The only business writing book you’ll ever need - Laura Brown, Rich Karlgaard 2019
Punctuation
Resources
How to Use a Comma
Commas are the most frequently used punctuation marks, as well as the ones that cause the greatest confusion. Learning a few rules can boost your comma confidence.
USE A COMMA WHEN JOINING TWO FULL SENTENCES WITH AND, OR, BUT, SO, NOR, OR FOR.
The flight was delayed, and they spent the night in a hotel.
Jennifer worked for the agency, but I never knew her there.
Almost everyone is here, so I think we should get started.
They have not upgraded this year, nor do they expect to upgrade next year.
Opening another plant in France was impossible, for the costs were too high.
USE A COMMA BETWEEN ITEMS IN A SERIES. (NOTE THAT THESE ITEMS CAN BE SINGLE WORDS OR PHRASES.)
The movers packed up the books, dishes, and artwork.
On Saturday we do the laundry, mow the lawn, and wash the car.
She enjoys playing the violin, working in the garden, and trading stock options.
Note: In these examples, the comma before the “and” is optional. Known as a “serial comma” or “Oxford comma,” it is not required, but it can improve the clarity of a sentence.
USE A COMMA AFTER A LONG INTRODUCTORY PHRASE OR CLAUSE.
With the surgery behind him, Tim was able to travel to Italy comfortably.
Because of the shortage of housing in the city, they moved to the suburbs.
USE A COMMA AFTER AN INTRODUCTORY ADVERB THAT MODIFIES THE ENTIRE SENTENCE.
Unfortunately, the guacamole was gone when they arrived.
Alternatively, we could take the train into the city.
On the other hand, it might be better to work on the taxes in the morning.
USE A COMMA TO SET OFF A NONRESTRICTIVE MODIFIER OR APPOSITIVE.
(An appositive is a noun or a pronoun set next to another to explain or identify it. A nonrestrictive element is not essential to the meaning of a sentence. If it’s deleted, the sentence still makes sense and retains its meaning.)
The car, a black Lexus, was parked in the underground garage.
The sweater, which was too small already, shrank in the wash.
USE A COMMA TO SET OFF SENTENCE MODIFIERS AND SENTENCE ELEMENTS OUT OF THE NORMAL WORD ORDER.
The new software, unfortunately, is even harder to use than the old version.
Urban living, I think, will become the norm soon.
Note: Although it’s tempting to insert a comma wherever you might pause in speech, you’re far safer to follow the rules above than to punctuate “by ear.”
How to Use Colons and Semicolons
Colons and semicolons frequently cause confusion, but they are very easy to master. The few rules explained here will equip you to use colons and semicolons correctly.
COLONS ARE USED TO INTRODUCE
Use a colon to introduce a list of things:
He bought all the ingredients for the recipe: pasta, tomato sauce, fresh tomatoes, and cheese.
You can use a colon to introduce an entire sentence, if the second part explains the first.
The renovation was extensive: they replaced all the electrical and plumbing systems in the building.
Think of a colon as saying “the following” or “in other words.”
SEMICOLONS ARE USED TO SEPARATE
Use a semicolon when joining two full sentences without a conjunction like and, or, but, nor, or for.
Tony took the train home; Paul had a car.
The dinner was great; the concert was disappointing.
Use a semicolon when joining two full sentences with an adverb like however or nevertheless.
I finished the project on time; however, the office was closed when I went to deliver it.
We asked them not to share the proposal with others; nevertheless, they circulated it to the whole team.
Use semicolons to separate items in a series that themselves contain commas.
The publisher was looking for titles in project management, IT, and systems analysis; general management, leadership, and coaching; and computer literacy, the Internet, and web design.
How to Use Parentheses, Brackets, and Dashes
Many people use dashes, parentheses, and brackets interchangeably; however, each of these punctuation marks has its own correct usage. These guidelines will help you understand and use them correctly.
PARENTHESES
Use parentheses to enclose a loosely related comment, explanation, or elaboration within a sentence or a paragraph. You should be able to omit the material within the parentheses without changing the basic meaning or structure of the sentence or paragraph.
We saw a production of Titus Andronicus (one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays) in London.
The cook (it was his first day on the job) used the wrong sauce for the enchiladas.
Al worked for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in Washington, D.C.
Note: A parenthetical sentence within another sentence has no initial capital letter or period.
At that point all flights were canceled. (The rain had gotten much heavier.) We had no choice but to wait.
Note: A freestanding parenthetical sentence requires an initial capital letter and a period inside the parentheses.
BRACKETS
Use brackets to indicate that you have inserted something into a quotation to clarify the meaning.
Deb said during her acceptance speech, “I am honored by it [the award], but I could not have achieved this without the help of my staff.”
You can also use brackets to set off an interpolation within parentheses.
By a vote of 5—4, the Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s ruling. (See here [Figure A] for a chronology of the case.)
