Punctuation

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RLA Punctuation

Pre-GED/GED Practices > Subject > RLA > Grammar > Punctuation

Important Instructions
"Before starting the test, Welcome all sudents. Read each question carefully and respond to all 5 questions within TIME LIMIT of 20 min.

Tips

• You should not spend too much time on a question if you are not certain of the answer; answer it the best you can, and go on to the next question.
• If you are not certain of the answer to a question, you can mark your answer for review and come back to it later.
• Wishing you all the best.

Before Start Taking the test, let's go through each rule with examples.

1. Capitalization Rules

• Usage:

  • The First Word in a Sentence:

    • Example: The sun sets in the west.

  • Proper Nouns:

    • Example: Alice traveled to London last year. (Names of people, places, and specific things)

  • Titles of Books, Movies, and Works of Art:

    • Example: She loves reading Pride and Prejudice. (Capitalize major words in titles)

  • Days of the Week, Months, and Holidays:

    • Example: Our meeting is on Wednesday in December. (Capitalize days and months but not seasons like summer or winter)

  • The Pronoun "I":

    • Example: I will visit my grandmother tomorrow.

  • Nationalities/Ethnicity, Languages, and Religions:

    • Example: He speaks French and practices Buddhism.

  • Names of Organizations and Institutions:

    • Example: She was accepted into Harvard University.

  • Government Agencies and Departments:

    • Example: The U.S. Department of Education announced new policies.

  • Abbreviations and Acronyms:

    • Example: NASA explores space.

  • Historical Events and Periods:

    • Example: The Renaissance changed European culture.

  • Important Words in Direct Quotes:

    • Example: She asked, “Where is the Library?” (Capitalize the first word of a direct quote)

  • Specific Course Names:

    • Example: He is studying Chemistry 101. (Capitalize specific course titles but not general subjects like "biology")

  • Names of Planets, Stars, and Celestial Bodies:

    • Example: Mars is known as the Red Planet. (But not “earth” unless referring to the planet specifically, as in "Earth is our home.")

  • Brand Names:

    • Example: He bought a new Samsung phone.

  • Family Titles When Used as a Name:

    • Example: I will visit Uncle Joe this weekend. (But not “my uncle” in "My uncle is kind.")

  • Honorifics and Titles Before Names:

    • Example: President Lincoln gave a famous speech.

  • The First Word After a Colon (sometimes):

    • Example: There is one thing I love most: Chocolate.

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2. End Punctuation Marks

• Period (.)

  • Usage: Marks the end of a declarative sentence or statement.
  • Example:
    • I am going to the store.
  • Note: Also used in abbreviations (e.g., Dr., etc., U.S.).

• Question Mark (?)

  • Usage: Indicates a direct question.
  • Example:
    • Are you coming to the party?

• Exclamation Point (!)

  • Usage: Expresses strong emotion or emphasis.
  • Example:
    • Wow, that’s amazing!

3. Commas and Connectors

• Comma (,)

  • Usage: Separates elements in a list (Oxford Comma), series of adjectives, connects clauses, date formats, quotations, direct address, state/country, or sets off non-essential information
    
    - If the elements of manner, place, and time are incorrectly placed, commas can be used to re-arrange and separate them properly, ensuring the sentence reads logically. The correct order is usually manner, place, and time.
    

    Commas can indeed be used to adjust the placement of manner, place, and time elements, making the sentence grammatically correct even if the order changes.

  • Examples:
    • I bought apples, oranges, and bananas. (List)
    • She went to the store, and he stayed home. (Connecting clauses)
      The movie was long, however, I enjoyed it.
    • My friend, who lives in New York, is visiting next week. (Non-essential information)
    • John, come here. (Direct address)
    • July 20, 1969, was a historic day. (Date Formats)
    • London, England, is a beautiful city. (State/country)
    • "Hello," she said. (Quotations)
      

      "Uncle Joe, look at this!" I shouted. (ending with !)

    • She spoke softly, in the library, during the meeting. (Correct)
      If the elements are closely connected and flow naturally, the commas may be omitted:
      She spoke softly in the library during the meeting. (Correct)

    • During the meeting in the library she spoke softly. (Incorrect)
      During the meeting, she spoke softly in the library. (Incorrect, awkward logical order)

      During the meeting in the library, she spoke softly. (Correct natural and logical order)
      During the meeting in the library, softly, she spoke. (Correct natural and logical order)
      During the meeting, in the library, she spoke softly. (Correct, Power of Comma)
      During the meeting, she spoke softly, in the library. (Correct, Power of Comma)
      
      You will be suprised by the Power of Comma as you can swap any element in that sentense.

