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Punctuation

Full stop and commas

Clear punctuation is necessary in academic writing (in all writing!) in order to make your meaning clear. The most important punctuation mark in English is the full stop which marks the end of a sentence. All new sentences begin with a capital letter. The second most important punctuation mark is the comma which divides sentences into separate parts.

1

Missing punctuation

In the following paragraph (taken from Malaria: a handbook for health professionals, Malaria Consortium, 2007, Macmillan Education), all the punctuation marks have been removed. Read the paragraphs below and decide whether text a), b), c) or d) provides the best punctuation.

malaria can be prevented by controlling malaria mosquitoes either by reducing the malaria mosquito population or by preventing them from biting although early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential, they are not usually enough on their own to reduce malaria transmission mosquito control can be a highly effective and practical means of controlling malaria both in endemic areas and during epidemics

a)
b)
c)
d)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is b).

Text a) is incorrect because it provides neither a capital letter at the beginning of the first sentence nor a final full stop at the end of the third sentence.

Text b) forms complete sentences with a subject, a verb and an object. It also uses commas to indicate the beginning or end of a supporting clause. In the first sentence, the main clause 'malaria can be prevented by controlling malaria mosquitoes' is supported by the adverbial phrase 'either by reducing the malaria mosquito population or by preventing them from biting'. This phrase provides more information about the way in which controlling malaria mosquitoes but is not a sentence in its own right.

Text c) makes the mistake of punctuating the above phrase as if it is a sentence.

Texts a) b) and c) all punctuate the second sentence correctly, using a comma to indicate the end of the 'although' clause. An 'although clause' (or concessive clause) is a type of subordinate clause. The third sentence in the text ends with another adverbial phrase 'both in endemic areas and during epidemics.

Text d) needs a comma after 'Although early diagnosis and prompt treatment are essential' to indicate the end of the although clause.

Although it is not essential to be able to recognise subordinate clauses or adverbial phrases to write good academic English, knowing how to use commas will help you to write more readable text. The OWL website provides useful information on this: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/692/1/.

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Commas in lists

2

Commas in lists

Read the following two lists and decide which is correct.

a)
b)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is b).

It is not necessary to put a comma after the penultimate (next-to-last) item. This should be followed by 'and'.

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The only exception to the above example and feedback is where the 'and' could be misleading.

3

Commas in lists - the exception

Consider the following example: 'The shop sold old prints, crystal chandeliers, paintings, antique tables and chairs.' Decide whether the sentence leads us to believe that the shops sold:

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is c).

As it stands the sentence is ambiguous. However, if you put a comma after 'tables' it becomes clear that only the tables are antique: the chairs could be any sort of chairs.

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Commas and conjunctions

4

Commas and conjunctions

Read the following pair of sentences and decide which is punctuated correctly.

a)
b)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is b)

If you use a linking word (conjunction) such as 'however', 'therefore', or 'thus' you need to put commas around it.

If you use one of these words at the beginning of a sentence, you need to use a comma after it, for example:

However, it was a good opportunity to talk to the hospital managers.

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Semi-colons and colons

The semi-colon

Many students are scared of using these punctuation marks but if you know where to use them, the semi-colon and the colon can streamline your writing or add clarity to a muddled list.

5

Semi colons

Read the following sentences and decide whether a), b) or c) uses the semi-colon correctly.

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is a).

Semi-colons should be used to separate two independent but closely-related clauses. Each clause must be able to stand alone.

Use a learners' dictionary to check definitions. They are designed especially for non-native speakers.

However, this disrupts the flow of your idea and makes it sound stilted.

You could also use a conjunction:

Use a learners' dictionary to check definitions because they are designed especially for non-native speakers.

However, you may want your reader to make their own association between two separate clauses. The above is a simple example but when you are discussing your research, you may not want to make your connection explicit. Consider the following example:

The three selected villages made an ideal study group; they were in close proximity to one another but had significantly different characteristics.

