Punctuation(punctuation marks) in English, as in Russian, are used to separate sentences, parts of complex sentences and words, to express intonation and semantic emphasis on individual words.
English punctuation rules are less strict than Russian, and their use often depends on the author himself (especially the use of commas).
Dot
Dot (Period) in English, as in Russian, is placed at the end of a declarative sentence.
- This is Lauren. - This is Lauren.
- I didn't like that cake. – I didn’t like that cake.
- I'm cold. Close the door. - I'm cold. Close the door.
The period is used when abbreviating words, abbreviations (except acronyms). If a sentence ends with an abbreviation with a period, then the second period not placed. Between letters in an abbreviation no space is included.
- I wake up at 7 a.m.- I wake up at 7 am.
- We will arrive on Fri. the 17th.– We will arrive on Friday the 17th.
- Prof. Morrison is in room 302.– Professor Morrison is in room 302.
The use of periods in abbreviations also depends on the variety of English. For example, in British English In language, abbreviations that consist of the first and last letter of a word are used without a period. IN American In English, a dot can be used in such abbreviations.
Depending on the style of the text, the period may be placed in abbreviations of academic degrees and country abbreviations or omitted.
- Julia Carroll, PhD
- Richard Maxwell Ph.D.– Richard Maxwell, Ph.D.
- Charles Morrison MBA– Charles Morrison, MBA
- Christopher Merritt, M.B.A.– Christopher Merritt, MBA
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A period is also placed in the initials of the name. The English language requires a space between abbreviations of people's names, but sometimes the space (and periods) are omitted to save space.
- W. E. B. Du Bois – William Edward Burghardt Du Bois
- J. K. Jerome – Jerome Klapka Jerome
- She said, “Calm down, baby, everything will be alright.”“She said, 'Calm down, baby, everything will be fine.'
- “Calm down, baby,” she said, “everything will be alright.”“Calm down, baby,” she said, “everything will be fine.”
- “Calm down, baby, everything will be alright,” she said.“Calm down, baby, everything will be fine,” she said.
Comma is placed after a conditional sentence with if and subordinate tense with when, if they come before the main clause. If the main clause comes before the conditional if-clause or when-clause, then they are not separated by commas.
- If you need help, just let me know.– If you need help, let me know.
- If you are tired, take some rest.– If you are tired, rest.
- When you feel lonely, just call me!– When you are sad, just call me!
- Take some rest if you are tired.- Rest if you are tired.
- Call me when you are home.- Call me when you get home.
Commas stand out dividing questions(tag questions).
- You are mad, aren't you?-You're evil, aren't you?
- He doesn’t know anything, does he?“He doesn’t know anything, does he?”
Colon
Colon (Colon) in English is used before a listing (list) or explanation of the previous part of a sentence.
- We have to buy the following things: bread, butter, milk, a cake.– We need to buy the following: bread, butter, milk, pie.
- I know what we should do: work.– I know what we have to do: work.
- He has got what he deserves: a good punishment he will never forget.“He got what he deserves: a good punishment that he will never forget.”
When after colons If several sentences follow, explaining the previous one, they are written with a capital letter. If this is a quote from someone, these sentences may be placed in quotation marks.
- Mom always told me: Be strong. Work hard. Never Give Up.“Mom always told me: “Be strong.” Work hard. Never give up".
- I will never forget his words: “Be careful with your dreams.”“I will never forget his words: “Be careful with your dreams.”
Colon not placed after a verb or preposition before listing items that are directly related to them.
- I want a new dress, new shoes, a new bag and a little puppy.– I want a new dress, new shoes, a new bag and a little puppy.
- I’ve read all his books including The Shining, The Dead Zone, Pet Sematary and others.– I read all his books, including “The Shining”, “The Dead Zone”, “Pet Sematary” and others.
Semicolon
Semicolon (Semicolon) is used to join independent clauses into one complex sentence. A semicolon indicates a pause, longer than a comma but shorter than a period. The semicolon is primarily used in formal documents or fiction.
