Writing Mechanics1. Apostrophe 2. Quotation marks3. Comma4. Colon5. Semicolon6. Dash7. Parentheses8. HyphenA

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

1. Apostrophe ’

• Apostrophe in contractions• Two words are combined have + not = haven’ t (the o in not has been

omitted)I + am = I’m it + is = it’sI + have = I’ve it + has = it’sI + had = I’dwho + is = who’s

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

• Apostrophe to show ownership or possession• To show possession, we can use words such as

belongs to, or possessed by.

the umbrella that belongs to Mark the tape recorder owned by the schoolthe gentleness of my father

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

• But the apostrophe and s is often the easiest way to do this.

Mark’s umbrellathe children’s toysthe school’s tape recordermy father’s gentleness

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

Points to Remember1.The ’s goes with the owner or possessor. What

follows is the person or thing possessed. Mark’s umbrella

2. An apostrophe and s are used to show possession with a singular word even if the word already ends in sDoris’s purse

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

Apostrophe vs Possessive Pronoun• Do not use an apostrophe with possessive

pronouns.

The sun warped his’ albumsThe restored Model T is theirs’.The decision is yours’.The lion charged its’ prey.

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

Apostrophe vs Simple Plurals• To make a word plural, add only s, not an

apostrophe. For example:Singular Plural

movie moviesbag bagspen pens

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

• Apostrophe with Plural Ending in s• Plurals that end in s show possession simply

by adding the apostrophe, rather than an apostrophe and s (’s)

the Thompsons’ porchher parents’ homethe soldiers’ hat

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

2. Quotation Marks• Quotation marks to show the exact words of a

speaker or writer

Ben Franklin once wrote, “To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.”

“Did you know,” said the nutrition expert, “that it’s healthier to be ten pounds overweight?”

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

• Indirect Quotationsan indirect quotation is a rewording of someone else’s comments rather than a word-for-word direct quotation. The word that often signals an indirect quotation.

Direct QuotationThe nurse said, “Some babies cannot tolerate cows’ milk.”

Indirect QuotationThe nurse said that some babies cannot tolerate cows’ milk.

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

• Quotation marks to show titles of short works( articles in books, newspapers or magazines; chapters in a book; short stories; poems; and songs)

• But you should underline (if writing longhand) or italicized (if writing on a computer) titles of books, newspapers, magazines, plays, movies, CDs., and television shows.the essay “My Soul mate” in the book In a Relationshipthe article “The Problem of Acid Rain” in the newspaper The Starthe article “ Living with Inflation” in the magazine Newsweekthe chapter “Chinese Religion” in the book Paths of Religion Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th

ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

• Quotation marks are also used to set off special words or phrases from the rest of a sentence

What is the difference between “it’s” and “its”?

• Quotation marks are also used to mark off a quotation within a quotation

The physics professor said, “For class on Friday, do the problems at the end of the chapter titled ‘Work and Energy.’”

*note that a quotation within a quotation is indicated by single quotation marks. Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th

ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

3.Comma• To separate items in a series The street vendor sold watches, necklaces, and earrings.

The exercise instructor told us to inhale, exhale, and relax.

• To set off introductory materialJust in time, Sherry applied the brakes and avoided car accident.Muttering under his breath, Hassan reviewed the terms he had memorized.

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

3. Comma• Use a comma on both sides of words or phrases that

interrupt the flow of thought in a sentence.

The vinyl car seat, sticky from the heat, clung to my skin.

Marty’ computer, which his wife got him as a birthday gift, occupies all his spare time.

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

3. Comma• Use a comma to set off a direct quotation from the

rest of the sentence.

The carnival barker cried, “Step right up and win a prize.”“Now is the time to yield to temptation,” my horoscope read.“For my first writing assignment,” said Scott, “I have to turn in a five-hundred-word description of a stone.”

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

4. Colon :• To introduce a list

The store will close at noon on the following dates: November 26, December 24, and December 31.

• To introduce a quotationIn his book Life Lines, Forrest Church maintains that people should cry more: “Life is difficult. Some people pretend that it is not, that we should be able to breeze through.”

• To introduce an explanationHere’s a temporary solution to a dripping faucet: Tie a string to it, and let the drops slide down the string to the sink.

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

5. Semicolon ;• To mark a break between two thoughts

Maya’s children are named Melantha, which means “black flower’’; Yonina which means “dove”; and Cynthia which means “moon goddess”

• To mark off items in a series when the items themselves contain commas

My parents’ favorite albums are Rubber Soul, by the Beatles; Songs in the Key of Life, by Stevie Wonder; and Bridge over Troubled Water, by Simon and Garfunkel

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

6.Dash –• Use a dash to set off words for dramatic effect:

I was so exhausted that I fell asleep within seconds— standing up

The pardon from the governor finally arrived— too late

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

7. Parentheses ()• To set off extra or incidental information from the rest

of a sentence

In 1913, the tax on an annual income of four thousand dollars (a comfortable wage at that time) was one penny.

Arthur C. Clarke, author of science fiction books (including: A Space Odyssey), was inspired as a young man by the magazine Astounding Stories.

Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill

8. Hyphen -• Use a hyphen with two or more words that act as a

single unit describing a noun

The light-footed burglar silently slipped open the sliding glass door.With a needle, Rich punctured the fluid-filled blister on his toe.

• To divide a word at the end of a line of writing or typing.When you need to divide a word, divide it between syllables Selena’s first year at college was a time filled with numer-ous new pressure and responsibilities Langan, J. (2011). College writing skills(8th

ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill