Name _______________________________ Number__________________________________
Assignment #1 Exercises in Mechanics
Rules for Colons [ : ]
1. A colon can be used to introduce something. The wording before the colon should introduce whatever follows
Contact us by:
1. Phone: 01908 311267
2. E-mail: [email protected] 3. Fax: 01908 311269
Beer: The cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems. (Homer Simpson)
Diplomacy: The patriotic art of lying for one’s coun-try. (Ambrose Bierce)
The English country gentleman galloping after a fox: the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable. (Oscar Wilde)
2. Colons are useful to divide the parts of referenc-es, titles and times. (They often make better separa-tors than the alternative punctuation marks.)
Learn Chapter XIV: Section 4: Paragraph 6 by to-morrow.
(commas could be used too)
Have you read “Mars: The Landing”?
(The author opted to use a colon, but could have used a dash.)
The alarm clock is set for 07:30. (0730 and 07.30 are also correct) 3. When introducing a quotation of more than 6
words, use a colon. For quotations comprising six or fewer words, use a comma.
The minister shouted: “Do not worry. The next time I stand up here, I will have answers to these ques-tions.”
The aliens repeatedly insisted: “We come in peace. Take me to your
leader.”
The referee yelled: “not on my pitch...off!” (only five words - should be a comma)
The priestess whispered: “Take them to the pit.” (only five words - should be a comma)
4. A colon is often used to introduce bullet points, which have their own guidelines. In the first exam-ple below, each bullet starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop. Choose whatever format you like, but be consistent throughout your document.
Dr Mole won the following events: 1. Egg-and-spoon race.
2. Toss the pancake. 3. Apple bobbing.
Dr Mole won the following events: a. egg-and-spoon race.
5. One of the most frequently asked questions about colons is whether we should begin an independent clause that comes after a colon with a capital letter. If the independent clause coming after the colon is a formal quote, begin that quoted language with a capital letter.
Whitehead had this to say about writing style: “Style is the ultimate morality of mind.”
6. A colon can also be used to introduce a definition, statement or explanation of something. For
example:
I know how I’m going to handle this: I’m going to hide!
Part A. Decide where to put the colon in the following sentences.
1. The charter review committee now includes the following people 1. the mayor 2. the chief of police 3. the fire chief and 4. the chair of the town council
2. Dear Sir
We were very honored to have you come visit our company.
3. To make the perfect jam sandwich you need three things some bread, butter and strawberry jam. 4. I know what to do Lie!
5. Penguin (noun) an aquatic, flightless bird found almost exclusively in the Antarctic. Part B. Write (correct) or (incorrect)
6. The committee now includes: the CEO, two managing directors, a researcher and two writers. (________________)
7. After James retired, he took up some new hobbies: fly fishing, skating and scuba diving. (________________)
8. Padma whipped up a ten-course meal, including: gazpacho, fried calamari and baked Alaska. (________________)
9. The Yeungs enjoy listening to the music of some great Russian composers: Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, and their favourite: Tchaikovsky.
(________________)
10. Miriam Toews, who was born in Steinbach, Manitoba, wrote: Summer of My Amazing Luck, A Boy of Good Breeding and A Complicated Kindness.
Name _______________________________ Number__________________________________
Assignment #2 Exercises in Mechanics
Rules for Semicolons [ ; ] and Commas [ , ]
1. The most common use of the semicolon is to join together two clauses that could each be separate sentences — creating a longer sentence. This sen-tence could be written as two sensen-tences without the semicolon; however, the relationship between the two clauses is made more clear through the use of a semicolon. The semicolon is often used to make the reader think about the relationship between the two clauses.
John calls it football; Sam calls it soccer.
2. The semicolon is also commonly used to join two clauses, changing the sentence in combination with words like ‘therefore’, ‘however’ or ‘on the other hand’.
Sian is Welsh; however, she lives in Canada. He likes to play video games; in addition, he likes to read classical literature.
You should stop drinking too much alcohol; other-wise, you’re going to get into trouble.
Hundreds of people came to the party; therefore, it was not possible to say hello to everyone individu-ally.
3. Use a comma + a little conjunction (and, but, for,
nor, yet, or, so) to connect two independent clauses. He hit the ball well, but he ran toward third base. 4. Use a comma to separate the elements in a series
(three or more things), including the last two. He hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base. 5. Use a comma to set off introductory elements. “Running toward third base, he suddenly realized
how stupid he looked.” 6. Use a comma to set off parenthetical elements.
