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Punctuation for clarity and effect
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Punctuation is not decoration: it controls meaning. Using apostrophes, colons and semicolons correctly makes your writing clear and gives you more ways to create effects.
Apostrophes
Omission: shows missing letters. do not = don't; it is = it's.
Possession: shows belonging.
One owner: the girl's bag (one girl).
Plural owners ending in s: the girls' bags (more than one girl).
Plural not ending in s: the children's toys.
Never use an apostrophe for a simple plural: 'apples', not 'apple's'.
Possession: shows belonging.
One owner: the girl's bag (one girl).
Plural owners ending in s: the girls' bags (more than one girl).
Plural not ending in s: the children's toys.
Never use an apostrophe for a simple plural: 'apples', not 'apple's'.
Colons and semicolons
Commas and brackets
Commas separate items in a list and mark off a subordinate clause at the start: 'When it rained, we went inside.'
A pair of commas, brackets or dashes can add extra information (parenthesis): 'My uncle, who lives in Wales, is visiting.'
A pair of commas, brackets or dashes can add extra information (parenthesis): 'My uncle, who lives in Wales, is visiting.'
Punctuate: 'the dogs bowl was empty it had not been fed' (one dog).
- One dog owns the bowl: dog's.
- Two linked main clauses: use a semicolon or a full stop.
- Capital letter at the start.
Answer: The dog's bowl was empty; it had not been fed.
Apostrophes show omission or possession (never simple plurals). Colons introduce lists and explanations; semicolons join closely linked main clauses. Use pairs of commas or brackets for parenthesis.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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