- His car is broken ; it is also very old.– His car is broken; She is also very old.
- Some people like cats ; others prefer having a dog.– Some people love cats; others prefer to get a dog.
Semicolon also used to join parts of a sentence or independent clauses that already have commas.
- Some people, for some reasons, like monkeys, racoons, rats; but others prefer having just a cat or a dog.– Some, for some reason, love monkeys, raccoons, rats; but others prefer to just get a cat or a dog.
- Last summer i visited Moscow, Idaho; Washington, D.C.; Springfield, California and some other cities.– Last summer I visited the city of Moscow, Idaho; Washington, DC; Springfield, California and some other cities.
Quotes
Quotes (Quotation Marks) in English are used when quoting and introducing direct speech into a sentence.
- Saying “I don’t care” was a big mistake.– The phrase “I don’t care” was a big mistake.
- “I hope we will meet again one day,” said Jack.“I hope we meet again someday,” said Jack.
When quoting or direct speech dot And comma are placed in quotation marks, not after them. However, in British English, a period and a comma can be used after quotation marks.
- American English
- .”
- .”
- British English
- My favorite song is “We are stars” ”. – My favorite song is “We are stars”.
- She said, “It is the best thing I’ve ever read ”. “She said, 'This is the best thing I've ever read.'
Interrogative And exclamatory signs can appear either in quotation marks or behind them, depending on the part of the sentence to which they refer. If there is an exclamation point and a question mark in direct speech, then there is no period or comma after direct speech.
- Jack asked, “Why is she here?”– Jack asked: “Why is she here?”
- He yelled, “I don’t care!”- He shouted: “I don’t care!”
- Why did you say “I don’t care”?– Why did you say “I don’t care”?
If in the middle of a quote or direct speech you need to enter another quote or phrase, then used single quotes.
- “Never say ‘I can’t do that’,” said my father.“Never say “I can’t do it,” my father said.
- “I saw the sign ‘Closed’ on the door but I entered anyway,” said Matt.“I saw the closed sign on the door, but I went in anyway,” Matt said.
According to the rules of the English language quotes also used when introducing into a sentence the titles of essays, articles, book chapters, songs from musicals, titles of film or television series, but not the titles of large individual works. The titles of complete works, individual songs, and films are often written italics.
- I didn’t read the chapter “Traveling alone” of this book.– I haven’t read the chapter of this book “Traveling Alone”.
- He wrote the song “Belle” for the musical Notre Dame de Paris.– He wrote the song “Belle” for the musical “Notre Dame de Paris.”
Quotes also used for terms and words that are used in a sentence in an unusual sense (often to express sarcasm).
- Yesterday I had a phone call from my “best friend” Mark.– Yesterday my “best friend” Mark called me.
- It leads to a deficit of total body water known as “dehydration.”– This leads to a decrease in the amount of water in the body, known as “dehydration.”
Brackets
Brackets (Parentheses) in English are used to introduce additional information into a sentence. Such information can be highlighted commas or colon instead of parentheses, but the parentheses indicate that this information is not important or required.
- He got a small reward for his help ($20 or something) .– He received a small reward for his help ($20 or so).
- He didn't answer (after 5 minutes of hesitation) that he has never seen that girl.– He replied (after 5 minutes of doubt) that he had never seen this girl.
Points And commas always put after brackets. However, there are cases when a whole sentence is conveyed in brackets, in which case a period can be placed in brackets.
- Matt got a bonus for his work ($100), but although Clark didn’t work that much his bonus was way bigger ($200).– Matt received a bonus for his work ($100), but Clark's bonus was much larger ($200), even though he didn't work that hard.
- You should watch this video! (You'll be surprised.)– You should watch this video (you will be surprised)!
Interrogative And exclamatory signs can stand in parentheses, if they refer to the phrase in brackets.
- You completely forget about my birthday (didn’t you?).– You completely forgot about my birthday (didn’t you?).
- He came to my house (just imagine!) and asked for some money.– He came to my house (just imagine!) and asked me for money.
