writing strategies chapter8

Robert Brunet

of 12

Writing Up You University Assignments and Research

Projects

ROBERT BRUNET SOLÉ

Department of Chemical Engineering, URV, TarragonaSustainable Computer Aided Process Engineering Group

Robert Brunet

of 12

8. Puntuation basics: A brief guide to punctuation use

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Capital letters

8.3. The comma

8.4. The semicolon

8.5. The colon

8.6. Parentheses

8.7. Inverted commas

8.8. The hyphen

8.9. The apostrophe

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.1. Introduction

• A well-punctuated thesis should make your work easier to read and understant and will therefore help it make a more favourable impression on your readers.

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.2. Capital letters

1. Used after a full stop

2. For all proper nouns and adjectives and their abbreviated formsRobert, the Englsih man, England, English, the United Kingdom, the UK

3. At the beginning of main words which form the title of a textbook, journal, play, poem or other publication

An Integrated Approach to Business Studies (a textbook title)Harvard Business Review (a journal title)

4. In titles or names used to refer to a specific person or placeThe Principal of King’s College London had talks with the Secretary of State for Education.

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.3. The comma

1. To list items separate list of adjectives and adjectival phrases, nouns and noun phrases, and verbs and verb phrases.

The course will examine the films of Pasolini, Fellini, de Sica and Zeffirelli. (nouns)He enterd the room, sat down, opened his textbook and began to read. (verb phrases)

2. To separate cluases joined by and, but, yet, so, for‘Captain Corelli” has been a very popular novel, and it has also enjoyed considerable success as film.‘Captain Corelli” has been a very popular novel and has also enjoyed considerable success as film.

3. To separate a word (or a group of words) from the sentences it introduces

4. To separate and distinguish subordiante clauses from main clausesWhen the experiment was repeated a week later, the results confirmed previous findings.

5. To separate and distinguish inserted information Arithis, which attacks the joints, is the single biggest cause of disability in the UK.

6. To separate words which explain or describe a preceding noun The work of Rosalind Franklin, a chemist at King’s College London, was crucial to the discovery of

the helix.

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.4. The semicolon

• It indicates a pause that is longer than that of a comma, but shorter than that of a full stop. It is usually used by indicating the close relationship between two ideas, where the second extents the first one.

1. When two ideas are closely connected in meaning

2. When connecting words (however, therefore, nevertheless, etc.) are used to join two ideas so closely related that a full stop is unnecessary

The student’s work was not well presented; however, despite this, she achieved a pass.

3. When recording a list of ideas, each of which is quite long

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.5. The colon

1. To introduce an explanation or examplesToday, laptops are more rigours of fieldwork: they are more durable, lighter, and have integrate more

complex navigation systems.

2. To introduce a quotationAs Joan Laporta says: “Barcelona is the more than a club”

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.6. Parentheses

• They are also known as brackets. They can be either round ( ) or square [ ]

• Round brackets are used:

1. To enclose citations within textThe group SUSCAPE (http://www.etseq.urv.es/suscape) is one of the most important research groups…

2. To introduce a quotationActually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are

quite well.

• Round brackets are used:

1. To enclose words or an idea within a quotation which is not part of the original quotationHis reply was always the same: “I appreciate it [the purpose], but I must refuse to be in a relatinship.

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.7. Inverted commas

• They are also known as quotation marks. There are two types single and doubles, there are no hard rules about when to use one or the other

• Single quotation marks:

1. To identify a direct quotation“Soccer s a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball. It is widely

considered to be the most popular sport in the world” (FIFA)

2. To enclose/ highlight words which are not accepted as normal EnglishActually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are

quite well.

3. To enclose a word(s) which has a specialised meaning in particular contextActually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are

quite well.

4. To enclose product namesActually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are

quite well.

5. To express doubt over the accuracy or appropriateness of a particular word or phraseActually it is difficult to find good defensor as before (Cafu, Hierro, Maldini); however, Puyol and Pique are

quite well.

• Double quotation marks:

1. To enclose a quotation which is used as part of another quotationHis reply was always the same: “I appreciate it [the purpose], but I must refuse to be in a relatinship.

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.8. The hyphen

1. In word units of more than onr wordnumbers: seventy-sevenranges: 1965-80, 23-45, Barcelona-Madridadjectives: long-wave radiation, north.east USAnouns: super-organisms, high-technology

2. To separate a word which begins on one line finisheses on the following line

3. To signal incidental information

Robert Brunet

of 12

8.9. The aphostrophe

1. To show the omission of one or more letterscan’t: instead of ‘cannot’); isn’t: instead of ‘is not’); it’d: instead of ‘it would’)

2. To show possessiona. Where there is a single owner: The girl’s trousers; Jennifer’s trousersb. Where there is more than one ownerThe girls’ trousers; Jennifer and Mary’s trousers

Robert Brunet

of 12

Thanks for your Thanks for your attention!attention!

ROBERT BRUNET SOLÉ

Department of Chemical Engineering, URV, TarragonaSustainable Computer Aided Process Engineering Group