W R I T E R I G H TE S L

APA Style: Punctuation and Mechanics

Based on the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 2010
Note: The symbol indicates reference to numbered sections of the APA Manual.

Punctuation can make the difference between writing that is ambiguous and writing that is clear and
convincing. If you are frustrated by commas or have been wondering when to use a semi-colon, read on!
This handout explains and illustrates punctuation and related mechanical details of APA style.

Capitalization (4.14-4.20) and Spacing after punctuation marks (4.01):

Capitalize some
headings (see APA Capitalize the main words
handout on of titles in the text of your
formatting of text paper. (In the references list,
pages.). titles are treated differently.)
Capitalize nouns
that are followed
Sample Paragraph by a numeral.
The Elements of Style contains helpful information
for various writing concerns. For example, Chapter 2
Leave one space
Leave one space covers the elementary principles of composition. B. D. after periods
after a comma, Jones, who works at the Writing Center, testifies to the following a
colon, or semi- persons initials.
colon within a manuals usefulness; he used it every single day in his
sentence, a title, freshman classes (e.g., Psychology 101 with James Mbutu,
or a heading. Capitalize
Ph.D.). He also claims it improved his writing score on proper nouns.
the Standard Achievement Test.

Leave no space after internal Leave two spaces after final (end-of- Capitalize titles of specific tests.
periods that are part of sentence) punctuation. This rule Also capitalize names of
abbreviations. Also leave no space contrasts with previous editions of specifically defined variables,
after the colon in a ratio (e.g., 2:5). the APA Manual. factors or effects in a study.
Comma (4.03), Semi-colon (4.04), Colon (4.05), and Seriation (3.04)
Use a comma to
separate simple
items in a series.
many actually whistle regularly. The
Use a semi-colon
between items in
a series that
contain internal
commas.
dorm; and Terrace, an apartment complex.
Use no comma
between the parts of a
compound predicate.
know the results. Participants were asked to
Use a comma to separate
independent clauses
joined by a coordinating
conjunction (i.e., and,
but, or, yet, for, nor, so).
Use a semi-colon to
separate independent
clauses with no
coordinating conjunction.
If the second clause
begins with a conjunctive
adverb (e.g., however),
follow it with a comma.
nSet off complex items in
a series by bulleting or
numbering at the left
margin. Supply
appropriate end
punctuation for each
item: a comma, semi-
colon, or period. (Be
aware that numbering a
list may imply relative
importance or
chronology of the items.)
Use a colon between an
introductory clause that
I had always wanted to know how many could stand alone and a
phrase or clause that
Wheaton College students could whistle: A expands, strengthens, or
survey project for my statistics class was illustrates it. Follow the
the perfect opportunity. Our research group colon with a capital letter
only if the subsequent
wrote a survey to discover (a) how many phrase is a complete
sentence.
students can whistle, (b) how many can
carry a tune when they whistle, and (c) how For one method of
seriation, use lowercase
surveys were distributed on March 21, letters in parentheses to
mark each item.
2013. Research participants were selected
among residents of Fischer, a freshman Use a comma before the
dorm; McManis-Evans, an upperclassman year in a precise date. A date
with only two items needs
no comma: March 2013.
The ratio of men to women was 3:5. Over
90% of the students that we approached Use a colon
for ratios.
agreed to participate and were eager to
Do not use commas for a
return their surveys anonymously through restrictive (or essential)
the college post office, and their responses clause. Here, that we
approached limits the
were entered into a spreadsheet for analysis. meaning of the students
One result, which we had not anticipated, and is, therefore,
necessary.
was that Wheaton College women are more
likely to be able to carry a tune while
Usecommastosetoffa
whistling than men; however, men tend to nonrestrictive(ornon
whistle twice as often as women. essential)clause.Here,
Unfortunately, the findings are limited whichwehadnot
anticipatedcouldbe
because removedwithout
our sample was not representative of the damagingthemeaning
student body in terms of age, gender, oftheresult.
and musical interest;
results were based on self-report, not
actual observation of whistling ability;
whistling was not clearly defined on
the survey, which could have distorted
results.
Despite the studys limitations, I found the
project stimulating and enlightening.
 Quotation Marks and associated End-Punctuation (4.07-4.08)
Use quotation marks to
set off the title of an
article or chapter. (Titles
of larger works, such as
books, plays, and
movies, are italicized
rather than enclosed in
quotation marks.) editors who greet you at the door, the center has a
If quoted material ends
with a question mark or
exclamation point, retain
it inside the closing
quotation mark.
Use quotation marks to
enclose a direct
quotation of fewer than
40 words.
Periods belong inside
closing quotation marks,
unless a parenthetical
citation follows
immediately and
completes the sentence,
in which case the period
is moved to the very end.
The example here would
then look like this:
Nature herself
appointed that nothing
great is to be
accomplished quickly here to help.
(p. 1).
Use quotation marks
to set off the first
Wheaton Colleges Writing Center exists to mention of invented
or slang phrases.
make you a better writer. In addition to friendly peer-
If the question mark
Welcome! handout to familiarize you with the writing or exclamation point
process. This center is much more than a fix-it shop! is your own
additionnot part of
Indeed, good writing will take considerable effort and
the original
time on the part of the writer. The handout tells materialput it
students, Expect to become a better writer, but outside the closing
quotation mark.
remember what Quintilian says: Nature herself
appointed that nothing great is to be accomplished
Single quotation
quickly. Writing can be a challenging process of marks enclose a
quotation within a
drafting and redrafting, but Anne Lamott (1995)
quotation.
believes it is well worth the effort:
We write to expose the unexposed. Most If a quotation is 40
human beings are dedicated to keeping that one words or longer,
rather than using
door shut. But the writer's job is to see what's quotation marks to
behind it, to see the bleak, unspeakable stuff, distinguish it from
and to turn the unspeakable into wordsnot just your words, set it
apart as a block of
into any words but if we can, into rhythm and type, indented inch
blues. (p. 198) from the left margin.
The parenthetical
So, go on, create your own rhythm and blues; we are
citation follows the
final punctuation
mark.
Semi-colons, colons,
asterisks, and dashes
go outside the closing
quotation mark.
Commas, belongs
inside.
Parentheses (4.09) and Brackets (4.10):