The parenthetical element is sometimes called “added information.”
“The Founders Bridge, which spans the Connecti-cut River, is falling down.”
7. Appositives are are almost always treated as
8. When both a city’s name and that city’s state or country’s name are mentioned together, the state or country’s name is treated as a parenthetical element.
We visited Hartford, Connecticut, last summer. Paris, France, is sometimes called “The City of Lights.”
9. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.
You could think of this as . That tall, distinguished, good looking fellow” rule (as opposed to “the little old lady.) 10. Use a comma to set off quoted elements. “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can
make words mean so many things.”
“I should like to buy an egg, please,” she said tim-idly. “How do you sell them?”
11. Use commas to set off phrases that express
con-trast. Some say the world will end in ice, not fire.It was her money, not her charm or personality, that first attracted him.
The puppies were cute, but very messy. 12. Use a comma to avoid confusion. This is often a
matter of consistently applying rule #3. For most the year is already finished.For most, the year is already finished.
Each of the following sentences needs either a comma or a semicolon. Put in the necessary punctuation. 1. Many companies make sugar-free soft drinks, which are flavored by synthetic chemicals the drinks usu-ally contain only one or two calories per serving.
2. Mr. Leyland played the viola professionally for many years and he now conducts a community orchestra. 3. The crab grass was flourishing but the rest of the lawn, unfortunately, was dying.
4. The hill was covered with wildflowers it was a beautiful sight.
5. As I turned around, I heard a loud thump for the cat had upset the goldfish bowl. 6. The artist preferred to paint in oils he did not like watercolors.
7. The house was clean, the table set, and the porch light on everything was ready for the guests' arrival. 8. He looked carefully in the underbrush but he failed to notice the pair of green eyes staring at him. 9. The foundations of the house had been poured but, to his disappointment, nothing else had been done because of the carpenters' strike.
10. The computer could perform millions of operations in a split second however, it could not think sponta-neously.
11. I thought registration day would be tiring but I didn't know I'd have to stand in so many lines. 12. The dog, growling and snarling, snapped at me I was so frightened that I ran.
13. The snowstorm dumped twelve inches of snow on the interstate subsequently, the state police closed the road.
14. Professors are supposed to be absent-minded and I've seen plenty of evidence to support that claim since I've been in college.
15. The suspect said that he had never met the victim however, the detective knew that he was lying.16. In the first place, it was snowing too hard to see the road in the second place, we had no chains.
17. I have read Soul on Ice but I have not read The Invisible Man.
18. San Francisco is my favorite city in fact, I plan to spend two weeks there this summer.
19. The quarterback made a brilliant pass and the end crossed the goal line for the winning touchdown. 20. Large supermarkets fascinate me I can find everything from frozen chow mein to soybean flour in one place.
21. Ron and Mike were both in English class this morning they gave an interesting presentation on their research.
24. I am not interested in a trip to Asia this year however, I would like to go to Europe.
25. Not all highly educated people enjoy traveling but many world travelers are particularly well educated 26. Jack worked overtime to pay off his education debts at least, that was his explanation for his long hour 27. Katherine has given up smoking about five times but she cannot seem to break the habit.
28. His work may be almost totally forgotten but he would certainly be surprised to see how much current scholarship simply echoes his ideas.
29. Our dog seems to have a built-in alarm clock he wakes us up at exactly the same time every morning. 30. The passengers on the plane were initially alarmed by the loss of altitude but the pilot and the crew kept them calm.
31. I realized at once that something was wrong I was not, however, the only person who was concerned. 32. I had to complete the assignment by Friday otherwise, I would have failed the course.
33. Ralph decided to be a chemist but he changed his mind after taking Chem. 121. 34. I finished reading The Nation and then I went to bed.
35. We always go to the mountains in the fall they are at their prettiest at that time of year. 36. Tim went to the candy store quite often the clerk even knew his name.
37. Criticism of capitalist expansionism does not surface in most discussions of the worldwide ecological crisis indeed, proposed solutions rarely deviate from a basic message of further technological "progress." 38. The president has pledged to cut taxes repeatedly and the public has responded enthusiastically. 39. The office was closed consequently, I could not pay my bill.