Square brackets (Brackets) are mainly used to enter author's remarks or corrections in someone's text, quotes or direct speech.
- He didn’t know the truth about Matt’s situation.– He (the teacher) did not know the truth about Matt’s situation.
- “Leningrad is the second largest city in USSR...”– “Leningrad (today we know this city as St. Petersburg) is the second largest city in the USSR...”
Apostrophe
Apostrophe (Apostrophe) in English is used to create possessive form of nouns(ending -’s).
- Kate's dog is really funny. Kate's dog is really funny.
- My brothers-in-law’s room is big.– My stepbrothers’ room is large.
- Guys’ parties are always really noisy.- Guys' parties are always very noisy.
Apostrophe also used in abbreviations and truncated forms of words in place of missing letters.
- Let's rock 'n' roll!- Let's have a blast!
- I 'd better go now.- I better go now.
- You ’re my best friend.- You are my best friend.
- Kate won 't do this anyway.“Kate still won’t do it.”
Question mark
Interrogative sign (Question Mark) in English is placed at the end of interrogative sentences.
- Are you going to the party tonight?-Are you going to the party tonight?
- Why didn't you go there? – Why didn’t you go there?
- You are tired, aren’t you? -You're tired, aren't you?
In complex sentences with direct speech or with inserted clauses interrogative sign is placed after the part of the sentence to which it refers.
- “Why is she so angry today? " asked Jim.- “Why is she so angry today?” – asked Jim.
- I asked him, “What can I do for you?” ”“I asked him: “Is there anything I can help you with?”
- It is hardly surprising (isn’t it? ) that emerging markets have recently lost some of their appeal as means of diversifying risk.– It hardly seems surprising (is it?) that emerging markets in Lately have somewhat lost their appeal as a route to market diversification.
There is no question mark for questions in indirect speech and in many rhetorical questions.
- Why don’t you help this old lady.“Why don’t you help this old lady.”
- I asked him whether he could go with me.“I asked him if he could come with me.”
Exclamation mark
Exclamation mark (Exclamation Mark) is placed at the end of exclamatory sentences (sentences expressing surprise, joy, anger, command, etc.).
- Stop it right now! – Stop it now!
- You look fantastic! - You look amazing!
- That's incredible! Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in literature!- Incredible! Bob Dylan received the Nobel Prize for Literature!
Exclamation mark can also be placed after interjections instead of a comma.
- Gosh! That was so tasty!- Crap! It was so delicious!
- Oh dear! I completely forgot about cookies in the stove.- Mommies! I completely forgot about the cookies in the oven.
Exclamation mark can be placed in the middle of a sentence to emotionally emphasize a word, express sarcasm or surprise. In this case, the exclamation mark is taken in brackets.
- Ann says she bakes really (!) tasty cakes.– Ann says that she bakes very tasty pies.
- Jim was preparing (!) for his exams when I came.– Jim was preparing (imagine!) for exams when I arrived.
Since childhood, I have loved the cartoon “In the Land of Unlearned Lessons.” I love it at least because of how well it shows the importance of knowing the rules of punctuation. Do you remember the classic “execution cannot be pardoned”?
In English there is also a humorous phrase: “Let’s eat grandma” where, depending on the place of the comma, you can either invite your grandmother to dinner, or make her dinner yourself... I suggest we talk about commas in English.
In fact, this comma must be used only when without it the meaning of the sentence changes:
– Please bring Bob, a DJ and a clown
Without a comma, the sentence can be understood as “Please bring Bob the DJ and the clown,” that is, Bob is both the DJ and the clown.
– Please bring Bob, a DJ, and a clown.
With a comma, the meaning is different: “Bring Bob, a DJ and a clown” - that is, three different people.
WE RECOMMEND: Please note that in some cases, when listing homogeneous members, a comma is necessary before the conjunction and to avoid confusion. If you are afraid of not guessing this case, then you can always put this “Oxford comma” - it will not be a mistake.
