Hyphens & Dashes
A. Self-insurance plans are not subject to state regulation or premium taxes.
OR
B. Self insurance plans are not subject to state regulation or premium taxes.
What is: A
Bracket of Parentheses? Where?
Sam the boy from the school helped me with my homework.
What is: Parentheses,
Sam (the boy from the school) helped me with my homework.
Fix the sentence using a comma and Semicolon
Call me tomorrow I will give you my answer then.
What is:
Call me tomorrow; I will give you my answer then.
Call me tomorrow, and I will give you my answer then.
Where does the colon go?
The recipe calls for the following items butter, sugar, and flour.
What is:
The recipe calls for the following items: butter, sugar, and flour.
Correct or incorrect?
Is everything...OK?
What is: incorrect
A. Situation factors also play a role in consumer decision making.
OR
B. Situation factors also play a role in consumer decision-making.
What is:A
Bracket of Parentheses? Where?
The pig ate the ice-cream cone. His favorite flavor was chocolate.
What is:
The pig ate the ice-cream cone. (His favorite flavor was chocolate.)
Where does the commas & semicolons go?
You will want to bring many camping items for example sleeping bags pans and warm clothing will make the trip better.
What is:
You will want to bring many camping items; for example, sleeping bags, pans, and warm clothing will make the trip better.
Dear Ms. Brown
What is:
Dear Ms. Brown:
(Rewrite using an ellipsis where appropriate)
"Today, after hours of careful thought, we vetoed the bill."
What is:
"Today … we vetoed the bill."
A. You are the friend—the only friend—who offered to help me.
OR
A. You are the friend - the only friend - who offered to help me.
What is: A
Correct or incorrect?
"She drove 60 [miles per hour] on the highway to town."
What is: Correct
(Add the correct punctuation)
This conference has people who have come from Chicago Illinois Los Angeles California Lincoln Nebraska and Nashville Tennessee.
What is:
This conference has people who have come from Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Nashville, Tennessee.
I want an assistant who can do the following (a) input data, (b) write reports, and (c) complete tax forms.
What is I want an assistant who can do the following: (a) input data, (b) write reports, and (c) complete tax forms.
Correct or Incorrect?
"… [A]fter hours of careful thought, we vetoed the bill."
What is: Correct
(Where do the dashes belong?)
We will invite Susan she is the new girl next door to our party. (Where do the dashes belong?)
What is:
We will invite Susan -- she is the new girl next door -- to our party.
Where do the brackets & parentheses go?
The package includes several things mainly CDs compact discs.
What is:
The package includes several things (mainly CDs [compact discs]).
The hill was covered with wildflowers it was a beautiful sight.
What is:
The hill was covered with wildflowers; it was a beautiful sight.
The hill was covered with wildflowers, for it was a beautiful sight.
The author of Touched, Jane Straus, wrote in the first chapter Georgia went back to her bed and stared at the intricate patterns of burned moth wings in the translucent glass of the overhead light. Her father was in “hyper mode” again where nothing could calm him down.
What is:
The author of Touched, Jane Straus, wrote in the first chapter:
Georgia went back to her bed and stared at the intricate patterns of burned moth wings in the translucent glass of the overhead light. Her father was in “hyper mode” again where nothing could calm him down.
Correct or Incorrect?
"In the baseball game, our team scored four home runs, the other team, only scored two…"
What is:incorrect
"In the baseball game, our team scored four home runs, the other team, only scored two…."
(Where do the dashes belong?)
Policemen, teachers, garbage collectors these are people that we cannot do without.
What is:
Policemen, teachers, garbage collectors -- these are people that we cannot do without.
Brackets or parenthesis? Where?
"She Martha is a great friend of us."
What is: Brackets
She [Martha] is a great friend of us.
(add the punctuation)
They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark therefore they decided to camp for the night.
What is:
They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; therefore, they decided to camp for the night.
She did not pass the most important of her exams math.
What is:
She did not pass the most important of her exams: math.
I was thinking . . . maybe we should call home.
OR
I was thinking--maybe we should call home.
What is:
I was thinking--maybe we should call home.