ACT Prep
Punctuation
Commas
Use with introductory material
– After all, crime must be punished
– In 2006, Mrs. Ponce was married.
Use in lists
– I have a red, green, and blue shirt on today
Use before a coordinating conjunction
(FANBOYS) to join two separate sentences
– The boy wanted to borrow a book, but the
librarian need him to pay his fines.
Semicolons
Use to separate two complete ideas
– Only for independent clauses
– The setting sun caused the fields to take on a
special glow; all was bathed in a pale light.
Do NOT use to separate an independent
clause from a phrase or dependent
(subordinate) clause
– She worked extra hours; yet, was not able to
finish the project on time.
Colons
After the greeting of a business letter
Separate hours from minutes
Precede a list of three or more items or a long quotation
– We did many things on vacation: hiking, camping, biking,
canoeing, and kayaking.
NOT used when list is already signaled, ie, for example
or such as
– We did many things on vacation such as, hiking, camping,
biking, canoeing, and kayaking.
End Punctuation
Question Marks
– Only used after a direct question
• Did you take the test yesterday?
• Mom wants to know if you took the test yesterday.
Exclamation Marks
– Shows strong emotion or imply urgency
Periods
– Use to end a sentence
– Use to signify an abbreviation or an initial
• Adrianne M. Ponce
Dashes
Use to emphasize or set off explanatory words.
– The tools of his trade- probe, mirror, and swabs- were neatly
arranged on the tray
Indicate a summary or reversal of other words.
– Patience, sensitivity, understanding- these are the marks of a
true friend.
Mark a sudden break in thought
– He was not pleased with- in fact, he was completely hostile
toward- the takeover.
Hyphens
Use with a compound modifier (adjectives,
usually) that precedes a noun.
– There was a sit-in demonstration at the office
– We will sit in the auditorium
Use with fractions that serve as adjectives
or adverbs.
– I purchased a four-cylinder car
– I purchased a car with four cylinders.
Quotation Marks
Use to enclose actual words of another
To set off titles of short themes or parts of
larger works (Short stories and poems too)
Do NOT use to justify a poor choice of
words– no air quoting!
– I didn’t think she “got it.”
– I didn’t think she understood.
Apostrophes
Used in contractions
Used to indicate the possessive form
DO NOT use with who, is, her, our, your, or
their
– Who’s = who is; whose = possessive
– It’s = it is; its = possessive
– Hers, ours, yours, theirs = already possessive
Homework
Practice Test III and IV (timed 45 min)
– Pg. 782
– Pg. 838
Finish Ex. 6
– Pg. 108