2. Comma in sentences with subordinate clauses
In Russian, complex sentences require a comma. Here look:
If you are not sure about this, then let me know now.
Let me know now if you're not sure about this.
Let me remind you that a complex sentence (SPP) has a main and dependent part. The main clause in our example is “let me know now.” Subordinate – “if you are not sure.”
In English, the first case requires a comma, but the second does not.
If you are not sure about this, let me know now.
Let me know now if you are not sure about this.
This is due to the fact that, according to the rule, a comma should be placed only if the subordinate (dependent) clause comes BEFORE the main one.
One more example:
If you're ever in New York, come and look me up. (If you ever find yourself in New York, come visit me).
Come and look me up if you’re ever in New York. (Visit me if you ever find yourself in New York).
3. Comma in qualifying clauses
There is another case when in English we may not put a comma in the SPP.
In Russian, we always put a comma before subordinate clauses with “the one that...” or “the one that...”:
I'm standing in the house that Jack built.
I see the house that Jack built.
Such subordinate clauses are called attributive clauses and answer the question “which one?” In English you don't have to use a comma:
They’re the people who want to buy our house. (These are people who want to buy our house).
But it’s not so simple here... If this determinative part can be removed, if it is not the main determinant of the subject, then a comma is added:
Clare, who I work with, is doing the London marathon this year. (Claire, who I work with, is organizing the London Marathon this year).
Note: We already identified Claire - we named her name. If we remove the commas, the meaning doesn't change much: "Claire is organizing the London Marathon."
This type of sentence can use conjunctions w ho, which, whose, whom(but not that) and a comma.
Now compare:
They’re the people that she met at Jon’s party. (These are people she met at John's party).
If you remove the second part, you will be left with: “These are people,” and the meaning of the sentence will be lost. Since we cannot mentally remove the second part, then a comma is NOT needed: this emphasizes the indivisibility of the statement.
This type uses the same conjunctions who, which, whose and whom + that, which often replaces all of the above conjunctions in informal speech.
WE RECOMMEND: Please note that a comma is not placed before the attributive clause if without it the sentence completely loses its meaning. In such a sentence it can be used that. If the qualifying clause is removed without losing the main meaning, then we cannot use that and put a comma.
4. Comma after combinations “I believe, I think, I believe”
In Russian, introductory “I think, I believe, I say”, etc. are separated by a comma. It’s not surprising: it’s part of a complex sentence! And we already remembered that in Russian it is strict with them:
I think everything will work out.
But in English there is no need for a comma here. As an example famous quote Audrey Hepburn:
I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day…
5. Comma in participial phrase
In Russian there is a participial phrase, coming after the qualifying word(⇐ here’s an example), separated by a comma. In English - no.
I see the sun rising above the horizon (I see the sun rising above the horizon).
Conclusion: rules for placing a comma in English
These are not all the nuances associated with the English comma. In English there are generally far fewer cases where a comma is used.
Therefore, we will not stop at this article! 🙂 Our plans are to make a video about punctuation for YouTube channel. And the service will soon release a very cool online intensive about the most common mistakes in English. Of course, there is a separate section for punctuation. See you!
The comma in the English language is the most common and, therefore, the most difficult to write. It is in cases with the use of a comma that there are the greatest number of different difficulties and questions, which is often determined by the opinion of the author, personal emotional perception and interpretation of a particular case and situation described in the text. A comma in English, unlike Russian, is not always placed to separate it from the main clause, while in Russian subordinate clauses are always separated by a comma.
When a comma is not used
Commas are not separated in English:
- subordinate subject / predicate / object:
It is important that she should be there on Wednesday.It's important that she be there on Wednesday.
My rule is that you should not drink.My condition is that you don't drink.
I insist that you call him soon.We insist that you call him quickly.
- subordinate clauses, where there is a circumstance when they come after the main clause:
She told her all when she went downstairs.She told her everything as she walked down the stairs.
I had to end my work earlier to aid mother.I had to finish work early to help my mother.
The police may take your car if you park it there.The police may confiscate your car if you park there.