      Softly, she spoke, in the library, during the meeting.
      Softly, in the library, she spoke, during the meeting.
      Softly, during the meeting, in the library, she spoke.
      Soflty, in the library, during the meeting, she spoke.
      Softly, during the meeting, she spoke, in the library.
      In the library, soflty, during the meeting, she spoke.
      In the library, during the meeting, softlty, she spoke.
      In the library, she spoke, softly, during the meeting.
      In the library, she spoke, during the meeting, softly.
      In the library, during the meeting, softly, she spoke.
      In the library, during the meeting, she spoke, softly.
      And so on .... with correct logics

• Semicolon (;)

  • Usage: Connects closely related independent clauses or separates complex list items.
  • Examples:
    • I have a big test tomorrow; I can't go out tonight. (Independent clauses)
    • The meeting included Sarah, the manager; Tom, the accountant; and Jessica, the designer. (Complex list)

• Colon (:)

  • Usage: Introduces a list, explanation, or elaboration.
  • Examples:
    • You need three things: a pen, paper, and a ruler. (List)
    • He had one goal: to win the race. (Elaboration)

4. Quotation and Speech Marks

• Quotation Marks (“ ” / ‘ ’)

  • Usage: Encloses direct speech, quotations, or titles of short works (e.g., poems, short stories).
  • Examples:
    • She said, “I’ll be there at 5 o’clock.” (Direct speech)
    • He quoted Shakespeare: “To be, or not to be.” (Quotation)

• Apostrophe (’)

  • Usage:
    1. Possession: Indicates ownership or belonging.
    2. Contractions: Combines words by omitting certain letters.
    3. Showing Place or Family: Refers to someone’s place (e.g., a person’s home) or a collective family name.
  • Examples:
    • Possession:
      • Sarah’s book is on the table. (The book belongs to Sarah)
      • The dog’s collar is red. (The collar belongs to the dog)
    • Contractions:
      • Don’t forget your keys! (Short for "Do not")
      • I’m going to the park. (Short for "I am")
    • Showing Place or Family:
      • We are going to John’s for dinner. (Refers to John’s house)
      • The Smiths’ garden is beautiful. (Belongs to the Smith family)
      • The Williamses’ car is parked outside. (Possession by a family with a name ending in "s")

5. Parentheses and Brackets

• Parentheses ( () )
  • Usage: Encloses additional or non-essential information.
  • Examples:
    • The concert (which starts at 8 PM) will be outdoors.
• Square Brackets [ ]
  • Usage: Adds clarifications or corrections within quoted text.
  • Examples:
    • “He [the president] announced the new policy today.”
• Curly Braces { }
  • Usage: Typically used in programming or mathematical expressions.
  • Example:
    • In JavaScript: function myFunction() { // code here }

6. Dashes and Hyphens

• Hyphen (-)

  • Usage: Joins compound words or separates syllables.
  • Examples:
    • Well-known author (Compound word)
    • Pre-school education (Compound word)

• En Dash (–)

  • Usage: Shows a range or connection.
  • Examples:
    • The event runs from 5–8 PM. (Range)
    • The London–Paris flight was delayed. (Connection)

• Em Dash (—)

  • Usage: Creates a strong break in a sentence.
  • Examples:
    • She was about to leave—but then she heard a noise. (Break in thought)

7. Ellipses

• Ellipsis (…)
  • Usage: Indicates omitted text or a trailing off in thought or speech.
  • Examples:
    • The quote was shortened to: “In the beginning … there was light.”
    • I was thinking about something … but I forgot what it was.

8. Slash

• Slash (/)
  • Usage: Indicates alternatives, fractions, or dates.
  • Examples:
    • You can take the bus/train to get there. (Alternatives)
    • The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of sugar. (Fraction)
    • The deadline is 12/31/2024. (Date)

9. Specialized Punctuation

• Interrobang (‽)

  • Usage: Expresses disbelief or excitement in the form of a question.
  • Examples:
    • You did what‽

• Bullet Points (•)

  • Usage: Used for itemized or listed information.
  • Examples:
    • • Apples
    • • Oranges
    • • Bananas

• Asterisk (*)

  • Usage: Indicates a footnote or emphasis.
  • Examples:
    • This sentence has a note attached.*
    • *See the footnote for more details.

• Pipe (|)

  • Usage: Used in programming or to separate alternatives.
  • Example:
    • In coding: x = 1 | 2

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