40. The air was beautifully clear it was a lovely day.
Name _______________________________ Number__________________________________
Assignment #3 Exercises in Mechanics
Rules for Parentheses ( ) and Brackets [ ]
Use parentheses to include material that you want to de-emphasize or that wouldn’t normally fit into the flow of your text but you want to include none-theless. If the material within parentheses appears within a sentence, do not use a capital letter or pe-riod to punctuate that material, even if the material is itself a complete sentence.
Thirty-five years after his death, Robert Frost (we remember him at Kennedy’s inauguration) remains America’s favorite poet.
If the material within your parentheses is written as a separate sentence (not included within another sentence), punctuate it as if it were a separate sen-tence.
Thirty-five years after his death, Robert Frost (do you remember him?) remains America’s favorite poet.
It is sometimes common to see the expression [sic] used in a quote and wondered what it was all about. When the author makes a mistake (and not you as the editor), then brackets are used before and after sic simply to make it clear that the typo was in the original and not your own mistake.
Use brackets to make an editorial statement or
clari-fication within a quote. My grandmother always said “dream about a [friendly] dog and you’ll see an old friend soon.” “The reporter was unsuccessful in his attempt to get a statement from [former] Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld.”
Another reason to use brackets in quotes is to add a word, prefix, or suffix in order to fit the quote into your sentence. In the statement below, the ing is added so the sentence will flow.
I tried to make dish mild enough for everyone, but my idea of “add[ing] Cayenne pepper to taste” was not the same as my friend’s idea.
Use brackets to change the tense of a phrase in a
quote so it will fit into your sentence: In Thomas Jefferson’s time there was definitely a notion that “A little rebellion now and then [was] a good thing.”
Decide which of the sentences are punctuated correctly, using either parentheses or brackets correctly.
1. A. Oregon’s Crater Lake pictured on page 73 is one of Oregon’s most scenic natural attractions.
B. Oregon’s Crater Lake [pictured on page 73] is one of Oregon’s most scenic natural attractions. 2. A. A few celebrities, [such as Andre Agassi], have caused an uproar by cutting their hair.
B. A few celebrities, (such as Andre Agassi), have caused an uproar by cutting their hair. 3. A. “In Italy,” he said, “we visited the leaning tower of Pizza (sic) .”
B. “In Italy,” he said, “we visited the leaning tower of Pizza [sic].”
4. A. To unlock the door, you must 1) push in the door and 2) pull up on the key slightly. B. To unlock the door, you must 1: push in the door and 2: pull up on the key slightly.
5. A. The defendant told the court, “I saw (Mr. Rivers) walk out of the store carrying a TV set.” B. The defendant told the court, “I saw [Mr. Rivers] walk out of the store carrying a TV set.” 6. A. Mark won the first prize trophy for the annual Fun Run. (He won last year also).
B. Mark won the first prize trophy for the annual Fun Run. (he won last year also)
7. A. Jerry’s uncle has the dubious distinction of owning a signed copy of Mein Kampf [My Struggle]. B. Jerry’s uncle has the dubious distinction of owning a signed copy of Mein Kampf: My Struggle. 8. A. “My prostrate [sic] surgery was a success,” the mayor announced.
B. “My prostrate (sic) surgery was a success,” the mayor announced.
9. A. The east wing of the museum will be named after Mr. Wilburn Harris, 1905 – 1988. B. The east wing of the museum will be named after Mr. Wilburn Harris (1905 – 1988).
10. A. The firefighter said, “I looked through the smoke and saw [Smith], so I grabbed him and led him outside.”
11. A. Annie’s cherry pie (my recipe) won the blue ribbon at the state fair. B. Annie’s cherry pie, my recipe, won the blue ribbon at the state fair.
12. A. The trouble with whether (sic) ,” said Chad in an online chat room, “is that nobody ever does anything about it.”
B. “The trouble with whether [sic],” said Chad in an online chat room, “is that nobody ever does anything about it.”
13. A. Dustin Hoffman played an out-of-work actor in Tootsie (1982). B. Dustin Hoffman played an out-of-work actor in Tootsie [1982].
14. A. Sales rose steadily in 2001 [see Table 3-1] but dropped sharply in 2002. B. Sales rose steadily in 2001, see Table 3-1, butdropped sharply in 2002. 15. A. Joseph Belinski [who happens to be my neighbor] just won the lottery. B. Joseph Belinski (who happens to be my neighbor) just won the lottery.