The most typical situations of using a comma
The most typical situations of using a comma.
- The comma in English is always used when addressing.
Waiteress, I would like a menu, please.Waitress, bring menu, Please.
Father, there is no one here.Father, there is no one here.
- The comma in English is used to separate individual items of enumeration:
Purple, lily, red flowers filled several vases.The vases were filled with purple, lilac, and red flowers.
Notrose, went around the table, leaned down and took the little armchair.He stood up, walked around the table, bent down and took a small chair.
She laughs, drinks and speaks too much. He laughs, drinks and talks too much.
It should be remembered that in this case a comma before and can be used, but not necessarily.
- Used (but not necessarily) between 2 main clauses connected by conjunctions and / as / but / and others. The comma is used especially often in English when the first sentence is long:
He will affirm it, and I will help him with his problems. him with his problems.
They stopped to look at each other, and she asked about this hard day.They stopped to look at each other and she asked about this difficult day.
The crowd was stupefied, as the clown tried to entertain with his jokes.The crowd was mesmerized as the clown tried to entertain with his jokes.
- Used after circumstances in subordinate clauses coming before the main clause:
When she went downstairs, she told him that Selena had already come.When she went downstairs, she told him that Selena had already arrived.
To support my sister, he had to leave Moscow.To help my sister, he had to leave Moscow.
Having called Sara, she quickly went to the station.After calling Sarah, she quickly drove to the station.
When in doubt, you should come to see me.When in doubt, come to me.
If you park the car there, the police will seize it.If you park your car there, the police will confiscate it.
- Used after any part of a sentence where there is additional information about the subject:
The waiter, who was old, told that he knew me. .
Subtleties of use
The strict principle of the English language is that the use of a comma between the subject (several subjects) and the predicate is prohibited. This case represents one of the few situations where a comma can be used, but keep in mind that only additional information is underlined by a comma, and on both sides:
The girl who was so pretty, assured that he saw me. / The girl, who was so pretty assuared that he saw me. — Both sentences are incorrect. No second comma .
The girl, who was so pretty, assured that he saw me - Right.
The man, who aided me that night, told that he recognized me.The man who helped me that night said he recognized me. — Incorrect, there is no additional information about the subject here, but only an explanation, no commas are required.
Right :
The man who aided me that night told that he recognized me.
The strike at the nuclear plant, which lasted theree days, is already over. — D Additional data is separated by commas, as there is additional information. Strike on nuclear factory, lasted three day, finished.
The woman with whom Tom was in love left him after five years. - P clarification, no commas required . Woman, V which Volume was in love, left his later five years.
The manson, which was empty for three years, has been sold out.The mansion, which had been empty for three years, was sold.
The girl whom I desired to meet was away on vacations.The girl I wanted to meet went on vacation.
Apostrophe
An apostrophe, or in common parlance a comma (in English it is placed at the top) goes together with the letter s in all cases of use of the possessive case, except for the plural of objects and things, it is formed according to standard rule(then the apostrophe goes without the s):
father's look;
the princess's ring;
men's gloves (man-men);
students" tasks.
Note:
The comma in English is on top when forming the possessive case of proper names ending with a letter -s, you can use both options:
King Charles's wife/ King Charles' wife.
Used in abbreviated forms to indicate missing letters or numbers:
I"m - I am;
he "s - he is / has;
"86 - 1986.
The apostrophe is placed together with the letter -s when forming the plural of letters, numbers or abbreviations (with numbers and capital letters the apostrophe can be omitted):
In the 1970's /the 1970s;
VIP's / VIPs;
He could not distinguish his L's. He did not clearly pronounce the letter L.
Separation upon handling
The comma in English when addressed is used in the English dialect (in the American dialect a colon is used) when preparing business correspondence, as well as in simple everyday speech.
Dear Mr. Frendick, We have received your letter...
Used in official or business correspondence after the last phrases of the greeting, separating it from the surname and position (between which there is no punctuation):
Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, Ranason-.Ltd.A. Simpson Manager.
