GCSE English Technical Terms: Punctuation Flashcards
Purpose of commas?
Commas make the meaning more clear in sentences.
Eg. Eats shoots and leaves.
vs Eats, shoots and leaves.
Commas separate main clauses from dependent clauses in a complex sentence.
Eg. When the storm was over, Rob went home.
(dependent clause) (main clause)
Without the comma the sentence would mean that the storm was overtop of Rob.
Colon
Colons show that an example, explanation or list is to follow.
Explanation: The office was empty: everyone had finished and gone home.
List: The ingredients you will need include: a large ripe mango, 250g strawberries, 2tsps sugar and a coconut.
Semicolons
Semicolons are used to turn two related sentences into one.
Eg. The door creaked open; the little boy tiptoed shyly into the room.
or
Semicolons are also used to break up lists when the items in the list are long phrases or clauses. If the items in the list have got their own punctuation, you definitely need to use a semicolon. Semicolons are like a stronger version of the comma.
Eg. At the fete there were stalls selling cakes; a ‘guess the weight of the cow’ competition; children dancing around a maypole; and a swimming pool filled with lemonade, in which the children were splashing around.
Brackets
Brackets are used to bring something extra into a sentence. The extra something can be an explanation, an interruption, or something that occurred to the narrator as an afterthought.
Eg. Jed and Ted (the twins) have just started to learn jujitsu.
Dashes and commas can be used like brackets
Commas can be used like brackets to separate off information in a sentence.
Eg. Stilton is, I believe, the finest cheese in the world.
Dashes can also be used instead of brackets and they don’t always have to be used in pairs. You can use a single dash in a sentence to mark a pause or to show where a list is about to begin.
Jed took his two ferrets - their names were Tim and Bob - for a walk.
or
I peered into the shed and there on the old shelf was - Mary’s old violin.
or
I like all kinds of fish - cod, haddock, plaice, goldfish.
Direct speech
Direct speech is when someone is actually talking. Direct speech uses speech marks, you must always use a capital when someone starts to speak and use a comma before and after the speech marks (unless it’s the start of the sentence.)
Tony said, “We’re going on holiday next week.”
or
“We’re going on holiday next week,” said Tony.
or
“Do you think,” he asked, “that I should take my pogo stick with me?”
Reported speech
Reported speech doesn’t use speech mark because it’s not a direct quote.
Eg. Angus said that he hated sweetcorn.
What does an apostrophe show?
Apostrophes are used to show that something belongs to someone or something.
Eg. Mary’s cat is mostly black.
How do you use the apostrophe f the person’s name already ends in an ‘s’?
If the person’s name already ends in an ‘s’, you can either add an apostrophe and another ‘s’, or you can just add the apostrophe.
Eg. Marcus’s or Marcus’
If writing about a group of people or things, do you use an ‘s’ after the apostrophe?
If you’re writing about a group of people or things that end in an ‘s’, only use the apostrophe, don’t add an extra ‘s.’
Eg. The witches’ hats all needed to be cleaned.
But if the group doesn’t end in an ‘s,’ add the extra ‘s.’
Eg. I’m looking for a shop that sells children’s clothes.
