Capitalization and Punctuation

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There are three main uses of apostrophe ('):

1. Contracted words:
Apostrophe marks dropped letters.

mustn't-must not / what's-what is

2.Possession:
Daniel's money / Nora's son
The car's color / Bicycle's tire

3. Plurals of "non-words":
I only get A's and B's.
Number 7's are the best.

Hyphen

Hyphens are used to connect two independent words, so they function as one unit. Some compound words are hyphenated, some are one word, and some remain two words. The best idea is to consult a dictionary -- compound words don't always follow consistent rules:

• Water-repellent
• Waterproof
• Water table
1. A comma separates things in series. (list of items)

I ate pizza, a burger, and ice cream.
I like reading, listening to music, taking long walks, and visiting my friends.

This is one of the most common uses of a comma. Notice that a comma is included before the conjunction 'and' which comes before the final element of a list.


2. A comma separates an interruption from the rest of the sentence.

Mr. Walker, our teacher, is very clever.


3. A comma separates two independent clauses that are connected by a conjunction such as 'but'.

They wanted to purchase a new car, but their financial situation would not allow it.
I would really enjoy seeing a film this evening, and I'd like to go out for a drink.


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4. Separate phrases (clauses)

In order to qualify for your certificate, you will need to take the TOEFL exam.
Although he wanted to come, he wasn't able to attend the course.


5. Introduce a direct quote (as opposed to indirect speech i.e. He said he wanted to come...).

The boy said, "My father is often away during the week on business trips."

His doctor replied, "If you don't stop smoking, you run the risk of a heart attack."

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