A comma is used in addresses on an envelope or in the upper zone of a letter (above the text), emphasizing the addressee's last name / organization name / address / (a comma is not required between house numbers and street names):
Stephen P. Denny, 5678 Starling Avenue, Harlem, L.A. 10857.
Also used to separate explanatory words from direct speech if there is no other punctuation:
"How were you?" Nick asked. "He was ok," she replied. "Do you still hurt?" he asked. "No", she said, "not much." He said, "I am not aware."
Comma for introductory phrases and other words
There is no comma before because in English.
He can't get into the house because she had lost the keys.
Because he was strange, I broke up with him.Because he was strange, I broke up with him.
Comma in English after so, well, however, probably, certainly, naturally)
In fact, I had a little chance to do it.
Probably, Tom would come to Paris at 8 pm.
In the presence of those having a participle or gerund:
Heartbroken, he has gone to his cottage.Heartbroken, she went to the cottage.
Used before the word for , if it comes as a conjunction (secondary clauses joined by this conjunction extremely rarely go ahead of the main one):
I begged her to be there, for I had some information to tell her.I asked her to be there because I needed to tell her some information.
I Could tell about this woman, for I had seen him before.I could talk about this woman because I have seen her before.
Features of use
This is just a fraction of the rules that need to be used in everyday life. And this has always helped to be on top when communicating with educated people and, without hesitation, to make contact and discuss topics on forums.
In the English language, or more precisely, in the American dialect used in the United States, everything is much simpler. Americans do not pay as much attention to this grammatical issue as, for example, in Russian grammar.
The fact is that two different teachers can tell you different rules about the correct use of a comma in an English sentence, and both may be right. And all because in America there is no strict organized system use of commas. But still, there are general rules by adhering to which a person can gain basic knowledge about English punctuation.
Conclusion
In standard English, the comma is a multifunctional punctuation mark, and its modern use is an example of not only transformations in the use of punctuation, but also how the entire target concept of what counts as a normative sentence in English is being modified. Until the very end of the 19th century, authors and writers used a semicolon where a single comma is now usually used, and a comma in cases where no punctuation is now required at all. During the 20th century there were dramatic changes in the punctuation rules of modern English.
I really love the expression “author’s punctuation.” After all, this means that you can stick on punctuation marks in any type and quantity, and no one will make a comment. It’s just a pity that teachers don’t want to understand this and mercilessly draw a swan when you miss a couple of commas, a colon, a dash and other squiggles in a small story.
Fortunately, the British are less pretentious people. They have a looser attitude towards punctuation, so English teachers usually don't focus much on punctuation. You can write a life-long sentence without adding a single character. True, it will still have to be completed. Either a period, or an exclamation/question mark, or an ellipsis. There was a story going around among our teachers that if, while taking the exam for the Faculty of Philology, an applicant writes an interrogative English sentence and forgets to put this humpbacked “?” at the end, then the teacher will immediately put “fail” and ask him to leave in English.
So that no one sends us anywhere without saying goodbye, let’s get a little familiar with the capricious squiggles.
.
- full stop/period (dot)
,
- comma (comma)
?
- note of interrogation/question mark (question mark)
!
- note of exclamation/exclamation mark (exclamation mark)
-
hyphen (hyphen)
-
dash
;
semicolon (semicolon)
:
- colon (colon)
…
- dots (ellipsis)
‘
- apostrophe (apostrophe)
, ()
- brackets/parenthesis (square, round brackets)
“ “
- inverted commas/quotation marks ( quotes)
.
- dot (dot, which is used in Internet addresses, email addresses and for abbreviations)
POINT WHICH IS “FULL STOP”
It is logical that, as in Russian, it completes a declarative sentence:
My
name
is
Ivan
.
e
.
g
.
(For example), Mr
.
POINT WHICHDOT
I will never forget my “shame” when a Western partner called and dictated his email address to me over the phone. Instead of a dot before the uk extension, I courageously inserted the word “dot” and sent the address in this form to my boss. Lucky that he had a sense of humor. And I have since remembered: mike @tralala .uk reads as “m, i, k, e, at, t, r, a, l, a, l, a, dot, u, k.”