16. A. Mavis [who simply must have had plastic surgery] was voted the most ageless at the high school reunion.
B. Mavis (who simply must have had plastic surgery) was voted the most ageless at the high school reunion.
17. A. “I saw (the suspect) run out of the bank and jump into a white car,” a witness told police. B. “I saw [the suspect] run out of the bank and jump into a white car,” a witness told police. 18. A. Thousands attended a memorial service for Ronald Reagan, 1911 – 2004.
B. Thousands attended a memorial service for Ronald Reagan (1911 – 2004). 19. A. “Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in Oregon [sic],” said Professor Smith. B. “Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in Oregon (sic) ,” said Professor Smith. 20. A. A terrible fire, some believe it was arson, destroyed the sporting goods store. B. A terrible fire (some believe it was arson) destroyed the sporting goods store. 21. A. The German tourist said, “Wo ist das Hotel? [Where is the hotel]?”
B. The German tourist said, “Wo ist das Hotel?”, Where is the hotel?” 22. A. The triple fudge cake is a 900-calorie diet-crasher [but delicious]. B. The triple fudge cake is a 900-calorie diet crasher (but delicious). 23. A. “This isn’t rocket surgery (sic) ,” he said.
Name _______________________________ Number__________________________________
Assignment #4 Exercises in Mechanics
Rules for Commas [ , ]
Rules Example
1. The subject of a sentence can comprise a list of things. (This is known as a ‘compound subject’.) Sometimes, the subject is made up of so many ele-ments that some writers like to end the list with a comma to group them together.
Applicants need a clean driving licence, the ability to operate under pressure and 5 years’ experience in marketing, are the only criteria stipulated by the selection panel.
Murder is the only crime that does not increase dur-ing the full moon: Theft, disorderly conduct, lar-ceny, armed robbery, assault and battery, and rape, all statistically increase dramatically during the full moon.
2. It is common for a sentence to start with an introduction. An introduction can be anything from just one word to a long clause. In general, an intro-duction is used to state a time, a place, a condition, a frequency or a fact before the main part of the sentence. (Introductions vary hugely.
In the centre of London, the number of people who fell victim to pickpockets rose by 30 per cent in a month.
3. It is common for a sentence to start with an intro-duction that acts like a bridge between the last sen-tence and the new sensen-tence. The introduction makes the transition between the two sentences smoother. (It is known as a ‘transitional phrase’.) It always appears at the start of a sentence and is followed by a comma.
Bruce Leonard spent 4 years in Japan studying Kung Fu and 3 years at the
London School of Martial Arts as the senior instruc-tor. As a result, his style...
A. (‘As a result’ is a transitional phrase. It acts like a bridge between the previous sentence and the new one. It is followed by a comma.)
B. Of course, he never knew
(‘Of course,’ < transitional phrase) C. In summary, 7 out of 10
(‘In summary,’ < transitional phrase) D. Therefore, the cost of each lesson (‘Therefore,’ < transitional phrase) E. Consequently, his teaching techniques (‘Consequently,’ < transitional phrase) F. However, Bruce was unaware
(‘However,’ < transitional 4. Commas after interjections. Expressions such
as ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘indeed’ (usually at the start of a sentence) are known as ‘interjections’. Interjections can be followed by a comma.
5. Put a comma before a conjunction if it joins two independent clauses. Words like ‘and’, ‘or’ and ‘but’ are known as ‘conjunctions’. (There are other conjunctions, but these 3 are by far the most com-mon.) However, this rule is about conjunctions that are used to merge two sentences into one. This is a very common practice. When a conjunction is used in this way, it should have a comma before it.
He is a great swimmer, but he prefers to play golf. I may consider your plan, or I may disregard it.
6. Commas can be used to separate a parenthesis from the rest of the sentence. It is also possible to use dashes or brackets. When used in this way, com-mas, dashes and brackets are called ‘parentheses’.
The second boat in the race, the 6-berth Kontarka, was crewed by school children from Pembrokeshire.
7. Commas in lists. When there are more than two items in a list, they should be separated using com-mas. The last item is usually preceded with ‘and’, ‘or’ or ‘but’. (These are called ‘conjunctions’.) There is normally no need to put a comma before the conjunction.
The old vicar, the new vicar, the pub landlord, the mayor and the chairman
were at the meeting. (no comma before “and”)
8. Commas and Quotation Marks. A comma can be used before a quotation after words like “He said”, “She whispered”, “It stated”, etc.
