses I went ice fishing last Saturday; we didn’t catch anything.

2. To join 2 independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb however, finally, therefore, consequently, furthermore,

also, besides, etc. I enjoyed ice fishing last Saturday; consequently, I think I

will go again.3. To separate items in a list IF the item is very long or

contains commas On vacation they went to Chino, California; Phoenix,

Arizona; and Kansas City, Missouri. I wrote to Dan, who lives in New Zealand; Mark, who

lives in England; and Joe, who lives in Holland.

B. Use Colons…

1. Before a list or an explanation that comes AFTER A COMPLETE CLAUSE. ***Never split up a verb and a DO*** There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you

still have time. I needed the following items from the store: milk,

cheese, and butter.2. To introduce a quotation

The acting director often used her favorite quotation from Shakespeare's Tempest: "We are such stuff as dreams are made on; and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

3. In Bible verses, time, business letters

C. Use Dashes…

1. To emphasize a point or set off an explanatory comment (don’t overuse, though, or they lose effectiveness). To some of you, my proposals may seem radical—

even revolutionary. I love dashes—they are so versatile.

2. For an appositive that already contains commas. The boys—Jim, John, and Jeff—left the party early.

D. Use Italics…

1. To set off titles of complete works: magazines, books, newspapers, journals, movies, TV shows, & plays. For awhile last year, Jason and I watched Scrubs

every night from 10-11. One of my favorite books is My Antonia by Willa

Cather.

Poems, story titles, and articles get quotation marks, not italics!

VII. Subject/Verb Agreement

and Noun/Pronoun

Agreement

A. Subject/Verb Agreement

1. When the Subject is made up of two or more

nouns connected by the word “AND”, use a plural verb.

• Susan and her friends are at the fair.

2. When two or more singular nouns are connected by “OR” or “NOR”, use a singular verb.

• Neither the book nor the pen is in the drawer.

3. When a singular and a plural noun are connected by “OR” or “NOR”, the verb should agree with the one CLOSEST to it.

• My mom or my aunts call my grandma every day.• My aunts or my mom calls my grandma every day.

4. Do not be misled by a phrase that comes between the subject and the verb.

• One of the boxes is open.• The people who listen to Madonna are few.• The teacher, unlike her students, likes grammar.

5. Tricky singular words: each, each one, neither, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, nobody, somebody, someone, no one. They require singular verbs.

• Each of these hot dogs is juicy.• Everybody knows Mr. Jones.• Either is correct.

6. Special Cases• Nouns like civics, mathematics, dollars, and news

require singular verbs.• Dollars: singular when referring to the amount of

money, plural when referring to the dollars themselves.

• Nouns like scissors and trousers require plural verbs.

7. In sentences that begin with “There is…” or “There are…”, the verb agrees with what follows the verb.

• There are many questions.• There is a question.

8. Collective Nouns: words that imply more than one person but are considered singular and require a singular verb. (group, team, committee, class, family)

• The team runs during practice.• The committee decides how to proceed.

9. Expressions such as “with,” “together with,” “including,” “accompanied by,” ”in addition to,” or “as well” do not change the number of the subject.

• The President, accompanied by his wife, is traveling to India.• All of the books, including yours, are in that box.

B. Noun/Pronoun Agreement

1. Numbera. Singular noun needs a singular pronoun,

plural noun needs a plural pronoun• If a student parks in the parking lot, he or she

needs a parking permit hanging from his or her mirror.

• If students park in the parking lot, they need a parking permit hanging in their mirrors.

Tricky words: everybody, anybody, anyone, each, neither, nobody, someone, a person, etc.—are singular

2. Persona. Don’t switch between first, second, and third

• When a person comes to class, he or she should have his or her homework ready.

• NOT: When a person comes to class, you should have your homework ready.