In addition, in English, a period is used to shorten words:
e
.
g
.
(For example), Mr
.
U.S.A. (although it is possible and simple Mr or USA
)
.
SEALED, who is “in a coma”
Here, again, everything is the same as ours. Only even if you don’t put a comma, no one will be offended.
. when transferring:
I have a PC, TV, i-phone and 2 books
.
. after introductory words and constructions:
Anyway
,
you
are
wrong
!
To be better, you must study better.
(Be that as it may, you are wrong! To be better, you need to study better)
. after participial phrases:
The clock having showed 5, she ran out from his flat.
(As the clock struck 5, she ran away from his apartment)
. after also, if this word is used for emphasis:
Also, you mustn’t tell me such things! (
Oh, and also: you shouldn’t say things like that to me!)
. in complex sentences, as well as in those sentences where you need to make a semantic pause:
I
decided
to
be
honest
with
you
,
but
today
I
don
’
t
think
so
(Yesterday I decided to be honest with you, but today I don’t think so anymore).
UNLIKE RUSSIAN English comma is NOT PUT:
. in the address(the regular one, not the one with the dog):
221
B
Baker
Street
London
. in a complex sentence between the subject and the predicate, if this information is not basic, but additional:
The
dog
which
was
following
me
all
day
long
turned
to
be
our
aunt
’
s
pet
(It turned out that the dog that had been following me all day was our aunt’s favorite).
QUESTION AND EXCLAMATION MARKS
Well, here, I think, there’s not even anything to chew on: interrogative - for questions, exclamation - for exclamations.
Don
’
t
you
know
that
?
Didn't you know?
That's striking! Amazing!
COLON, or COLUMN
Those who are okay with Russian will not be surprised: in English, the colon is used in the same cases. That is, when you need to explain something in more detail or list it. But there is also some difference: if a full sentence comes after a colon, then it must be written with a capital letter.
I’ve got 3 friends: Ann, Mary, Inna.
(I have three girlfriends: Anya, Masha, Inna).
I’m furious: Your cat has broken my favorite vase
!
(I'm furious: your cat broke my favorite vase!)
Semicolon or semicolon
Such complex sign you will only find it in official letters, literary texts and articles in serious newspapers/magazines. Semicolons are needed in long, complex sentences that are already full of all sorts of other characters.
A dash that you can't give so easily
Most often it is used in the same way as in Russian: for example, you suddenly need to explain something right in the middle of a sentence, or list it with a generalizing word.
Last summer I was absolutely alone - you know, my boyfriend was in Paris - and that annoyed me so much!
(Last summer I was completely alone - you know, my boyfriend was in Paris - and it irritated me so much!)
There is also a very original use of the English dash... instead of an ellipsis!
My mother has never-(My mother never...)
Hyphen that starts with the letter "x"
Many people in Russian confuse a hyphen with a dash. In fact, they even look different. The hyphen is short, it is needed only to connect complex words ( rock -n -roll). A dash is long and is used as a punctuation mark in a sentence.
An apostrophe, which is an apostrophe and nothing else, because it appeared recently in the Russian language
This is the same little mark that we go through in grammar. Helps:
. form the possessive case ( Mary
’
s
book- Masha's book)
. successfully replace missing letters (I 'm fine = I am fine)
. form the plural for years (1960's - sixties), abbreviations (VIP's - VIPs).
Quotation marks and ellipses
Both are traditional. Those. quotation marks - to indicate direct speech, and ellipsis...
It seems like nothing was missed. Although, of course, there are many nuances in the use of punctuation marks, which are more important for philologists than for those who study English for communication and career growth. However, no one
It seems like nothing was missed. Although, of course, there are many nuances in the use of punctuation marks, which are more important for philologists than for those who study English for communication and career growth. However, no one forbids sharing these nuances with those who suffer: that’s why there are comments on the article.
Anastasia Petrova, especially for