The three selected villages made an ideal study group because they were in close proximity to one another but had significantly different characteristics.

By allowing the reader to make the causal connection, you encourage them to become more engaged with your text.

In sentence b) 'full of clear explanations' cannot stand alone as a clause.

In sentence c) the two clauses are not closely related.

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6

More semi-colons

As in exercise 5, read the following sentences and decide which uses the semi-colon correctly.

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is b).

In sentence a) 'clearly and concisely' cannot stand alone as a clause.

In sentence c) the two clauses are not closely related.

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Semi-colons in lists

The semi-colon can also be used to make an ambiguous list clear.

7

Semi-colons in lists

Look at the following list of committee members and then decide whether option a), b) or c) improves its clarity.

Prof H Edwards, Cardiff

Dr J Saul, The Women's Centre

Dr J Fleming, Cambridge and the Women's Centre

Prof A Bunting, Greenwich

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is b).

The original list already contained a lot of commas to denote the affiliation of members of the committee (Prof. H. Edwards, Cardiff) so the additional commas used to separate the individual members simply makes the list unclear. The use of the semi-colon in between each complete item makes it clear.

For more practice on the correct use of semi-colons, look at the University of Bristol website:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm

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The colon

Like the semi-colon, the colon is often misunderstood and misused. Nevertheless, there are two situations in which it can be very useful: introducing a list and providing an explanation for a previous clause. However, the colon should not be used at the beginning of every list. See if you can identify the correct use.

8

Which colon is correct?

Read the following sentences and decide whether colon use is correct in a) or b).

a)
b)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is b).

The rule is that the clause before the colon must be able to stand alone: in answer a) this is not the case.

The above sentence also shows us how to use the colon in the second situation: the second clause provides further information about the first.

For more practice on the correct use of colons, look at the University of Bristol website:

http://www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/exercises/grammar/grammar_tutorial/index.htm

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The apostrophe

This confuses native speakers and non-native speakers alike but generally there are some simple rules.

9

Using the apostrophe

Read the following sentences and decide which uses the apostrophe correctly.

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is a).

An apostrophe is used to denote possession - the answer belongs to the respondent and in this case there is only one respondent (since we are talking about 'each' respondent) and the apostrophe goes before the possessive 's'.

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10

Using the apostrophe

Read the following sentences and decide which uses the apostrophe correctly.

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is c).

If the word is already plural, as in 'respondents', the apostrophe comes after the 's'.

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11

What if a singular noun (often a name) ends in an 's'?

Read the following sentences and decide which uses the apostrophe correctly.

a)
b)
Please select an answerActually both of these are correct. In the past there was a rule that if a singular noun ending in 's' was made into a possessive, you just added an apostrophe and no 's'. However, these days both are acceptable.Actually both of these are correct. In the past there was a rule that if a singular noun ending in 's' was made into a possessive, you just added an apostrophe and no 's'. However, these days both are acceptable.
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Using an apostrophe for contractions.

Spoken English is full of contractions, for example: he wouldn't, she couldn't, they haven't, we're going to, I won't, they've done it, she'll do it soon. It is also acceptable to use such contractions in informal writing such as emails but they should not be used in academic writing.

It's and its

Again the use of the apostrophe in it's and its is something that confuses native speakers just as much as non-native speakers of English but it's not difficult!

12

Using the apostrophe

Read the following sentences and decide where the apostrophe has been used correctly.

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is c).

It's is a contraction. It's short for it is. Its is a possessive but possessive pronouns do not need apostrophes, e.g.

e.g. The committee announced its decision.

They said the money was theirs.

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Who's and whose

13

Using the apostrophe

Read the following sentences and decide where the apostrophe has been used correctly.

a)
b)
c)
Correct, well done!

Incorrect, the answer is a).

The form 'who's' is a contraction of 'who is' and the apostrophe indicates the missing letter.

'Whose' is the possessive form of 'who' e.g. 'The researcher whose paper was published in the Lancet.........'

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