Punctuation

MD RAHAT HOSSAIN
Teacher, Researcher & Material
writer
MA in ELT
Jahangirnagar University
Phone:- 01780357736
Email:- rahathossain211@gmail.com
 Acknowledgements
✓College writing skills with reading (Sixth edition)
by John Langan
✓The Little Brown Handbook (Eighth edition) by
H.Ramsey Fowler, Jane E. Aaron and Daniel
Anderson
✓Writing, A College Handbook (Fifth edition) by
James A.W. Heffernan, John E. Lincoin and Janet
Atwill
✓The Writer’s Compass by Kathleen T. McWhorter
✓Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary 9th Edition.
✓Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 4th
Edition
 Capitalization

✓Capitalize titles of persons only

when they precede proper nouns.
Otherwise, use lowercase.
a) The senator supported the bill.
b) Senator David supported the bill.
 Capitalization
✓Capitalize compass direction only when
They refer to specific geographical areas.
However, use lowercase for general
directions.
a) Students from the South have trouble
adjusting to the Northeast’s bitter winters.
{Specific region}
b) The storm blew in from the northeast and
then veered south along the coast. {General
Direction)
 Capitalization
✓ Capitalize name of relationships
when they are not preceded by a
determiner or modifier.
a) I remember how Father scolded us.
b) I love my father very much.
 Capitalization

✓ The first letter of month, day and

holiday
a. In February, the day after Victory Day,
Jonathan died.
b. They will come to meet me on Monday
in March, 2029.
c. On the last Sunday afternoon in May, the
day before Memorial Day, my boss is
having a barbecue for all the employees.
 Capitalization
✓However, don’t use capitalization in
the first letter of a season.
a. Most of the people feel more energetic
in the spring.
b. If winter comes, can spring be far
behind.
c. Do you know that the autumn is one of
my favorite seasons?
 Punctuation
✓In handwriting/formal writing,
contraction/short form is strictly
prohibited, though we often find
contraction/short form in
informal/spoken language.
Don’t (write full form e. g. Do not);
couldn’t (write could not)
 The Semicolon
✓Use a semicolon to connect two
independent clauses.
a. The sun is hot today; use a sun block.
b. Insist on yourself; never imitate.
c. He has a lot of problems in Physics; he
should consult his class teacher.
 The Semicolon
✓However, use a comma instead of using
a semicolon if a dependent and an
independent clause are connected.
a. If you work hard, you will certainly pass
in the exam.
b. Though the medicine worked will, it was
rejected by some doctors.
c.While I was reading a book, my mother
called me.
 Colon
✓Colon is used after an independent
clause to introduce a list.
a.Success depends on three things: talent,
determination, and luck.
b. The shop will remain closed on the
following days: Friday, Sunday, and
Monday.
c.All five students will be awarded: Ratul,
Leo, and Joe.
 Comma
❑ Use a comma when two clauses are
connected by though, although or
even though.
We lost the game, although/though/
even though everyone played well.
Although/though/ even though everyone
played well, we lost the game.
Though he is poor, he is honest.
 Comma
✓Use a comma after an introductory
phrase; don’t use a comma if the
phrase is used at the end of the
sentence.
a.In 2014, my father died.
My father died in 2014.
b. Coming to the class, the teacher taught
us English.
English was taught by the teacher coming
to the class.
 Comma
❑Use a comma to separate dates
August 18, 2007
❑ Be careful about writing dates.
18 August 2007; 18th August 2007;
18/08/07 (British English)
August 18, 2007; 08/18/07 (American)
 Quotation mark
❑Articles in a book, newspapers, magazines;
chapter in a book, short story, poem, song
ইত্যাদি লেখার সময় quotation mark ব্যব্হৃত্ হয়।এক্ষেক্ষে
title of books, newspapers, magazines, plays,
movies ইত্যাদিক্ষে underline েরক্ষত্ হয়।
a) I love to read the essay “Self-respect” in the
book Slouching Towards Bethlehem.
b) It was an article named “The Problem of Acid
Rain” in The Daily Star.
c) Did you study the chapter “Chinese Religion” in
the book Paths of Faiths.
 Quotation mark
❑লোন দব্ক্ষেষ word/phrase লে দব্ক্ষেষভাক্ষব্
উপস্থাপন েরার জনয quotation mark ব্যব্হৃত্
হয়।
a) What is the difference between “its”
and “it’s”?
b) Use “s” or “es” to make a noun
plural.
c) Write an essay on “Democracy and
Bangladesh.”
 Dash
❑Sentence এ লোন dramatic change হক্ষে dash (—)
ব্যব্হৃত্ হয়।
a) Munni was so exhausted that she fell asleep within
seconds — stand up.
(Munni was exhausted and felt sleepy but
dramatically she stood up; therefore, dash has been
used.)
b) He had many good qualities: sincerity, honesty, and
truthfulness —yet he had few friends.
(as he had many good qualities, he was supposed to
have a lot of friends, but dramatically she had few
friends; therefore, dash has been used.)
Note:- (.)লে British English এ Full stop এব্ং American
English এ Period ব্ো হয়।
 Writing numbers
❑লে সেে সংখযা এে ব্া দুই word এর হয় ত্াক্ষিরক্ষে
েথায় দেখক্ষত্ হয়, দুই এর অদিে হক্ষে অংক্ষে দেখক্ষত্
হয়।
a) Leo has collected seventy-two novels.
(Not 72 novels)
b) I will take about two weeks to fix the
computer database. (Not 2 weeks)
c) The authority manages almost 350
consumers in a day. (Not three hundred
and fifty consumers)
 Writing numbers
❑Use numbers to show dates, times,
addresses, percentages and chapters of a
book.
a) The burglary was committed on October
30, 2003, but not discovered until January
2, 2004.
b) I live in 32, Basboo, Dhaka
c) When you take the skin off a piece of
chicken, you remove about 40 percent of
the fat.
d) I will meet you at 5:30 pm
Have you got any question?
Thanks for your patience
hearing!