Use brackets
Enclose in The professor warned us, Your task [improving your to enclose
parentheses an material that
writing] will be challenging, but I hope you find it fulfilling. you have
abbreviation
for a formal I decided to go to the Writing Center for help with using inserted into
title upon its a quotation.
different academic writing styles. One consultant helped me
first mention.
format a paper for my psychology class; we referenced a
Parentheses set
manual published by the American Psychological Association off letters that
Parentheses
enclose brief (APA). I learned that to write a paper in APA style, I must signify a list.
bibliographic attend to (a) style and mechanics, (b) formatting, and (c)
information in
your text. proper documentation. The Writing Center has other helpful Use brackets,
resources as well. The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White instead of
parentheses,
Parentheses set (2000), taught me the importance of revising and rewriting. I within a
off explanatory
elements. Do not know I have become a better writer (I got an A [a 93%] on parenthetical
remark.
place one my last paper), and I have come to enjoy writing as well!
parenthetical
item adjacent to
another.

Dashes (4.06, 4.13) and Hyphen (4.13):

Use an em dash (longer than the en-dash or the

Use an en-dash hyphen) to indicate an obvious interruption in the
to form a flow of a sentence. Em dashes highlight the
compound importance of the content they enclose (in contrast
adjective to parentheses, which diminish it).
between words
that are equally Use a hyphen to
important. Wheaton College studentsboth graduates and form compound
undergraduateslove the Writing Center. The words. (See
Note: If you run out of consultantclient collaboration is dynamic as details in 4.13.)
space at the end of a line Placed
of text, do not hyphenate
both parties exchange ideas to improve the immediately
a word that is normally clients writing; it is a two-way interaction. before a numeral,
unhyphenated. Instead, the hyphen
move the word to the indicates a
next line. negative number.

References
(The following reference entries have been formatted in APA style.)

Lamott, A. (1995). Bird by bird: Some instructions on writing and life. New York, NY: Anchor Books.

Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (2000). The elements of style (4th ed.). New York, NY: Longman.

Wheaton College Writing Center. (2013). Welcome! Unpublished manuscript.

Copyright 2013 Wheaton College Writing Center; latest revision June 2015