The janitor pointed at the photograph and said, “That’s me in the ‘60s.”
9. Commas and the Vocative Case. When addressing someone directly, writers should separate the name being used (e.g., John, Mary, my darling, you little rascal, my son) from rest of the sentence using a comma or commas.
Alan, put your hand up if you do not understand.
Part A. Incorrect or Correct. Write ( A ) if the sentence is correct, ( B ) if it is incorrect.
1. After twelve years of therapy, my psychiatrist said something that brought tears to my eyes.
He said, "No hablo ingles." ( __ )
2. On Tuesday 4th July a band played carols in the park for 8 hours. ( __ ) 3. After the secretary had read the minutes of the meeting, the chairman
asked for the financial report. ( __ )
4. Therefore little was actually known about the real event of the UF0s. ( __ ) 5. In ancient Rome, it was considered a sign of leadership to be born with a crooked
nose. ( __ )
6. Well the rain has played its part in the outcome of the match. ( __ )
7. Yes she will apologize. ( __ )
8. I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. (Winston Churchill) ( __ ) 9. The play was a great success, but the audience was a disaster. (Oscar Wilde) ( __ ) 10. Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbor. It makes you
shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him. ( __ ) 11. Last year's pie-eating champion who works with my brother came
in here and ate two loaves of bread in one sitting. ( __ )
12. It's cold, indeed. ( __ )
13. I have not seen any foxes, badgers or deer in these woods this year. ( __ ) 14. A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest. ( __ ) 15. Bessie stretched across my plate and grunted, "salt...salt and pepper". ( __ ) 16. The sign states "Animals drive very slowly". ( __ ) 17. Where do you think you are going, you little devil? ( __ )
Name _______________________________ Number__________________________________
Assignment #5 Exercises in Mechanics
Rules for Hyphens[ - ]
Rules Example
1. Hyphens should be used to link the words in compound adjectives. (A compound adjective is a single adjective that is made up of more than one word, e.g., two-seater aircraft or never-to-be-forgotten experience.)
a heavy-metal detector
2. The easiest compound adjectives to spot are the ones which include
numbers. Two-seater aircraft 4-bedroom house
3. A single adjective made up of two or more words is called a ‘com-pound adjective’. The words in a com‘com-pound adjective are linked together by a hyphen (or hyphens) to show that they are part of the same adjec-tive.
three-page document
Part A. Incorrect or Correct. Write ( A ) if the sentence is correct, ( B ) if it is incorrect.
1. Can you call that double-glazing salesman? ( __ )
2. You call this silver service? She’s not a trained silver service waitress. ( __ ) 3. Carl is far too chatty. Philip is another far-too-chatty individual. ( __ ) 4. It’s true! The board outside the cafe read, “All day breakfast 0830-1030.” ( __ )
5. That was a never-to-be-forgotten experience. ( __ )
6. James is a second rate plumber. ( __ )
7. It was a wonderfully-decorated tree. ( __ )
8. Alan is the best-known player on the pitch. ( __ )
9. Put on the ironing board cover. ( __ )
10. She is an intelligent-articulate lady. ( __ )
Name _______________________________ Number__________________________________
Assignment #6 Exercises in Mechanics
Rules for Apostrophes [ ‘ ]
Rules Example
1. Apostrophes can be used to replace missing letters. Aren’t
2. Apostrophes can be used to show possession. Sarah’s jumper
3 months’ wages 3. Apostrophes can be used in the plurals of abbreviations, letters and numbers. 6’s and 7’s.
Note: Words that end in the letter s seem to attract apostrophes. The plural of words ending in vowels (e.g., video, patio) are extremely prone to this error.
1. Anna can’t /c’ant expect to be invited.
2. The yacht was making it’s / its maiden voyage. 3. You’re / Your as daft as a brush.
4. Your PC can not /cannot handle these pictures. 5. Take them, David. They’re ours /our’s.
6. As a minister, she should of / have known better. 7. I know its / it’s going to need painting soon. 8. She carefully bandaged the dog’s /dogs’ leg.
9. The European gardener’s /gardeners’ conference. . . 10. There is nobody in the women’s /womens’ team. 11. Keep the wing’s / wings in line with the barrier. 12. Consider Charle’s /Charles’ defence.