DASHES
Use dashes to indicate a break in thought.
The truth is—and you probably already know it—that we can’t manage without you.
I think we can go ahead and accept—no, we can’t!
You can also use a dash to introduce a summary or explanation.
It was a close call—the sudden wind almost overturned the boat.
Legislators were in a tough position—they had to fund the program without raising taxes.
(Colons can also be used for this purpose.)
How to Use Capital Letters
Capitalization often seems arbitrary, probably because so many people use capitals incorrectly. Everyone knows to capitalize the first letter of a sentence and people’s names; the following few rules will help you capitalize correctly every time.
CAPITALIZE ALL THE WORDS IN PLACE-NAMES
Silver Lake, Park Avenue, Atlantic Ocean, Appalachian Mountains, Pacific Coast Highway, Atwater Village, New York City
CAPITALIZE RECOGNIZED SECTIONS OF THE WORLD OR THE COUNTRY
the South, the Sunset Strip, the Northwest, the Lake District, the Far East
DON’T CAPITALIZE EAST, WEST, NORTH, OR SOUTH WHEN THEY INDICATE DIRECTION; DO CAPITALIZE THEM WHEN THEY REFER TO RECOGNIZED SECTIONS OF A COUNTRY
Go west on Colorado Boulevard till you hit the freeway.
Just east of the house, there’s a stand of eucalyptus trees.
the Midwest, the West Coast, the Southeast, the Northeast, the West Country
CAPITALIZE THE NAMES OF ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, INSTITUTIONS, AND GOVERNMENT BODIES
League of Women Voters, National Geographic Society, Delta Air Lines, Plaza Hotel, Columbia University, National Science Foundation, Department of English and Comparative Literature, House of Representatives, Federal Aviation Administration, Internal Revenue Service
CAPITALIZE THE NAMES OF HISTORICAL EVENTS AND PERIODS, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND CALENDAR ITEMS
Civil War, Renaissance, Kentucky Derby, Special Olympics, Monday, June, Halloween, Memorial Day, Administrative Professionals’ Week
CAPITALIZE THE NAMES OF SHIPS, PLANES, MONUMENTS, AND AWARDS
the Merrimac, the Spruce Goose, the Vietnam Memorial, the Academy Awards, the Statue of Liberty
CAPITALIZE THE TITLES OF BOOKS, STORIES, POEMS, SONGS, MOVIES, AND OTHER WORKS OF ART
The Hobbit, The Red Badge of Courage, The Big Sleep, Paradise Lost, “The Raven,” “Twist and Shout,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” Lawrence of Arabia, Star Trek
WHAT NOT TO CAPITALIZE
Do not capitalize a word just because the concept seems important to you (a really annoying habit known among editors as Very Important Thing syndrome).
How to Use Quotation Marks
Quotation marks are used to set off words in a sentence. Most frequently, they indicate a direct quotation from someone other than the writer. Quotation marks are frequently misused, but if you learn these few rules you’ll never go wrong.
DOUBLE QUOTATION MARKS
In American usage, you’ll need double quotation marks, not single ones, most of the time. You’ll need to use single quotation marks if you have a quotation within a quotation.
Penelope told us what happened in the meeting: “Marc and Jen both said, ’This is a really terrible idea’ at the same time.”
Use quotation marks to set off the exact words of a speaker or writer.
Gail read the message and blurted out, “That’s ridiculous.”
The sign over the door said, “No bicycles or skateboards.”
Use quotation marks for the titles of articles, essays, poems, chapters, and songs. (Titles of books, magazines, and newspapers belong in italics. Here, because the example sentences are set in italics, those titles reverse out to roman.)
His song “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” appeared in the 1937 movie Shall We Dance.
Her essay “Shakespeare’s Language” was reprinted in the book Renaissance Literary Rhetoric.
Use quotation marks to indicate the ironic use of a word.
One of the “advantages” the broker mentioned was the apartment’s proximity to a punk rock club.
Use quotation marks to refer to a word being used as the word itself.
The word “pizza” first appeared in a Latin text in the year 997.
Don’t use quotation marks to add emphasis. Use italics, boldface, or underlining instead, and do so only sparingly.
Not like this:
Food is “not” permitted in the theater.
Like this:
Food is not permitted in the theater.
Not like this:
“No” parking during business hours.
Like this:
Absolutely no parking during business hours.
PUNCTUATION WITH QUOTATION MARKS
Commas and periods go inside the quotation marks.*
“I’m sure,” said Joe, “that we’ll be done with this project by Friday.”
Exclamation points and question marks go inside the quotation marks when they are part of the quotation.
“Holy cats!” she said. “Is this project ever going to end?”
Semicolons and colons go outside the quotation marks.
The judge commented that the mortgage company had behaved “unconscionably”; the plaintiff’s motion was upheld.
He was described as “the quintessential team player”: focused, cooperative, and supportive of his colleagues.
* This is American usage. British usage is different.