Punctuation tips

These tips come from the specialists who run our Punctuate Perfectly workshop.

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• Use ampersands (&) sparingly
• Use apostrophes for possession or contraction
• Use commas in three situations
• Use hyphens with new e-words
• Distinguish between en dashes and em dashes

 

Use ampersands (&) sparingly

We recommend that you don't use an ampersand (&) in the text of your normal business writing. We often see the ampersand used randomly in text as if the writer has carelessly lapsed into shorthand.

 

Use the ampersand:

• if it is part of a company name (Harris & Ford Limited)

• if space is very limited (such as in a small advertisement)

• for artistic reasons (such as in a logo)

• in some computer languages (such as in JavaScript)

• in some academic references (Johnson & Clarke, 2002).

 

The ampersand is a symbolic abbreviation for the word 'and'. Historically, ‘&’ was the 27th letter of the alphabet. The name comes from the words 'and, per se and'. The symbol is a stylised version of the French word 'et' (meaning 'and').

 

Use apostrophes for possession or contraction

Use apostrophes to show:

• possession — John’s dog = the dog belonging to John

• contractions — do not = don’t.

 

Never use an apostrophe if you mean 'more than one'. For example, 'CD's for sale' is incorrect. 'CDs for sale' is correct.

When do I use an apostrophe in ‘its’?

Only use an apostrophe in 'it's' to stand for missing letters (if you mean 'it is' or 'it has').

 

Examples

It's been raining. 

It's really quite simple. 

Do I use an apostrophe with numbers or single letters?

Don’t use an apostrophe when you are writing numbers or letters in the plural.

 

Examples

I’m at 6s and 7s (or sixes and sevens).

The 1990s seemed to pass in a flash.

Kate got two As and four Bs that year at university.

 

However, use an apostrophe when the reader could get confused.

 

Examples

Dot the i's and cross the t's.

Mind your p's and q's.

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Use commas in three situations

Use commas in lists

Commas between the items in a list helps you to make sense of a sentence. ‘Lean meat, pies, and juice’ isn’t the same as ‘lean meat pies and juice’.

 

Use commas for short list items when the list is in a paragraph. For example, ‘The cold, impatient judge frowned down at the young lawyer while she clung firmly, grittily, and resolvedly to her client’s argument.’

Use commas to enclose extra ideas

Use commas to show that an extra idea has been inserted into a sentence.

 

If the extra idea is in the middle of the sentence, put a comma each side. For example, ‘The barristers, with their thinking caps firmly in place, exchanged ideas to resolve the problem.’

 

If the extra idea is at the end of the sentence, the the full stop acts as the other part of the pair. For example, ‘The partners believed relocating the office was the best move for the company, which was struggling to make ends meet.’

Use commas to introduce complete thoughts

The grammatical term for a complete thought is an ‘independent clause’. An independent clause makes sense on its own. You could walk into a room and announce an independent clause.

 

Examples of independent clauses

• Please exit at the fourth floor.

• The cat fell off the roof.

• Each of those concepts will be explained more clearly on Monday.

• First-year students should not load up their schedules to meet requirements for a particular program.

 

If you place an independent clause further down a sentence, put a comma in front of it.

 

Examples of independent clauses further down a sentence.

• Meanwhile, please exit at the fourth floor.

• Last week while I wasn’t looking, the cat fell off the roof.

• Because of time constraints, each of those concepts will be explained more clearly on Monday.

• Because most undergraduate students change their major fields of study at least once during their university careers, first-year students should not load up their schedules to meet requirements for a particular program.

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Use hyphens with new e-words

‘Email’ is now commonly written as one word. Generally, though, when you add 'e' before a word to mean 'electronic', you should use a hyphen.

Examples

e-commerce

e-government

e-business

e-strategy

e-learning

 

Distinguish between en dashes and em dashes

The short dash, known as the 'en dash'

Use an en dash (–) to separate:

• numbers

• words of equal weight.

 

To make an en dash, hit Ctrl + minus on the numeric keyboard.

 

Examples

1912–1915

pages 24–58

New Zealand–Australia relations

hand–eye coordination

 

Never use an en dash with the words between and from.

 

Examples

‘The period between 11.30am and 1.30pm’, not ‘The period between 11.30am–1.30pm’

‘Sorted in sizes from 12 to 18’, not ‘Sorted in sizes from 12–18’

The long dash, known as the 'em dash'

Use an em dash (—) to mark a sudden break in thought, or to gather up a list of items.

 

To make an em dash, hit Ctrl + Alt + minus on the numeric keyboard.

 

Examples

Mary and Tom — you met them at the opera — are coming to dinner.

Integrity, humour, and generosity — these are the qualities I want in a partner.

What could I do next — walk away, contradict her, or laugh at the absurdity of her suggestion?

 

Check your in-house style guide to find out whether to use spaces before and after the em dash. Usually a spaced em dash is best online, because typefaces can dazzle and blur when you read from a computer screen.

 

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